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Mike Call

@mikecall

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Film maker/climber/dad

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Start getting ready... another month of Joe's Valley and then...

BOOM!!!

Triassic Bouldering Weather from late November until March.

"The Road" is a climbing film by Mike Call around 2004.

Me, Jeff, and Andy put up the first boulder problems there from 2000 to 2004. I put over 40,000 miles on my vehicle, climbing there over that period of time.
(Worth every mile)

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A moment of peace.

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🎞️ FROM THE ARCHIVES: COPPERHEAD V10

Digging deep into the archives for this one.

Copperhead V10 in Little Cottonwood Canyon. I first did this problem back in the late ’90s, during a period when Greg Loh and I were climbing together a lot.

I always felt invincible bouldering with Greg. I knew that if I came off the rock, he was going to pluck me right out of the air and give me a gentle landing. 😂 Greg = arguably the best spotter of all time!! 🐐

This footage is from the early 2000s, filmed by my longtime climbing friend Matt McDaniel @classicmcdaniel

The first ascent was done by Boone Speed sometime in the early ’90s, and Copperhead has remained one of those classic Little Cottonwood boulders through the decades.

Old footage. Old friends. Old-school climbing.

#Copperhead #V10 #LittleCottonwoodCanyon #UtahClimbing #ClimbingArchives

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JOE’S VALLEY 🔥🔥🔥
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The best sandstone in the western USA is most certainly found in the Joe’s Valley area. The highest quality boulders come from the Blackhawk sandstone formation. People have been climbing in Joe’s since at least the mid 70’s, however a renaissance of development started in the early 90’s and has continued to this day.
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Our Joe’s Valley line was shaped by the owner of Pusher who has been climbing in Joe’s since 1997. Joe’s has an amazing amount of incredible holds that are, for a lack of a better word, perfect.
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The event that really put Joe’s Valley on the international map was when the legendary climber Ben Moon visited in 2000 and did the first ascent of The Black Lung V13. This was the first V13 in Joe’s Valley and Utah as a whole.
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The video on this post is an artistic montage that shows the historical ascent in Joe’s. Many climbers have been inspired over the years from viewing and climbing classics such as The Black Lung.
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Historical footage of Ben’s FA has been taken from an old Pusher/Cordless/S7 video.
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Edit/new footage: @mtwilsonstudio
Historical footage: @mikecall
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The Joe’s Valley line is expanding with the newest sets being screw-on only.
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#pusher #holds #classic #historical #joesvalley

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THE OPTIMIST 🖤 — 24 years later

Originally called Optimism, this was one of the early linkups on the El Diablo Wall.

I first climbed it in 2002. The original linkup involved a sketchy runout from Dead Souls to the Cop Killer crux; a bolt has since been added to that section. Thanks @saltlakeclimbers 🙏

The hard mono on Dead Souls, the powerful traverse, and then the Cop Killer crux make this one of the most memorable lines I’ve ever climbed.

After all these years, finally getting the repeat felt like more than another send.

Some routes become part of your history. This one definitely did. Thanks to @matthinckley_ on belay and @skyler_koster for resurrecting the line after it sat dormant for many years

#sportclimbing #americanforkcanyon #utahclimbing #climbinghistory #climbinglife

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Great day out, good times 😊
I really like this Vandal Daylight film. Very different subject matter than the last roll I shot but more great results. Thanks again to the darkroom folks at @essentialphotosupply for the developing and really nice scans.

Shot with the Nikon D65 w/ Nikon 24-85mm zoom lens.

@nikonusa

#nikonfilmcameras

#trynewfilm

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A few from last night with the Nikon Df. A lucky find at @essentialphotosupply 😊

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@wasatchmountainfilm wouldn’t be able to do what we do without our volunteers. They are the often-unheralded cornerstone of any great film festival.

From the judging panel, running AV, helping with production-related tasks, checking tickets, welcoming guests, supporting filmmakers, MC’ing screenings, solving last-minute problems, designing and 3D printing our award medals, and keeping the whole thing moving, our volunteer team is a huge part of what makes @wasatchmountainfilmfestival possible.

As we continue to grow, we’re building out a volunteer database for future quarterly events, community gatherings, and our flagship festival weekend.

We’re looking for people who are excited about film, storytelling, the outdoors, and creative community. People who are interested in getting into the film industry. People who want to learn, contribute, meet other like-minded, good-hearted humans, and help build something meaningful in Salt Lake City.

If that sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.

Much love to this year’s incredible volunteer team:

Selection Judges: @alexigidbashian @rach4thesky @sandrasalvas @bennett_duchin @functionalfilms @asheee_bee @seanslobodan

AV: @chrisburton333 @seanslobodan

Production Assistants: @brianna__caitlin @macrheamo @nctayto @caydenturnbow @elizabeth.simmons_ @bunkster68

MCs: @jamiemocrazy @jaekauf @shandikk

Photographer: @montanophoto

Videographer: @dave.heilmann

Awards Medals: @seanslobodan @chrisburton333

Sign up to volunteer — link in bio.

📸: @montanophoto

📍 Salt Lake City, Utah

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THE BIG BRAWL 💥 — where legends left fingerprints on the stone

Recently had the chance to climb The Big Brawl (5.13c) at the China Cave near Logan, Utah 🧗‍♂️

Yuji clips captured by @mikecall

First established in the early 1990s by climbing legend Jeff Pedersen, this route represents far more than a collection of pockets and crimpers.

Many newer climbers may not realize how much Jeff helped shape climbing in Utah. Long before climbing gyms became common, he was establishing cutting-edge sport routes across the Wasatch Front and helping push the sport forward. Years later, he co-founded Momentum Climbing, which grew from a single Utah gym into a multi-state climbing community that has introduced countless people to climbing and training.

The route also carries another incredible piece of history.

Years ago, Yuji Hirayama famously onsighted The Big Brawl, one of many achievements from a climber who would go on to become one of the most influential sport climbers in the world and a major force in the growth of climbing in Japan.

As I fought my way through the pockets and crimpers, I couldn’t help but think about the history packed into this wall. The vision of Jeff. The mastery of Yuji. The generations of climbers who have tested themselves here.

One of the things I love most about climbing is this connection across time. We get to experience the same movement, the same sequences, and sometimes even the same doubts and victories as the people who came before us 🙏

For a few minutes it felt like those stories came alive again, before gyms were everywhere, there was The Big Brawl 💪

#sportclimbing #climbinghistory #utahclimbing #rockclimbing #tryhard

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Every frame starts with perspective. 🎥

From outdoor films to branded campaigns, cinematographers on the Hence Roster bring depth, vision, and creative leadership to the work.

👉Discover cinematographers on the Hence Roster.

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Heart full of Fontainebleau ✨

📸 @mikecall @ngwinner

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Mes amis en la foret
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Bleau never disappoints, but this year was something else: so many friends; such great weather; climbing 16 days in three weeks; doing a couple harder things but truly prioritizing fun and games.

The forest really opens up the more time you spend in it, the more zones you explore, the more obscure mega 7As and sandbagged slabs you climb, the more you understand the different regions and micro climates. It’s been over 20 years since my first trip, and I’m more psyched than ever to get back…

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