By Austin Koeller
A documentary examining the history of rock climbing in Yosemite Valley and the counterculture movement is being shown at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
The Reel Rock Film Tour will present a screening of the feature-length documentary “Valley Uprising” at 6 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 8) in Copeland Hall room 142.
Hosted by the UNK Outdoor Adventures program, tickets are free to students with a UNK ID and $10 for the public. They can be purchased or picked up by contacting the Outdoor Adventures office inside the UNK Wellness Center.
“For the past 50 years, Yosemite’s massive cliffs have drawn explorers and madmen to leave materialism behind and venture onto the high, lonesome granite,” says Reel Rock’s website. “The larger-than-life characters of Yosemite carved out an ‘extreme bohemian’ lifestyle in the Valley, living on red wine and boiled potatoes, clashing with National Park authorities, and pioneering the boldest climbs on Earth.
“The torch has been passed down across three generations of climbers; through rivalries, tragedies and triumphs, the art of Yosemite climbing has advanced beyond anyone’s imagination.”
UNK Outdoor Adventures Program Director Eric Wiedenman said the film tour is an international event in its ninth year. This is the first year UNK is hosting the tour, which is planned as a springboard for the new UNK Outdoor Adventures program.
“It’s an opportunity for the public to be involved in the outdoor adventures program here, but I also think it’s a great way to build a climbing community and have that big stage for stuff like that,” Wiedenman said.
In the days leading up to the film, Wiedenman said the climbing wall at UNK will be open to all people, regardless of whether or not they have paid the required fee or have taken the required climbing class.
On Saturday, prior to the showing of “Valley Uprising,” there will also be an intramural climbing competition from 1 to 5 p.m. that is open to UNK students and the public.
“There is no sign up necessary, just show up during the walls hours and you will receive a scorecard,” Weidenman said. “Routes will be worth a different amount of points based on their difficulty and your total score will be your three highest point totals.”
Wiedenman said raffle prizes also will be given out at the event, and prizes for male and female winners of both the public and student climbing competition will be awarded. Winners and one guest will be given a seat in the VIP section of the “Valley Uprising” showing.
The Outdoor Adventures program is in its first year at UNK. According to Wiedenman, the program provides students an opportunity to take outdoor trips that they normally would not be able to do on their own, providing students with the proper gear and planning to take these trips.
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