Grand Canyon Climbing on NBC

Big Up Productions and Sender Films new collaboration
to be featured on NBC's Jeep World of Adventure Sports

Airing this Saturday, June 14th at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT


The segment follows a 3-week Grand Canyon climbing exploration with Beth Rodden, Tommy Caldwell, and Chris McNamara. The group floated over 200 miles of the river, discovering spectacular bouldering and trad first ascents, and made the first free climb of Grapevine Buttress -- a 1,000 foot wall deep in the canyon. The piece has been featured in Marmot print ads as well as a feature article in the May issue of Men's Journal. The Marmot-sponsored expedition was filmed by Josh Lowell of Big Up Productions and Peter Mortimer of Sender Films, and photographed by Corey Rich. The short film will also be featured as part of the 3rd annual REEL ROCK Film Tour this fall

Flying Close to Cliffs in Brento Italy

I am currently in Italy working filming for the new Sender Films movie The Sharp End. Its going to be mostly heady climbing but they let me sneek in a little wingsuit BASE into their movie.

After 2 days of rain, we finally got some sun. Here is the second jump of the day of an awesome 4000' cliff. Damien Dykman was right behind me and ill post some of his footage tomorrow.

View The First Flight
View The Second Flight

Grand Canyon and Men's Journal

The May issue of Men's Journal has an article about Tommy Caldwell and Beth Rodden going down the Grand Canyon written by my friend Dan Duane. Some very cool shots by Corey Rich of the climbing possibilities there. I was mostly a belayer on the trip but got the chance to lead a few pitches on the Grapevine Buttress in preparation for Tommy and Beth's free ascent. Check it out on the newstand.

Favorite Books read in 2007

Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert
Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt
Omnivores Dilemna by Michael Pollan
The Beatles by Hunter Davies
I am America by Stphen Colbert
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Innocent Man by John Grisham
Into the Wild by John Krakauer
Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright
Measure of a Man by Sydney Poitier
On Writing by Stephen King
Takedown by Rick Cowan
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

Raising money for non-profits on eBay

just raised some $1050 for three cool non-profits by selling new/used climbing gear and clothing from my closet.

Read more about this

Great climbing story: second ascent of a Zion big wall

My friend Ryan Frost wrote the most hilarious trip report i have ever read. (I am a little biased because it mentions me a few times.) Its about the second ascent of Drop Zone, a big wall in Zion National Park i made the first ascent of 10 years ago with Dougald MacDonald.

Check the story

Best of Adventure: Audacious Acts

National Geographic Adventure gave me an "Audacious Acts" award for 2007

Best of Adventure: Audacious Acts
The wildest deeds of 2007—we salute to the bold, daring, innovative, and occasionally insane feats of the year. Text by Steve Casimiro

Chris Mcnamara
Made the Wildest BASE Jump Known
In May Chris McNamara leaped into a cleft in a 3,000-foot (914-meter) face above the polar desert of Baffin Island. Using a nylon "wingsuit," the 28-year-old Californian flew horizontally out of the crevasse, then down the side of the face until he pulled his chute some 200 feet (61 meters) above ground. He landed a mere 100 feet (30 meters) from his tent.

Check the story

Top 10 Adventure Vid by Nat Geo Adventure

National Geographic Adventure just awarded me with one of the "Top 10 Adventure Flicks" of the year (just eeked in there are number 10).

Here is the text:
10. BASE Jumping: Chris McNamara, Titan
BASE jumper and speed climber Chris McNamara knows that the quickest way to the bottom is straight down. His latest leap finds him and partner, Miles Daisher, scrambling up the Titan, a mud tower in Utah. Watch the video >>

link to Nat Geo

Check the video at Alpinist.com