1 00:00:01,710 --> 00:00:03,086 [TV static drones] 2 00:00:03,169 --> 00:00:05,839 [bright tone] 3 00:00:09,092 --> 00:00:12,053 - [breathing heavily] 4 00:00:12,137 --> 00:00:14,389 Come on, Emily, that knot's good. 5 00:00:14,472 --> 00:00:16,391 It's good. 6 00:00:16,474 --> 00:00:18,101 Come on. 7 00:00:18,184 --> 00:00:21,104 [tense music] 8 00:00:21,187 --> 00:00:24,774 ♪ ♪ 9 00:00:24,858 --> 00:00:26,568 [whispering] Now move to your left. 10 00:00:27,610 --> 00:00:30,572 [panting] 11 00:00:32,490 --> 00:00:33,950 Fucking stop panicking. 12 00:00:36,286 --> 00:00:39,247 [panting] 13 00:00:46,296 --> 00:00:48,465 I don't feel safe. 14 00:00:51,050 --> 00:00:52,177 [dramatic music] 15 00:00:52,260 --> 00:00:54,637 - Doing something that nobody's ever done before, 16 00:00:54,721 --> 00:00:57,307 there's no guarantee that your plan's gonna work. 17 00:00:57,390 --> 00:00:59,476 - [groans] 18 00:00:59,559 --> 00:01:00,935 - Once you commit, 19 00:01:01,019 --> 00:01:02,312 there is no turning around. 20 00:01:02,395 --> 00:01:04,773 [rushing water] 21 00:01:04,856 --> 00:01:07,400 - We're entirely removed from civilization. 22 00:01:07,484 --> 00:01:09,778 - Look at this one. 23 00:01:09,861 --> 00:01:11,738 - We know once we get there, we're on our own. 24 00:01:11,821 --> 00:01:13,156 - Climbing! 25 00:01:13,239 --> 00:01:15,867 We've chosen to live a life that does have risk. 26 00:01:15,950 --> 00:01:17,952 - Oh, my God. - [crying] 27 00:01:18,036 --> 00:01:19,954 - One mistake and you're dead. 28 00:01:20,038 --> 00:01:20,997 - Come on, now. 29 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:22,290 - If you harness that fear 30 00:01:22,373 --> 00:01:24,626 you can do something that you never thought possible. 31 00:01:24,709 --> 00:01:26,544 - Whoo! Yeah! 32 00:01:28,755 --> 00:01:31,716 - Is the pursuit worth the risk? 33 00:01:35,428 --> 00:01:38,890 [rocks clattering] 34 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,520 [tense music] 35 00:01:43,603 --> 00:01:46,564 [wind whistling softly] 36 00:02:06,543 --> 00:02:08,044 - Kyrgyzstan is one 37 00:02:08,127 --> 00:02:11,881 of the most mountainous countries on the planet. 38 00:02:12,590 --> 00:02:13,716 [bird screeches] 39 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:16,261 It is an alpine playground. 40 00:02:16,344 --> 00:02:18,680 ♪ ♪ 41 00:02:18,763 --> 00:02:21,391 - I think what makes it unique is 42 00:02:21,474 --> 00:02:26,521 the quality of the climbing in such a remote place. 43 00:02:29,107 --> 00:02:32,861 It's like putting El Capitan in the middle of nowhere 44 00:02:32,944 --> 00:02:36,155 in this valley in Kyrgyzstan. 45 00:02:36,239 --> 00:02:40,869 I like feeling on that edge of uncertainty. 46 00:02:40,952 --> 00:02:42,620 It's an adventure. 47 00:02:46,332 --> 00:02:47,709 Perfect. 48 00:02:47,792 --> 00:02:50,169 [soft music] 49 00:02:50,253 --> 00:02:52,505 We started our expedition in Reno 50 00:02:52,589 --> 00:02:55,133 and traveled all the way across the world 51 00:02:55,216 --> 00:02:58,761 to Bishkek, capital city of Kyrgyzstan. 52 00:02:58,845 --> 00:03:00,388 Kyrgyzstan is one of those places 53 00:03:00,471 --> 00:03:02,640 that no one can really find on a map. 54 00:03:04,017 --> 00:03:05,768 Fly to Osh, which is sort of like 55 00:03:05,852 --> 00:03:08,104 the gateway to the mountains. 56 00:03:08,187 --> 00:03:09,439 - From there, I think it's, like, 57 00:03:09,522 --> 00:03:13,526 a 10-or-so-hour Jeep ride to a trailhead 58 00:03:13,610 --> 00:03:15,737 in a town called Uzgurush. 59 00:03:15,820 --> 00:03:17,280 - And then that's when you start 60 00:03:17,363 --> 00:03:21,075 three days of walking to get to the Ak-Suu Valley 61 00:03:21,159 --> 00:03:23,453 where we'll eventually set up base camp 62 00:03:23,536 --> 00:03:26,748 and try to climb Pik Slesova. 63 00:03:26,831 --> 00:03:28,917 ♪ ♪ 64 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:31,753 - The goal of this trip is to free climb 65 00:03:31,836 --> 00:03:34,130 this 3,000-foot rock route 66 00:03:34,213 --> 00:03:37,508 up the northwest face of Pik Slesova. 67 00:03:37,592 --> 00:03:39,594 It's a high-level free route 68 00:03:39,677 --> 00:03:43,431 that's only seen one team ascent. 69 00:03:43,514 --> 00:03:46,809 Different people freed different pitches. 70 00:03:46,893 --> 00:03:49,646 No one person freed every pitch. 71 00:03:50,855 --> 00:03:53,149 That left this unique opportunity 72 00:03:53,232 --> 00:03:57,111 for one or both of us to be the first person 73 00:03:57,195 --> 00:04:00,990 to free every pitch on the line to the summit. 74 00:04:01,074 --> 00:04:05,453 ♪ ♪ 75 00:04:05,536 --> 00:04:08,289 - When Kyrgyzstan was still part of the Soviet Union, 76 00:04:08,373 --> 00:04:09,457 Russians would come here, 77 00:04:09,540 --> 00:04:10,625 and it was a training ground 78 00:04:10,708 --> 00:04:12,835 before they went to the Himalaya. 