Screw This, Let’s Go Toproping!

By Tracy Wilson.

Last Saturday BJ and I were in the local video store, trying to pick a movie from the hundreds that lined the walls. Walking by the corner aisles I saw a cover with a climber on the front and a tag line that read, “You can’t reach the top if you’re afraid to fall.” When I turned it over to the read back it said, “A troubled teenager joins a group of rock climbers and is quickly forced into a death-defying adventure.” Right then I started laughing out loud…this was the movie we were destined to see! BJ was looking at the cover, puzzled at how the rope and carabiners were running together. “What exactly is going on here?”

The main character Rick is a delinquent kid from LA who is sent to live with his uncle James, in the mountains of Tahoe. Rick has a couple of encounters with this group of crazy rock climbers who make their introduction by rappelling off a tunnel into traffic. They are jerks to him at first, but soon become his friends. Rick is challenged by Don, the egotistical 5.6 “champion”, to enter the “Open” climbing competition, and thus Rick’s training begins. Rick’s Uncle turns out to be the Mr. Miyagi of rock climbing, and shows him the ways of the force.

Really, the movie makes no sense, and the climbing makes no sense and this is why it is so hilarious. You can expect a healthy dose of cheesy one liners as well.

Oh, and I almost forgot the theme song to the movie, which I can guarantee you will be singing every time you go climbing: “Take it to the limit-limit, got to doit-doit. Take it to the limit-limit, there’s nothing to-it, to-it.”

Too bad it’s out of print, or I’d buy it for everyone I know. I highly recommend putting this on your movie list. Invite some friends over, drink a few beers (or a lot), and be prepared to quote memorable one-liners for weeks.

Watch this movie tonight, or better yet, “Screw this, let’s go top-roping!”