By – Bill Urbanski

One sure sign that rock climbing has hit the mainstream is its recent appearance in several current television ads.  Miller Lite injected a humorous look at climbers into its “un-manly” series.  Heating and air-conditioning company Service Experts also used humor in a pitch featuring an “expert” ice climber.

For a more realistic, non-humorous look at the sport, there’s Citibank.  With stunning aerial photography and jaw-dropping helmet cam footage, Citi’s ad is a thirty-second testimonial to the awe-inspiring beauty and sheer thrill that attracts so many to the sport.  In fact, with such eye-popping visuals, the message of the ad itself is almost lost.

Ancient Art’s Corkscrew Summit – photo credit: mountainproject.com

When the average viewer of the Citi ad recovers from the vertigo induced by it, questions usually follow.  My friends know I climb, so I find myself fielding these questions all the time, the most frequent of which is, “is it real?”  A legitimate question, I suppose, given modern green screen technology, digital imagery and computerized special effects.

The short answer to “is it real?” is a resounding “yes.”  However, Citi has used a little poetic license.  The climbers portrayed in the ad are no ordinary couple, but in fact professional rock climbers Katie Brown and Alex Honnold.

Katie Brown – photo credit: prweb.com

Brown, 29, has been climbing since age 13, and winning climbing competitions ever since.  Honnold, 26, is considered by many to be one of the best free solo climbers on the planet today.  He was recently featured on CBS’ 60 Minutes and in National Geographic’s Alone on the Wall.

Alex Honnold – photo credit: nerverush.com

The magnificent rock formation Brown and Honnold climbed is called Ancient Art.  It is part of Fisher Towers near Moab, Utah.  I had my eye on this very climb during my recent visit to Moab last summer.  Unfortunately, extreme heat and insufficient time kept me from assuming that same pose achieved by Brown atop this most iconic of desert towers.

Brown and Honnold I’m sure made easy work of Ancient Art, a climb well below the grades to which they are accustomed.  But for a climber of more modest abilities, Ancient Art can be quite challenging.  It is four pitches, 275-feet, and rated 5.10.  The exposure on the final pitch and the signature corkscrew finish make it the most popular climb on the Towers.

So next time your favorite television show is interrupted by those breathtaking images from the Utah desert, you can rest assured that what you are seeing is not the product of Hollywood magic, but indeed a 100% real showcase of two of today’s most talented climbers on one of the sport’s – my sport’s – most spectacular playgrounds.

(Credits: Homepage thumbnail courtesy of s_mestdagh on Flickr)