Sheffield Adventure Film Festival or ‘ShAFF’ is one of my favourite events in Sheffield. Its timing is perfect, just close enough to spring and the weather is getting better to get you motivated for a summer of adventure.
Friday night I went to a lecture and film by Steve McClure, one of the best rock-climbers in the world. Having climbed the hardest sport route in the UK at 9a+ amongst numerous other incredible achievements I was excited to hear some of his stories and see his new film, Verdon. I found the talk fascinating and enjoyed hearing Steve’s journey, especially in regards to the perseverance he showed on his more lengthy projects – it reminded me that my 6th or 7th attempt at one route isn’t that big a deal!
On Saturday and Sunday day the idea was to see more films… but it was sunny, and I just couldn’t miss the opportunity to get out climbing. Especially after the talk the night before!
I was however still really keen to catch some of the mountain biking films, so on Sunday evening, I headed down for “Mountain Biking 2” a collection of films ranging from fast and furious 2 minute clips to longer more detailed films. Here is a bit about each one:
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Danny Macaskill – The Ridge
This film starts with Danny MacAskill rowing his mountain bike over to the Isle of Skye mountain bike to take on a death-defying ride along the notorious Cuillin Ridgeline. Breathtaking footage and a great soundtrack to go with it, this had to be one of my favourite film.100% worth a watch.
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Bryan & Kaia
A very fast pace short movie Bryan Gregory attempts to keep up with his dog, Kaia on some tricky single track! This was such a fun film and totally reminded me why I want a dog to come along on my rides.
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Forged
Filmed entirely in Sheffield this showed a real range of clips. I loved sitting there making a mental list of ‘ones I had done’ and ‘need to do’. Mini Whistler looks absolutely awesome and went to the top of the list, definitely going to look that one up!
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Wild Woman – Hannah Barnes
An introduction to Yeti Cycles pro rider Hannah Barnes and a bit about how she got into cycling – great to see a film about a female biker!
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Lines Of Lofoten
Set in Norway, this combines some beautiful scenery with a dirt line and a big bike line. A nail-biting watch – it looks awesome and totally terrifying at the same time!
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Horace and the Rough Stuff Fellowship
80 years ago Horace Dall single-handedly crossed Iceland’s central desert by bike in his suit and tie! This film documents the journey of Sebastian Doerk as he sets out with the same ambition. With Iceland being a place near the top of my list this only made me want to go more. Also, if you do watch this video, check out the bike they used in the initial crossing – I can’t believe it made it!
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Signatures
I love this film; it’s so well shot showing top riders from around Europe present their signature rides in some unique and cool places – a lot of which I now want to visit. My favourite film of ShaFF.
In conclusion, I have to say, I left the Showroom raring to get on my bike and determined the large boulders and drops I hesitate to go down are NOTHING compared to some of the things I have seen riders tackle in the films. I guess the best approach is to go for it! And maybe invest in a full face helmet…!
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