79 00:04:15,421 --> 00:04:17,674 It is a testament to how remote 80 00:04:17,757 --> 00:04:20,093 and out there this place is. 81 00:04:21,803 --> 00:04:23,304 You know, we're sort of coming together 82 00:04:23,388 --> 00:04:26,015 to combine our--our skills and our strengths 83 00:04:26,099 --> 00:04:29,018 on this one objective. 84 00:04:29,102 --> 00:04:30,853 - I think we're kind of unique 85 00:04:30,937 --> 00:04:32,522 in that we're both professional climbers, 86 00:04:32,605 --> 00:04:34,274 but we're on almost opposite ends 87 00:04:34,357 --> 00:04:36,484 of the spectrum of the sport. 88 00:04:36,567 --> 00:04:39,487 I'm known for walking up big hills really slowly. 89 00:04:41,823 --> 00:04:43,533 And she's known for, like, 90 00:04:43,616 --> 00:04:48,162 the highest-end gymnastic rock climbing. 91 00:04:48,246 --> 00:04:49,497 Big wall rock climbing 92 00:04:49,580 --> 00:04:52,250 is kind of where they start to come together. 93 00:04:54,002 --> 00:04:55,169 - It's the adventure 94 00:04:55,253 --> 00:04:57,755 and the expedition side of climbing, 95 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:00,717 combined with a really hard big-wall free climb. 96 00:05:04,178 --> 00:05:06,055 It's definitely gonna be a test of our relationship. 97 00:05:06,139 --> 00:05:07,390 But every time we do a trip like this, 98 00:05:07,473 --> 00:05:09,726 it's a test of our relationship. 99 00:05:09,809 --> 00:05:11,352 [chuckles] 100 00:05:14,981 --> 00:05:18,234 ♪ ♪ 101 00:05:18,317 --> 00:05:20,945 We landed in Bishkek and spent two days there. 102 00:05:23,656 --> 00:05:27,368 Bishkek really does feel like this sort of melting pot. 103 00:05:27,452 --> 00:05:30,038 [exciting music] 104 00:05:30,121 --> 00:05:32,457 It's a very modern city, 105 00:05:32,540 --> 00:05:35,585 and it has a lot of former Soviet 106 00:05:35,668 --> 00:05:37,503 and Russian influence. 107 00:05:37,587 --> 00:05:38,963 But at the same time, 108 00:05:39,047 --> 00:05:40,506 it feels like a very young city 109 00:05:40,590 --> 00:05:42,884 that's kind of, like, just coming into its own. 110 00:05:42,967 --> 00:05:48,598 ♪ ♪ 111 00:05:48,681 --> 00:05:51,184 The success or failure of an expedition 112 00:05:51,267 --> 00:05:54,812 really hinges on the group of people there. 113 00:05:54,896 --> 00:05:56,606 The team is really what it all comes down to. 114 00:05:56,689 --> 00:05:59,567 It's having the proper people with the proper experience 115 00:05:59,650 --> 00:06:02,779 to kind of embark on a journey that's pretty full-on 116 00:06:02,862 --> 00:06:04,530 in almost every way. - Hi. I'm Adrian. 117 00:06:04,614 --> 00:06:05,573 - Dimitri. - Emily. 118 00:06:05,656 --> 00:06:06,783 - Good to meet you, Dimitri. - Nice to meet you. 119 00:06:06,866 --> 00:06:08,367 - I am Topo. Nice to meet you, Dimitri. 120 00:06:08,451 --> 00:06:09,744 - How are you? - We are so excited 121 00:06:09,827 --> 00:06:12,080 to finally be here. [laughter] 122 00:06:12,163 --> 00:06:13,915 - I think the first question is 123 00:06:13,998 --> 00:06:16,459 yesterday we heard that there was some-- 124 00:06:16,542 --> 00:06:17,627 there were some conflicts-- 125 00:06:17,710 --> 00:06:18,961 - The border. - You know, yeah. 126 00:06:19,045 --> 00:06:20,296 - On the border. - The border. 127 00:06:20,379 --> 00:06:21,881 - What's-- what's your opinion? 128 00:06:28,054 --> 00:06:28,971 - To the west. 129 00:06:30,681 --> 00:06:31,641 - Okay. 130 00:06:32,558 --> 00:06:33,768 - No, you're doing great. 131 00:06:33,851 --> 00:06:36,687 - Better than our Kyrgyz or Russian. 132 00:06:36,771 --> 00:06:39,732 - [speaking non-English language] 133 00:06:47,490 --> 00:06:50,451 - This region does have instability. 134 00:06:50,535 --> 00:06:51,619 It was first on my radar 135 00:06:51,702 --> 00:06:53,579 when Beth Rodden and Tommy Caldwell 136 00:06:53,663 --> 00:06:55,915 were kidnapped here in the year 2000. 137 00:06:56,332 --> 00:06:57,416 - Caldwell and three others, 138 00:06:57,500 --> 00:06:59,544 including his girlfriend, were climbing here 139 00:06:59,627 --> 00:07:02,588 in the Pamir-Alay mountain range of Kyrgyzstan. 140 00:07:02,672 --> 00:07:05,341 They were sleeping on a ledge 1,000 feet up 141 00:07:05,424 --> 00:07:06,843 when their ordeal began. 142 00:07:06,926 --> 00:07:09,011 - Three people on the ground started shooting at us. 143 00:07:09,095 --> 00:07:12,640 And we were taken hostage at gunpoint by two men. 144 00:07:12,723 --> 00:07:15,184 - They were rebels from Uzbekistan. 145 00:07:15,268 --> 00:07:17,270 And they were sort of, like, battling in that area 146 00:07:17,353 --> 00:07:19,480 with the Kyrg Army. 147 00:07:19,564 --> 00:07:21,357 - We were seriously fearing for our lives. 