Tim Kang takes on one of bouldering's most intimidating challenges in the mountains of Tahoe: a V14 highball first ascent he calls "Borrowed Time." The stand start version, "Code Black," was first climbed by Jimmy Webb in 2020, but the low start had never been completed — until now. Presented by Black Diamond and filmed by Vincent Khuu, this short film documents the physical and psychological weight of committing to a route where the consequences of falling are very real.
What makes this film worth watching is the rare combination of elite difficulty and genuine exposure. V14 bouldering is already at the frontier of human ability; doing it on a highball amplifies every move with consequence. Kang's measured approach and the stunning Tahoe backdrop make for a compelling watch, and the first ascent stakes give it a sense of history in the making.
K2 Chasing Shadows follows French alpinist Benjamin Védrines on his obsessive quest to set the fastest known time on K2, the world's second-highest and most unforgiving peak. After a harrowing 2022 attempt that nearly cost him his life, Védrines returned in 2024 to confront both the mountain and the psychological weight of his unfinished mission. Set against the brutal backdrop of the Karakoram, the film traces the evolution of high-altitude alpinism from Reinhold Messner's groundbreaking oxygenless ascent of Everest to the modern pursuit of speed and minimalism at the edge of human survival.
What makes this film essential viewing is its unflinching honesty about the cost of obsession. This isn't a straightforward triumph narrative — it's a portrait of a climber reckoning with fear, failure, and the compulsion to return to the place that nearly destroyed him. The North Face's production brings stunning cinematography to one of the most remote and dangerous environments on Earth, but the real draw is Védrines himself: raw, driven, and deeply human. Whether you're a seasoned alpinist or simply drawn to stories of extraordinary will, K2 Chasing Shadows is a visceral reminder of what it means to chase something that pushes you beyond your limits.
Open Minds drops into Switzerland’s Val Bavona with two of bouldering’s most influential climbers, Will Bosi and Dave Graham, on a mission to uncover future-classic lines in a valley packed with untapped potential. Alongside local legend Giuliano Cameroni, the crew blends vision, psyche, and experience to turn raw blocks into world-class problems.
What makes this film stand out is the contrast in styles: Dave’s relentless creativity and refinement against Will’s methodical, high-powered precision, all captured through the process of searching, trying, failing, and finally piecing it together. With a stack of hard ascents and a first ascent in the mix, it’s a motivating watch about curiosity, collaboration, and pushing the next wave of bouldering forward.
On December 16th 2024, Chris Sharma completed the first ascent of Vision Quest, a deep water solo graded 9a/+, instantly placing it among the most difficult routes ever climbed above open water. Sharma, the godfather of modern deep water soloing, adds another landmark achievement to a career already defined by impossible-seeming firsts.
Vision Quest joins an elite handful of climbs — including Es Pontas, Alasha, Big Fish, and Black Pearl — considered the five hardest deep water solos on the planet. Watching Sharma commit to this route without a rope, high above the sea, is a masterclass in controlled aggression and trust: a 12-minute window into what the absolute frontier of human climbing looks like.
