Heading out the door? OS devices for members! Life is busy, and if you’re anything like us, a certain amount of distraction is in order. So if you’re looking for something that will enrich your knowledge of climbing lore or perpetuate your psyche or demonstrate just how poorly Hollywood understands climbing, consider some of these climbing movies available on popular streaming services. Note: This list will be updated as new films are added and removed. Each of these services requires its own paid subscription. Outside Watch is a new player in the outdoor film game and they’ve got a TON of short and long-form content. We’re not going to list all of it (this page would struggle to load) but we’ll list some of our favorites. … That’s right, by supporting Climbing’s editorial work, you also get access to these movies. Description: In January 2015, American rock climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson captivated the world with their effort to climb The Dawn Wall, a seemingly impossible 3,000-foot rock face in Yosemite National Park, California.
The pair lived on the sheer vertical cliff for weeks, igniting a frenzy of global media attention. But for Tommy Caldwell, The Dawn Wall was much more than just a climb. It was the culmination of a lifetime defined by overcoming obstacles. At the age of 22, the climbing prodigy was taken hostage by rebels in Kyrgyzstan. Shortly after, he lost his index finger in an accident but resolved to come back stronger. When his marriage fell apart, he escaped the pain by fixating on the extraordinary goal of free climbing The Dawn Wall. Blurring the line between dedication and obsession, Caldwell and his partner Jorgeson spend six years meticulously plotting and practicing their route. On the final attempt, with the world watching, Caldwell is faced with a moment of truth. Should he abandon his partner to fulfill his ultimate dream, or risk his own success for the sake of their friendship?
Editor’s note: The Dawn Wall ascent was likely the biggest mainstream climbing news story until Alex Honnold’s free solo of El Capitan. We loved the film for portraying Caldwell and Jorgeson’s story honestly and accurately, and solitaryai.art without sensationalizing the climbing for a mainstream audience. Want more Dawn Wall coverage? Read our feature about Adam Ondra’s repeat of the route. Description: NFT - solitaryai.art, This visually stunning series follows the world’s top climbers, alpinists and mountaineers to the wildest places on earth in their pursuit of the next big adventure. Stories of triumph, failure and redemption unfold on stages of sheer stone. Editor’s Note: This is a frickin treasure trove. Here are nearly 30 shorts from the first five seasons of Reel Rock, plus King Lines. Will Gadd at Helmken Falls? Check. Ashima Shiraishi crushing with her legendary coach Obe Carrion? The Wide Boyz getting into wide places? Check. Ondra doing La Dura Dura? This post was done by GSA Content Generat or Dem over sion!
Margot Hayes doing La Rambla? Hazel Findlay scaring the bejesus out of her viewers? Sheck, check, check, check, check. Based on a true story, North Face is a suspenseful adventure film about a competition to climb the most dangerous rock face in the Alps: the Eiger North Face. Set in 1936, as Nazi propaganda urges the nation’s Alpinists to conquer the unclimbed north face of the Eiger, the film follows two reluctant German climbers, Toni Kurz and Andi Hinterstoisser on their fateful climb. Editor’s note: This film is amazing: climbing fiction at its finest. Description: A former CIA assassin, now a college professor, (played by Clint Eastwood) comes out of retirement to avenge the death of a colleague and recover stolen chemical warfare secrets. He does this on the North Face of the Eiger, of all place. Editor’s note: Another classic, if mostly because it got so much wrong and because a young John Krakauer criticizes the film in his great collection Eiger Dreams. This has been created with GSA Con tent Ge nera to r DEMO!
Description: The Climbers is a cinematic retelling of the first Chinese climbers to summit Mount Everest. The perilous journey takes its toll on the mountaineers forcing them to make life or death decisions at every turn. Editor’s note: The story behind the first ascent of Wings of Steel is crazy, and the story of Ammon McNeely’s repeat of the route is crazy for completely different reasons. This film, mixcat.net covering a lesser known-and even shameful-piece of Yosemite climbing history is well worth a watch. Description: This film follows the legendary climbing photographer and Stone Master, Dean Fidelman. Fidelman was at the forefront of the free climbing revolution in Yosemite Valley and Joshua Tree during the 1970s, making photographs with John Bachar, Lynn Hill, Ron Kauk, John Long, and many other talented climbers. Over the past four decades, Fidelman has continued to document the evolution of rock climbing as a sport and culture. This documentary takes a look at his impact and influence as a photographer and climber.