I got home and headed straight for the shower. But in my 3 day thermals, sweat and unwashed hair, I stopped and took a selfie. I find myself reluctant to let the dirt go, in case the little transformation gets washed away with it.
Whirlwind Peak
Not editing today…heading for Whirlwind Peak instead.
Photo: Alex Gorham
Last year the mountains around Squamish and Whistler felt too big and intimidating to venture into much further than the ski area boundary. I didn’t want to get caught in an avalanche and didn’t know how to avoid it, or how to know if I was avoiding it or not. As with all these things, one step at a time.
(Taking a course helps.)
Photo: Alex Gorham
Photo: Alex Gorham
Now we push our way into new valleys and over new ridges slowly and cautiously, feeling like pioneers and glowing with our discoveries.
Sometimes I miss what I think of as my Scottish roots, and my familiarity with some of the mountains there. I think about jumping the BC ship. But you have to let yourself get into a place to allow it into you. The further we nudge our little boundaries outwards, the more we see just beyond and note down to explore next time.
Photo: Alex Gorham
35mm Sketchbook #3
Scotland in August. My favourite section of the West Highland Way into Glencoe with my dad, and an island called Eigg. I bought a box of three films from Shoppers Drug Mart and off I went.
(I like how the last frame on that roll got a bit cropped and scratched somehow.)
Back to Squamish in September, and a walk to Watersprite with my sister. It feels good to get up and out of the trees, and wiggle our way through the forest service roads to get there.
Everything turning yellow and crispy. I start to wonder if I’m taking to many pictures of the back of peoples’ heads… I’d only ever been there in the summer before.
And finally the Squamish Valley! Right on my doorstep and as wild as they come.
35mm Sketchbook #2
Hikes with the old 35mm Miranda continue, getting to know new areas and making stuff without agenda, ‘cos it’s fun, isn’t it!
Black Tusk changes everytime I see her.
35mm Sketchbook #1
The view from my living room reminds me to explore all those mountains I haven't met yet.
So I've started to, with my old Miranda 35mm and my old pal Jackie.
Black Tust has every colour there is...
One foot in front of the other, and I realise these mountains are big, but they aren't so big that you can't get in amongst them. We start talking about more and bigger ventures soon.
Mongolia with Sidetracked
I took some time reflecting on and distilling my trip to Mongolia for Sidetracked Magazine
which is live and kicking on their Field Journal page now! Click here for a read.
Mind Control is Live!
Mind Control, our collaboration with Hazel Findlay about her journey from shoulder surgery to climb-of-her-life, is now available for all to see!
Psycho Vertical Download
New Adventure Journal
We shot and wrote a piece for Lowe Alpine's Adventure Journal series about our recent move from Scotland to BC and are excited to be able to share the finished piece! Click here for a good old read.
Lowe Alpine Aeon Campaign
Great to see our images taking flight for the Lowe Alpine Aeon pack campaign, shot in Squamish BC, with a video and Adventure Journal soon to follow!
Click here to check out the pack and more of our images on Lowe Alpine's site.
Psycho Vertical Wins at VIMFF
We're very proud of winning Best Climbing Film at this year's Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival for Psycho Vertical, where the jury commented:
The Jury found this film to be direct and nuanced at the same time, treating important and difficult questions that are seldom brought up within the context of climbing. It engages gently, setting a tone, but circles back with considerations about self-image, doubt, family, love, obsession and escape. It presents as very human and doesn’t insist on anything, and it falls far short of drawing a conclusion, yet it is somehow endearing – showing us the fragility in ‘hardcore’. Often telling three different stories at the same time, this work is nevertheless one piece, holding its focus throughout, with polished editing, intense visuals, and a strong connection to the viewer during the narrative. Then it leaves you with a tentative smile, rather than a slap on the back.
Thank you Vancouver!
Gwen on Psycho Vertical
After getting to know writer and mountaineer Gwen Moffat while making Operation Moffat a couple of years ago, her words have come to mean a lot. And she doesn't mess around. So I'll admit I was a little nervous when she reviewed Psycho Vertical for UKClimbing.com... 'magical' and 'of course it's flawed' stick with me, so does 'an articulate bear' among so many others. Always a treat to read Gwen's beautifully written words.
