You may or may not know who Tommy Caldwell is, but you should if you were a climber. His name is up there with the ranks of Conrad Anker and if you are a lover of traditional climbing, you may also be familiar with his shoes—the TC (his initials) Pros. Tommy Caldwell is a heavy hitter in the climbing world. Growing up in Este Park, Colorado, his father introduced him to climbing at an early age. Entering his first climbing competition at 16 and was close friends with Chris Sharma during his adolescence.

 

But Tommy’s story stands out. Not only did he rise to become one of the best climbers in the world, but he also did that and bounced back from an unthinkable table saw accident in which he lost his left index finger. He is a climber’s climber, and his personality can be characterized as one with the ability to cope with and overcome extreme adversity with grace. The Dawn Wall movie celebrates that.

 

A Review of ‘The Dawn Wall’ – What is this Film About?

 

Some background details do need to be shared to understand the full scope of his story on the Dawn Wall movie. But really, every climber really should pick up a copy of “The Push” (I highly recommend this read). This autobiography provides a full account of Tommy’s story. The story of the Dawn Wall is the opposite narrative of Tommy’s close friend Alex Honnold’s ‘Free Solo’—one focuses on an entirely individual pursuit (free soloing) while the other is a story driven by human relationships.

 

Tommy has repeatedly proven his ability to overcome hardship and push the envelop of what was deemed possible in the sport of rock climbing. By throwing himself into his passions and lofty ambitions, he puts himself through an emotional crucible and his drive and tenacity allows him to positively cope with the upheaval in his personal life. The fire that lit under Tommy to free climb the Dawn Wall—a face of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park that had been thought to blank to climb—was his highly publicized divorce from Beth Rodden. The project became an obsession. The send would take 6 years. The movie is the story of how Tommy and long-time boulderer Kevin Jorgeson sent the thing.

 

A Climbing Movie Highlighting the Power of Human Relationships

 

One of the biggest underlying tones of this climbing film is the power of human relationships. Living in the Los Angeles climbing community for several years, I have only met Tommy one time, which was during his book tour at Sender LAX. It can be nerve wrecking to meet one of your idols in person. I had bought a hard cover copy of his book and approached him when he was resting in between boulder sets. I never fan girl, but this was Tommy Caldwell. I told him that I was nervous to meet him in person as I passed him my book for his autograph. He looked at me and said, “Why? I’m just a person.”

 

The power of human relationships is displayed in the film. First through Tommy processing the realities surrounding the failure of his marriage with Beth and then through his friendship with Kevin during the film. The Dawn Wall got its name because it is the face of El Cap that the sunlight eliminates first. It thought to be impossible to free climb because it seemed impossible. Against all odds, Tommy and Kevin form an unlikely partnership. Kevin would tackle one of the hardest free climbs in the world with little foundation in traditional climbing as a professional boulderer. The friendship and belationship that forms between the pair is front and center in the movie.

 

Partnership and Integrity: No Man Left Behind

 

The central theme of the film is partnership. For roped climbers, the relationship you have with your belay partner (a belationship) is one of extreme trust. Your climbing partner quite literally has your life in their hands. This climbing film puts that all out on the line. Without giving away too many details, there are serious trials that are overcome along the path to Tommy and Kevin’s free ascent of the Dawn Wall.

 

From improbably dynos to the comradery the pair find along the journey to the wiliness to put personal sends aside until the pair could do it together speaks to the caliber of Tommy’s character. In the end, he chose to believe in the strengths of his climbing partner over the glory of individual accomplishment. This in and of itself is fundamentally a reflection of who Tommy Caldwell is. The climbing has never been more important than the relationships in his life even as those objectives have fueled the processing of the hard things that life can throw at anyone. This movie is a must-watch for climbers and non-climbers alike because it goes beyond climbing.

 

Are you local to the Greater Manassas Virginia area and interested in getting involved with the local climbing community or learning the ropes? Drop by Vertical Rock Climbing and Fitness and visit our website to check out our event schedule. We are a community-oriented gym dedicated to building community.