La Course aux sommets

In the midst of my current mountain obsession, I stumbled upon "Race to the Top", a Swiss documentary that introduces Ueli Steck and Dani Arnold - two extreme climbers who've turned scaling Alps' north faces into an adrenaline-fueled race. These guys don't just climb; they sprint up sheer mountain walls without ropes, as if gravity were optional. Watching them practically run up vertical cliffs left me both awestruck and baffled. After all, I'm winded just walking up a hill.

The two men couldn't be more different: Steck is serious, reserved, and trains relentlessly, while Arnold is a laid-back natural, seemingly more interested in the thrill than the rigor. Steck set records on three of the Alps' most challenging north faces, only for Arnold to follow and eventually outpace him on the Eiger, sparking a media-fueled rivalry that's as intense as their climbs. When Steck later claimed a speed climb on Annapurna - sans photographic proof - controversy nearly derailed his career. Nevertheless, he returned to reclaim his Eiger record before tragedy struck, bringing his extraordinary journey to a heartbreaking close.

The documentary makes a compelling point: despite climbers' claims of doing it "for themselves," it's clear they're as drawn to the spotlight as they are to the mountains. In a world where every feat is meticulously documented on social media and consequently sponsored, the thrill of "doing it for the rush" seems a bit questionable. Still, while I can't deny the fascination of watching them, I find speed climbing a bit too close to madness. Extreme sports might provide that adrenaline shot for those looking to escape life's mundanity, but maybe some risks aren't meant to be run up.

If you've ever pushed yourself doing anything physical, you'll enjoy this. The feeling of giving more than you have to give, and really pushing it until you feel you will.... explode. Mine was running, and reaching that plateau on a plane where nobody else was. Your pushing so hard, and everything is in sync. You have done it for years and only the unforseen "oddity" failures can remove you from competition. You're good.

Then, when you see people that race up the side of a mountain where 1 in 3 die, and they are doing this without ropes ....well...you realize you haven't done much of anything. Through the doc they are very well spoken, normal, grounded even. But this goes beyond any of that. You look for some reason for there to be a death wish...and it's not there.

These are just people racing up some of the most hellified climbs on the planet......for the hell of it.

More than once watching this I found myself at the edge of my couch, in full cringe mode as they depend on a hook, grab or step to breathe again.

Wow man.

Good documentary focusing on the worlds fastest 2 free climbers. Something I could only wish that I could do. These people are mad, but also very well grounded. Aware of the risk they are taking, but do it anyway because they are driven by ambition.

Yes, they are rivals yet hold a lot of respect for each other. I absolutely love how in competitive sports, they will see each other as an equal despite wanting to be the best. Its normally themselves they want to be better than. When you're the best, the only person you need to beat is yourself.

This documentary tells the story of 2 climbers striving to make the record.

Someone else wrote a review about leaving the camera crew behind as its too dangerous for them. Yes, it's a route that a lot of people have died trying to summit. I don't think the climber would say that they made it if they didn't. If they failed, they would be their own worst critic and not lie. They will just accept the failure and try again, even harder than last time. For them, it is a glorious feeling to be the best. They won't take victory in fraudulent success. They won't feel accomplished. These people are wired differently, failure is not an option, fraudulent victory isn't an option for them. They have to be the best, and they are. They don't get to be the best by lying.

Are you fearless? It may be impossible not to be at the opening aerial view of the thrilling documentary "Race to the Summit." It is a wintery eagle's eyes view of a gigantic rocky face belonging to a mountain summit. Sighted on the intolerant rigged wall is a moving orange-bluish speck. At initial thought, it may resemble a clover mite. At closer zoom, he is a world-renowned alpine climber in protective overalls. Seeing below him might be beyond 1,000 meters.