148 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:23,442 We did not know what was gonna happen to us. 149 00:07:23,526 --> 00:07:26,779 And escape was always on the top of our minds. 150 00:07:28,239 --> 00:07:29,574 - Tommy kind of saved all of them 151 00:07:29,657 --> 00:07:31,367 by pushing one of these rebels off a cliff. 152 00:07:31,450 --> 00:07:32,660 And then they ran 153 00:07:32,743 --> 00:07:34,662 and eventually found a military base. 154 00:07:34,745 --> 00:07:36,289 - It is so hard to think of that now 155 00:07:36,372 --> 00:07:37,456 and to say it aloud, 156 00:07:37,540 --> 00:07:39,792 but we were afraid that we would not survive. 157 00:07:39,876 --> 00:07:43,171 [helicopter rotors thrumming] 158 00:07:43,963 --> 00:07:47,717 - There is still an ongoing border disagreement. 159 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:49,260 So there are local groups 160 00:07:49,343 --> 00:07:51,679 continuing to fight in this area. 161 00:07:51,762 --> 00:07:54,015 We definitely don't want to make the situation worse 162 00:07:54,098 --> 00:07:55,600 in these areas. 163 00:07:55,683 --> 00:07:58,060 - I think I personally really trust 164 00:07:58,144 --> 00:07:59,937 the people who we've hired 165 00:08:00,021 --> 00:08:01,397 to sort of give us the go ahead 166 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:04,233 that it's Okay and that it's safe. 167 00:08:04,317 --> 00:08:06,277 - But your recommendation or comfort 168 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:08,487 is the plan we already have. 169 00:08:08,571 --> 00:08:09,572 - Yeah. - No problems. 170 00:08:09,655 --> 00:08:11,157 both: No problems. both: Okay. 171 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:13,409 - Great. - Cool. 172 00:08:13,492 --> 00:08:15,411 You know, but at the same time, 173 00:08:15,494 --> 00:08:16,913 you don't know what's going to happen. 174 00:08:16,996 --> 00:08:19,582 - To go to your camp here. 175 00:08:20,791 --> 00:08:21,709 - You got it? - Yeah. 176 00:08:21,792 --> 00:08:23,002 - You said you wanted to, right? 177 00:08:23,794 --> 00:08:25,087 [chuckles] 178 00:08:26,672 --> 00:08:30,092 Emily and I have been together for 9 1/2 years. 179 00:08:30,176 --> 00:08:34,931 We met on Mount Everest at 21,500 feet. 180 00:08:35,681 --> 00:08:37,225 In this case, having her as a teammate, 181 00:08:37,308 --> 00:08:38,267 she's obviously 182 00:08:38,351 --> 00:08:40,728 an unbelievably talented rock climber. 183 00:08:40,811 --> 00:08:42,897 This maestro of just knowing 184 00:08:42,980 --> 00:08:44,857 what to do with her body on the rock. 185 00:08:47,485 --> 00:08:50,321 - I discovered climbing when I was 10 years old. 186 00:08:50,404 --> 00:08:52,823 It went from me not even knowing what climbing was 187 00:08:52,907 --> 00:08:54,408 to, "Oh, this is what I'm gonna do 188 00:08:54,492 --> 00:08:55,618 for the rest of my life." 189 00:08:56,827 --> 00:08:59,413 Around age 16, I started doing world cups. 190 00:08:59,497 --> 00:09:01,082 I didn't even have, like, a team jersey. 191 00:09:01,165 --> 00:09:02,124 I had to make my own and, like, 192 00:09:02,208 --> 00:09:03,584 sew a little American flag on there. 193 00:09:03,668 --> 00:09:05,461 [cheers and applause] 194 00:09:05,544 --> 00:09:08,256 I was sort of in that first wave of people 195 00:09:08,339 --> 00:09:10,508 who learned how to train for rock climbing 196 00:09:10,591 --> 00:09:12,718 instead of just going rock climbing. 197 00:09:15,221 --> 00:09:17,139 It was very regimented. It was very serious. 198 00:09:17,223 --> 00:09:19,809 And in my later teenage years, 199 00:09:19,892 --> 00:09:21,852 I struggled with an eating disorder. 200 00:09:21,936 --> 00:09:23,980 A lot of young climbers do. 201 00:09:24,063 --> 00:09:25,439 In order to perform well, 202 00:09:25,523 --> 00:09:27,608 one of the easiest and fastest ways to do that 203 00:09:27,692 --> 00:09:29,068 is to cut weight. 204 00:09:30,528 --> 00:09:32,947 I remember, like, feeling exceptionally tired 205 00:09:33,030 --> 00:09:36,117 all the time, really kind of falling out of love 206 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:38,077 with climbing and with what I was doing. 207 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:40,621 That was sort of, like, the turning point. 208 00:09:40,705 --> 00:09:42,790 I just couldn't live that way anymore. 209 00:09:45,668 --> 00:09:48,045 My love for climbing has just sort of changed 210 00:09:48,129 --> 00:09:50,965 and evolved as I've changed and evolved as a person. 211 00:09:52,341 --> 00:09:53,342 Competition climbing was 212 00:09:53,426 --> 00:09:55,594 very much a part of my childhood. 213 00:09:55,678 --> 00:09:58,723 I didn't really explore the adventure side of climbing 214 00:09:58,806 --> 00:09:59,974 until a little bit later. 