Before climbing gyms existed, this madman invented 'extreme' on El Capitan's sheer granite face.
Jim Bridwell was one of the best climbers in the world in the 70s, 80s. The documentary chronicles Bridwell's career from those early days to his final ascents in 2001. The film traces Jim Bridwell's journey through numerous interviews with other legendary free climbing personalities such as Leo Houlding and Ron Kauk. See him climb some of Yosemite's historic routes with today's young climbers paying homage to this true legend of free climbing. In an unpublished document from 1981, he is seen in one of his famous Zodiac ascents in El Capitan with and Fred East.
Cinematography
Vertical panoramas that'll give you vertigo from your couch.
Editing
Seamless weave of 70s grain and 2001 digital clarity.
Director
Michele Radici
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Bridwell coined 'The Bird' nickname himself after a peyote vision in Yosemite. The goat in keywords? That was his actual pet goat, not a metaphor.
The 'unpublished 1981 document' mentioned is likely Bridwell's legendary typed trip reports that circulated hand-to-hand among climbers for decades before internet forums existed.
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