Mountain climbing movies that take things to a new level

There’s a phrase that’s often used to promote action movies: “heart-stopping.” It’s a pretty dramatic description that’s usually slapped on ctional stories with lots of shoot-‘em-up scenes and a bunch of crazy car chases. Sure, a lot of those movies are exciting to watch, but deep down, you know it’s all make-believe. ey rarely live up to the hype.

But this weekend you can go check out some new lms that are actual documentaries of real-life adventures the promoters have labeled as “heartstopping” and that truly go above and beyond what you might expect from that kind of description. Judging from the trailer for them, I can say that these lms start at that point and move on to truly terrifying in some places and I’m not talking about monsters, ghosts, demons or serial killers here. ese are three mountain climbing movies that take things to a totally new level, in more ways that you can image.

is weekend, Friday, May 12 and Saturday, May 13, the Colorado Mountain Club will be presenting the Reel Rock 17 lm screening at the American Mountaineering Center. It features three new lms highlighting the year’s biggest climbing & adven-

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and this annual observance hits close to home for me, as a former single parent resident of Warren Village.

Warren Village is a Denver-based nonpro t organization that helps low-income, single-parent families achieve sustainable personal and economic self-su ciency. I moved in with my 4-year-old daughter in August of 2019, hoping to build a new life after leaving a domestic violence situation. Little did I know that this decision would not only provide me with a ordable housing and education opportunities, but also vital mental health services.

Before coming to Warren Village, I had already earned a certi cate in

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AVENUE FLASHES ture stories. e rst one, “Burning the Flame,” showcases a wild expedition on Nameless Tower in Pakistan. en the second one, “DNA,” presents a new cutting-edge route in a massive limestone cave in France and the nal lm, “Resistance Climbing,” portrays a journey to Palestine’s West Bank to explore the power of climbing to change lives. Each of them has amazing cinematography and they all present people overcoming sets of vastly di erent circumstances.

OK, now I’ve seen the trailer and if you are an outdoor adventure kind of person, or someone who likes to experience di erent places and cultures, you are probably going to love these lms. But, if you are afraid of heights, squeamish about bombs going o and think that people risking their lives just for a little adventure is totally insane, then this might not be the evening entertainment you are looking for. e climbing is extreme, the cameras put you right in the middle of the action, sometimes looking down 1,000 feet, the climbers do slip and fall occasionally (they are roped in so it’s not a tragedy) and the one in Palestine shows what the people there have to endure in a sometimes hostile political environment just to be able to climb the local mountains. ere will also be a meet and greet with Tim Bruns, a Colorado local who’s featured in the lm Resistance Climbing, on both Friday and Saturday night. Tim has spent many years living in Palestine and supporting the climbing community there. He is the Co-Founder of Wadi Climbing, the rst climbing gym in Palestine, and the author of the Climbing Palestine guidebook. He currently resides in Boulder, Colorado and will be leading a Q&A during the intermission. e Reel Rock 17 show includes the screening of all three lms on each night. ey are all about an hour long. Admission price is $15 for CMC members and $20 for non-members. Showtime is 6 p.m. both nights. ere also will be a drawing for prizes during the intermissions and a grand prize ra e for a week-long condo rental in Winter Park. You’ll need to buy ra e tickets for that one, and they run $6 for one or $10 for two.

For more information about Reel medical assisting, but was struggling to make ends meet. I saw the nonpro t as an opportunity to not only continue my education and pay low rent, but also access a range of services such as career development, housing and personal nance, child development and, of course, mental health counseling. It was just before COVID-19 struck that I began meeting with Pam, a counselor at Warren Village. In response to the pandemic, we shifted to virtual sessions. Despite the chal-

Rock 17, buy tickets and check out that awesome trailer I mentioned. Just go to cmc.org/events/reelrock-17. It’s sponsored by Northface, Black Diamond and Yeti. e American Mountaineering Center is located at 710 10th St. here in Golden. Now I’ll be perfectly honest here. I don’t want to give anyone the impression that I actually do any rock climbing myself. I also don’t go sur ng, gliding o mountains with a wing suit or paraglider and I used to be a pretty average hiker and mountain biker. But I do really love watching these amazing people accomplish things that I can only do in my imagination. It may not inspire me to try hanging o some ledge by my ngertips, but it does make me feel like overcoming any of the mundane hurdles in my life is a lot easier than what these folks have accomplished. And that’s all the inspiration I need right now.

John Akal is a well-known jazz artist/drummer and leader of the 20-piece Ultraphonic Jazz Orchestra. He also is president of John Akal Imaging, professional commercial photography and multimedia production. He can be reached at jaimaging@aol.com.

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

MICHAEL DE YOANNA Editor-in-Chief michael@coloradocommunitymedia.com

KRISTEN FIORE West Metro Editor kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com

CORINNE WESTEMAN Community Editor cwesteman@coloradocommunitymedia.com lenges, this counseling proved to be life-changing for me. I was diagnosed with PTSD and ADHD, and being able to work with a professional to organize my thoughts and feelings was a game-changer.

Since leaving Warren Village, I now own a home and possess the necessary resilience and coping skills to prioritize other aspects of my life, such as decorating my new house and providing my daughter with quality possessions without relying on government aid. I consider myself lucky to continue receiving help from Pam through regular counseling sessions, and I will always be appreciative to Warren Village for facilitating this connection.

Now, more than ever, it is crucial to prioritize your mental well-being.

ERIN ADDENBROOKE Marketing Consultant eaddenbrooke@coloradocommunitymedia.com

AUDREY BROOKS Business Manager abrooks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

ERIN FRANKS Production Manager efranks@coloradocommunitymedia.com

LINDSAY NICOLETTI Operations/ Circulation Manager lnicoletti@coloradocommunitymedia.com e recent pandemic has taken a toll on all of us, but particularly those who were already struggling with psychological issues.

So I urge all of us to take the time this month to focus on our mental health and well-being. It is not always easy to prioritize ourselves, but it is crucial to living a healthy and ful lling life. Seek help now instead of potentially having problems compound over time.

Let us remember that mental health is just as important as physical health, and work towards ending the stigma and ensuring that everyone has access to the care they need.

Jada Galassini is a resident of southeast Denver.

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