El Capitan (film)

Infobox_Film
name = El Capitan
starring = Gary Colliver
Richard McCracken
Lito Tejada-Flores
filmed by = Glen Denny
director = Fred Padula
producer = Fred Padula
released = 1978 (USA)
runtime = 60 min.
language = English

El Capitan is a film by filmmaker Fred Padula that captures one of the earliest ascents of the Nose of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley, California, USA. [http://www.canyoncinema.com/P/Padula.html] The Films of Fred Padula]

It was screened at the Banff Mountain Film Festival in 1979 [http://www.banffcentre.ca/mountainculture/festivals/2007/passion/climbing.asp] Banff Mountain Festival 2007 ] and won several awards at film festivals around the world. [http://www.canyoncinema.com/P/Padula.html] The Films of Fred Padula]

Plot

The film follows three climbers as they do the 3000-feet (900 m) vertical ascent of the Nose, a classic big-wall climb. A fourth climber follows the group and films their ascent but is never seen in the movie. The climbers needs three days to reach the summit, which means they have to spend two nights sleeping on steep ledges waking to magnificent views. Several minutes of the film is filmed in the pitch black when the climbers are caught by nightfall before reaching a ledge to spend the night. The screen is dark when one climber is heard trying to belay another when a bolt breaks loose and the climbers fall, luckily unharmed.

Climbing Techniques

The climbers use many techniques that are different from modern big-wall climbing. For example they do not use harnesses but instead twine slings around their bodies and tie the rope into them. Typical nuts can not been seen used; they often hammer pitons into the cracks which they then use to secure themselves.

Awards

The film has received awards at the following film festivals [http://www.canyoncinema.com/P/Padula.html] The Films of Fred Padula]
* La Plagne
* Trento
* Les Diablerets
* Munich Banff
* Telluride film festivals

Climbers

* Gary Colliver
* Richard McCracken
* Lito Tejada-Flores
* Glen Denny (Filming)

Notes