Ron Kauk, 49, a renowned rock climber known for his far-out-on-the-cutting-edge ascents in Yosemite Valley and elsewhere, is in Tucson this week. His most recent climbing film,"Return to Balance: A Climber's Journey," will be shown tonight as part of the Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival at the Loft Cinema (see Page 37 for details). He'll also host a screening of his film "Ascending Rhythm," at 8 p.m. Friday at Rocks and Ropes, 330 S. Toole Ave., Downtown.
Kauk had both feet on the ground early this week and answered a few questions:
Why climb a rock?
"It can be your own unique way of connecting with being on this planet. When you climb El Capitan, you get a firsthand lesson about natural laws and interacting with nature."
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Scared of anything? A glass-smooth overhanging rock face, perhaps?
"What scares me is how desensitized we've become from the natural world as a society. We're so materialistically driven."
What was it like working with Tom Cruise in the rock climbing scenes of "Mission: Impossible 2"?
"It was an inspiration to work with Tom Cruise because of his incredible positive attitude. He gets you to believe that anything is possible."
– Doug Kreutz