215 00:10:00,057 --> 00:10:01,851 ♪ ♪ 216 00:10:01,934 --> 00:10:03,894 - She was determined to conquer El Capitan 217 00:10:03,978 --> 00:10:05,521 in less than 24 hours. 218 00:10:05,604 --> 00:10:07,523 - Emily Harrington has reached the peak of success. 219 00:10:07,606 --> 00:10:08,649 - I hate to compare, but it looks 220 00:10:08,733 --> 00:10:11,485 like Emily is in a slightly more precarious situation 221 00:10:11,569 --> 00:10:12,778 than you are. [laughter] 222 00:10:12,862 --> 00:10:14,322 - There's still, you know, sometimes 223 00:10:14,405 --> 00:10:17,116 a tendency in our culture 224 00:10:17,199 --> 00:10:19,201 to think, you know, in athletic pursuits 225 00:10:19,285 --> 00:10:21,287 there's a different level of capability. 226 00:10:21,370 --> 00:10:23,664 And Emily is out there and pushing 227 00:10:23,748 --> 00:10:26,500 at the very highest level of the sport, 228 00:10:26,584 --> 00:10:29,378 just showing what's possible, 229 00:10:29,462 --> 00:10:31,881 man or woman. 230 00:10:35,593 --> 00:10:38,512 - [vocalizing] 231 00:10:38,596 --> 00:10:43,976 ♪ ♪ 232 00:10:44,060 --> 00:10:45,895 - Right as we landed, 233 00:10:45,978 --> 00:10:47,521 there was the call to prayer. 234 00:10:47,605 --> 00:10:49,315 ♪ ♪ 235 00:10:49,398 --> 00:10:53,069 Really kind of, like, grounds you in a place. 236 00:10:53,152 --> 00:10:57,281 ♪ ♪ 237 00:10:57,365 --> 00:10:59,533 - Today's day one of two days driving 238 00:10:59,617 --> 00:11:01,786 to the trailhead in Uzgurush. 239 00:11:03,329 --> 00:11:05,289 - Pik Slesova is by far 240 00:11:05,373 --> 00:11:09,418 the most remote big wall I've ever attempted, 241 00:11:09,502 --> 00:11:11,045 hands down. 242 00:11:13,005 --> 00:11:15,633 It's not like Yosemite. 243 00:11:15,716 --> 00:11:17,760 You don't just drive up, park your car, 244 00:11:17,843 --> 00:11:20,221 walk 20 minutes, start climbing-- 245 00:11:20,304 --> 00:11:22,890 which is why it's so unique. 246 00:11:25,434 --> 00:11:27,103 - Getting to just pick our own fruit, 247 00:11:27,186 --> 00:11:29,146 this is not gonna happen anymore in the mountains. 248 00:11:29,230 --> 00:11:30,231 - No, we're not gonna get this stuff. 249 00:11:30,314 --> 00:11:31,399 - We should take advantage of it. 250 00:11:31,482 --> 00:11:33,943 [laughter] 251 00:11:34,026 --> 00:11:35,403 - Batken definitely felt 252 00:11:35,486 --> 00:11:38,155 like this transition point. 253 00:11:38,823 --> 00:11:40,408 We didn't really have any worries or concerns 254 00:11:40,491 --> 00:11:42,618 up until that point. 255 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:44,578 - Vorukh. 256 00:11:45,496 --> 00:11:48,249 - It's-- - Oh, Vorukh is Tajikistan. 257 00:11:48,332 --> 00:11:50,084 - Yeah, Vorukh is Tajikistan. 258 00:11:50,167 --> 00:11:51,377 That's where the fighting was last month. 259 00:11:51,460 --> 00:11:53,337 - Vorukh. - It's a surrounded enclave. 260 00:11:53,421 --> 00:11:54,797 - Yeah. 261 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:57,133 - The contested border that we were passing 262 00:11:57,216 --> 00:11:58,968 really close to after Batken, 263 00:11:59,051 --> 00:12:02,805 the last flare-up we had really heard about was in May. 264 00:12:02,888 --> 00:12:06,684 - More than 11,500 people have been evacuated 265 00:12:06,767 --> 00:12:08,811 following a flare-up in violence 266 00:12:08,894 --> 00:12:10,646 along its border with Tajikistan, 267 00:12:10,729 --> 00:12:13,941 leaving at least 31 Kyrgyzstani citizens dead 268 00:12:14,024 --> 00:12:16,902 and more than 100 others injured. 269 00:12:17,987 --> 00:12:20,448 - Part of the border conflict here 270 00:12:20,531 --> 00:12:23,117 has to do with management of this lake 271 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:24,785 and the drought this part of the country 272 00:12:24,869 --> 00:12:26,370 has been going through. 273 00:12:28,122 --> 00:12:32,668 - 2020 was the worst drought in 25 years in this region. 274 00:12:34,462 --> 00:12:36,964 Seeing a place that is threatened by climate change, 275 00:12:37,047 --> 00:12:40,092 it makes it that much more real, 276 00:12:40,176 --> 00:12:42,136 that it's not about threatening 277 00:12:42,219 --> 00:12:43,971 our adventures or our recreation. 278 00:12:44,054 --> 00:12:46,182 It's about threatening people's livelihoods 279 00:12:46,265 --> 00:12:48,017 and people's lives. 280 00:12:48,100 --> 00:12:49,852 [tense music] 281 00:12:49,935 --> 00:12:52,646 - Wars are gonna be fought about water. 282 00:12:52,730 --> 00:12:55,691 And that's happening here now. 283 00:12:55,774 --> 00:12:59,695 ♪ ♪ 284 00:12:59,778 --> 00:13:01,197 - You know, it's-- 285 00:13:18,756 --> 00:13:23,552 ♪ ♪ 286 00:13:23,636 --> 00:13:26,889 - Some of our crew got detained, 287 00:13:26,972 --> 00:13:30,684 and so we're outside a little military zone 288 00:13:30,768 --> 00:13:32,311 waiting for them. 289 00:13:37,608 --> 00:13:38,817 - Welcome back. 290 00:13:38,901 --> 00:13:41,070 - Yeah, after a couple hours. 