Tuesday, 15 April 2014 18:52

Wide Boyz II - Slender Gentlemen reviewed

Written by

After their success climbing the world’s hardest offwidth, the Wide Boyz, Pete Whittaker and Tom Randall, embark on their next crack climbing mission. This time their sights are set on the thinner end of the crack climbing spectrum. Their goal is the mighty Cobra Crack in Squamish BC, considered to be the hardest finger crack in the world. First climbed by Canadian ‘rock star’ Sonnie Trotter after battling it out with Didier Berthod, the route hit the media spotlight in the film First Ascent.

With no local hard cracks to train on, the Wide Boyz refit their underground training dungeon and commit to a year of torturous finger training. With only a short trip to Canada planned, the Boyz face their biggest challenge yet against the sharp granite bite of the mighty Cobra Crack! - So says the publicity for Wide Boyz II - Slender Gentlemen

Wide Boyz II Cobra Crack Day 3 © Paul Diffley/Hot Aches

It's not that long ago that a climbing film would be 15 minutes of "contemporary" music, at high volume of course, interspersed with the obligatory expletives and a storyline that would fit on the back of a postage stamp - in capitals. As someone who's climbed but could never have classed myself as a climber these short, adrenaline packed, hits soon started getting monotonous and, impressive as some of the feats of rock gymnastics were, I was looking for something more from a film. I wanted something with a decent back story, something with some insight into the the players and maybe if I was lucky something that made me think. I guess what I wanted was a film rather than a YouTube ego bomb.

 

I'm sure the Hot Aches team could have snipped the 50 minutes down to another of those 15 minute ego bombs saying nothing more than "how f***ing good am I" if he'd wanted to but fortunately Director Paul Diffley is the reason I still watch climbing films after more than my fill of YouTube. Sure Wide Boyz II is the story of Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker's assault on Cobra Crack, an iconic climb somewhere on the other side of the Atlantic, but just look at the title - it's not called Cobra Crack, it's called Wide Boyz II - Slender Gentlemen. While the climb itself gives a destination for the story line it's the insights into a unique partnership of gentlemen that leaves you smiling at the end.

You could say Wide Boyz II is, to an extent, a remake of the original Wide Boyz but at the opposite extreme of crack widths; You get the same blend of masochistic training regime on custom built wooden structures, you get the mandatory interview with the resident pioneers of the route and you get the traditional race against time and weather blended into a seamless storyline. Since the original Wide Boyz, however, Tom and Pete have matured, as has the relationship between them and Director Paul Diffley and while Wide Boyz II is an excellent stand alone film it really is worth watching them both in chronological order. While the Wide Boyz still come as a team the new film shows more of their individuality within the team and reveals more of the bond that makes this a unique duo in a world dominated by singular egos. It's also this bond that both puts the "gentlemen" in Slender Gentlemen and leaves you smiling half an hour after the credits have rolled.

Wide Boyz II has already picked up the first of what is likely to be many awards with the Best Climbing Film Award at Sheffield Adventure Film Festival. As a climbing film; yes it's got the "will they won't they" and "OMG" factors you'd expect from two of the world's finest climbers but as a film it also reminds us of what matters in life. To me that takes it from being an ego bomb and makes it a film.

 

 

Wild Boyz II is available from Hot Aches priced £14.99



Note: This article was restored from the archives. It's published creation date is inaccurate.