Ethan Pringle e ‘Catie’ Monteiro: Rocklands à porta de casa, e com o Meio Mango no peito
Para os mais atentos ao que de bom se faz lá fora, o nome de Ethan Pringle será certamente muito mais que familiar. No entanto, não foi o seu legado dourado que me fez fazer esta pequena entrevista, mas sim a quantidade de questões que me surgiram depois de assistir às curtas-metragens produzidas pela sul-africana Catarina Monteiro sobre ele. O casal tem escalado um pouco por todo mundo, mas destacam-se as longas temporadas passadas em Rocklands, onde foi gravada “Addicted to Fear”, curta que documenta o processo de múltiplas ascensões a highballs num cenário arrebatador, e uma visita ao Meio Mango, Cabo Espichel, no ano passado. Dessa viagem resultou um documentário, onde acompanhamos de perto os pegues e o encadene da Filipinos (9a), aberta em 2019 por André Neres. Tivemos o privilégio de conversar um pouco com eles, e prometeram voltar ainda este ano.
«Clique aqui para a versão em português do Q&A»
Rocklands is a bouldering Mecca where every climber wants to go once in a lifetime. You have been climbing there for long. Could you describe how that place inspires and influences you?
Catie: Rocklands is a really special place to me - a climbing paradise. It’s situated three hours outside of Cape Town and draws in hundreds of foreigners and locals each year over the winter season. It’s really unique not just because of the high quality boulders but because of the community that you find there. It’s a small place and everyone meets at the same coffee shop (The Hen House. It’s amazing!) and runs into each other at the boulders. It’s a real social hub and everyone is just psyched, making new friends (or romances - Ethan and I met in Rocklands!) sharing beta, and trying hard. I’ve climbed at many areas around the world and the sense of community in Rocklands is truly unmatched (though Portugal is a close second!)
We are extra excited for the winter season this year as my sister bought a farm in the heart of Rocklands. It feels incredibly special to call Rocklands our second home and officially locals in the valley!
(Catie trying Hellfire 7c+ in Rocklands - Benjamin Malherbe)
The history of Rocklands is fascinating too - millions of years ago, it was an estuary, and the iron-rich rock gives it that distinctive orange hue. The landscape is wild and spectacular - you can’t help but feel inspired. And climbing wise there’s something for everyone - super engaging and beautiful climbs whether you’re climbing 6a or 8c. You do just have to be willing to walk though! Rocklands is not known for its short approaches and it certainly gets you fit.
I first went to Rocklands in 2019 - before that I had been living in London working for NBC News. After experiencing what Rocklands had to offer I decided I needed to change my life. After I completed my Masters in Ethnographic and Documentary Film at UCL in London I moved back to Cape Town to pursue a career in climbing photography and documentary filmmaking. I took photos for various climbing brands and ran my own YouTube channel, F8 Bouldering for a few years before I met Ethan.
Once Ethan and I got together we started making videos and created his YouTube channel. That all started in Rocklands. So you could say Rocklands has given me a lot - a deep passion for climbing, the love of my life and a career in documentary filmmaking! Ethan and I are also getting married in Rocklands in August of this year!
(Catie at Minki in Rocklands - Benjamin Malherbe)
You confess having fear every time you climb a highball. Could describe your process to beat a big line? What drives you to pick the highest ones?
Ethan: I’ve always been drawn to the biggest, most obvious lines on rock. I think my background in sport climbing encourages me to choose bouldering projects with an element of length or height. If a line is tall, beautiful and difficult, I am too curious not to try it.
I have always been someone who has been able to calm my nerves on high and intimidating lines, but it gets harder and harder every year. I have to do more work to feel safe than I used to - more rehearsal on a rope, more pads below me, more deep, intentional breathing, etc. I want to give myself the opportunity to challenge myself in a high, scary line, but I don’t want to get hurt. It’s an interesting paradox that I don’t fully understand, but that I’m pretty well acquainted with at this point.
Ethan is known for climbing the hardest highballs out there. In your short film “Addicted to Fear” he admits enjoying to feel in a vulnerable position. How about you? How do you overcome the fear and the challenge of watching and filming him?
Catie: I find a lot of peace in knowing that Ethan has 30 years of experience climbing and he really understands what he’s capable of. The risks he takes are calculated and despite the perceived danger in climbing such high boulders, he’s actually really cautious. He’ll often practice the moves on a rope until he feels comfortable. He doesn’t go for it until he’s ready and when he does, he just executes.
It’s beautiful to see the level of confidence he climbs with. However I will say that there have been a couple of boulders that I lost some sleep over and welcomed the distraction of holding a camera and having a job to focus on while he climbed. The first climb featured in “Addicted to Fear” - L'appel du vide - had the potential for a really sketchy fall off the top and while I was confident he could do it, I found myself holding my breath as I filmed and let a small amount of doubt creep into my head.
So, yes, it can be challenging, and I do get scared — especially because I love him so much. But after seeing him succeed time and again, I feel confident that he has the experience and skill to pull it off without getting hurt.
(Ethan climbing a highball in Yosemite)
You’ve been climbing on a high level, all over the world for around 30 years. From someone who could see our community changing, how do you see it now? What actions you find important for a better future?