Click here for her full review.
Ed Douglas on Psycho Vertical
What an honour to have your work reviewed by renowned writer Ed Douglas, and for it to be insightful and positive too! Have a read right here.
It's Calling
It's Calling is our third collaboration with the mighty and creative Lowe Alpine, our first two being Operation Moffat and The Bothy Project. In the middle of four months on the road in the US and shortly before getting stuck into shooting the mammoth Yosemite sequences of Psycho Vertical, I got an email asking if I'd get involved in this project and could we start now... erm... tricky timing but YES.
Joe's idea was to shoot in four countries with four filmmakers yet somehow combine all those stories into one. Many pages of notes, mood boards and one hell of a detailed brief later, crews in Australia, Switzerland, Scotland and the USA got to work. It was interesting as footage trickled in from around the world, one filmmaker's style informing and influencing the next in line to shoot.
It was an interesting and challenging edit, using all my forces to weave these adventures together and to write a voice over that would serve as glue. But weaving is what I love most, and we're very proud of this short film which celebrates our want and need to get outside and challenge ourselves, however we choose to do it. Enjoy!
Happy Accidents *1 - Liathach
A trip along the Liathach ridge with an Olympus XA2 and a roll of film that expired in 2005. I love an experiment!
The Bothy Project
Our award-winning short The Bothy Project is now live and kicking. Lowe Alpine put together an awesome page about the making of the film including images, interviews and of course the film itself.
Click on the image below to check it out!
Hey May!
Scotland welcomed May through the door with sunshine after a good old week of solid rain. We made the most of it with a climb, a swim and at the end of it all the best kind of tired. We hope you got out there too!
Back Yard Sketchbook
We've been doing a lot of exploring around our new home lately, which means we have a lot of shots of it. It seems a shame to have tonnes of lovely photos sitting on hard drives doing nothing, so we decided we'd try to put together mini photo essays every week or so, in the hope that they get to see the light of day. So here is the first one - a selection of images taken around our new playground, put together in the wonderful Adobe Spark.
Just click on the image to see more!
Northwest Climbs for Epic TV
Our second episode for Epic TV's Choice Cuts series is out! Northwest Climbs brings the old Slice of Squam team back together for a new Scottish bouldering short.
Haven't seen Slice of Squam? You're in for a 2011 treat.
Making OWN
In April, dancer and choreographer Natali McCleary and I were commissioned by Belmont Filmhouse on our 3rd collaboration to visit Aberdeen for a week. The plan? To make a new dance film with 7 young filmmakers and 4 young dancers in 5 short days.
The challenges were plenty - time, a large group who didn't know each other, weather and creating a film. We came at these issues systematically.
Time - Nat and I came armed with a plethora of stimuli to help the group come up with a concept for their movement and film. These included pieces of music, a selection of short poems, themes and headings. We brain-stormed, spider-diagramed and chatted. By lunch time on day 1 we had a concept - the groups' conflicted feelings toward their connection with home, a.k.a Aberdeen. With that nailed nailed we were straight into movement and camera workshops until the end of day 2. Days 3, 4 and 5 were spent shooting in the city and reviewing our rushes at the end of every day.
A brand new group - It's hard not to get to know each other quickly and bond when thrown together for 5 intense days, but getting the filmmakers to join in with the movement warm-ups and the dancers to check out the filmmakers new camera knowledge certainly helped speed the process up. My biggest challenge was an 18 year old boy who didn't believe I knew my stuff for 2 whole days. In the end he asked me for a work placement.
Weather - We couldn't find a worthy indoor alternative to the outdoor locations we'd scouted, so we did what we always do - packed extra jackets and an umbrella and braved whatever the weather threw at us, which in this case included snow. Personally, I prefer shooting grey skies to blue so I was happy.
Creating a film - The group continued to develop their concept as we shot, worked hard and became a wicked team. When I left at the end of the week with the rushes I had a good idea of what they collectively had in mind for the edit, and sent the rough cut around the group for feedback before finishing it off.
Low and behold, we did it... thank you Aberdeen!
