For nearly three years, director Dina Khreino interviewed world-class mountain climbing athletes, listening to what compels them to leave behind families, friends, and everyday comforts to risk everything for a fleeting glimpse into the unknown. What she found was a tribe, a diverse group of professional adventurers and amateur philosophers forged by the ultimate test of body, mind, and spirit. In the face of shifting winds, sheer granite cliffs, and impossible odds, they climb. Each for their own reason, but every one connected by the vertical world. In this rarefied air, these athletes are fundamentally changed, not just as climbers, but as human beings.
In the 1980s, Patrick Edlinger, nicknamed "Le Blond", painted with the grace of a poet the first chapter in the world history of free climbing. In his hands, marginal exercise has become a real lifestyle, carrying a message of freedom. His famous solos, beyond the proven feat they represent, bear witness to this. Life at Your Fingertips, the first internationally known climbing film, touched and inspired by generations of climbers; Edlinger was one of the meteors that shone light on the cliffs of the world by following the trajectory of a single idea: to be free to live only by "climbing". Yet the man capable of concessions in the face of the necessities of life (competitions, advertisements) and pressure from the media, his public and the desires he aroused.
Every climbing reward comes at the cost of a potential risk, but when you are a climbing pioneer, driven by the unknown and unexpected, you are willing to risk whatever it takes for the chance to find the perfect first ascent line. This is a story of exploration and discovery, a journey of friendship and solitude, a quest to fuel an obsessive passion. Starring Paul Robinson, Jimmy Webb, Daniel Woods, Chris Sharma and Niky Ceria.
After the great crossing of Fitz Roy, in Patagonia, and the Nose in less than 2 hours, in Yosemite, Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell embark on a new adventure: the Continental Divide Ultimate Linkup (CDUL), i.e. the chain of 17 summits of Rocky Mountain National Park, in Colorado in 36 hours. The CDUL totals 56 kilometres, 6,000 meters of elevation gain and 65 pitches, with 11 routes from 5a to 6b+ climbed in simultaneous climbing. A project by Adam Stack, Caldwell's childhood friend, who gave the iconic American rope a hard time.
Three new films featuring the biggest climbing and adventure stories of the year: ADN - SEB BOUIN: 29-year-old French sport climber Seb Bouin quietly climbed the elite ranks, culminating in his attempt to establish a long slope in a cave overhang in the Gorges du Verdon in France / CLIMBING RESISTANCE: In the hills torn by the Palestinian conflict, young Palestinians embrace rock climbing as a necessary respite from the oppression of the occupation Israeli. American writer and climber Andrew Bisharat visits the West Bank to explore his own roots and the power of climbing to transcend existence / BURNING THR FLAME: Big wall free climbing masters Babsi and Jacopo seek their most Biggest challenge so far: a free ascent of "Eternal Flame", a 3,000 foot route on the legendary Nameless Tower in Pakistan's Karakoram Range.
Discreet legend of Fontainebleau, Charles Albert, nicknamed Mowgli, continues to push the limits with his barefoot block creations. Climbing without slippers forces him to find original methods, to compensate with the strength of his arms and fingers. "Climbing is not just about a grade", he explains, "We have the possibility of doing what we want, climbing blindfolded, barefoot... All while seeking fluidity in our movements. The only limit to creating new challenges is your imagination.” He very rarely appears in the specialized media, has not made the Olympics or even major international competitions. Yet he is one of the best bouldering climbers in the world. For the record, in January 2019, he was the second in the world to offer a 9a rating for his long-standing project "No Kpotes Only". A year later, his boulder will be downgraded to 8c/+, still remaining one of the most extreme passages on the planet.
French powerhouse climber Mélissa Le Nevé tries to become the first woman to traverse Action Directe, one of the most revered and challenging routes in the sport.
