A pretty sweet video of Yosemite in all it's glory...the place where the Friend legend was born as Ray Jardine and others opened the previously impossible with Wild Country's camming devices....

You can read more about the history of Wild Country and the history of the worlds first camming device, the Friend, by clicking here...

And you can see the latest version of the best selling rock climbing gear ever made here

And why not check out our own video about the Friend below...

Dom Bush, the filmaker behind the film 'Islands - Tales of Traditional Lakeland Climbing - has a chat with Wild Country about his inspirations for his first very successful film....

You're very much a 'Lakes' guy, what does the english Lake District mean to you?

Its funny you know, I grew up under the shadow of these mountains for so many years, but I never really noticed them. I had other things to do, trees to climb, dens to build and so much mischief to get into. I left school early and moved to the Alps with a group of solid mates, determined to ski and snowboard every day, and spend as much of ours lives as possible, travelling as fast as we could. I remember one day looking out of over a mind blowing alpine panorama and thinking, ‘wow this is truly stunning……but it doesn’t mean as much to me as the place I grew up’. It wasn’t long before I moved home.

Wild Country and Red Chili climber Adam Hocking star of the 3rd segment of Islands pictured on Scafell

How would you summarise Islands?

‘Islands’ is a film about people and places, it has climbing in it, but it is not in my eyes, a climbing film. The project began when I happened to meet an intriguing guy at the bottom of Shepherd’s crag one day. He didn’t fail to make an impression as he spoke openly about his life, new lines and big challenges. The vision was his and his alone, not a quest for high grades or a pat on the back from the rest of the community; it was evident that climbing for him was a personal journey to find some peace, light and clarity. How strange to find safety in a place of such danger.

Where did the inpiration come from to finish such an ambitious project as your first film?

I knew after filming with Mike that I wanted to carry the project on and make something that I would be proud to show. A film can only be as good as the sum of its parts, so I chose my subjects carefully, and to an extent, followed my heart and my gut.

And what were you aiming for?

My hope was to explain, promote and maintain the heritage and tradition within the climbing community in the Lake District, of which I am now a part. To celebrate some of its modern pioneers and their very individual qualities, and to readdress the balance, by placing equal importance on the person, the landscape, and the activity. After all, they may be people doing extraordinary things and believe me, they are inspiring to watch, but they are only a dot on the landscape.

James McCaffie Red Chili climber on his E8 onsight filmed as part of Islands....

Any 'shouts out'?

I want to thank my wing man Matt Pycroft and Mike, Stu, Caff and Adam for being involved in this project. They shaped it just as I did, and I’m very grateful for their contribution. Thanks to all the belayers and extra cameraman too, Harry McGie, Duncan Sperry, Mike Norbury, Ben Scraggs, Sophie, Ali Keech and Dan McCann . And thanks to my girlfriend Hel for putting up with my poverty-stricken lifestyle and resistance to getting ‘a proper job’. And last of all, the sponsors of this film, who have shown their support all the way through, as well as providing valuable bits of kit for this and future projects. Wild Country, Red Chilli, The Epicentre and Alpkit.

What's happening at Land and Sky next?

There are exciting things afoot, so keep an eye on what’s going on with Land and Sky Media. You can follow on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/landandskymedia Or keep up to date with content and inspiration on my blog - http://landandsky.wordpress.com/

You can watch Islands - full length and free - here:

Wild Country and Red Chili thank Dom for letting them be involved with this amazing video and fantastic project.

Dom in action filming in the slate quarries

All photos Matt Pycroft and Dom Bush

James Pearson, one of Wild Country's top sponsees has put pen to paper and committed to the Wild Country team for another three seasons.

James, one of the UK's top climbers has been with Wild Country for 5 years already, since his emergence as one of the brightest UK climbers in the early 00's and has cemented his strong relationship with this deal.

James will be not only helping to test and prove Wild Country's latest gear but representing Wild Country across the globe as he makes his ambitious trips to such far flung regions and Chad or Greenland (as part of the North Face team) as well as missions closer to his new home in France - and obviously flying visits to the UK.

James explained why Wild Country is such a good fit for him and why he chose to represent Wild Country:

"Being a 'local lad' born a 'stones throw' from the Wild Country factory in the Peak District it was an obvious choice to work with Wild Country. I am proud to be an ambassador for the brand and help with the testing and proving of their new gear. I am hoping to really push myself in the next few years and having the support of Wild Country (as well as my other sponsors) makes all the difference.'

James Pearson in 'blitz mode' on his Pembroke visit early in 2011...almost flashing Muy Caliente E10 7A

Richie Patterson, Wild Country Marketing Manager commented
'James has been an exceptional sponsee for Wild Country providing us with great feedback on gear as well as having an amazing appetite for rock which has resulted in some incredible ascents which we're proud to be associated with - I'm really happy that he's on board with us for the next few years.'

An Amazing Climbing History

Initially a gritstone maestro, throwing himself at E9's as a callow youth and getting up them; like The Zone E9 and Knockin On Heavens Door E9 James then proved himself in the Uk with a string of even more awesome gritstone ascents: The Groove E10, Equilibrium E10, Gerty Berwick E9, The Promise E8 - before moving one to some bigger challenges with The Walk Of Life E9.

And as well as this James was proving himself on the bouldering scene with his 'Raven Tor' strength and steely fingers getting him to the level where he added the classic Keen Roof 8a+ to Raven Tor then even managed the first ever 8b flash incredibly enough - it was easy to see his levels rising.

