At Smith Rock’s Aggro Gully, 16-year-old Drew Ruana takes on a long-whispered line and turns local legend into reality. This film follows his redpoint of The Assassin—an ambitious linkup of Repeat Offender, Villain, and White Wedding—proposed at 5.14d/9a and poised to be the hardest route in the park.
What makes it so gripping is the blend of history and pure execution: a route known for years as the “Triple Link,” now tested move by move until it finally goes. Watch for the intensity of Smith’s style—powerful sequences, thin rests, and the kind of precision that only shows up when everything is on the line—plus the extra intrigue of how The Assassin compares to the unrepeated Shock and Awe, sharing the same bottom but demanding its own unique finish.
In this Arc'teryx short, Riders On The Storm follows alpinists Ines Papert and Mayan Smith-Gobat as they battle Patagonia’s infamous weather on Torres Central in Chile’s Torres del Paine. Their goal is the brutally steep east face line “Riders on the Storm” (7c, A3), a historic route first climbed in 1991 and still so rarely repeated that their February 6th summit marks only the fifth known ascent.
It’s worth watching for the sheer density of challenge packed into a few minutes: delicate, runout face climbing gives way to wide cracks and looming roofs, often glazed with ice, all on a 1300-meter wall where conditions can turn in an instant. Equal parts climbing film and storm-chasing sprint, it captures the mix of precision, toughness, and commitment it takes to move upward when the mountain—and the sky—won’t cooperate.
THE NORTH FACE Rock Trip #01 SHIKOKU follows three standout Japanese climbers—Toru Nakajima, Akiyo Noguchi, and Tomoa Narasaki—on a late-2015 road trip in search of new stone. Trading competition walls for the raw uncertainty of outdoor climbing, they head to Shikoku, teaming up with local climbers to find and confront the region’s imposing rock and the challenges that come with it.
What makes this trip worth your time is the blend of elite talent and genuine exploration: you’ll see how world-class strength translates when beta is scarce, conditions are real, and every attempt has consequences. With Shikoku’s distinctive landscape as a backdrop, the film captures the quiet rituals of a climbing day, the tension of committing to big moves, and the post-send reflections that reveal why traveling for climbing still feels like discovery—even at the very top.
Hot Aches Productions drops in on James Pearson’s “The Groove,” an eye-catching gritstone testpiece that blends balletic movement with hard trad reality. In this episode of Now That’s What I Call a First Ascent, we revisit Pearson’s 2008 first ascent and the lingering mystique around a line that, years later, still feels unfinished in the wider climbing story.
What makes this one essential is the combination of pure aesthetics and high-pressure decision-making: technical sequences, subtle body positions, and the kind of commitment that grit demands when the crux arrives above marginal protection. It’s a short hit of UK trad intensity—equal parts history lesson and inspiration—that will leave you scanning the rock for hidden holds and wondering who’ll be bold enough to settle the score.
Pete Whittaker and Tom Randall, the Wide Boyz, take on one of crack climbing’s most infamous nightmares in Episode 4: Century Crack (5.14b). In this punchy Hot Aches Productions installment, the pair bring their Sheffield-born offwidth obsession to the USA, aiming for a first ascent on a line that’s less “hand jam” and more full-body combat.
What makes this worth your nine minutes is the intensity: the raw, awkward mechanics of offwidth climbing, the grit behind a specialized training ethic, and the calm problem-solving it takes when every move hurts. If you’ve ever wondered how elite climbers turn bruises into progress and fear into precision, Century Crack delivers a front-row seat to a truly wild test piece and the partnership it demands.
James Pearson steps into the sharp end in this episode of Now That’s What I Call a First Ascent, taking on “The Walk of Life” with the full weight of uncertainty that comes with new ground. Shot with Hot Aches Productions’ intimate, on-the-rock perspective, the film drops you into the world of trad climbing where protection is earned, decisions are immediate, and every move carries consequence.
What makes this one hit is the blend of focus and vulnerability: the quiet rituals before commitment, the mental noise that builds as the route steepens, and the real possibility of a fall when the climbing turns serious. In just over thirteen minutes, it captures the essence of why first ascents matter—not just for the line itself, but for the mindset it demands—leaving you with that rare mix of tension, relief, and stoke that only bold climbing can deliver.
In this bite-sized episode of Now That’s What I Call a First Ascent, Hot Aches Productions links up with the Wide Boyz and Pete Whittaker to explore the “Dynamics of Change” behind a first ascent. Set in the world where crack climbing craft, bold decision-making, and quiet obsession collide, the film drops you into the mindset of climbers who thrive on uncertainty—reading rock, testing limits, and adapting on the fly as a new line takes shape.
What makes this worth your seven minutes is the clarity and momentum: it’s a concentrated hit of modern trad energy, full of the small details that separate a good day out from a landmark climb. Whether you’re here for Pete’s methodical intensity, the Wide Boyz’ signature crack wizardry, or simply a quick dose of inspiration, this episode captures that addictive moment when commitment meets creativity—and the route starts to become real.
Deep in Norway’s Flatanger, the Hanshelleren cave rises like a dark cathedral of limestone—steep, sculpted, and packed with some of the hardest sport routes on the planet. In this short film from Petzl Sport, American bouldering powerhouses Daniel Woods and Dave Graham swap crash pads for ropes and GRIGRIs, chasing the kind of sustained intensity that only a cave full of knee-bars, razor holds, and unrelenting overhangs can deliver.
It’s worth watching for the contrast: two of the strongest in a pure power discipline stepping into the endurance-heavy world of elite sport climbing, and the raw, visceral feel of learning a new rhythm on a world-class stage. Expect close-up movement, honest effort, and that particular Flatanger atmosphere—humid stone, bruising sequences, and the quiet stubbornness it takes to keep pulling when your forearms are blown.
Neil Gresham’s Masterclass: Flag is a bite-sized technique lesson focused on one of the most effective tools for staying in control on steep ground. Building on the fundamentals of twisting in and using the outside edge on overhangs, Gresham breaks down the flag—how a strategically placed free leg can restore balance when your hips are square to the wall, without the disruption of a foot swap.
What makes this episode worth your three minutes is its immediate, practical payoff: you’ll learn the difference between inside and outside flags, when each one applies, and how to choose the right option in the moment. If you’ve ever been peeled off by a sudden “barn-door” swing, this masterclass gives you clear cues to keep your body quiet, conserve energy, and move more smoothly through awkward sequences on real routes and problems.
Neil Gresham Climbing Masterclass - Crux Films · 3:03 · 139K views
La Force - 9A Toit d'Orsay - Alban LEVIER follows Alban Levier on the iconic steep lines of Fontainebleau’s Toit d’Orsay, capturing the first ascent of “La Force” (9A) in a compact, high-intensity short. In just a couple of minutes, the film blends the clean sequence of the send with Alban’s sense of what the problem represents—its length, its difficulty, and the personal story behind unlocking moves on a brutally overhanging roof.
What makes this worth watching is how much it delivers in such a tight runtime: pure, no-filler bouldering on a legendary feature, precise movement under serious tension, and a glimpse into the mindset required to commit when every hold feels earned. With crisp filming and a driving soundtrack, it’s the kind of micro-documentary that leaves you replaying the crux, appreciating the craft of hard climbing, and craving one more attempt of your own.