Ethan: In the 90s and early 00s, there were so many fewer gyms and climbers. Most people who climbed got taken outside by a much more experienced climber. Now there are a lot more inexperienced climbers taking brand new climbers outside, and lots of experienced climbers don’t even go to gyms. There’s very little interaction between the core climbing community and the new crop of climbers joining the ranks. I think climbing needs a big initiative toward mentorship, and access to outdoor education, etc.
You’ve climbed in Portugal multiple times before. Is there any particular episode that marked you?
Catie: Portugal holds a special place in my heart, especially with my father being Portuguese. I’ve been visiting Lisbon and surrounding areas since I was a child, but it wasn’t until 2020 that I got into climbing there.The community was really welcoming from day one, with friends like Tiago Martins, ‘Xico’ Rodrigues and Pedro Alves generously guiding me bouldering in Sintra and sport climbing in Cabo Espichel.
Last year I returned to Portugal with Ethan and we spent most of our time climbing at Meio Mango. It’s such an epic experience being there, and it really toughened me up. After surviving the steep and slightly sketchy approach you make it down to the crag where you’re met with an often wild, crashing ocean.
Ethan thrived off the intensity of the environment, and he managed to send Filipinos (9a) during our trip. I’ll admit, I was scared sport climbing there (I cried a few times!), but it was a period of significant growth for me, especially in terms of pushing my mental limits. Despite the fear, I’m excited to return later this year. I’ve been working on my mental game here in Cape Town and can’t wait to see how it translates in Portugal.
(Catie on a 7b project at Meio Mango)
What’s your opinion about climbing in Portugal from your experience? Do you have any line or climbing zone in mind for your next visit later this year?
Ethan: I think the climbing in Portugal is beautiful and underrated, especially the climbing and atmosphere at the sea-side crags like Meio Mango and Atlantida. I really love feeling the power and beauty of the ocean while I’m climbing. It gives me energy. And the rock at those crags is unlike any other limestone I’ve ever seen. The steeper it gets, the more compact and sculpted it gets. I think potential along that coast is still relatively untapped, especially for hard, adventurous climbing like deep water soloing. I’d love to come back and explore more of the potential for DWS, along with sampling some of the new crags that have seen more development since we were there a year ago.
The community in Portugal is still small, but what they lack in size they make up for in stoke and dedication. I think Lisbon locals know that what they have at the sea-side sectors is really special, and it’s cool that they are happy to share it with foreigners like Catie and I! We felt really welcome there. Someday I’d love to spend an extended chunk of time there.
(Ethan trying Filipinos)
How do you choose your next project these days? Did the criteria changed along your career?
Ethan: I think early on in my career I would compromise a little more on aesthetics in the interest of a purely physical challenge. But I’ve always been inspired by the most beautiful, obvious and intimidating lines. I think every year I get a little bit more picky with the type of experience I want to have, and I wouldn’t travel a long distance to try something unless it’s really inspiring to me. I just want to climb the most bad-ass looking lines, and there are still so many left for me to try. I also enjoy climbing a chossy linkup, just because I love climbing movement so much, I just wouldn't seek out a challenge like that.
(Ethan climbing at Atlântida)
Any short term goals? Any goal achieved recently you’re proud of and would like to detail?
Ethan: I recently spent 3 months during their summer in Cape Town, South Africa. During that time, I helped develop a brand new sport-crag from scratch. I bolted three lines in the 8b+ to 8c+ range, along with a handful of warmups. I’m super proud of the work I did up there, and I know the local cape town community is stoked to have a new, epic crag to climb at during the summer when a lot of other places are too hot. The harder routes I bolted and climbed up there are really high quality. I’m excited to get back up there when I go back and explore more of the potential the wall might offer.
In what aspects, climbing together changed your days at the crag?
Catie: Balancing filming with climbing can be tricky. We’re always working and always on vacation at the same time, and it’s a beautiful yet sometimes challenging dynamic. There are days when I decide to leave the camera behind and simply enjoy being present with Ethan, climbing and soaking in the experience together.
Climbing with a romantic partner can also be complicated at times! It’s taken us a while to figure out how to best support and encourage each other at the crag. Ethan wants me to reach my full potential in climbing, and my fears have held me back at times. We’ve spent a lot of time discussing when it’s the right moment to push me to challenge myself and when to give me space to move at my own pace.
I absolutely love climbing with him, and I can’t imagine a better partner. Having him by my side has definitely made me a stronger, bolder climber. We’re a great team!
Ethan: Climbing as a couple has its challenges and it’s advantages. Sometimes I can be a little too invested in Catie’s efforts, go into “coach mode” and push her harder than is appropriate for that particular session. I love challenging people to push themselves outside their comfort zones and prove to themselves that they’re capable of way more than they think.
Being an experienced climber and a student of movement and psychology, I can see when people are limited more by fear or doubt then by strength (which is pretty much all of us), and I want people to break down their limiting self-beliefs with the suspension of their disbelief, but sometimes people aren’t quite ready for that. Regardless of the outcome, those experiences always lead to productive talks and opportunities to learn more about each other and ourselves.
Overall I think we support each other in really positive and healthy ways, film and document each other, and are always really psyched for each other's efforts, successes, and opportunities for learning.
Thanks:
Ethan Pringle, Catie Monteiro and Benjamin Malherbe for the photos provided for this article.