You can see James from a few years ago in the video below from 'Committed' by Hotaches'

An Even Brighter Future
However, for James this wasn't enough and he decided he needed more and some bigger challenges, and so in the last few years James decided to change direction and a move to Innsbruck led him to discover what 'euro-training' was all about - and humble enough to start over - he has added a new level of fitness and ability to his base level.

So in the last couple of seasons as well as now having the ability to polish off 8c's pretty quickly - read more here and see video -  James' new found stamina and resilience has allowed him to start to take up multi-pitch challenges - which showed this year as his first big route Joy Division 8b fell.

James is now living in France with a host of big cliffs and limestone testpieces around so I'm sure we'll see lots of big numbers coming from him - like the 2 8c's he polished off recently - but there's more on the agenda than that and James is looking for more big routes and big walls to throw himself at.

So with loads more strength and multi-pitch ambitions we're expecting great things from James in 2012 and beyond and you can follow all his exploits here on the Wild Country website....

James climbing and nearly flashing Muy Caliente E10 in Pembroke early in 2011 - thanks to North Face for this film...

It’s been a fantastic year for Wild Country and Red Chili and it’s also been a great year for our climbers who between them have managed to post a host of incredible ascents on the national and international scenes. 

So in case you missed any of the action we’ve compiled a bit of a ‘hitlist’ of some of these fantastic achievements (and for bit of fun put them in order) to make an end of year round up – and to toast everyone who climbs for us.

But after a lot of deliberation it ended up being too difficult to separate three outrageous ascents by some quite different climbers: so instead there’s a joint first place for three different but equally amazing and inspiring ascents. So here are our top 8 ascents from our Uk team in 2011....

# 1a. Tom Randall and Pete Whittaker for Century Crack 5.14b/8c/E10 6c? ‘They said it would never go free’ – well they didn’t say that exactly but it did seem a preposterous proposition, 100+ feet of horizontal offwidth, that can be seen on Google maps, which had repulsed ‘the best’, out in the desert a 4hr drive from anywhere....well the rest is history...

You can see the Century Crack video - here: http://vimeo.com/31873646

And there's a Wideboyz Interview here: http://vimeo.com/34089389

One of the ascents of the year - James Pearson on Muy Caliente E10 7a, Pembroke.

#1b. James Pearson for Muy Caliente, E10 6c, Pembroke, Wales, UK. One of the Uk’s most talented climbers went away, thought about it, trained like a demon and applied his new found skills to upsetting the applecart again with a skin of the teeth failure to flash a UK E10 route. Once again pointing the way forward as he has since the age of 17 James has used the adversity of some grading ‘setbacks’ to make him a stronger climber once again. See the Muy Caliente video – here: http://vimeo.com/25140891

#1c. James McHaffie - Big Bang, 9a, Lower Pen Trwyn, North Wales, UK. In some people’s minds the strangest conversion since St Paul on the road to Damsacus was James McHaffie becoming one of a very small number of Brits who’ve climbed 9A as well as getting the second ascent after 15 years of this ‘rat crimp’ nasty. However, to those who have watched his career for many years this is a guy who simply doesn’t know limits and constantly invents new ways to surpass himself on rock.

See the Big Bang video - http://vimeo.com/28107941

#2. Ed Hamer – 2nd place at the World Youth Cup Imst, Austria as well as a second in his last ever European Youth Cup. And I know these aren’t strictly ascents but it seems worth celebrating a first podium finish for a Brit in a leading championship for a very long time as well celebrating the fact that Ed’ll be as the fact that Ed will be around for a very long time to come.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/skHYQR and here http://bit.ly/u0eofk

See Ed Hamer interview video here: http://vimeo.com/26593785

#3. Hazel Findlay – Golden Gate, 5.13a, El Capitan, Yosemite, USA. In becoming the first British woman to free El Cap Hazel simply cements her status as an amazing talent and maybe just theone to watch in 2012 for something truly special.

Read more here - http://bit.ly/rrTHCr Hazel video here - http://vimeo.com/26106509

#4. – Jordan Buys - 2nd ascent Loaded E8 7A, Ilkey, Uk. after a very long time. No video but a great spread in Climb magazine in Jan 2012. Jordan’s had a great year and his ascent of the very hard and not often repeated sports route Controversy 8b+at Malham earlier this year was simply the precursor to some more hardcore grit action from this Lancashire hotshot. I predict more amazing things this winter.

You can see more about Jordan here - Other Jordan videos - http://vimeo.com/16885645

#5. Ned Fehally - Samson E9 7A, Burbage South, Peak District, UK. Now this is probably not Ned’s hardest ascent this year, the man is a veritable machine, but by ground up highballing this classic Jerry Moffatt ‘route’ Ned seems to have caught the zeitgeist by showing how some amazing climbers are changing the game on gritstone by blurring the lines between routes and boulders. We’re expecting great things in 2012.

Samson video here - http://vimeo.com/33103583

#6. Adam Hocking – Return Of The King E9 7a 2nd ascent, East Buttress, Scafell. Following his first ascent of ‘The Keswickian’ E8 7a, in April (http://vimeo.com/25808567) Adam does the unlikely and becomes the first person to repeat one of Dave Birkett’s many E9’s – and it’s a big one, taking an impressive line up the very overhanging east Butress of Scafell. All caught on film it’s a very impressive bit of climbing from a very underrated climber.

Return Of The King is the middle part of the film ‘Islands’ – see it here - http://vimeo.com/33813853

Anyway thanks to everyone who’s pulled on a Wild Country t shirt this year and stuffed our gear in cracks or clipped up a route and to those wearing Red Chili shoes as well – A BIG THANKS. See you all in 2012!!

And here's some footage of Tom and Pete on the amazing Century Crack...