Will Stanhope Solos Zombie Roof (5.12d)

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[vimeo http://vimeo.com/45591691 w=980&h=551]

| Video Source | ClimbingNarc Video Page

Perry Beckham and Will Stanhope explain the history behind Peter Croft's first ascent of the Zombie Roof [5.12d] in Squamish, B.C. and the process behind Will completing the first free-solo of the route.

Filmed & Edited by David Pearson

Additional Videography by Chris Christie

Thanks to:
Matt Maddaloni
Chris Trull
Dave Diegelman
Anders I. Ourom
Scott Young
Sonnie Trotter
Randy Atkinson
Peter A Haan

Music:
Moby - Walk with me, Isolate, Pale Horses
Dustin O'Halloran - We move lightly

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Posted In: Free Solo, Traditional Climbing
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21 Responses to Will Stanhope Solos Zombie Roof (5.12d)

  1. Austin Howell July 16, 2012 at 4:57 pm #

    Beautiful, I dig it. Chill climbing, nice and relaxed.

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  2. Ryan Sheldon July 16, 2012 at 7:44 pm #

    You know you’re relaxed and mellow on a solo when you decide to hang off one arm and chalk up the other.

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  3. Elena July 16, 2012 at 8:10 pm #

    Amazing!! 😀

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  4. NOT a soloist July 16, 2012 at 9:14 pm #

    Yeah, it’s cool climbing… but I despise the glorification of soloing.

    Soloing is the ultimate selfish endeavor.

    You want to do it alone? Like masturbation, don’t show it off.

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    • Dan July 16, 2012 at 9:56 pm #

      The whole point of this vid was to avoid the glorification effect by showing the preparation and thought that go into a high-level free solo.

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  5. Eric July 16, 2012 at 10:11 pm #

    Well done. I liked a lot of the message about sustainability and unglorifying the solo, blah blah… but then he talked about it not needing to be rad and its not about being filmed and then he does the one arm hang. Not to say it was dangerous but I think that hurts the message about it not needing to be rad and not glorious. I just don’t think that iconic imagery fits the message… my $.02

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    • Austin Howell July 17, 2012 at 7:52 am #

      when I climb solo, it’s always just to have fun, I play with the route when it feels easy and it should always feel easy. Your point is definitely valid but, I can also see the hang fitting in context too. ya gotta keep it playful, while still keeping yourself seriously focused. as for being on video, why not? if you’re going to do it anyway, that shouldn’t add or detract from the experience.

      on a more snarky note: maybe his core was tired =P

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      • Eric July 17, 2012 at 11:12 am #

        I am still unsure about how I feel about videoing solos. I like to watch them but I feel they give a certain perception of what the sport is about. The only real world media coverage is about little girls and Alex Honnold. I fully understand that these are currently the only parts of our sport that sell to a casual observer so I guess that is what it is…

        The only reason I mentioned the video part is that Will mentioned it in the video. I just didn’t think the soliloquy he delivered matched the actions of having the solo videoed (duh, that’s what it was about… of course it was videoed), but more importantly playing up to the camera. That shot was intended to be artistic, playful, inspiring, but also to give some folks butterflies. We can’t be for sure, but there is a good chance he doesn’t flair when the camera is not on…

        I think the video was very well done, but as an editor, I would have left that part out; it just didn’t tell the story congruently. But yea, he probably was tired;)

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    • Zia July 17, 2012 at 2:05 pm #

      I watched the video after reading the comments and was expecting an extended, show-offish one-arm hang. But I didn’t see in his body language any attempt at being rad in that moment. He just seemed to be enjoying the position and, like Austin says, having fun. I imagine he would have climbed it the same way were he not being filmed. I didn’t feel that moment took away from the message at all. My 2c 🙂

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  6. Narc July 17, 2012 at 6:02 am #

    It is curious that he doesn’t mention at all the accident in England where he decked and busted up his ankle pretty bad. I don’t think he was outright soloing at the time but grit headpointing isn’t all that much different is it?

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    • George July 17, 2012 at 11:17 am #

      Well it’s different when you know you’ll live through a fall vs certain death. A highball boulder problem will break ankles even with crash pads (if you’re lucky), but plenty of people will do that that would never free solo. Pretty big difference!

