Apologies for the months of radio silence…but we have been very busy bees! Well, as I mentioned previously, Tarka had a brainwave 12 months ago, and decided we should take a break for expeditions and create a TV channel to benefit independent filmmakers!!!
We initially looked at standard television channels, but the cost was astronomical and limited us to the UK, so we then looked online! But online we found all video sites to be plagued with the same problems. In our opinion, great films are not made to be viewed the size of a postcard on a crowded and busy web page, nor catalogued away in a never-ending archive, never to be found again. If you want to know how to deliver film we think you need to look at the experts; TV and cinema. So we set about taking drastic measures to completely redefine viewing film online, by converging TV, Internet video and film festival with the latest in cloud and streaming technologies. It has without doubt been the most difficult challenge we have ever taken on and makes the Southern Patagonian Icecap suddenly feel very inviting!
In a nutshell our new platform, www.itzon.tv, provides film lovers with a huge range of independent films, documentaries and animations from around the world all scheduled into a linear stream. Providing a full-screen, high-definition ‘TV’ experience, available through an Internet browser or Internet-ready TV. And the best bit? It’s FREE!
itzon showcases an eclectic mix of films from all genres, but even if your not an indie film festival goer im pretty sure there will still be stuff you just might like!!! Every week there will be a selection of great adventure, travel and sports films you bound to enjoy. itzon is currently in BETA testing phase, launching our first months festival on the 18th May, when you will be able to catch:
Ten – A Cameraman’s tale: Ski/snowboard freeride documentary, and an insight into the world of freeride through the lens of cameraman Guido Perrini.
Single-Handed: Kevin Shields is known as the one handed climber. Born with most of his left hand missing Kevin has shocked the climbing world.
Chalk and Chocolate: This beautiful film is of one of the best climbers in the world Natalija Gros, climbing one of the most challenging verticals in Slovenia: Histerija (8c+)
Into Darkness: The secret underworld of caves. Journey with cavers who push through impossibly small passages to some of the final frontiers on earth.
A Fine Line: A cinematic journey that unites the leading edge of winter action sports with avalanche education and responsible backcountry usage.
African Odyssey: A grass roots adventure at its best, 4 ordinary guys, 4 very ordinary motorbikes ride 21,000 km from Capetown to London.
Ascending the Giants: An insight into what motivates the arborists who climb the largest trees on the planet!
The Great Walk of China: our film…for those of you who haven’t yet seen it!
And many more!
You can just arrive and watch what’s playing now, browse the programme guide and digital magazine to see what’s on when, use the itzon Demand catch up service to watch anything you’ve missed and vote on the films as part of the monthly festival competition.
Shameless pleading but…Please spread the word about itzon to everyone you know!! Thank you
(Link to demo vid if you wanted something to embed http://www.youtube.com/user/itzontv#p/u/4/Dz56WUix0kQ )
having ago at standing on the summit of Mt Blanc, Tark’s has summited many times from various routes, but it was to be my first shot at standing on the summit of any large mountain! Well it didn’t go quite as we would have hoped, we had two attempts, the first of which was pathetic. At little over a third of the way up, my Chonophobia (irrational fear of snow) completely got the better of me and i had a huge panic attack and emotionally collapsed, doubting my abilities on the mountain as well as my career choice as an ‘adventurer’! I was in such a state we decided to turn back resound to the fact that despite spending 5 years trying to overcome them, these panic 
attacks were never going to go and mountaineering and i just weren’t meant to be and that i should stick to ultra endurance expeditions on flatter terrain. Within 24 hours i had given myself a good talking to and was back up the mountain for a second attempt. We were staying in tents as opposed to the mountain refuges like most other climbers, and decided to camp much further down the mountain and do a much 
longer summit day so that we could do it in the dark. This was Tarka’s great plan…darkness…if I couldn’t see it, then i couldn’t be frightened of it was the theory! Instead of setting off at 2am from 3817m we set off at 10pm from 3167m, it turned out to be a genius idea of Tarka’s, and i flew up the mountain. Unfortunately at around 4400m Tarks was suffering form altitude sickness and was really struggling to keep his balance…never ideal on mountain ridges! So we had to turn back and make a very slow and careful descent, but by then it was light and i could see exactly what i had come up!! In a way it was quite good that I had to look after Tarks and make sure he got down safely, as it meant I couldn’t have a wobbly walking across (what in my mind are) horrific knife edge passes. Tarks was absolutely fine again once we were back at low altitude , other than feeling rather guilty that he prevented my summit, especially after i had talked myself back into giving it another try. Next year.
