12:55pm
I went to go see the movie "Touching the Void" last night. It's an independant film, so it's not easy to find. There's no big star actors, just a telling of a true story..and I feel like shortly reviewing it.
I actually was nervous going into this movie, which doesn't happen a lot. Being a mountaineer I knew that the film would be both horrific for me, yet also something I would understand more than most.

The film is about a two-man climbing expedition in the Andes. Two young men, Joe Simpson (21) and Simon Yates (25), in 1985, decide to climb the 21,000 ft. west face of Siula Grande in Peru. Something that has never been done. They make it to the top just about without incident; but on the way down (which I think most people think is the easier part..and the part which I hate), things go perilously wrong. Weather, injuries, the unthinkable.
You obviously know that everything turns out ok, since the actual climbers are telling you their story, but it's how they got there that's the amazing part. It's very much suspenseful. No added suspense is needed. The true story gives you enough of that on its own. It's a drawn out, nail-biting, knuckle-biting, fidgeting uncomfortably in your seat, will I have nightmares about this tonight, talk about afterwards, movie.

Also it's a movie of the human spirit. It shows that we as humans are just so much never-say-die. When the chips are down, we can pull off some amazing things. Something as simple as the line, "I just didn't want to die alone". Religion isn't factored into the survival in this movie. It's not like they were thinking, yeah, god will get me out of this, or god please help me. It was all them. Pure inner courage. They say "There are no atheists in foxholes". That wasn't true for these guys.

This was definately one of the most expressive audiences I've seen (or heard I guess) at a movie. A lot of ooos and ahhhs and oh my gawds and audible cringing. I can't help but wonder if the audience would be more like this, or less so, in other cities. I live in Boulder where mountains of rock and snow loom around you and climbing is in the water and the air. So here are we less likely to be overwhelmed by this movie because we see it, live it, and understand it more than other places? Or does it hit home more for us?

The worst thing you can ever do as a climber is think, "this can never happen to me", when you have to realize it can happen, it does happen, and you need to remember that every single day spent packing gear, going up the mountain, and coming down it. Respect for the mountain is crucial.

In any case, i'm sure this movie will weigh on my mind for a while, and I'll go back to see it one or more times while it's still around in theaters.

I told my mom and sis about this movie, and now I'm wondering why I did. I'll actually be in the Andes in Dec, doing this sort of climbing (granted, not as difficult as their route), but this isn't going to make them feel any better about it, that's for sure!

Afterwards, me, scott, and jenny went out to the Saloon for a couple pitchers of good Sunshine Wheat, and I got home around 2:30.

10:54pm
Christmas was pretty uneventful.
New Years was spent at a 2-day party up in the mountains (Breckenridge). Eating, drinking, being merry. Dancing to 80's music.

Still job hunting. No big luck. A job interview here and there. Nothing to write home about

Saw "The Butterfly Effect" yesterday at the movies. Good movie. Interesting concept. Kutcher did a real good job in his first drama.

Got plans to go to Argentina in Dec. for at least 3 weeks to climb Aconcagua. Logistics not done yet, but coming along.
Hoping to get to Shasta (CA) and Rainier (WA) in the summer for some glacier practice.