Nothing much happens, until it does.

November 22, 2012 12:12 PM

This is a very very boring indoor climbing video, until 1'24" anyway.
posted by unSane (22 comments total)

(For maximum effect, don't skip)
posted by unSane at 12:13 PM on November 22, 2012 [4 favorites]

Man, i wish I could read dutch and learn more about this event. Was she the only one to complete the climb? That move was so insane, I wonder if anyone had a different solution to the problem.
posted by mathowie at 12:17 PM on November 22, 2012

I have a feeling I'd be even more impressed if there were some way to tell which way gravity was pointing in this video.
posted by DU at 12:23 PM on November 22, 2012 [19 favorites]

The camera operator seems to know what's going to happen, judging by the way the shot is set up.
posted by George_Spiggott at 12:25 PM on November 22, 2012

Rock climbing porn: boring, boring, boring... woah interesting... OMG SO FUCKING INTERESTING... AUGH!!! .... phew(!),... boring, boring, boring....
posted by helmutdog at 12:39 PM on November 22, 2012 [3 favorites]

If Michel Gondry is involved, the climber is doing this on the floor.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 12:39 PM on November 22, 2012 [11 favorites]

The video was taken by a friend of mine, and unfortunately the camera angle is extremely misleading.

Try this video instead, at 3:40, and then the move doesn't look *quite* so extraordinary.

She was the only one to do the move the intended way - most people went for the large grip with the wrong hand, and got into trouble. She was the only one to touch the last grip.

Nikki van Bergen is the female wunderkind of the Dutch climbing scene right now, and she's only 19. There's really no point in having competitions at the moment, they should just give her the first prize and save everyone's time. She mostly climbs in the hall where the event took place, not in my regular gym, but I see her climbing fairly often, and she's such a fantastic climber to watch.
posted by daveje at 12:44 PM on November 22, 2012 [43 favorites]

Man, i wish I could read dutch and learn more about this event. Was she the only one to complete the climb? That move was so insane, I wonder if anyone had a different solution to the problem.

Her blog is here. She says:

When it was my turn to start I was really relaxed. I could climb like it was just training, moving loosly and enjoying the moves, not worrying about the result at all. I managed to touch the last hold, which was enough for the victory!

posted by unSane at 12:48 PM on November 22, 2012

(the move is at 3'23 in that video daveje posted)
posted by unSane at 12:50 PM on November 22, 2012

Check out this guy
posted by Ad hominem at 12:57 PM on November 22, 2012

Try this yt video instead, at 3:40, and then the move doesn't look *quite* so extraordinary.

No, I was even more impressed by the second video. I could see better what she was doing, but I could also see enough to be amazed.
posted by jb at 12:57 PM on November 22, 2012 [7 favorites]

Whoa. She makes it look so easy!
posted by ph00dz at 1:03 PM on November 22, 2012 [1 favorite]

Check out this guy

That's the India Monkey King. He also appears at the end of one of my favourite climbing videos, which teaches that you should always climb smart. Be warned, the song is incredibly catchy, and it always seems to pop into my head when I do the first few leads of a new season, which isn't a help.
posted by daveje at 1:04 PM on November 22, 2012 [5 favorites]

More on the Monkey King. Holy crap.
posted by unSane at 1:21 PM on November 22, 2012 [11 favorites]

I love that when the camera refocuses, it's almost like reality is distorting and we've entered the Matrix. And then we do.
posted by Phreesh at 2:20 PM on November 22, 2012 [1 favorite]

Yet more proof that we're primates.
posted by happyroach at 2:53 PM on November 22, 2012 [4 favorites]

I felt bad for her, the way she kept struggling to get that thing off her back. I guess she figured the flip move would shake it loose, but it hung on tight.
posted by orme at 6:20 PM on November 22, 2012 [8 favorites]

Thanks for the 'correct' video davje. What does look like something just superhuman in your friend's video turns out to have been a pretty straightforward move, for a climber of this calibre. Kind of an optical illusion.
Also, I never find watching climbing boring, especially not people who are this good at it.
posted by Flashman at 8:04 PM on November 22, 2012 [1 favorite]

I kept wondering what she could have accomplished if she had more rosin.
posted by ardgedee at 7:12 AM on November 23, 2012 [2 favorites]

wtf hax
posted by FAMOUS MONSTER at 11:15 AM on November 23, 2012

Try this video instead, at 3:40, and then the move doesn't look *quite* so extraordinary.

I don't care, that's still some Spider-Man-level shit there.
posted by valkyryn at 6:00 PM on November 23, 2012

That stuff is amazing.....
posted by el puppeto del socko at 12:06 AM on November 25, 2012