Life and death situations, climbing, adventure, challenges, new possibilities and dangling from sheer cliff faces are just some of the things participants in the REEL ROCK Film Tour will experience this Saturday.

The tour showcases the best climbing and adventure films from around the world and is a way for climbers to come together and celebrate the sport they love.

Active Climbing and Half-Moon Outfitters are co-sponsoring the event. All activities will be held at Active Climbing.

“This [event] is for beginners to super-advanced climbers,” said Adrian Prelipceanu, owner of Active Climbing. “We will set up the gym so everybody has something to do. It’s going to be really cool to watch people where climbing is all they do. If you’re not hooked like we are, you’re probably going to get the virus and be inspired.”

This year is the event’s first time coming to Georgia.

“Out West they have this pretty much all the time,” Prelipceanu said. “Finally we got them to come to Georgia.”

The event begins with a bouldering competition for all skill levels. Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that uses shorter, more powerful moves rather than endurance climbing. No rope is used and it is lower than a regular rock climbing wall so there’s no risk of falling from a height that could cause injury.

There will be prizes for the top competitors.

Following the competition, two movies will be shown. The movies will be projected onto a large projection screen in standard definition.

“Progression” is a highly intense movie that profiles some of the world’s best climbers and how they are pushing the sport of climbing to new limits. One climber the movie follows is Chris Sharma as he climbs the world’s hardest sport route, known as Jumbo Love.

Participants will also get a special preview of “First Ascent: The Series,” a new series sponsored by Sender Films and Nat Geo Adventure Channel that shows top athletes attempting to climb previously unclimbed walls and peaks around the world. The series will air in 150 countries in January 2010.

“Whether or not you’re a climber, the films should be awesome,” said Jonathan Brandt, a senior natural resource recreation and tourism major and manager of Half-Moon Outfitters. “It should be even more awesome if you’re not a climber because you’re going to be exposed to things that are even more outlandish, bold or daring than you thought were possible.”

After the films, there will be a post-show party and concert with local music, including music from the band Animals That Will Kill Yer Ass. All attendees are encouraged to spend the night in the gym and bring snacks and drinks.

Participants will be able to climb all night long, and there will be giveaways throughout the duration of the event.

T.J. Maurer, a senior economics major at the University, has been climbing for about three years and is looking forward to the bouldering competition at the event. He recommends climbing simply because of the challenge.

“There’s always going to be some move, some problem, some route that you can’t do. You’re always striving to improve yourself climbing-wise. There’s always something new.”

Maurer looks forward to the event because it will help build the climbing community in Athens.

“I’ve never meet too many, for lack of a better word, uncool people [in the climbing world],” Maurer said. “We’re building a climbing community. It’s a community just starting out. All of the people are going to get to come together to listen to music, watch climbing videos and hang out.”

Prelipceanu also agrees Athens is a great place for his gym and the REEL ROCK Film Tour.

“Athens has got a real cool climbing community,” Prelipceanu said. “The gyms in Atlanta are bigger, but it’s not the same atmosphere. Everybody knows each other here.”