William Bosi returns to Raven Tor to battle one of Britain’s most notorious sport routes: Mutation 9a. In this short, punchy clip from Hot Aches Productions, you’re dropped right into a redpoint session as Bosi goes for the send, with the camera locked off from a tripod near the start of Hubble to capture the full intensity of the attempt.
It’s worth watching for the raw, no-frills feel of a real performance moment: minimal edits, maximum focus, and the kind of effort where every move looks earned. If you love seeing elite climbers on steep, power-endurance limestone—where a couple burns are all you get in a day—this is a quick hit of inspiration that leaves you wanting the next session.
Britain’s leading sport climber Steve McClure teams up with the quietly formidable Neil Mawson for a dizzying day in France’s Verdon Gorge, taking on a spectacular 6-pitch 8b “super route” high above the river. With big exposure, relentless climbing, and the pressure of linking pitch after pitch, their attempt quickly turns into more than a straightforward send when they drift off route and have to problem-solve on the fly.
This film is worth watching for the mix of commitment and improvisation that only multi-pitch sport in a wild setting can deliver: the building fatigue, the route-finding decisions, and the mental reset required when plans unravel. Shot with a sharp eye for scale and atmosphere, it captures the Verdon’s sheer walls and the intensity of two elite climbers digging deep—equal parts inspiring performance and authentic adventure.
HIPPYTREE / FIRST ASCENT OF YAYALI drops you into California’s Cosumnes River Gorge—“Yosemite’s little sister”—as Jimmy Webb hunts down a striking riverside arete with a rare gift for bouldering: a perfect landing beneath an intimidating line. Over a few focused days, the project sharpens from curiosity into obsession, culminating in the first ascent of Yayali (V14), named after a mythical beast from the Miwok people who first called this region home.
It’s worth watching for the pure, distilled arc of a hard send: the scouting, the incremental progress, the tension between power and precision, and the quiet moments where the gorge’s water and stone set the rhythm. Kevin Takashi Smith’s filming and editing keep it tight and immersive, letting you feel the scale of the feature and the razor-thin margins at the limit—an ideal quick hit of high-end bouldering that leaves you wanting one more attempt.
In November 2016, British climber Pete Whittaker set out to do something almost nobody attempts: rope-solo and free climb El Capitan’s Freerider in a single push. Without a partner on the wall, every lead, every anchor changeover, and every metre of progress depends on one person managing the climbing and the entire system. This film follows Pete’s under-24-hour mission in Yosemite, culminating in a staggering 20 hours and 6 minutes on one of the world’s most iconic big walls.
What makes it unmissable is how clearly it reveals the hidden difficulty of rope-solo free climbing—an intense blend of endurance, precision, problem-solving, and mental control where mistakes compound fast and success can look deceptively calm. With insight from long-time partner Tom Randall and big-wall solo veteran Andy Kirkpatrick, you get both the inside mechanics and the bigger significance: a glimpse of a new, faster, freer style of soloing on El Cap, and a rare look at what it takes to keep moving when there’s no one there to help you.
The Real Thing is the original feature-length bouldering film that helped define what modern bouldering cinema looks and feels like. Released in 1996 and led by Britain’s powerhouse climbers Jerry Moffatt and Ben Moon, it follows a high-energy road trip from the rough, iconic gritstone of the Peak District to the world-famous problems of Fontainebleau, France—capturing a moment when the sport was rapidly evolving and legends were being made.
What makes it essential viewing is how raw and timeless it remains: committed attempts, hard-earned progression, and the simple obsession of trying one more time. With appearances from Sean Myles, Kurt Albert, and French icon Marc Le Menestrel, plus an unforgettable, pump-up soundtrack, it’s both a snapshot of climbing history and a film that still motivates—whether you’re training for your next project or just want to feel the pull of real rock and real effort.
Michaela Kiersch | Necessary Evil 5.14c | First Female Ascent follows Michaela Kiersch into the limestone depths of the Virgin River Gorge as she takes on Necessary Evil (5.14c), the legendary Chris Sharma testpiece first climbed in 1997. With a calm, focused presence and a voice that brings you inside the attempt-by-attempt grind, Kiersch steps onto one of sport climbing’s most storied lines—often tried, rarely repeated, and long treated as a myth you measure yourself against.
What makes this short film hit hard is the mix of history and immediacy: crisp filming, honest audio, and the tension of a route that doesn’t give anything away. You’ll get the full arc—precision, doubt, fight, and commitment—captured in minutes, plus a front-row look at what 5.14c really means when the holds are sharp, the clips are earned, and the outcome isn’t guaranteed. Whether you chase numbers or just love the craft, it’s a fast, inspiring watch that leaves you buzzing to try harder.
Barbara Zangerl and Nina Caprez take on one of alpine climbing’s most iconic endurance tests: The Neverending Story (Unendliche Geschichte) 8b+ in the Rätikon. First established by Beat Kammerlander when it was considered the hardest multipitch route in the world, this razor-sharp line has remained so demanding that, more than 25 years later, only a tiny handful of climbers have managed a repeat. In just over fourteen minutes, Alpsolut Moving Pictures captures what it takes to translate cutting-edge sport-climbing ability onto a committing wall where every pitch matters.
This film is worth watching for its rare look at elite performance in an unforgiving setting: long sequences of sustained difficulty, the rhythm of belays and lead changes, and the mental discipline required when there’s no easy way out. Beyond the grades, it’s a sharp, motivating portrait of partnership and precision—two climbers moving with purpose, managing fear and fatigue, and earning every meter of progress on a route that has humbled almost everyone who’s tried it.
Silence follows Adam Ondra into the shadowed sweep of Norway’s Hanshelleren Cave as he works toward a moment that redefined the limits of sport climbing. Directed by Bernardo Giménez, the film traces the lead-up to September 3, 2017—when Ondra finally linked his long-term project and named it Silence, proposing the first-ever 9c and setting a new benchmark for difficulty.
What makes this worth your time is how it captures the real texture of a breakthrough: the obsessive rehearsal, the failed links, the quiet recalibration after each attempt, and the razor-thin line between control and chaos on steep limestone. It’s a front-row seat to elite performance under pressure—equal parts atmospheric cave climbing, intimate process, and the kind of commitment that turns a single afternoon into climbing history.
Dave MacLeod drops into the steep caves of Catalunya to repeat Chris Sharma’s iconic “Catalan Witness the Fitness,” a power-endurance testpiece long whispered about for its intensity and difficulty. In just over four minutes, the film captures the essence of a modern sport climbing classic: a brutally physical line, a simple goal, and a climber known for turning hard routes into honest, methodical performances.
It’s worth watching for the clarity of the effort—no gimmicks, just a close look at what it takes to link demanding sequences when everything is steep, pumpy, and on the edge of control. Whether you’re curious about the 8C-to-8B+ grading chatter or you simply want a concentrated hit of world-class movement, this is a quick, satisfying window into commitment, precision, and the kind of fitness that only caves can expose.
Step into a sun-baked “happy place” with FrictionLabs as pro climber Pamela Shanti Pack and athlete Devin Fin spend a day chasing new lines in Indian Creek, Utah, among the soaring sandstone walls of Bears Ears National Monument. Filmed by Nathaniel Davison, this short follows two of America’s most prolific trad climbers as they move through desert light, splitter cracks, and the quiet focus that comes with establishing first ascents.
What makes this one worth your time is the feeling of being there: the unhurried rhythm of a climbing day, the small decisions that add up on gear-intensive crack routes, and the partnership and patience behind every attempt. It’s equal parts inspiring and grounding—beautiful scenery, real effort, and a clear reminder of why climbers return to the desert again and again.