291 00:13:41,153 --> 00:13:43,364 The area we're going is super close 292 00:13:43,447 --> 00:13:46,075 to the strongest part of the conflict. 293 00:13:46,158 --> 00:13:50,412 The local police were pretty concerned about our security. 294 00:13:50,496 --> 00:13:52,540 Yeah, from here I think we probably-- 295 00:13:52,623 --> 00:13:54,333 we just want to be, like, in and out. 296 00:13:54,416 --> 00:13:57,294 You know, like... both: Low-profile. 297 00:13:57,378 --> 00:14:00,256 [tense music] 298 00:14:00,339 --> 00:14:02,633 ♪ ♪ 299 00:14:02,716 --> 00:14:04,218 - We knew that it was going to be difficult 300 00:14:04,301 --> 00:14:05,427 to travel to this place, right? - Yup. 301 00:14:05,511 --> 00:14:09,765 - So now we just need to adapt, just heads up. 302 00:14:09,848 --> 00:14:11,767 If you see something weird, you know, 303 00:14:11,850 --> 00:14:14,979 everybody will be just full-on alarm mode. 304 00:14:15,062 --> 00:14:16,981 - [laughs] - Yeah. 305 00:14:19,275 --> 00:14:20,401 - You're getting these little tidbits 306 00:14:20,484 --> 00:14:21,735 and, trying to, like, read through them all 307 00:14:21,819 --> 00:14:23,571 and figure out what the, like, through line is 308 00:14:23,654 --> 00:14:25,406 and whether it's safe. 309 00:14:25,489 --> 00:14:28,367 We've heard if you're on the road after 5:00 p.m., 310 00:14:28,450 --> 00:14:30,411 they like to shoot at cars. 311 00:14:30,494 --> 00:14:31,704 A couple of days ago, 312 00:14:31,787 --> 00:14:34,915 there was another situation with two soldiers wounded. 313 00:14:34,999 --> 00:14:41,964 ♪ ♪ 314 00:14:43,382 --> 00:14:45,342 - [speaking non-English language] 315 00:14:47,177 --> 00:14:48,596 - Ah, for-- - Customs. 316 00:14:48,679 --> 00:14:50,472 - Oh. - Customs is this way? 317 00:14:50,556 --> 00:14:51,640 Then Uzgurush. 318 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:57,313 We just went through a final military stop, 319 00:14:57,396 --> 00:14:59,440 and it's just feels completely different. 320 00:14:59,523 --> 00:15:01,191 - It's much more rural and-- 321 00:15:01,275 --> 00:15:03,819 - Surrounded by huge peaks. 322 00:15:05,863 --> 00:15:06,905 I'm starting to think it's gonna be 323 00:15:06,989 --> 00:15:09,116 a really hard hike tomorrow. 324 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:12,328 - Had a few hiccups along the way, 325 00:15:12,411 --> 00:15:15,289 but we've arrived in Uzgurush. 326 00:15:15,372 --> 00:15:18,459 And we're in the mountains, and it feels amazing. 327 00:15:18,542 --> 00:15:20,669 - End of the road, beginning of the trail, 328 00:15:20,753 --> 00:15:24,006 and organizing all of our loads for the next few weeks. 329 00:15:24,089 --> 00:15:27,092 [indistinct chatter] 330 00:15:29,762 --> 00:15:33,682 - Adrian is a high-altitude climber 331 00:15:33,766 --> 00:15:35,392 and a mountain guide, 332 00:15:35,476 --> 00:15:37,561 one of the best in the world. 333 00:15:40,397 --> 00:15:44,526 - I've summited 8,000-meter peaks 17 times, 334 00:15:44,610 --> 00:15:46,820 and I've summited Mount Everest eight times, 335 00:15:46,904 --> 00:15:50,157 including once without supplemental oxygen. 336 00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:52,785 Man, I can't believe I did it. 337 00:15:52,868 --> 00:15:54,578 I'm just so gripped right now. 338 00:15:59,291 --> 00:16:01,043 I was born in Cheltenham, England. 339 00:16:01,126 --> 00:16:03,712 My family wasn't an outdoorsy family. 340 00:16:03,796 --> 00:16:06,048 When we moved to America, 341 00:16:06,131 --> 00:16:08,175 I think my parents thought they needed to do things 342 00:16:08,258 --> 00:16:11,387 like camping and fishing. [chuckles] 343 00:16:11,470 --> 00:16:13,013 And we weren't very good at it. 344 00:16:14,348 --> 00:16:15,974 Just learned to get comfortable 345 00:16:16,058 --> 00:16:18,769 in, like, cold, wet New England winter. 346 00:16:18,852 --> 00:16:22,398 ♪ ♪ 347 00:16:30,614 --> 00:16:34,201 There's nowhere where I feel the focus 348 00:16:34,284 --> 00:16:36,537 towards a single goal. 349 00:16:36,620 --> 00:16:38,747 You are not thinking about anything else 350 00:16:38,831 --> 00:16:41,208 except not getting killed on that mountain. 351 00:16:49,007 --> 00:16:51,510 Today we begin our approach to the mountain. 352 00:16:51,593 --> 00:16:53,887 We have 15 miles to cover 353 00:16:53,971 --> 00:16:56,724 and 7,000 feet of vertical ascent 354 00:16:56,807 --> 00:16:59,309 as we go up and down these passes. 