El Capitan

I was very fortunate to have seen this film shortly after it was released, at a climbing shop in Santa Barbara, California; the evening was hosted by none other than Royal Robbins.

For those viewers who began climbing in just the last 20 years or so, keep in mind that the equipment and techniques shown in the film were state-of-the-art when it was made in the late 1960s: pins, no cams or nuts; swami belts instead of harnesses; lots of aid and very little free climbing; etc.

The cinematography is excellent, especially considering it was shot on 16mm film. It varies between straightforward climbing scenes, to artfully capturing the views and the surroundings on the wall. The dialog between the climbers is what normally goes on between partners on a big wall; there's no "acting" going on.

Robbins said this just wasn't a climbing film; he called it art. I would agree.