First Ascent: The Series Box Set Review

I love climbing movies. Well, to be a little more specific, I love climbing movies that tell a story. Back in college I could get into flicks like Rampage, and other such drivel, but these days I want more out of it. I want to know about the people, their background, their relationships, not just their climbing. In that vein, the films I’ve most enjoyed recently include the likes of Parralelojams, First Ascent, King Lines, etc. They combine excellent footage with compelling stories to deliver the complete package. So it was with eager anticipation I awaited the arrival of the First Ascent: The Series box set, as I’d already seen a couple of the segments at the Five Point Film Festival and had thoroughly enjoyed them.

The first disc features Alone on the Wall, Patagonia Promise and The Impossible Climb. Alone on the Wall follows Alex Honnold on his free solos of Moonlight Buttress and Half Dome. The footage is absolutely stunning, as you try to wrap your mind around being so confident in your abilities that you tackle these routes with no margin for error. Anyone who has ever been up those climbs, regardless of whether you were free climbing or on aid, will appreciate just how out there these solos were. We also get a glimpse at his younger years and get to meet his mom, who seems pretty laid back about the whole affair. A solid piece that gives a glimpse into what life is like for the world’s boldest free soloist.

Next up is Patagonia Promise, about a climber who loses his partner and lover, and heads to Patagonia to fulfill a promise to scatter her ashes from a new route there. It explores the darker side of climbing, the loss and pain that can come from the end of the intense relationships we form with our partners, even more so with those we come to love. Of course, this is Patagonia, so nothing goes quite like it should, but it makes for great movie watching.

Last on this disc is Chris Sharma’s quest to climb Jumbo Love, what some consider to be the hardest route in the world. The general public got a broad glimpse into Chris’ life with King Lines, and this picks up the story but goes even more in depth. We see his frustration and the mounting pressures. We see his girlfriend and how she supports him, and crushes a few rocks of her own along the way. Of course everyone knows he sends it, but that doesn’t lessen the beauty of this segment in the least bit.

Next up is the haunting Point of No Return, the story of Johnny Copp, Micah Dash and Wade Johnson’s ill fated trip to China that ultimately lead to their deaths at the hand of a massive avalanche. The box set is dedicated to these three, and it’s a chilling tale of their final days, made all the more bittersweet by the realization that they had decided to head down, that it wasn’t worth dying for, and how a freak avalanche ended it all.

Brothers Wild is maybe my favorite of the set, in that it tells a truly unique and inspiring story. Well known climber Timmy O’Neil has a brother who was paralyzed from the waist down in a cliff jumping accident. Sean went into a downward spiral after the accident, but Timmy stepped in and gave him a homemade gift certificate that could be redeemed for a trip up El Cap. This motivated Sean to train and get fit, and we see them head up the Captain with Sean’s pull up system, which basically requires him to do pullups up the entire wall. Talk about burly! After El Cap, they hatch an even more ambitious plan to head to the Ruth Gorge, a remote area in Alaska. Throughout the film, you get a sense of how close the brothers are, and how important family is to them. This is good storytelling at it’s best.

Fly or Die is more Dean Potter footage, which I’ve stated before doesn’t do much for me and at this point feels old and rehashed. I’m sure others will enjoy it on some level, as there is lots of free soloing, high lining and freebase climbing.

Disk three is labeled as bonus footage, but shouldn’t be overlooked as there are a few gems in here. I fully enjoyed the Desert Rats bonus segment, which was produced as a back up episode in case one of the others didn’t work out. I love the desert, so while it doesn’t go as “deep” as the others, the spectacular footage really resonated with me, from Step Davis on the unrelenting finger locks of Learning to Fly to Nick Martino pushing the standards of what’s possible in Indian Creek, to Rob Pizem on the most ridiculous looking roof crack in the world and Crusher Bartlett on the biggest pile of choss most folks will ever see.  Also on this disc is some cool bonus footage from several episodes and some “making of” that gives a glimpse into how much work sometimes goes into getting a single shot.

Overall, this box set is a complete package that I feel is perhaps the best collection of climbing films ever assembled. You get six individual stories covering a wide range climbing disciplines, and a heap of bonus footage on top of all that. The storytelling is top notch, the cinematography excellent, and I think the folks at Sender Films have raised the bar yet again for what we should expect from the climbing film genre.

The set retails for $49.95, which is about $20 more than most climbing DVD’s, but you easily get more than twice your money’s worth in this set. It’ll also make a great birthday gift or Christmas present, so keep that in mind as the holidays approach.

Disclaimer: The FTC wants you to know this product was provided to SplitterChoss.com for the purpose of reviewing.