UKH

I always think climbing scenes in films are funny.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000rs2n/a-lonely-place-to-die

Is that Angel out of Home and Away?

I actually went to see this film in the cinema back in the days of Orange Wednesdays for the opening sequence of climbing in Glencoe. Must have given missus the impression it was through and through climbing film though as she got up and walked out when the lass got shot in head! That'll teach her for not asking what the film was called haha  

Before the film was released, there was a lot of chatter on this forum about how there was finally going to be a proper accurate trad climbing aspect to a small major cinema release because the brothers who made it had “climbed” the Matterhorn for “research” and were quoted as saying it won’t be Cliffhanger/Vertical Limit. Forum posters were so excited, it was a bit embarrassing and tragic. Tragedy compounded when I was the first to report on the actual film. I seem to remember posting “there is 6 minutes of trad and at least 80% of it is wrong” 😃

yes but don’t tell her. She gets angry when Home and Away is mentioned. 

In terms of the trad being wrong, would you mind providing an example please?

Have you seen it? Did you work on the film? Have you ever climbed multipitch trad? 

Yes, No, Yes.

Can someone tell me - at 54:29, is that someone standing directly in shot behind the two shooters? Visible again at about 54:38?  White top, blue pants. 

Or is it just a blurred tree?

Don't know about funny but the scenery of Strathconon was great. Crap storyline.

Why does the leader build his belay stance on a tiny little ridge when there is an obvious and more sensible looking ridge ledge sort of thing 8-10 metres higher? He has enough rope and doesn't look like he's too tired or scared to continue. 

Can a person pull ~35m of dynamic rope upward with enough force to pull an adult man off his feet when the rope tangles around one of his feet?

Why aren't the seconds anchored to the mountain (although attached to each other by a few metres of rope?)

The leader looks very concerned about the state of his two-point anchor using snapgates, although in the "emergency" it seems to become more solid when he adds the force of his quickly-rigged abseil, to the weight of the two seconds that had seemed to be threatening its integrity. 

And later in the film when they don't climb because it's raining, and leave their helmets behind "to save weight", why do they have a load of shovels? 
 

Perhaps because if they did everything totally realistically and safely then the film would be boring.

Oh bless you Tom. I was answering Mark’s question. It’s usually me that defends unrealistic climbing scenes in films, in the same way that you have done. But I was directly asked to explain what was technically wrong.

Also. Why did the Gilbeys spend a disproportionate amount of their pre-release promotional waffle going on about how they had gone to great pains to get everything right and realistic, even at one point iirc literally saying “there won’t be any of that stupid Vertical Limit thing with characters perilously dangling at the end of a rope”, when the opening scene does EXACTLY THAT THING? 

Watch the last twenty minutes of Scream of Stone and tell me if it’s boring 

Have you watched this film, Tom? 

I haven't seen Scream of Stone, I've seen this film with the climbing in the highlands.   I thought it was OK as a thriller.

Thanks for replying. 

Not sure about that. 

I think the point here is that the 2 waiting to climb have taken their eyes off the ball somewhat, getting involved in bird watching and photography. Someone could be off balance when the rope is caught around a foot, causing them to fall when the rope is pulled upwards I would have thought. 

I thought they were, albeit on too long a bite, else how else do they not deck out.  

Perhaps he's got a healthy dose of paranoia, always handy in climbing. I sometimes get worried about my anchors but learn to trust them as they appear to be doing the job. 

Sorry, I don't remember the shovels bit.

Personally, I think the film is a good effort in climbing terms. I don't remember "safe", or "off belay" in many other features. A bold move when you consider the majority of paying public may not understand the origins or significance of climbing calls.

Just to add an extra large dose of pedantry why do all birds of prey make exactly the same noise in films 😁