It’s Fun to Explore from Your Armchair Sometimes

Last night I attended the Banff Mountain Film Festival’s World Tour 2009, in it’s local stop at the Regent’s Theater in the Boston area. Attending the film festival is an annual event for me. It’s absolutely fantastic and reminds me of why I love adventure and the outdoors. Sometimes it’s fun to explore the outdoors as an armchair warrior. You get to kick back and see what crazy, fun and inspirational stuff people out there are doing. There were a number of films shown worth mentioning, but my favorites were “Psyche: Patagonian Winter“, by Andy Kirkpatrick and Ian Parnell, two British climbers who attempted to climb Torre Egger during the winter in Argentina’s Patagonia. Below is a short trailer.

Their story reminded me of my expeditions to South America, and the harshness of climbing at altitude. I never attempted anything quite as difficult as Torre Egger, but had similar experiences that they had with severe weather, being grounded at camp, dealing with health issues, among other things. One of the things that struck me most was their positive attitude throughout their experience. Mountaineering, like triathlon and other endurance sports is very much a mental game and having a positive attitude makes or breaks your experience.

Another of my favorites was “The Last Frontier: Conservation and Exploration in Papua New Gineau”. Below is a short trailer.

This film in support of Rivers in Demand, told the story of a group of American kayakers and conservationists, led by Trip Jennings, who kayaked one of the world’s last unexplored river’s in New Britain, Papau New Gineau. Besides the amazing white water and scenery, what made this film so special was the emphasis on local cultures and the importance of saving those cultures and the world’s critical ecosystems. I should also point out, another cool thing was that the kayakers in the film were using tents supplied by Nemo Equipment, owned and operated by my friend Cam Bremsinger. It was great to see the tents in the footage.

If you have an opportunity, get out and see these films, and explore some of the great film, literature, and other art coming out of the Banff Centre up in Canada. You’ll carry the inspiration into your own workouts and every day life.