Sunday, October 11, 2009

Action Direct

Think you're training hard enough? Well you're probably not training as hard as Rich Simpson was for Action Direct. Last month I posted video of Hubble. This month is the climb that usurped its title of "hardest route in the world", along with the story of Simpson's obsession to do it. Not only do we get to see some sick-hard training, but some of the travails in trying to tick something at your physical limit whilst on holiday. Great documentation from filmmaker Chris Doyle but, man, does it make me feel like a lazy uncommitted slob!

Obsession from Chris Doyle on Vimeo.

12 comments:

Phil Requist said...

Reminds me of the shed days and the castle. Rad video.

Steve Edwards said...

Totally does. Man, when life was simple. Makes me want to just train for 9 months for 9 moves. One move per month sounds reasonable.

I like the campus sequence. I was, like, I can do that easily. But then it started to get darker...

Steve Edwards said...

Oh, and he also talks like he drinks a LOT of coffee.

Slappy said...

I like how he goes to the bakery to laugh and point. Reminds me of SB in 1993.

Super inspiring, thanks for this.

Steve Edwards said...

i remember going in places to just look at food. shit, i eat so much now i don't deserve to climb anything. i'm climbing as well as ever, probably better even. the only thing i'm missing is the resolve to diet and train as hard as i used to. if i had the power i did back then i'd be climbing 5.14 easily. i try to care enough to seriously diet, but i just don't. for some reason it seems more reasonable to do a lot of different sports and climb 5.12.

man, we need to get back on the belt plan: gallon of water and an orange along with lots of mono campusing.

Steve Edwards said...

actually, ben and i evaluated the simpson training plan a few years back. he's on a board, training, 2 times a day for 6 days a week. we figured that we could last two to three days before we were injured, if we're lucky.

Phil Requist said...

Of course he drinks a lot of coffee.

I'll be campusing tonight, my goal is 100 reps (about 275 hand movements). I'll probably do 65-70% of them. You guys have campus boards, right?

Steve Edwards said...

No but I will in Novemember when The Kid comes out to help revamp the garage. Then we'll be training all day, every day.

Anonymous said...

Pretty sure all I did for 14 months in 1998-99 was campus board. And drink coffee. Guess I'll get a board set up in the cellar. Doesn't matter that I don't climb any more. Probably better. We can all get together a just campus. At least i won't ever have to put on climbing shoes again.

-Josh

Bruce Anderson said...

Brilliant. Thanks for that!
Bruce

Reedster said...

Campus board? I wonder how easy I can set one up with one good leg? That and a pull-up board and a hang board and I should be set.

TheThinker said...

Steve this is the most motivating video I have ever seen!
This guy is amazing! 1 hand pull ups finger pull ups I mean crazy!
Thanks for sharing it!