A sense likened to witnessing a daredevil accent to the top of the Empire State Building with their bare hands. Champion mountaineer Ueli Steck pushes it further than a thrill-seeker; he paces toward the summit. One commentator in the movie conveyed that Ueli's fingers are part of his life insurance policy. It's a setting for one of the year's most action-packed non-fiction films. It is Director Götz Werner's first feature; he has a background in producing extreme sports media.

Indeed, it is a nail-biting, frightening watch. A fall of 3 meters can break bones and reported death resulted from between several and 10 feet. Mr. Warner soon helps audiences comprehend why he gets our nerves piping, and concerns increase for the two principal characters, both Swiss natives.

The central story is introduced early: a years-trekking competition between two prime alpine climbers to speed climb on the Swiss Alps's mighty north faces in record time. The playing field is the mountaineers' vastly challenging trio, a vertical steep skyline surfaces: the Grandes Jorasses, Matterhorn, and Eiger Schweiz.

The film chronicles the intense preparation, training, lives, and accomplishments of Ueli Steck and Dani Arnold. Interviews with Arnold, Steck, their sporting partners, and close associates are included. The filmmakers tried. Some emotional input may be handled like the mountain's frigid air. The competitors are often unconcerned about their welfare despite severe risks: fame, commercialism, and mass media coat the documentary's portions as a snowstorm.

Excerpts are incorporated about the men's marriages and extended families. I noticed scenes cut quickly for viewers' heartstrings to be strummed. One includes Dani's teary-eyed spouse's reflection on her husband's continued alpine career after their daughter's birth. The film repays her visit near the conclusion, but the critical effect needs to be added.

Much adventurous attention is provided to the rivalry. Ueli began by claiming his first solo, rope-less climb at Eiger's summit in two hours and 47 minutes. He resumed to the Matterhorn and Grandes in record markings. Then Dani figures he could beat Ueli's Eiger time, and he does in two hours and 28 minutes. Later, Mr. Steck returns to reclaim his Eiger record from Dani. Yet Arnold resumes to seize numerous alpine speed achievements. At the end of it, what are their worthy prize and human contributions? Undue sacrifice, self-blood guilt, and lineage abandonment constantly lie at the mountain edge.

The men vary in multiple modes, particularly in training for these events. The filmmakers ably contrast and display their personalities. The scenic cinematography is captivating, and the original music scored by Sheridan Tongue vibrates with impetus. The film's producer is Nicholas de Taranto.

The movie's honesty is a highlight. Individuals who worked closely with Arnold and Steck praise them but acknowledge their disagreements, criticize the athletes, and relate to the menaces of alpine climbing. The movie contains perilous mountain-climbing scenes, several curses, and thematic and tragic notices of accidental deaths. A photograph of male bareback nudity is held in view. Note: Since the first submission, editorial corrections have been made.

As "Race To the Summit" (2023 release from Switzerland; 90 min.; original title "Duell am Abgrund" or "Duel on the Abyss") opens, we are introduced to Ueli Steck, a mountain climber nicknamed the Swiss Machine, who takes mountain climbing to a new extreme with speed-climbing famous sites like the Eiger North Face, setting records along the way. Then we meet Dani Arnold, another Swiss climber who fancies himself a worthy opponent/rival of Steck... At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie.

Couple of comments: this documentary is a Swiss production, featuring 2 rival climbers who are taking free solo climbing into a yet further extreme. In this sense the documentary covers some of the same ground as the 2018 Oscar winning documentary "Free Solo" focusing on American climber Alex Honnold (who appears in this documentary as well). As was the case in "Free Solo", much of the footage in "Race to the Summit" is very tense/intense. How it all plays out between Steck and Arnold is of course plot-heavy so the less said on that, the better. I will say that the documentary focuses mostly on the record setting attempts, and we really don't get to know these two climbers as persons all that well. This means we (or certainly I) never connected with them as much as I did with Alex Honnold in "Free Solo".

"Race to the Summit" started streaming on Netflix a week or so ago, and I just caught up with it this weekend. If you like extreme sports documentaries or were a fan of "Free Solo", I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.