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Climber reaching for new heights
Oak Park man enjoys life at the top
By Daniel Wolowicz danielw@theacorn.com Sitting in the Virtual World Café in Agoura Hills, the 35-year-old glam rocker/Internet entrepreneur/ movie producer/nationally renowned rock climber talked about his adventures in the adrenaline-soaked world of free soloing, or rock climbing without ropes. Reardon's intense blue eyes framed by long blond, rock-star hair glance over to the photos that line the walls of the quiet coffee shop. The pictures, taken by Reardon's longtime climbing partner, Mark Niles, cling to the walls like the men in the pictures hang onto the faces of mountains and the underbellies of massive boulders.
Even though whispers of disbelief regarding Reardon's solo climbs surfaced in the late 1980s, it wasn't until recently that his gravity-defying exploits sparked controversy.
Although he talks a mile a minute, he kept a tight lip until recently about his free-soloing exploits. That silence led many to question whether or not Reardon had really made the climbs with which he'd been credited. In a walk-softly-but-carry-a-big-stick fashion, Reardon has spent the last two years laying to rest any questions about his credibility. Niles' photos of Reardon solo climbing such incredibly challenging spots as "Equinox," "Vampire" and "EBGBs" in Joshua Tree and Tahquitz in Idyllwild gained national recognition last month when they accompanied an article by Matt Samet in Rock and Ice magazine. The magazine article came on the heels of Peter Mortimer's "Return2Sender," a rock climbing documentary that features Reardon and Timmy O'Neill, a professional climber and star of the Discovery Channel's "Urban Explorers." The documentary is currently playing at film festivals across the United States.
With a pair of oversized tennis shoes, a questionable safety line and a fear of heights, Reardon set in motion his love affair with the pitches, crags and smears of mountain faces. "I was afraid of heights," Reardon said with a laugh. "We were literally sitting at the base of the mountain . . . and [Werbelow] hands me this old, crappy gear and says, 'You'll use these when you're scared.'" With that sparing advice, Reardon made his first step up a mountain and realized his greatest talent--the ability to shut out the rest of the world and concentrate solely on climbing. Reardon says climbing without rope doesn't scare him. He stresses that his assuredness is not born out of arrogance, but instead a product of the laser-like focus he's been able to develop. Reardon says he does this by putting himself into a mental trance where all he sees is the 8 feet directly around him. "It's like being in a giant, 8-foot eggshell," Reardon said. "It's a way to zone out the rest of the world. If you worry about what's outside that egg, though, that's when you're in trouble." He says the importance of the "egg" is it allows him to maintain a mental focus on the next move he must make to continue the climb. It's this exacting mentality that helps Reardon see his route and make moves other climbers might miss. "By no means am I the strongest guy out there," Reardon said. "But I'm able to maintain a really powerful focus on what I'm doing. Yeah, my body has gone through some changes over the years, but any loss in strength is totally compensated for by a stronger mental outlook." Reardon believes it's only been within the last few years that his tough mental approach has really helped him take his solo climbing to the next level. "I just got to a point in my life where I started to leave the rope at home more and more," Reardon said. "And I think it was because of a mental breakthrough I had." An advocate of brains over brawn, Reardon says technique far outweighs muscle power. "Women think that this is a sport just for men," Reardon said. "But that's absolutely not true. Actually, women usually make better climbers because they are more willing to learn technique." Reardon's first ascent in 1988 was at the fabled Tahquitz face. There, 16 years later, Reardon solo climbed "Vampire," an incredibly steep mountain over 600 feet high. The free solo climb started people talking. The climb caused a stir in the climbing community not only because of "Vampire's" difficult level, but because Reardon soon followed it with a marathon solo climb in Joshua Tree. It was difficult for many to believe Reardon had climbed a total of two vertical miles in under 19 hours --without rope. "Nobody knew he was soloing like he was," said Niles. "Here [Reardon]'st alking about doing these very