Tom Randall takes on The Kraken V13, a wildly overhanging 40-foot roof crack at Hartland Quay that looks more like a sci‑fi set piece than a boulder problem. In this short film from teamBMC, Tom talks through the sequence on his Devon Roof Project and what it feels like to commit to moves so violent he genuinely thought something in his arm might “explode with a loud bang.”
What makes this worth your five minutes is the mix of pure spectacle and precise craft: the long horizontal reach to a backhander mono, a 270-degree spin, and the fight to latch thin hands and a brutal ring-lock while hanging upside down. If you love crack climbing, power-endurance bouldering, or just watching a master problem-solver stay calm in the steepest terrain imaginable, The Kraken delivers intensity, insight, and inspiration in equal measure.
Free Flow follows Hazel Findlay on a fast-and-light day in the Welsh mountains of Snowdonia, blending trail running with solo climbing on iconic North Wales rock. As the miles tick by and the exposure ramps up, Hazel reflects on what it means to move efficiently, stay present, and find calm in consequential terrain.
Worth watching for its pure sense of motion, the film pairs sweeping mountain cinematography with a thoughtful soundtrack and Hazel’s understated mindset. In just a few minutes it captures the addictive rhythm of linking ridgelines, rock, and focus into a single “flow” state—equal parts inspiring, meditative, and quietly intense.
SAWANOBORI drops you into Japan’s wild, water-carved mountains for a 12-minute immersion in the little-known tradition of climbing up rivers instead of rock. A small team of The North Face climbers—among them James Pearson, Matty Hong, Yuji Hirayama, and Caroline Ciavaldini—heads into the steep valleys near Shomyo and Fudo Waterfalls to experience “sawanobori,” where the route is a living stream and the terrain is always changing.
What makes this film so gripping is how unfamiliar the challenge feels: slick stone, pounding spray, cold water, and constant force pushing you back, turning normal gear and instincts upside down. It’s part climbing, part canyon adventure, and part lesson in humility—beautiful scenery, committed movement, and a quiet intensity that builds with every upward step. If you love stories that expand what “climbing” can be, SAWANOBORI is a short, visceral watch that leaves you wanting a deeper look into this vertical playground.
Hazel Findlay and Will Stanhope head to the gritstone edges of Froggatt for a short, high-focus session of “cordless” climbing: soloing classic lines with nothing but rock, movement, and composure. In under nine minutes, Hot Aches Productions captures the quiet intensity of two top British climbers stripping things back to the pure essentials.
What makes this worth watching is the contrast between the calm atmosphere and the razor-sharp precision soloing demands—every foot placement, every pause to breathe, every decision to commit. If you love trad, grit, and the mindset behind climbing at your limit without a safety net, this is a concentrated hit of psych and a reminder of how powerful simple climbing can be.
Step into Boulder Canyon’s storied stone with The Orb, a tight, punchy sport climb tucked in the shadow of Castle Rock. In just over seven minutes, Lynn Hill teams up with Fred Knapp to puzzle out sequences, trade tries, and savor the kind of focused effort that hard climbing demands—equal parts curiosity, grit, and good humor in Colorado’s Front Range.
What makes this short film sing is its simple, honest view of the process: testing wits, committing when it counts, and finding joy in the margins between attempts. With crisp filming from Kyle Ward and a feel for the local scene, The Orb is a quick hit of motivation—proof that even when it’s steep, it’s still possible, and it’s still fun.
Black Diamond Presents: Adam Ondra—The Balkans Road Trip follows one of climbing’s most electrifying talents as he heads into Southeastern Europe with a van, a rack, and an appetite for the unknown. From the limestone walls of Bosnia to Croatia’s steep, sea-swept cliffs, Adam Ondra turns a simple road trip into a high-stakes tour of new lines, big goals, and the kind of movement that looks a few years ahead of the rest of the sport.
What makes this film worth your 17 minutes is the mix of intensity and joy: hard first ascents, bold attempts on serious multi-pitch terrain, and the behind-the-scenes moments that show how world-class climbing actually happens day to day. It’s a fast, inspiring watch that captures not just cutting-edge sport climbing, but the friendships and shared obsession that tie together a global climbing community—no matter what country you’re in.
On a three-month road trip in the summer of 2018, Jimmy Webb makes a spontaneous detour into legend: Dreamcatcher, Chris Sharma’s iconic 9a/5.14d in Squamish, British Columbia. Jimmy Webb: Dreamcatcher follows the build-up and the battle, capturing the mix of ambition and uncertainty that comes with deciding, almost on a whim, to test yourself against one of sport climbing’s most storied lines.
What makes this film worth your 11 minutes is the feeling of being right there for the process—training, dialing movement, managing frustration, and returning with that quiet insistence that keeps elite climbers trying when it would be easier to walk away. It’s a focused, intimate look at high-end performance without the noise: crisp Squamish atmosphere, real attempts, and the tension of a true limit fight—shot with a clean, understated eye by Kevin Takashi Smith.
Unearthed from the archives, Daniel Woods: Witness the Fitness drops you into a brief, high-impact slice of bouldering history as Woods works through Witness the Fitness (V15/8C). Filmed in a raw, focused mellow style, it captures a rare moment around one of the sport’s most talked-about problems—where reputation and reality meet on unforgiving rock.
What makes this worth watching is the nuance behind the headline grade: with key holds broken since the earlier ascents by Chris Sharma and Fred Nicole, the challenge shifts from “can it go?” to “how does it go now?” In under six minutes you get the tension of attempts, the precision of micro-beta, and that unmistakable feeling of commitment when everything depends on a few fingertips—perfect for anyone who loves seeing elite power, problem-solving, and persistence distilled to their essence.
Shawn Raboutou delivers a masterclass in elite bouldering in “Off the Wagon sit (8C+/V16),” capturing the first ascent of a brutal sit-start in Val Bavona, Switzerland. Filmed and edited by Raboutou himself on November 27, 2018, this short film follows a precise, high-stakes battle on one of the hardest lines of its grade—where every move is measured, every attempt counts, and the margin for error is razor-thin.
What makes this worth watching is the blend of raw difficulty and quiet composure: powerful body tension from the very first pull, microscopic adjustments on unforgiving rock, and the kind of problem-solving that defines cutting-edge climbing. In just a few minutes, it distills the full arc of a breakthrough ascent—focus, frustration, refinement, and release—set against the stark beauty of Swiss granite and the unmistakable intensity of V16 climbing.
Kintsugi (V15) and The Nest (V15) follows Keenan Takahashi into the sandstone corridors of Red Rocks as he takes on two iconic, life-list boulders. In 2018, he ticks The Nest in January—his first V15—then returns later in the year to complete the arc with Kintsugi, turning a season of attempts into a concise story of progression, patience, and precision.
This short film is worth your time for its focus and atmosphere: high-stakes bouldering without the noise, where every move feels earned and every reset carries intention. With clean editing, additional angles that sharpen the sense of height and commitment, and a steady musical pulse underneath, it captures the quiet intensity of hard climbing—those moments when doubt is loud, friction is everything, and a single sequence can define a trip.
