NationalGeographic Fringe Elements: Free Soloing and more

When climbers opt to climb without a rope, they lose the luxury of learning from mistakes. Backyard inventor Matt Maddaloni has engineered a few creative solutions to make the fringe activity of free soloing "safe." Of course, safe is a relative term. Learn about adventure sports and see more wild footage at Fringe Elements central on NG Adventure: ngadventure.com/fringe

Cutting-edge climbers have turned away from Everest and the 8,000-meter trophy peaks in search of virgin terrain. It's not the height of a peak; it's the sheer difficulty. It's jokingly referred to as "Disaster Style" — the world's best alpine climbers are figuring out how to do more with less. A lot less.

The Season 2 It begins...

See also The Season 1

ARC'TERYX presents: The Season 2 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Rise up. Become legend. Welcome to The Season 2. A 22-episode web TV series following five athletes through the course of a single season. Available first at www.arcteryx.com and as a download from iTunes. Visit www.theseasontv.com for more information on music.

Artist:The Glitch Mob
Track: Warrior Concerto
via IODA

It begins...The Season 2.1 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

It's been said that stories are like rivers. Bryan and I specialize in following them to their conclusion. We are very proud to present The Season 2. Visit www.theseasontv.com to subscribe.

This year we picked five new athletes each with their own unique storyline. An amputee climber sets his sights on becoming whole again by returning to Yosemite to realize a lifelong dream. A conservationist and angler searches for a fabled ghost run of wild steelhead on one of California’s most troubled rivers. One of the world’s best boulderers struggles to balance her career as a boulderer with raising her daughter. From a burned forest, a vision of an incredible mountain bike trail emerges from the ashes into reality. In the wake of achieving an unthinkable goal, a ski mountaineer returns to the peak where he first met failure.

The Season Episode 2.2 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Kevin Landry and Jeremy Norris both moved west to the mountain biking mecca of Squamish with the same goal in mind -- ride as much as possible and create their own vision of mountain biking. As luck would have it, they would move into home right across the street from one another, forge a friendship and begin sniffing around for new lines and trails. Curiosity powers mountain biking's evolution, so Kevin and Jeremy went looking.

The Season Episode 2.3...Itchy Feet from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Over the last 10 years, Thomasina Pidgeon rose to the top of female bouldering. With multiple V12 ascents to her name, she spends most of her life on the road searching out the next project. Her traveling companion and sometimes climbing partner is her four-year-old daughter Cedar. How do you balance pursuit of world class boulder problems, life on the road and motherhood? Watch.

The Season Episode 2.4...The Burn from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

No one is quite sure how the fire above Britania Beach started, but it revealed a mountain biking playground. In the spring of 2010, Jeremy and Kevin eyed up The Burn and started building trail through the granite out crops and mangled downed logs. It's dirty work.

The Season Episode 2.5...The Method from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Spring rains and warmer temps in the south signal Thomasina Pidgeon's annual return to Squamish. For the last decade, the collection of granite eggs stacked beneath The Chief's looming walls have been a touchstone. Each year welcomes a variety of attempts, new discoveries and sends. Tall and proud, The Method is one of Squamish's most difficult boulder problems. It's incredible how 12 feet of stone can define a season. But the conditions can be difficult-- exposed to the sun, the micro crimps and delicate foot smears are next to impossible. It's a finicky creature.

The Love Letter

The Love Letter from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

We walked 300 miles through the Sierra with climbing gear on our backs. We wanted to follow in the footsteps of our heroes -- John Muir and David Brower. We got shingles. We broke bones. We got stuck in a blizzard. Ultimately, we wanted to make a movie about joy. You forget the bad parts anway.

Filmed by Mikey Schaefer
Edited by Tim Loubier
Music by We Are Augustines
Art by Anya Miller Berg
Voice work by Ryan Nickum

The Season Series

ボルダリングなどのアウトドアスポーツを特集するWeb TVシリーズ「The Season」が始まりました。クライマーで登場するのはAnya MillerとMatt Maddaloni。

The Season Trailer from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

To subscribe via iTunes visit www.theseasontv.com. Coming in January 2010. The Season is a 22 episode, web TV series following five athletes through the course of a single season. A veteran climber invents a new piece of gear. A pro snowboarder searches for a way to return to the roots of his sport. A boulderer returns from a series of injuries with new perspective. A family man goes to Whistler to test himself against the mountain biking’s elite. A young sea kayaker with a troubled past sets out to reinvent his sport.