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    • TimS July 24, 2012 at 2:43 am #

      Narc, WIll decked in England because the creaky flake that all the gear was behind on Parthian Shot ripped off. This flake was said to be really dodgy to start with (‘shipwreck of a flake’ in Hard Grit), but more and more people had been falling onto it and being fine (including Jorgeson for his ground up ascent) and being totally fine.

      I’m not sure whether this classes as unlucky, or inevitable, but it would seem to me to be a whole different sort of risk than soloing on compact granite.

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  7. APK July 17, 2012 at 1:39 pm #

    Soloing is glorious, it is heroic, and selfish. And why can’t selfishness be glorious? Have you ever asked yourself this question? What if I tell you that altruism lacks glory? Selfishness is individuality, selfish people produce the world’s greatest advancements. If you are not doing it for yourself, it won’t be great, simple as that. There is a dogma perpetuated by the religious and the socialists that personal achievement is bad. Everyone serves god; everyone serves the community. Those two groups think the same. I see the climbing community, and especially professional climbers themselves, feel the need to play down their achievements in a feigned attempt at modesty. I have heard such statements from well known climbers as: “when he falls and swears, he’s not actually disappointed that he didn’t finish the climb, its just a natural reaction, like taking a breath.” Apparently, Dean Potter doesn’t care about beating Florine on the nose, despite attempting the record many times. Are you going to believe this bullshit? Sounds like an attempt to reach a divine state to me. You should celebrate achievement, you should stop bringing down great people, we need to accept the human that exists in reality. The human that wants to be recognized for their great achievements by people like me. Whether you like it or not, it is the way it is. Stop fooling yourselves, a divine state does not exist because that’s not who we are. What is wrong with soloing being the way the world perceives climbing? Soloing is the pinnacle of a pursuit which is already hard and dangerous, so it represents climbing. Do you as a climber want climbing to look badass or not? Do we want to accept our pursuit as average? Climbing is not average. Would we watch the Olympics if it was average athletes competing? No, we wouldn’t. Soloing is a testament to the power and capability of the human. And finally, why does the existence of a camera negate the passion for climbing or soloing? That is presumptuous. Why does ego negate passion? Ask questions, don’t settle into the same thought patterns as the majority. Challenge ideas, your own, and mine.

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    • jGO July 17, 2012 at 4:36 pm #

      very well said. the humble brag in climbing kills me.

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    • Chad Boss June 7, 2013 at 3:59 pm #

      I don’t know anything about climbing, but I know someone’s been reading Ayn Rand.

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  8. Kalen July 17, 2012 at 2:24 pm #

    Smooth climbing Will. Great film work. Life is fleeting for all of us, death now or in the future is the same and the Universe moves on uncaringly. Fill your lives with moments your spirit can revel in.

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  9. B July 17, 2012 at 3:51 pm #

    Incredible climbing.
    The video, no matter what I did, it wouldn’t run smooth. It goes, then stops. And the stop has nothing to do with how much is downloaded. Even after its at full bar it does a half second then stops for a second or two. Sometimes it just quits. I click pause and play and it plays again. Very irritating. Other Vimeo videos do just fine. I shut down everything else on my computer, etc. Nothing makes any difference.

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  10. Roy McClenahan July 18, 2012 at 9:28 pm #

    Quality product all around. Genuine reportage with nice texture and crisp editing.

    Perry does a real good job with the intro interview/backstory, Will developes some thoughtfull and informative reflection … then makes the thing look 10C.

    Well done!

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    • Austin Howell July 18, 2012 at 9:50 pm #

      looked like he thought it was 5.8 even! I hope I look half that smooth on TR!

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  11. Gym King July 19, 2012 at 4:49 pm #

    Finished my third 5.12b on lead about a month ago and am projecting a 5.13a but then saw this and was like well hell I wish I could do that, but then soloing isn’t my style I like to clip draws but props to Stanhope. Do what makes you happy and is fun for you. Everyone is gonna have different styles of climbing. Good job to the people in this post for not getting angry at others for their preferred style, it’s nice to see some civilized climbers every now and again and I respect those who don’t thing soloing isn’t good for promoting the sport of climbing.

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  12. That guy January 30, 2013 at 6:30 pm #

    I think everyone should solo. This will thin out the population and the most popular crags will be quit once again. Just think…….you could get a camp site at camp 4 without weighting in line. Yosemite would be half empty. The potential is endless. The great plague of the dark ages spurred on the Renisonse.

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