Hard Grit

Rotpunkt

Rotpunkt documents the advent, the agony and the art of the redpoint through Alex Megos’s efforts to redefine the boundaries of the form. The film traces the redpoint—which transformed rock climbing from an engineering problem into a brilliant test of mental and physical strength—from its origins with a ragtag bunch of tights-wearing revolutionaries in rural Bavaria, to its golden era with Wolfgang Güllich, to its new ideal in the German phenom Megos as he battles to unlock new levels of human potential.

Cervin 1865, une première tragique

The first ascent of the Matterhorn was made on July 14, 1865 by Edward Whymper, Francis Douglas, Charles Hudson, Douglas Hadow, Michel Croz and two guides from Zermatt, Peter Taugwalder father and son. Douglas, Hudson, Hadow and Croz are killed on the descent after Hadow slips and drags the other three men down the north face. Whymper and the two Taugwalders, who survive, are later accused of having cut the rope that connected them to the rest of the group so as not to be dragged into the fall, but the ensuing investigation finds no evidence of their guilt and they are acquitted. The Matterhorn is the last great peak in the Alps to be conquered and its ascent marks the end of the golden age of mountaineering. One hundred and fifty years later, a team undertakes the same expedition in order to unravel the mystery.

Stars at Noon

Les Etoiles de Midi is an engaging docudrama about some of the more spectacular exploits of French mountain climbers over the last several decades. In one re-enacted story, there is a wartime escape through the mountains, and in another, a daring rescue of a pair of climbers who had been missing. The actors themselves are adept at the sport of climbing, and they give the scenes an immediacy and real daring that brings the stories alive. A combination of their acrobatics and skill and the outstanding episodes in the history of French climbing creates a winning 78 minutes.

The Last Great Climb

The 2013 film from Alastair Lee is an epic to end all mountain epics se t in the stunning mountains of Queen Maud Land, Antarctica. The feature documentary follows top adventure climber Leo Houlding with his tried and tested team of Jason Pickles and Sean ‘Stanley’ Leary as they attempt to make the first ascent of the NE ridge of 'the master piece of the range'; the majestic Ulvetanna Peak (2931m). One of the most technically demanding climbs in the world’s harshest environment. The film tells the story of a climber's life long dream reach one of the world's most remote and difficult summits, interweaved with the fascinating story of the mountain itself; which incredibly was only discovered in 1994. All set against the backdrop of the current age of mountaineering where few great lines remained unclimbed.

In the Shadow of the Condor

In the Shadow of the Condor documents an expedition in January of 2002 into the spectacular pristine Corcovado wilderness in Southern Chile.

Farther Than the Eye Can See

Blind climber Erik Weihenmayer and his team's highly successful ascent of Mount Everest along with four other remarkable milestones on the mountain. Time magazine called this the most successful Everest expedition of all time.

The Ascension Series: Hamish Frost

One of Europe’s leading adventure photographers, Hamish Frost lives twin lives. This film explores the side of himself he has kept hidden from the outdoor community. A story of confidence and connection and a reminder of the importance of diversity in the great outdoors.

The Lappnor Project

In the Finnish forests was an unclimbed route called the Lappnor project. It was considered to be the hardest climbing route in the world and perhaps impossible for a human. Nalle Hukkataival, a strong Finnish climber took up the challenge. It required almost four years of total commitment and his efforts were followed by hundreds of thousands of climbers around the world. When Nalle finally succeeded, it blew away the whole climbing world like nothing before. The first 9A boulder was climbed! The documentary follows Nalle's journey from the very beginning, all the way to the first ascent almost half a decade later. It captures the incredible dedication that was needed to deal with all the variables and to take that last step to open the next level of climbing.

Wide Boyz II – Slender Gentlemen

After their success climbing the world’s hardest offwidth, the Wide Boyz, Pete Whittaker and Tom Randall, embark on their next crack climbing mission. This time their sights are set on the thinner end of the crack climbing spectrum. Their goal is the mighty Cobra Crack in Squamish BC, considered to be the hardest finger crack in the world. First climbed by Canadian ‘rock star’ Sonnie Trotter after battling it out with Didier Berthod, the route hit the media spotlight in the film First Ascent. With no local hard cracks to train on, the Wide Boyz refit their underground training dungeon and commit to a year of torturous finger training. With only a short trip to Canada planned, the Boyz face their biggest challenge yet against the sharp granite bite of the mighty Cobra Crack!