The Season Episode 1 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Finally The Season has arrived. Follow five athletes through the course of a single season in the Northwest(or Southwest if you're in Canada). Enjoy.

Big thanks to our sponsors Arc'teryx, New Belgium Brewing, Outdoor Research and Kuat Racks.

The Season Episode 2 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Meet 26-year-old Paul Kuthe. This season Paul set a little goal for himself -- reshape the sport of sea kayaking. Paul may have the stoke and drive of a teenager, but he carries the wisdom of someone much older. Find out why.

The Season Episode 3 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Meet Anya Miller. After a series of nine surgeries on her knee, she vowed to look inside and see if there was a reason for all her injuries. Was it something she as doing wrong? Problems are all from the Gold Bar Area.

The Season Episode 4 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Jonaven Moore went against his better instincts to get a shot for a film part and it nearly took his best friends life. Faced with the implications of his decision to poach a wilderness area via helicopter, Jonaven stepped back from professional snowboarding and decided to make a change.

The Season Episode 5 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Dr. Scott Petett is a family man. He's worked long hours to build an incredible practice and care for his wife and daughter, but strip away the lab coat and he flies through the air like super man. This season, Scott Petett has decided to head to Whistler to race.

The Season Episode 6 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Matt Maddaloni used climbing as a vehicle to explore the world, but found there was a limit to his body. He could only climb so hard. To maintain his passion he had to find new ways to push himself. This season, Matt decided to create a new experimental piece of climbing gear and put it into action.

The Season Episode 8 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Paul Kuthe and friends arrive in Prince Rupert B.C. to explore the Butze Tidal Rapids.

The Season Episode 9 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Matt Maddaloni has decided to move forward with the anti cam. First, he's got to go inspect the hanging flake high on the Squamish's famed Grand Wall. Will it go?

The Season Episode 10 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Jonaven Moore reflects on his time spent filming in Alaska and how his approach to snowboarding has changed through the course of his career.

The Season Episode 11 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Dr. Scott Petett came to downhill mountain biking later in life, but he's got a teenagers drive and stoke for the sport. In this episode, he hits his local trail and reflects on the importance of the sport in his life. It's a way to stay healthy, a way to sane and a way to keep challenging himself.

The Season Episode 12 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

An abnormally high tide nearly washes away the teams camp and derails Paul and company's mission to explore the Butze Tidal rapids.

The Season Episode 13 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Winter arrived like it was pissed off. November in Whistler was one of the best months of skiing ever, yet Jonaven Moore was no where to be found. The caboose was for sale. He had moved to a trailed on Vancouver Island's lonely coast. Jonaven put his heart into the ocean and surfing

The Season Episode 14 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Anya Miller was desperate for answers. What caused her to hurt herself? Was there even a reason? A year after her last surgery, Anya is back in form, sending hard, tall and proud problems.

The Season Episode 15 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

The Anti Cam is ready for testing. Matt is about to find out whether his vision is pipe dream or possibility. He's going to have to start taking whippers on this new piece of gear. Shot in Squamish at the Smoke Bluffs.

The Season Episode 16 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Dr. Scott Petett is on the move. After a season of dialing it, it's time for the race up in Whistler. The backyard trails lead straight to mountain biking's main stage.

The Season Episode 17 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Jonaven's season is nearing its conclusion, but before that happens he's got a statement to make. An unexpected window of weather and avalanche stability allows a trip to the Tantalus where Jonaven and snowboarder Jeremy Jones put their "climb what you ride" mentality into action.

The Season Episode 18 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Anya Miller tackles some of Gold Bar's tallest problems. Her goal this season was to stay healthy and start sending, move to the big city, get married. It's time to send.

The Season Episode 19 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

Paul Kuthe and co have a decision to make. Stay or Bail? After the flood wiped out their camp it would be easy to give up on their season's goal.

The Season Episode 20 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

The race is finally here. The countdown has started and it's time to see how Scott Petett is going to do against some serious talent.

The Season Episode 21 from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

It's come down to the wire. Matt's foot and ankle took longer than expected to heal. He couldn't climb again until this winter, but in his free time he went to work redesigning the anti cam. Now he's got three shiny pieces of gear, a renewed enthusiasm and a date with the guillotine flake.

The Season Finale from Fitz Cahall and Bryan Smith on Vimeo.

That's it. That's all. After a year and half of work, the Season winds down, but not before we catch up with Matt as he tries to free climb the guillotine flake high on the grand wall.