John Cunningham Climbing Ben Nevis 1976

Rare footage by Yvon Chouinard, initially created for National Geographic featuring John Cunningham climbing an unspecified climb on Ben Nevis.

No permission was granted to put this up, but I felt this is footage that shoud be shared with people. If the creators are unhappy with this then I can take it down.

A few points of interest ...

The 'climb' is actually a montage of different shots, I'm not sure the exact climbs, but my best guesses, based on the forum posts that have gone up, and an email are that the initial shot zooming in is Zero gulley (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URgg1wFQ8cg ), except that the shot has been reversed for some reason. The middle section, with the avalance is possibly Garadh Gully

page 189 of Creaagh Dhu Climber

"part of the film was supposed to be fictional," says Chouinard, with John playing a hard case from a rundown part of Glasgow. He rides on his motorbike across Rannoch moor, solos something and then slips and falls but no-one knows if it is real or imagined, it was kinda surreal. The film never got to be seen because in another section, filmed in China , half the film crew were caught in a terrible avalanche. The director was killed and I broke a couple of ribs."

Chouinard also mentions the filming in his 'Climbing ice' book (page 157 in the original 1978 version). He mentions being avalanched near Comb Buttress, by a cornice collapse on Number Two gully.

The ferry crossing is actually the corran ferry, but probably made to look lik ethe bally one. the bally ferry closed in 75 as the bridge opened, so I guess it was a substitute to make the movie look like it was set in an earlier time.

Cheers to anyone who has discussed this vid.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Creagh-Dhu-Climber-Times-Cunningham/dp/0948153547

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Climbing-Ice-Yvon-Chouinard/dp/0871562081/ref=sr_1_1?...

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Tags:

• yvon
• chouinard
• John
• cunningham
• climb
• climbing
• scotland
• ice
• ben
• nevis
• winter
• axe
• glen
• coe

[jonnie3430]

Is that Orion Direct?

[PaulMJCunningham]

It's actually a mixture of shots form different climbs. I haven't quite worked out where he is when it zooms in from a distance...

[MrSinclaircooper]

epic

[talkeetnaair]

awesome video. vintage. does anyone know the jazz soundtrack in the early part of the vid?

[andrewrcoggins]

pre helmet motorcycling!

[ftryew]

touch of class



[TheEvilscotsman123]

Fantastic video.

[jrtimson31]

Just been looking back at the photos of a wonderful year of outdoor pursuits at I M Marsh College of PE, Liverpool (1977/78) doing the Advanced Diploma in Outdoor Education there. Johnny was one of our instructors and it's great to add this excellent piece of video footage of the great man in action to my collection... a real ballet dancer on ice. Thanks, Paul, for posting it. Made my day...

[luisitoaa]

anyone knows which model is the motorbike?

[elgwiz]

How soft we have all become with our hard hats and safety boots , this is a good example of how to live , brilliant film

[sinclaircooper]

What a nice relaxing little film, wish I was up in the hills right now...

[edboyter]

@Fr4nkWh1te

all is revealed at 4:42 ;)