![Call Of Duty]()
Ice climbing in a game!
Several months ago I published in my blog a short text that exemplified the popularity of mountain climbing and mountains as a whole around the world and especially in Brazil, now let’s take a look at some more specific examples.
In the past five years or so climbing in general (whatever: ice, rock, Andean altitude trekking, eight thounsand peaks, etc.) has been gaining attention in the media more and more. I see posts on blogs noticing this. Every week or so often appears in the media some scenic rock around the world, a story about a popular rock climbing.
The fact is, I think that climbing is being labeled as a bit more fashionable. I saw that recently in an unexpected way, I’ll explain:
Before becoming a mountaineer, I was deeply into backpacking (I still am). Before backpacking I was a big fan of puzzles (big format puzzles). For those who do not know I even have a website about it which I do not update for at least seven years: Parofes Puzzles. One of the most common images in the puzzle is European mountains. As Europe is fascinated with mountains for centuries, that was not a coincidence. EDUCA, one of the largest and most traditional puzzle manufacturers in the world, has templates with photos of beautiful alpine mountains.
Puzzles of mountains are quite beautiful, difficult to assembly as it turns out a lot of pieces look the same, of the same color. Plus, when ready, that gives you a beautiful frame to hang in the wall...
Prior to being addicted to puzzles (which I still am!) for more nor less than twenty years (I started at 13), I like games. But never play station, xbox, nothing like that, always on PC. Ever since a little kid. With time left I always download new games to test my pc after an improvement. At the time it took me two days to download the latest version of a very known series, "Call of Duty 6: Modern Warfare II" (11GB download). Holy crap, the game is sensationally great. Sometimes I found myself alone vibrating like crazy in my bedroom firing shots everywhere with my sound card connected to a aiwa stereo quite large, which causes lost bullets to the neighbors who kindly played me he he he. Seriously, no one complained!
Anyway, playing this pinnacle of modern programming for gaming on pc (all right, and also playstation, xbox and such) I bumped into a phase with ice climbing! That's right, the part on Kazakhstan is in the middle of a snowstorm in the mountains. To get to the enemy I must climb two walls of ice, both about 20 meters tall, vertical, through the storm, also facing bad conditions of ice that breaks easily when the displacement of air is strong because of the fighters flying over the area.
![Captain ahead of me]()
Climb on Captain!
Needless to say, this is awesome! I follow the captain by close, he is wearing harness, with about 3 or 4 carabiners and 3 friends, ice axe and even a rope. However, for climbing, we had to go solo he he he.
The question is, the popularity of climbing is so large that Activision (producer of Call Of Duty series) made an investment to put it on the game, probably dozens of millions.
But is not a private privilege for them. Before this game I was playing another excellent series which also has a long history and it's great, 'Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2'. To surprise me I saw, there was a stage where for about ten minutes I was inside a huge climbing gym exchanging fire with the terrorists. Walls full of routes 40 feet tall, a big gym. Since that time I was surprised then when I first played Modern Warfare II, decided to post on my blog that and now, here. I believe it is particularly evident why this is another great game, the developer is Ubisoft.
The business concern is of course, money. Mass media like TV reach those who attend, there is climbing. The greatest tool of mass communication in the world, internet, conveys the game releases. The young (or not ahahahah) is there watching the previews, downloading via torrent and playing. There is climbing too!
Moreover, films are also perpetuating the life of many legends in the world of mountaineering. One of the latest: Messner and his brother in "Nanga Parbat". Another great one: 'North Face' (Nordwand) on one of the first attempts to climb the fears Eiger's north face (fantastic film, wonderful production, was thrilled seeing the movie and was hoping to change that history and that no one died. Unfortunately everyone in the wall that year died in 1936.), Another good one: "The Sharp End" (awesomeeee, I recommend!), and many others are popping out every month or so...
![Firefight inside a climbing gym!]()
Firefight with terrorists inside a climbing gym! Awesome!
The popularity is also manifested by other comunication tools such as TV in novels, occasionally (here in Brazil) one character is a climber, programs like reality shows where participants are renowned climbers, like Janine in the latest edition of Hypertension. Janine was 7 times brazilian champion on sport climbing.
In books too! There is tons of new books every year. Just now there is some great so read here in my country. Of course, we are celebrating 100 years of climbing in Brazil (1912 – 2012) and many manuals are gaining new editions as I write, just like new ones show up. Manuel Morgado, the second brazilian to complete the seven summits list, signed last night his new book entitled “Vertical Dreams”, in which he writes about his dream to get to the top of the world, Everest, as well of Cho Oyu climb.
Unfortunately we suffer with stupid laws, prohibitive measures, and we are fighting these measures.
After all, when the big heads are going to realize that banning is not the solution? The fascination of the mountain or even the tourists who go there to climb or photograph think about preservation, why stop us? We want to see again, shoot again, shooting at sunset, at sunrise, there is a lot to talk about this subject ...
The Pope? No! He isn’t pop, the mountains and climbing: This is POP!
Mountain Puzzles
By Educa:
5000 pieces NEEDLE MOUNTAINS, COLORADO
By Educa:
4000 pieces MOUNTAIN HIDEAWAY, JAMES LEE
By Educa:
2000 pieces RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL, HDR
By Ravensburger:
500 pieces Norwegian Fishing Village
By Ravensburger:
1000 pieces Berechtesgaden Germany
By Clementoni:
1500 pieces Matterhorn puzzle
By Clementoni:
1500 pieces Moraine Lake-Banff Park
By Ravensburger:
1500 pieces Matterhorn puzzle
By Educa:
4000 pieces Mont Blanc puzzle
By Educa:
3000 pieces Maroon Bells-USA
By Educa:
1000 pieces Matterhorn Panorama
Just to name a few...there's tons of mountain jigsaw puzzles!External Links
A brazilian website to get mountains info, including gps files to download:http://www.rumos.net.br/rumos/
My youtube channel: www.youtube.com/parofes - Now with 250+ videos online!
The biggest brazilian website about climbing and mountaineering, for which I'm a columnist:
Page Type:
Activities:
Comments
Post a Comment