cutting-edge solos and people were questioning what he was doing. He's been solo climbing for a long time, but he just didn't talk about it. Now that it's out, he has to talk about it." Those who doubted Reardon's accomplishments wanted pictures. So, the pair headed back to Joshua Tree, where Niles photographed Reardon making free solos of "Equinox," "EBGBs," and "Moonbeam Crack." Very few climbers have tackled the routes with rope. Reardon was the first to climb them without any line--a feat even his greatest doubters can't deny. "You have to understand that on the last section of 'EBGBs' there are no edges," Niles said. "There are just these smears on the rock, and it becomes all about friction and balance. I've climbed the thing four times with line, and I've slipped twice. Michael does it without a line. If he slips, he's dead. It's no longer about strength or power at that point. It's all about technique and concentration." Reardon said if he kept quiet about his achievements, some climbers would think he was lying. But if he did talk about his climbs, he was called a braggart. It was no-win situation for him. Wanting his actions to speak louder than words, Reardon let it all hang out with a completely nude free solo ascent of "Airy Interlude" in Needles, Calif. He said it was a "finger in the air" to those who doubted him. Niles was on hand. His photo is now part of the exhibit at the coffee shop. About that same time, Reardon was approached by respected director Peter Mortimer to be in his rock climbing documentary "Return2Sender." Mortimer said it was his third film on climbing, and of the millions of people who rock climb, there are only a handful who can free solo like Reardon. Mortimer and Reardon met in September and began filming in October, but the shoot was cut short a month later when Reardon fell during a solo climb in Malibu Creek State Park. Lucky for Reardon, it was a short fall. Still, the damage was done. Reardon's thumb was broken and his ankle was badly hurt. It took a few months for him to fully heal, and Reardon eventually went on to finish the film. Mortimer captured the fall on film. Reardon is no stranger to life's ups and downs. The East Coast native never knew his mother, who left home when he was very young. He was raised by his father and spent many years bouncing around the United States while his dad looked for work. Eventually, the two settled down in New York. Reardon moved to California at 19, but his big hair rock band went bust in L.A. He enrolled at UCLA and started an on-line company, then graduated with a law degree from Pepperdine. Reardon's time in law school was split between studying and working as a production assistant on numerous music videos and features in Hollywood. He missed his graduation to start a job as head of business affairs for Harvey Entertainment, where he worked on the movies "Casper, the Friendly Ghost" and "Richie Rich." Harvey Entertainment was sold, and Reardon formed Black Sky Entertainment with Glenn Weisberger and Jeff Hoffman. Black Sky would go on to produce "Cabin Fever," a $2-million teen horror flick that eventually earned over $60 million. Currently, Reardon plans to release "Bachar: Man, Myth Legend," a documentary about legendary free soloist and mountain climber John Bachar. Reardon attributes his success off the mountain to the same laser-like concentration that helps him on the mountain. "Climbing is like life," Reardon said. "Your goal is just to make this next move. Don't worry about the top. Don't worry about the bottom. Don't worry about what you did yesterday or what you want to do tomorrow--just do the next move." Reardon lives with Marci, his wife of 12 years, and his 11-year-old daughter, Nikki. Reardon said Marci trusts his abilities when it comes to climbing without rope. "The only time she ever told me not to free solo was when she was pregnant," Reardon said. "After that, she was like, 'Go play.'" Only 11 years old, Nikki already has begun climbing with Dad. But Reardon says he doesn't let her watch him climb free solo, fearing she'll try to emulate him. Like a sure-footed cat with nine lives, Reardon continues to climb every day, whether it's among the enormous boulders and rock formations of Malibu Creek State Park or 1,000 feet up on a mountain in the High Sierras. Where else would you find a guy afraid of heights? Mark Niles' photographs are currently on display at the Virtual World Café in Agoura Hills. For more information on Peter Mortimer's new film or to purchase a copy, visit www.return2sendermovie .com |
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