355 00:17:01,019 --> 00:17:02,104 That's just day one. 356 00:17:02,187 --> 00:17:04,189 We still have two more full days 357 00:17:04,273 --> 00:17:07,401 with that much or more to get to base camp. 358 00:17:10,779 --> 00:17:14,408 I've planned for so long and think I know so much about 359 00:17:14,491 --> 00:17:17,828 from maps and photos and Google Earth. 360 00:17:17,911 --> 00:17:21,582 This is the moment where reality sets in. 361 00:17:21,665 --> 00:17:23,208 We're on our own. 362 00:17:23,292 --> 00:17:30,299 ♪ ♪ 363 00:17:46,940 --> 00:17:49,318 - We are trying to get over this pass 364 00:17:49,401 --> 00:17:51,945 before we get struck by lightning. 365 00:17:52,029 --> 00:17:53,489 - [chuckles] And it seems to be 366 00:17:53,572 --> 00:17:55,115 coming in fast, but we think 367 00:17:55,199 --> 00:17:57,117 the safest thing is up and over. 368 00:17:57,201 --> 00:17:58,994 So we're gonna find out if we're right. 369 00:17:59,077 --> 00:18:01,997 [thunder rumbling] 370 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:04,792 [tense music] 371 00:18:04,875 --> 00:18:06,418 - The difference between the lightning and thunder 372 00:18:06,502 --> 00:18:08,378 was not even a second. 373 00:18:10,964 --> 00:18:13,884 You could feel the static electricity in the air. 374 00:18:13,967 --> 00:18:20,933 ♪ ♪ 375 00:18:27,189 --> 00:18:30,275 Still going a little bit, but it moved on. 376 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:32,027 It was a little scary, though. - It was definitely legit. 377 00:18:32,110 --> 00:18:33,237 - A little freaked out. 378 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:35,322 - Kind of the first reminder that we're in the mountains. 379 00:18:40,619 --> 00:18:42,162 We have to anticipate those storms are gonna come 380 00:18:42,246 --> 00:18:44,581 every day we're on the wall. 381 00:18:44,665 --> 00:18:46,416 They're gonna be a significant challenge 382 00:18:46,500 --> 00:18:48,877 of how to deal with them safely. 383 00:18:53,298 --> 00:18:55,050 Mountain experience is 384 00:18:55,134 --> 00:18:58,554 they can be so beautiful and so powerful 385 00:18:58,637 --> 00:19:02,391 because of that risk-reward equation. 386 00:19:03,976 --> 00:19:06,979 It's also something that I struggle with. 387 00:19:09,273 --> 00:19:11,400 I was guiding with a Sherpa partner 388 00:19:11,483 --> 00:19:12,568 named Nima Sherpa, 389 00:19:12,651 --> 00:19:16,113 that I'd worked with since my first trips to Nepal. 390 00:19:16,196 --> 00:19:22,035 And he caught one crampon on the pant leg of his other leg 391 00:19:22,119 --> 00:19:25,998 and fell off the ledge, like, exactly in front of me-- 392 00:19:26,081 --> 00:19:27,541 what I would estimate to be 393 00:19:27,624 --> 00:19:30,043 a, you know, 800-foot cliff. 394 00:19:31,336 --> 00:19:32,254 And it was very real. 395 00:19:32,337 --> 00:19:36,049 He had a six-year-old son and a family. 396 00:19:36,133 --> 00:19:38,760 This brought the whole reality of this thing 397 00:19:38,844 --> 00:19:40,762 that I was having so much fun doing 398 00:19:40,846 --> 00:19:43,932 into very stark, like, different terms. 399 00:19:44,016 --> 00:19:46,143 [solemn music] 400 00:19:46,226 --> 00:19:48,604 Whether it's worth it, why I do it, 401 00:19:48,687 --> 00:19:49,897 why we're doing it-- 402 00:19:49,980 --> 00:19:52,566 like, it was so clearly not worth it 403 00:19:52,649 --> 00:19:55,444 to Nima's family. 404 00:19:55,527 --> 00:19:58,906 My risk tolerance today is incredibly different. 405 00:19:58,989 --> 00:20:01,783 And this was the beginning of that change. 406 00:20:01,867 --> 00:20:07,748 ♪ ♪ 407 00:20:13,545 --> 00:20:15,297 - I like my pack. 408 00:20:15,380 --> 00:20:17,799 - I have full cold. My nose is clogged. 409 00:20:17,883 --> 00:20:20,719 My ear's, like, doing the popping thing. 410 00:20:20,802 --> 00:20:23,764 - It's mainly just around my eyes and not in my nose. 411 00:20:23,847 --> 00:20:25,307 - In your nose yet, or in your throat? 412 00:20:25,390 --> 00:20:27,476 - No, nothing. 413 00:20:27,559 --> 00:20:30,020 - It's definitely not normal to me. 414 00:20:30,103 --> 00:20:33,690 - We say high and angled, like, that way. 415 00:20:41,114 --> 00:20:43,951 - Pass number four or five of the trip. 416 00:20:44,034 --> 00:20:45,994 I can't even keep count. 417 00:20:46,078 --> 00:20:50,207 [exhales] That was hard for me today. 418 00:20:50,749 --> 00:20:52,918 Wow, crazy. We came from back there. 419 00:20:55,253 --> 00:20:56,421 I don't think I've felt that weak 420 00:20:56,505 --> 00:20:59,049 on a day hiking in decades. 421 00:21:03,136 --> 00:21:05,639 All the way through that hike, I was telling myself 422 00:21:05,722 --> 00:21:07,891 that, like, it felt hard because we had been traveling 423 00:21:07,975 --> 00:21:10,018 for a week and I was still jetlagged. 424 00:21:11,436 --> 00:21:14,690 I know my body, and something is not right. 