Amazing Stories from the USA (Arizona: Part 3)

 

In the mountains It's very peaceful I haven't found anywhere yet that's better than this Richard makes a stop on the banks of this river he still has half a day of riding to get back to the ranch he'll spend the night In his 100 year old cabin that has offered shelter to so many cowboys before him Isolated but not alone he has the company of his horses as well as the spirit of all those who once nourished the same dreams many ranches In the west are getting subdivided you know so they're being sold for people to have small houses In this beautiful countryside but of course as more people have their small homes In paradise It's no longer paradise & um & so I think for my whole family It's very Important that we're keeping our ranch the way that It has been It's a hard way to make a living & It would be easy to you know sell the ranch & subdivide It but there are a lot of ranchers that hold on to the land even though It's a tough lifestyle It's a good lifestyle & they have a lot of love for what they're doing & for the open land & for the environment I hope people get a chance to visit wilderness somewhere In the world just to see what It's like & I think that you know that's how everyone used to live so It's kind of part of us & It's Important to you know still see It at dawn Richard will get back on the trail to the ranch In a few days the snow will be all gone that's when they'll drive the cattle up to the summer pastures so In the local Indian language Utah means people of the mountains this Is the breathtaking realm of towering stone cathedrals sculpted by the wind & rain time & erosion have carved out Immense canyons venturing Into the heart of Utah means discovering one of nature's masterpieces, uh! here at the foot of these abrupt rock walls Is where the lovers of wide open spaces meet men & women who live near these cliffs that they've managed to tame In order to satisfy their thirst for the extreme so It's like a specific moment where you have to focus & do everything the best you can & um you know the only person It really matters to Is you because you're the one there you're the one on the line It feels really honest or like real to um have experiences like that because you're going to try to do the best you can because you sort of have to well I've been climbing for 20 years & um you know at this point I couldn't really not climb In my life It's just you know It's like eating or walking I mean I just I will always climb um I don't know I don't know why I like that so much I just I just do I just really like It what makes sense Is being here & you know you're on a cliff & there's gravity & when you have your equipment & you know what to do & you're going to do the best you can because you want to have a good time & be able to do It again later & It's just It's very natural so to me that makes sense & I like to live like that step Davis Is one of the world's most respected woman climbers she has climbed & opened difficult trails all over the globe Pakistan Europe north & south America step Davis could have had a brilliant career as a pianist or devoted herself to writing & literature but one day she discovered rock climbing the contact with the stone & this wild nature that few men or women managed to master when she arrived here In Moab Utah step Davis decided to live as simply as possible In her trailer not far from the rock walls & she lived like that for seven years I love this this place where there's all these canyons & all this um there's a lot of shape & there's like a lot of um volume In this landscape & then you never feel like you're just out exposed because there's so much stuff surrounding you but then It's far away so you don't feel like squeezed In like some tight valley so It's just this really nice combination of feeling kind of like there's things surrounding you but you always feel like you're up on top of places & It just feels really good here you know as the years went by I went like a lot of places In the world & this Is just my favorite place like If I If I had to stay In Moab & never ever leave this area for the rest of my life I would be totally happy because there's just everything to do here now step lives with her boyfriend Mario who's also a lover of the extreme & strong sensations today they're climbing ancient art aspire In the middle of fisher towers  one of Utah’s most spectacular landscapes these two climbers used to high mountains complete the ascension In under an hour here step & Mario are on the summit of ancient art perched on a narrow platform barely large enough to stand on good one babe see yak two one step’s free fall down the cliff face has gone off without a hitch this sport base jumping gives an Incredible rush of adrenaline but for Mario It's more of a problem because the wind has come up plus he's no longer attached by his harness & his balance Is tricky under these conditions you have to be patient now the wind has dropped & Mario Is getting ready to take the great leap but first he has to get rid of the rope they used to make the climb the rope has gotten wedged In & he has to free It with his foot yeah baby here we go yeah buddy that's okay good job that's a nice one It's one of those magical places & It's close to our hometown It's like 20 miles away 25 miles away we can come here like every day If we want to so you don't have to travel across the world so & people across the world to come here so when you're actually here & It's your backyard It's I mean I feel very lucky you know I'm more of a jumper she's more of a climber so she gets me up & you know I get her down so we have this little team thing going which Is pretty nice so when you actually have somebody that shares the same passion & you're actually In love with It makes everything just that much more Intense because you just you can share all these very strong you know feelings & moments with somebody you love It's nice very nice my so yeah the thunderstorms they bring all the air up & then It just takes air In from different sides wow Mario Is a climber but he's also been an airplane pilot & skydiving Instructor for years he's one of the trailblazers of base jumping as well the passion they both have for wide open spaces & pushing their limits quite naturally led step & Mario to share the call of the void Mario & I actually met In this plane & I really like It when he's flying & then he knows so much & I really trust his decisions....Click Here and Read More.