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Field Journal

Land Of Maybe

Inspiration
Land Of Maybe
 
‘The Faroe Islands is a land that time seems to have forgotten, where you can see snow, rain, and sun all in the same day. The Land of Maybe is the perfect name for it. The only thing of which you can be certain is you’ll have an adventure you’ll never forget.’  – James Pearson

 

‘Land of Maybe,’ is a new film by The North Face® following British climber James Pearson, American Cedar Wright and Japan’s Yuji Hirayama as they successfully summit the 754m Cape Enniberg, located in the Faroe Islands.

After James discovered that Europe’s biggest sea cliff remained unsummited,  he saw an opportunity to explore uncharted territory and attempt an irresistible first ascent.  Battling horrendous weather conditions (it rained torrentially for the majority of their climb), attacks from the local puffin colony who weren’t keen on the climbers sharing their space, and with local land-owners putting a stop to all efforts, the attempt was almost scuppered before it began.

However, once a meeting was organised with village elders, the green-light was given. ‘At the end of the meeting they were all so happy and psyched that they offered to drive us out in their own boats,’ James Pearson explained.

This is a film about a diverse group, united by a shared mission, and an overwhelming drive to tackle uncertainty head on.

 
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All three climbers were struck by the relationship the local people have with their land, making optimum use of it to survive the often harsh conditions. Their guide from the local Viðareiði community told the trio how, for hundreds of years, farmers have been scaling 60 metres of the vertical cliff face with their herds of sheep to reach the best grazing conditions around the nesting puffins. ‘My idea had been to come to a place where nobody had climbed before – at least not for pleasure. And it turns out people have been climbing here out of necessity for hundreds of years!’

Upon successfully climbing the sea cliff, the trio of climbers were surprised on their two hour hike back to camp by a party organised by the villagers to celebrate the athletes’ successful ascent. ‘Drinking Vodka from a ram’s horn surrounded by friends old and new was a fitting way to finish such a bizarre route,’ described James.

 
Land Of Maybe
 
Find out more about the expedition at: https://www.thenorthface.co.uk/exploration/our-journal/the-land-of-maybe.html or get involved by following @TheNorthFaceUK on Instagram and @TheNorthFace on Facebook.
 

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