425 00:21:14,773 --> 00:21:17,025 [bird calling] 426 00:21:24,032 --> 00:21:25,701 - Okay. 427 00:21:27,953 --> 00:21:29,204 - Yeah, it's definitely positive. 428 00:21:29,288 --> 00:21:30,247 - It's definitely positive? 429 00:21:30,330 --> 00:21:31,498 It came out within three minutes. 430 00:21:31,581 --> 00:21:32,833 No question. 431 00:21:32,916 --> 00:21:34,918 - Like, Emily needs to take one. 432 00:21:35,002 --> 00:21:36,378 Let's see what it says. 433 00:21:36,461 --> 00:21:38,213 But you should definitely take another one. 434 00:21:38,296 --> 00:21:39,548 - Pretty sure. 435 00:21:39,631 --> 00:21:41,967 I'm so sorry, Ems. - It's okay. 436 00:21:42,050 --> 00:21:43,969 I mean, it's no one's fault, right? 437 00:21:44,052 --> 00:21:46,346 We were all negative a few days ago, right? 438 00:21:46,430 --> 00:21:47,597 - Yeah. 439 00:21:47,681 --> 00:21:49,474 - Well, let's hope it's a false positive. 440 00:21:50,809 --> 00:21:52,602 - You took another one? - Yeah. 441 00:21:56,023 --> 00:21:57,941 - You're still looking negative, Em. 442 00:21:59,735 --> 00:22:04,239 Yeah, I'm already positive-- instantly. 443 00:22:06,908 --> 00:22:08,285 Fuck. 444 00:22:12,622 --> 00:22:14,332 Fuck. 445 00:22:14,416 --> 00:22:16,084 [groans] 446 00:22:20,672 --> 00:22:21,923 I've taken a lot of these tests. 447 00:22:22,007 --> 00:22:24,593 I never thought I'd see that. 448 00:22:24,676 --> 00:22:26,261 - We're all testing. We're all vaccinated. 449 00:22:26,344 --> 00:22:32,768 Like, it's just so unlikely-feeling, but... 450 00:22:32,851 --> 00:22:34,603 I think we're all in a little bit of disbelief. 451 00:22:34,686 --> 00:22:36,605 Like, how could this possibly happen? 452 00:22:36,688 --> 00:22:38,648 We took COVID tests before leaving, 453 00:22:38,732 --> 00:22:41,359 while we were in Bishkek, while we were in Osh. 454 00:22:42,527 --> 00:22:44,362 And then here we were on the track, 455 00:22:44,446 --> 00:22:46,782 getting further and further from hospitals, 456 00:22:46,865 --> 00:22:48,450 from medical care, from all these things. 457 00:22:48,533 --> 00:22:50,535 And now we had one person who was COVID-positive. 458 00:22:52,162 --> 00:22:54,539 It all just comes crashing down. 459 00:22:55,624 --> 00:22:57,459 I think the first part of the puzzle 460 00:22:57,542 --> 00:23:00,629 is making sure the local staff doesn't get COVID. 461 00:23:00,712 --> 00:23:01,713 - For sure. 462 00:23:01,797 --> 00:23:04,758 Like, yeah, I feel really strongly. 463 00:23:04,841 --> 00:23:07,135 We have to ensure their safety. 464 00:23:07,219 --> 00:23:10,472 - Yeah, this is fucking out here. 465 00:23:10,555 --> 00:23:12,265 - It's kind of my worst nightmare 466 00:23:12,349 --> 00:23:15,852 to negatively affect a local community. 467 00:23:15,936 --> 00:23:17,395 If my case got worse, 468 00:23:17,479 --> 00:23:19,147 or if other cases happened in the group, 469 00:23:19,231 --> 00:23:21,775 we might not be able to get them to medical care quickly. 470 00:23:24,194 --> 00:23:27,114 We've both worked for almost two years 471 00:23:27,197 --> 00:23:29,825 to get ready for this trip. 472 00:23:29,908 --> 00:23:31,284 - It took so much effort, 473 00:23:31,368 --> 00:23:35,455 but it's just the way the world is right now. 474 00:23:35,539 --> 00:23:38,208 And it's just a stupid climbing expedition. 475 00:23:38,291 --> 00:23:39,459 It's, like, not that big of a deal. 476 00:23:39,543 --> 00:23:41,628 But it is to me. 477 00:23:48,510 --> 00:23:51,304 It just felt so close. 478 00:23:51,388 --> 00:23:58,353 ♪ ♪ 479 00:24:02,232 --> 00:24:04,860 - Uh, yeah, maybe a little bit better. 480 00:24:04,943 --> 00:24:07,779 But sore throat, difficult to swallow, 481 00:24:07,863 --> 00:24:10,198 a little cough, congestion. 482 00:24:10,282 --> 00:24:12,492 My oxygen saturation had actually dropped 483 00:24:12,576 --> 00:24:14,661 into the low 80s. 484 00:24:14,744 --> 00:24:17,330 That's about the same as in the tent. 485 00:24:17,414 --> 00:24:19,791 At home, if you're saturations were less than 90%, 486 00:24:19,875 --> 00:24:22,377 you'd be in the hospital on oxygen. 487 00:24:22,460 --> 00:24:25,630 What was yours? - 92 to 94. 488 00:24:25,714 --> 00:24:27,757 It's pretty normal for this altitude, I think. 489 00:24:29,718 --> 00:24:32,220 - We made the decision that the only safe option 490 00:24:32,304 --> 00:24:34,639 was to go back to the road head 491 00:24:34,723 --> 00:24:37,225 and then see if we can piece together the logistics 492 00:24:37,309 --> 00:24:38,560 to still make an attempt. 493 00:24:38,643 --> 00:24:44,191 But right now, an attempt feels really far away. 494 00:24:48,028 --> 00:24:50,405 That meant three days of walking back 495 00:24:50,488 --> 00:24:54,075 over all the passes we had crossed on the way in, 496 00:24:54,159 --> 00:24:57,454 and then taking a 10-hour drive to Osh, 497 00:24:57,537 --> 00:25:00,373 where we knew there was medical resources 498 00:25:00,457 --> 00:25:02,792 if one of us got even sicker. 