Video of the Week 2021

Best rock climbing videos from 2021. Weekly spotlight on the most watched climbing films.

The 1996 Disaster · STORM OVER EVEREST · PBS Documentary

Week of March 29, 2021

On May 10–11, 1996, a sudden storm turned Everest’s summit push into a desperate fight for survival. Storm Over Everest revisits that day through the eyes of renowned climber and filmmaker David Breashears, who returns to the mountain to reconstruct what happened when multiple teams were trapped high above Camp 4 in a brutal blizzard. More than a disaster chronicle, this film digs into the split-second decisions, exhaustion, and thin margins that define high-altitude mountaineering. With a clear, step-by-step account of the descent into the death zone—and the human stories behind the headlines—it’s a gripping watch that leaves you thinking about risk, leadership, and what it really costs to stand on top of the world.

David Snow · 100:59 · 6.7M views

Shawn Raboutou: Livin' Large (V16/8C+)

Week of February 8, 2021

In the summer of 2019, Shawn Raboutou heads to Rocklands, South Africa to take on "Livin' Large"—a striking, 8-meter high arete and one of the most intimidating highball boulders in the world. The film follows his process and the moment he seals the third ascent of this modern testpiece at V16 (8C+). What makes this worth watching is the blend of raw difficulty and real consequence: powerful movement stacked above a serious landing, where precision and composure matter as much as strength. If you love seeing top-level bouldering pushed into the highball realm, this is a short, high-stakes hit of focus, commitment, and control.

mellow · 6:41 · 282K views