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.

It was hard to like either of the climbers in this documentary,both devoid of much emotion and neither had much to say worth retelling but maybe we can blame the director for that 🤷‍♂️

The documentary itself didn't really focus on anything bar records but didn't show much in the way of footage because .....well watch the documentary.

I love the subject matter but as documentary's go this is bang average and a bit disappointing if I'm honest.

It's a 5/10 for me only because what they do is incredible and seeing it in any way shape or form has to be acknowledged but it could've been so much better.

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.

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.

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.