# That Citi Rock Climbing Commercial **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 1, 2011, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644 "2011-12-01T01:34:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/1 "2011-12-01T01:34:27Z")
The one where the couple is climbing somewhere, and has some spectacular shots, especially at the end where the girl walks along a narrow ridge, then stands on top of some pillar looking rock? A) Where is that, anyone know? 1. Is that for real, did someone do that, or is that some awesome CGI? ---
**Author:** ![charmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/53a042/32.png) [@charmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/charmstr)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/2 "2011-12-01T02:34:51Z")
More importantly (to me, anyway), what song is that playing in the background? I got vertigo just watching that woman stand up there! ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/3 "2011-12-01T02:54:10Z")
> [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](#): > > Where is that, anyone know? Some googling suggests it could be [Fishers Towers](http://climb-utah.com/Moab/fisher.htm), near Moab UT, and the music is apparently [LP - Into the Wild](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV8ohkRGPaA). ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/4 "2011-12-01T03:06:00Z")
Hmm, I am humbled by your Google-Fu. Also, I always forget to Shazam music I don’t recognize. Thanks, I wait for that lady to slip every time I see it. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/5 "2011-12-01T04:09:18Z")
Yep, that’s Fisher Towers all right. If you like that kind of scenery, that area is right in the center of some of the most gorgeous places in the world. You find yourself immersed in the kind of landscapes you’ve seen in Westerns all your life. Driving down UT 28 toward Fisher Towers and Moab, it’s very hard to keep your attention on the road. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/6 "2011-12-01T10:02:29Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Driving down UT 28 toward Fisher Towers and Moab, it’s very hard to keep your attention on the road. Yes. And also parts of Route 12. ---
**Author:** ![rdsatkaycee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4bbf92/32.png) [@rdsatkaycee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rdsatkaycee)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/8 "2011-12-07T14:17:05Z")
But—is it real? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/9 "2011-12-07T14:41:59Z")
> [@rdsatkaycee](#): > > But—is it real? Is the climbing real? It certainly could be, that climbing isn’t horrendously difficult. They wouldn’t have needed CGI to film it. I don’t know if they used CGI to reduce costs. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/10 "2011-12-07T14:44:07Z")
> [@rdsatkaycee](#): > > But—is it real? Why wouldn’t it be? ---
**Author:** ![Brass\_Junk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9de053/32.png) [@Brass\_Junk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brass_Junk)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/11 "2011-12-10T02:58:08Z")
> [@rdsatkaycee](#): > > But—is it real? Do a web search for something like… _Ancient Art, Stolen Chimney, Fisher Towers_ …and you will find several pics of people standing atop the rock tower. ---
**Author:** ![chacoguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/50afbb/32.png) [@chacoguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chacoguy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/12 "2011-12-10T03:13:18Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Yep, that’s Fisher Towers all right. If you like that kind of scenery, that area is right in the center of some of the most gorgeous places in the world. You find yourself immersed in the kind of landscapes you’ve seen in Westerns all your life. Driving down UT 28 toward Fisher Towers and Moab, it’s very hard to keep your attention on the road. Nitpick, it’s highway 128. Yes, it’s real, the climbs vary in difficulty, but the anchors are difficult as the ‘rock’ is basically dried mud. The opening shots of that ad are shot near Dead Horse Point State Park. That commercial doesn’t even scratch the surface of what’s down here. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/13 "2011-12-10T03:55:05Z")
One question about the climb shown in the commercial. At the end, the woman is shown standing on that rock (the Corkscrew?). But the safety line is anchored below her (although it would have to be, as there’s nothing above her to anchor it). So if she were to slip, how far would she fall before the line caught her? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/14 "2011-12-10T04:17:33Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So if she were to slip, how far would she fall before the line caught her? Twice the distance between the attachment to her harness and the protection placement, plus a bit for the rope to stretch. Obviously, you want to place your protection as high as you can if you are going to climb above it. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/15 "2011-12-10T17:07:47Z")
MY protection is to watch others do it. Nice and safe for me, and the farthest I have to fall is off the couch. In college in southern Illinois, I did a lot of (in retrospect, very stupid) free climbing on the small cliffs around there. By ‘free’ climbing, I mean we just climbed without ropes, experience or any regard to our own safety. I remember leaping about 6-7 feet over a sheer 75 foot or so fall to a pillar like rock once, and sitting awake the next night shivering in fear over how dumb I was. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/16 "2011-12-10T17:19:51Z")
If you would like to experience a similar vista but want to do it more safely and without climbing equipment, do the Angel’s Landing trail at Zion National Park. [http://www.zionnational-park.com/zion-angels-landing-trail.htm](http://www.zionnational-park.com/zion-angels-landing-trail.htm) At the end of the trail you experience the magnificence of the canyon and you are on a sliver of rock with drop-offs on both sides. And yes, great commercial! ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/17 "2011-12-10T17:31:24Z")
That’s a great overlook of Walter’s Wiggles, the middle section of the Angel’s Landing trail. The first time I hiked it, we got to the flat spot at the top of the Wiggles and thought, “Wow, this is cool, but wouldn’t it be neat if we could get up _there_?” We didn’t realize the trail continued up that knife-edge, and then we spotted some tiny figures way up on top. Holy Crap, what a “hike”! ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/18 "2011-12-10T17:36:43Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > Some googling suggests it could be [Fishers Towers](http://climb-utah.com/Moab/fisher.htm), near Moab UT, and the music is apparently [LP - Into the Wild](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV8ohkRGPaA). Thanks for the tip on the music. I’ve been wondering who that was… it sounds a lot like Neko Case. ---
**Author:** ![birdarise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@birdarise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/birdarise)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/19 "2011-12-26T03:41:15Z")
So we may have established where the rocks are located, but were the climbers filmed in reality, or added in with CGI? The reason for faking it, as someone asked, would be that the costs, perhaps especially for insurance, would be prohibitive. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/20 "2011-12-26T04:56:17Z")
> [@charmstr](#): > > More importantly (to me, anyway), what song is that playing in the background? [L.P. - Into the Wild](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV8ohkRGPaA) ETA: :smack: Ninjaed in the 3rd reply… ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644/21 "2011-12-27T05:33:53Z")
> [@birdarise](#): > > The reason for faking it, as someone asked, would be that the costs, perhaps especially for insurance, would be prohibitive. I doubt the insurance costs would be prohibitive. It’s scary looking, but the climbing itself isn’t that dangerous. The cost would be from getting all the video equipment into the right places and safely. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-citi-rock-climbing-commercial/604644.md?page=2)