Having lived for years in Southern California, I’ve interacted with Alex Honnold in casual settings—my favorite was probably when he and Jimmy Chin were climbing on the lead wall next to me at Sender One LAX. It was a slow day at work. I had brought my computer in, and upon lowering off a gym 5-13, he saw my laptop and jokingly asked me, “Is that your belay computer?”. To be honest, I was more fangirling over meeting Jimmy Chin in such a casual setting.
Have you seen ‘Free Solo’? I cannot tell you how many times, as an outdoor climber, I have been asked that question since the September 2018 release of Jimmy Chin’s critically acclaimed climbing documentary centered around Alex Honnold. I think the better question to ask is, “Have you seen The Alpinist?”
Free Soloing: Bold Climbing that Captured the Eye of the American Public
America was captivated by Free Solo—a film that, like The Dawn Wall (Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgenson), had already launched rock climbing into the public eye as the media had heavily covered the two men’s journey on the wall. Dawn Wall is largely a story of camaraderie and friendship, with a big emphasis on human relationships. Free Solo could not have been more opposite, with the focus solely on Honnold alone on the wall, albeit with a bit of drama woven in with his girlfriend’s (now wife) concern over his safety.
The Alpinist, however, is in its own league. It is a radically different film for a few reasons. The story follows Marc-André Leclerc, a young man who, at just 22 years old, had accomplished more than most alpinists and who pushed bold ascents up huge mixed mountaineering objectives in the solo style—without a rope.
Marc-André Leclerc’s Accomplishments Shook the Climbing World
You must understand that Marc-André’s work was next-level. Even Honnold shuddered at the thought of soloing the huge alpine objectives characteristic of Leclerc. The Alpinist documentary attempts to capture these accomplishments, and through that, the audience witnesses a completely different type of climbing movie.
Leclerc is a climber’s climber. He climbs for the sake of climbing, not for acclaim or infamy. That is how he remained under the radar for so long, and most problematically for the filmmakers, he feels that his solo first free ascent accomplishments are less pure when others are around, which made life difficult for the filmmakers. Somewhere between both Dawn Wall and Free Solo, The Alpinist documentary bridges a gap—it highlights both the captivating and what some would deem selfish pursuit of chasing the hardest mixed rock and ice alpine climbs in the world and simultaneously focuses on the power of love and human bonds in this pursuit.
How Films Like This Can Provide Valuable Team-Building Lessons
If you have not seen The Alpinist documentary yet, I will not spoil the film for you. The gut-wrenching film holds many lessons about the human condition. Climbing, at the heart of it, is rarely a solo endeavor; you need to do the proper team building to pull off your objectives successfully. This is highlighted throughout the film as Brett Harrington, Leclerc’s longtime girlfriend, is a strong professional climber who can hold her own and solos alongside him in the film. She is a consistent source of support for Leclerc.
A belaytionship (if you will) is a bond that we rope climbers have with our closest climbing partners. Your belayer literally has your life in their hands. That is an incredible amount of trust. This makes rock climbing a relationship-strengthening activity in many aspects, from teaching team-building skills and communication to building a strong bond through a shared interest. Realistically, there is no better activity for corporate holiday parties and corporate events.
Are you interested in learning the ropes or holding a corporate team-building event at a rock climbing gym? Vertical Rock Climbing and Fitness in Manassas has the perfect space for your next event. Want to know more? Visit our website or drop by the gym and see what we have to offer.