The Dawn Wall

In the middle of Yosemite National Park towers El Capitan, a huge block of granite whose smoothest side, the Dawn Wall, is said to be the most difficult rock climb in the world. Tommy Caldwell didn’t see inhospitable terrain, but rather a puzzle almost a kilometer tall. In The Dawn Wall, we follow him and Kevin Jorgeson in their historic ascent to the summit. It's a bizarre climb that takes them weeks, after several earlier attempts over the years. They sleep in special tents suspended from the sheer vertical wall, and climb using handholds and footholds no thicker than a credit card. To top it all off, Caldwell is also missing his index finger. Flashbacks to the preparations and excerpts from the climbers' private lives make it clear that Caldwell has had many obstacles to overcome in his life. These scenes aren't as fascinating as the absurd adventure on El Capitan, but they do give a good sidelight on how this climbing pioneer got to be so unrelenting.