"La Vie au Bout des Doigts" is a documentary film by Jean-Paul Janssen released in 1982, directing Patrick Edlinger totally living his passion, climbing, which he practices here solo ("with bare hands"), it that is, without a rope or any kind of insurance. The film begins with a session of solo sea crossings on the Piade site near Toulon. In the second part, Patrick Edlinger trains in Buoux before carving a solo route in this now famous climbing site. This mythical film in more than one way is considered the first climbing film, that is to say where climbing is an activity in itself and not a means of preparing for mountaineering. His media success was such that he propelled Patrick Edlinger to the rank of world star, and above all he made climbing known to the general public, and was even nominated for the César for best documentary short film.
PURE is 19 extraordinary climbers in six countries on three continents; Nalle Hukkataival: This young climber from Finland spent his time on the World Cup circuit and now focuses on climbing some of the toughest rocks on the planet. Kevin Jorgeson: Exclusive footage of his first solo ascents in California. A unique perspective on the mental control needed to solo and the re-education needed when making a mistake. Kilian Fischhuber: Winner of the 2008 Men's Bouldering World Cup. Anna Stoehr: Aged 20, she won the 2008 Women's Bouldering World Cup. Fred Nicole: The legend of bouldering, author of achievements in hardest boulders in the world. The leader and grandmaster of the sport. Cody Roth: Enthusiastic about climbing just about anything, he achieves breathtaking first ascents here from Rocklands to Europe.
Georges Livanos, nicknamed the Greek but pure child of Marseille, amateur mountaineer, opened more than 500 routes in the Calanques, 40 in the Dolomites, and repeated many of the greatest routes in the Alps in the company of the best climbers of his time, d friends, and especially his wife Sonia. He is also the author of the classic "Beyond the vertical". This report follows for a day the legend, still 71 years old, of his apartment in the Marseille city in the Calanques. As a true Provençal, he speaks without filter of the exploits that made him famous, gives his opinion on modern climbing and on life in general: the portrait of a great climber and above all of a fascinating character with a sense of humor sharp.
In 1984 Ron Fawcett, is one of the most athletic climbers, he takes pleasure in taking up the challenge of climbing "free" without artificial aids, the equipment and rope being used only for safety, a revolution at the time. The documentary is part of "Pushing The Limits", a 10-episode series by Leo Dickinson documenting sporting adventures that push the limits of human endurance. Each episode focused on an extreme sport, ranging from rock climbing to hot air ballooning.
Directed by Jean-Marc Boivin in 1977, Glace Extrême is a documentary about mountaineering and extreme skiing at the Aiguille Verte and the Grand Pilier D'angle in the Mont-Blanc massif chain in France, with the legends of mountaineering Jean-Marc Boivin, Patrick Gabarrou and ski champion Patrick Vallencant. It was broadcast in the Carnet de L'Aventure on France 2 in 1980.
Behind the scenes of the filming of a film on climbing a cliff by Patrick Berhault and Georges Unia on the parishes of the route "La Tête de Chien" in Monaco. Director Laurent Chevallier explains the difficulties of filming at height, the kind of shots that are suitable and the specifications of equipment suitable for filming on a cliff.
In 2013, Alberto Iñurrategi, Juan Vallejo and Mikel Zabalza desist in their attempt to climb Paiju Peak (6,610m). A year later, his steps cross with Mikel Renteria and Mentxu Mendieta from the WOP Foundation, who decide that the second attempt at Paiju Peak will be the first stage of their WOPeak project. The three members of the cordada land again in Pakistan. Identical scenery, the same objective and a maximum motivation for a challenge beyond mountaineering in a route full of emotions that ends with the opening of a new road in the heart of the Karakorum that they christened '2t'.
In the Spring of 2012, four of America's Best Boulderers converged in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado in search of something new. Follow along as Dave Graham, Paul Robinson, Carlo Traversi, and Daniel Woods, establish and repeat some of the world's most difficult boulder problems that surround the now infamous Bear Lake Road.
On The Circuit was filmed and produced by the athletes themselves, giving you an exclusive chance to see first hand the culture of development that defines and progresses our sport.