Hoggar

A 1959 documentary about climbing in the Hoggar Mountains of Algeria. For the first time, a mountain expedition was organized for 60 young aspiring climbers, accompanied by renowned mountaineers such as Lionel Terray, Lucien Bérardini, Maurice Herzog, and Jean-Paul Gardinier. In two weeks, dozens of new routes, often extremely difficult, were established. Jacques Ertaud's camera followed the climbers through all the challenging sections of the first ascent of the south spur of Assekrem.

King of the Fells

Fell running is a demanding endurance sport and Joss Naylor ran with all his heart. Fuelled by apple cake and Guinness, the English sheep farmer from the Lake District, an idyllic part of north-west England, broke multiple long-distance running records. In 1971, he ran the fastest known time on Britain's National Three Peaks, a record that stands today; aged 50, he ran all 214 Wainwrights in seven days; when he turned 60, he ran 60 Lakeland fell tops in 36 hours; and at 70, he ran 70 fells. This short film details his modest approach to an almost unimaginable yet enduring challenge.

King Lines

King Lines follows Chris Sharma on his search for the planet's greatest climbs. From South American fantasy boulders to the sweeping limestone walls of Europe, Sharma finds and climbs the hardest, most spectacular routes. Off the coast of Mallorca he discovers his most outrageous project yet, a 70 foot arch rising from the Mediterranean Sea...

Americans on Everest

"In 1963, Swiss climber Norman Dyhrenfurth began 'a little war against a big mountain.' Leading 19 Americans, 32 Sherpas, and 909 porters carrying 27 tons of gear, Dyhrenfurth spearheaded the highly successful 1963 American Mount Everest Expedition for his adopted country. Jim Whittaker, accompanied by Nawang Gombu Sherpa made the first ascent by the Hillary-Tensing route. On May 22, Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld made the first ascent by the unclimbed West Ridge. They descended by the South Col, making the first traverse of Everest. Orson Welles narrates the spectacular record, and the film includes the first ever filmed images from the summit."

The Prophet

The amazing story of the epic first ascent of 'The Prophet' on El Capitan, Yosemite. Following the UK's top big wall climber Leo Houlding as he revisits his 10 year project; 'The Prophet', an exceptionally steep, loose and difficult route on the east face of Yosemite's El Cap. Leo describes the route as 'the wildest climb I've ever been on'. This has to be seen to be believed, crazy climbing. Extended cut 48mins.

Åland - Baltic Sea Bouldering

In late summer 2003, climbers from Britain, Sweden, and Finland descended upon the sleepy archipelago of Aland in the Baltic Sea to discover for themselves, its combination of spectacularly beautiful scenery and array of climbing problems. Baltic Sea Bouldering presents an insight into how climbers tackle this fresh and exciting bouldering destination. What we receive is a fascinating look at how some of Europe's best climbers tackle an unclimbed highball project that stretches mental strength to the limits.

The Risk Business - Chasing Pete Whillance

Filmmaker Dom Bush explores a personal relationship with risk by telling the story of one of his climbing idols, Pete Whillance. Pete is an understated pioneer of bold face climbing and established some of the hardest traditional routes in Britain throughout the late 1970's and 1980's. He is also one of the most prolific new routers in British climbing history, with around 1400 rock climbs to his name, established over six decades. Pete continues to climb and establish new routes at the age of 76.

Reinhold Messner - The Fifteenth 8000er

The Great North Faces of the Alps: Matterhorn

À l'Assaut de la Tour Eiffel

Four experienced mountaineers climb the three floors of the Eiffel Tower through the pillars of the building. A police officer, overwhelmed by the events, does not succeed in arresting the intrepid who reach the summit with agility under the stunned eyes of tourists. They then abseil and happily throw themselves into the Seine to celebrate the feat.

Via Annaba

Via Annaba takes us to the 2023 Annaba Mountain Week in Algeria, an event organized by the French Institute of Annaba and produced by CSPS Aïn Beïda and Nephrops Prod. During this event, climbers from Algeria, France, and Spain gathered for numerous outdoor sports workshops along Annaba's magnificent, rugged coastline: rock climbing, setting a via ferrata route, deep water soloing, scuba diving, and more. This film, a true postcard of Annaba, a city nicknamed "the charming one," is also, and above all, a pretext for inspiring encounters and a contribution to the development of mountain sports in Algeria.