Catching Bouldering Vibes in Fontainebleau
A group of competition climbers look to escape indoor spaces in a new film that just dropped
The new short film Keep It Real 2 focuses on a crew of high-end competition climbers looking to escape the pressure of comps in the forest of Fontainebleau. The athletes included in the film are Holly Toothill, Ashima Shiraishi, Kieran Forrest, Clément Lechaptois, Hamish McArthur, Max Milne and Jim Pope.
“Performance is cool to witness and be excited about, but at the same time it’s just one small sliver of why we enjoy climbing,” said champion climber Shiraishi. “The social aspect. Creativity. Movement. Having a kinesthetic connection to your body. I think it can enrich our experiences when we lift our focus and emphasize other parts.”
About the film’s name, Max Milne said, “Keeping it real means being honest, being truly myself in all walks of life—not just when things are going well, but also when they are not.”
Toothill, who’s competed in several World Cups, added, “I think climbing is becoming a sport where it’s quite easy to get sucked into chasing grades and doing things ‘for the photo,’” said Holly Toothill. “I think some people lose why they started climbing in that space. Remembering one’s why is important.”
Keep it Real 2
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