499 00:25:05,128 --> 00:25:06,588 It's gonna be okay. 500 00:25:06,671 --> 00:25:10,967 - I know, but this is just such a nightmare. 501 00:25:12,677 --> 00:25:15,764 I've sort of let go of climbing at this point. 502 00:25:15,847 --> 00:25:18,767 Just one step at a time. [chuckles] 503 00:25:23,688 --> 00:25:27,067 - I have officially lost my sense of taste-- 504 00:25:27,150 --> 00:25:29,903 just in case the two positive COVID tests 505 00:25:29,986 --> 00:25:31,905 and the saturations in the 80s 506 00:25:31,988 --> 00:25:33,365 didn't tell us anything. 507 00:25:33,448 --> 00:25:40,413 ♪ ♪ 508 00:25:42,624 --> 00:25:46,419 But I was just so disappointed. 509 00:25:46,503 --> 00:25:47,796 What did I do wrong? 510 00:25:47,879 --> 00:25:50,966 And did I ruin this dream trip for so many people 511 00:25:51,049 --> 00:25:52,801 by being careless somewhere? 512 00:26:02,936 --> 00:26:06,106 - Adrian tested positive for COVID, 513 00:26:06,189 --> 00:26:10,527 and then I tested positive, like, two or three days ago. 514 00:26:10,610 --> 00:26:12,612 - Good news. None of our local staff 515 00:26:12,696 --> 00:26:14,948 has shown any symptoms, 516 00:26:15,031 --> 00:26:16,950 which is what we were mostly afraid of, 517 00:26:17,033 --> 00:26:18,368 since they're unvaccinated. 518 00:26:18,451 --> 00:26:20,245 So that feels really good. 519 00:26:20,328 --> 00:26:23,707 I think we have three or four more days in isolation. 520 00:26:25,041 --> 00:26:27,377 Thank you. See you later on. 521 00:26:31,756 --> 00:26:34,134 It actually took a surprisingly long time 522 00:26:34,217 --> 00:26:36,511 for Emily and I to test negative. 523 00:26:36,594 --> 00:26:38,138 We kind of came to the realization 524 00:26:38,221 --> 00:26:41,308 there was no way time-wise that we could hike back in 525 00:26:41,391 --> 00:26:44,352 and still have an opportunity to climb the mountain. 526 00:26:44,436 --> 00:26:46,438 - We already tried that. 527 00:26:46,521 --> 00:26:48,648 We had a bad experience with COVID. 528 00:26:48,732 --> 00:26:51,484 We're repeating the same behavior that we did before. 529 00:26:51,568 --> 00:26:53,737 So we started looking at helicopter options. 530 00:26:53,820 --> 00:26:55,905 And the helicopter options in Kyrgyzstan 531 00:26:55,989 --> 00:26:59,159 turned out to be really, really complicated. 532 00:26:59,242 --> 00:27:01,161 Just waiting for word 533 00:27:01,244 --> 00:27:03,663 whether we can take the Kyrgyzstan helicopter in. 534 00:27:03,747 --> 00:27:06,624 We got a tiny glimmer of hope, so... 535 00:27:06,708 --> 00:27:08,835 - Just hoping for good news tonight. 536 00:27:11,296 --> 00:27:12,547 - I know you've been getting bits and pieces 537 00:27:12,630 --> 00:27:14,799 of updates from Topo's team 538 00:27:14,883 --> 00:27:16,885 just as this continues to unfold. 539 00:27:16,968 --> 00:27:19,554 Situation right now, we basically don't have 540 00:27:19,637 --> 00:27:21,639 a viable helicopter option 541 00:27:21,723 --> 00:27:24,225 to get everybody back up into camp. 542 00:27:24,309 --> 00:27:27,896 Just essentially put an end to this expedition. 543 00:27:27,979 --> 00:27:29,481 What we're gonna start doing, 544 00:27:29,564 --> 00:27:31,691 kind of planning the exit strategy. 545 00:27:31,775 --> 00:27:33,193 My plan is to have that 546 00:27:33,276 --> 00:27:34,819 kind of detailed out for everybody 547 00:27:34,903 --> 00:27:36,613 by the time you guys all wake up tomorrow-- 548 00:27:36,696 --> 00:27:38,156 tomorrow morning. 549 00:27:38,239 --> 00:27:41,159 [somber music] 550 00:27:41,242 --> 00:27:48,208 ♪ ♪ 551 00:27:53,671 --> 00:27:57,133 - We were packing our bags into the truck 552 00:27:57,217 --> 00:28:01,638 when our local guide, Yusef, came to us and said, 553 00:28:01,721 --> 00:28:03,890 "We can make the heli work. We can do it." 554 00:28:07,018 --> 00:28:09,396 It doesn't seem like we're gonna go home anymore. 555 00:28:10,021 --> 00:28:13,024 - Doesn't seem like we're gonna go home anymore. 556 00:28:13,108 --> 00:28:15,360 - But we were gonna go home, like, a half an hour ago. 557 00:28:15,443 --> 00:28:16,903 [chuckles] 558 00:28:16,986 --> 00:28:19,989 - Yeah, it's the restart to our expedition. 559 00:28:20,073 --> 00:28:21,950 [laughter] 560 00:28:22,033 --> 00:28:25,120 [exciting music] 561 00:28:25,203 --> 00:28:27,956 ♪ ♪ 562 00:28:28,039 --> 00:28:32,085 Yeah, one step closer. One step closer. 563 00:28:32,168 --> 00:28:34,295 Yeah, I like that sound. 564 00:28:34,379 --> 00:28:39,467 ♪ ♪ 565 00:28:39,551 --> 00:28:42,345 We've spent years dreaming about this trip. 566 00:28:44,097 --> 00:28:46,099 And then we spent pretty much a month 567 00:28:46,182 --> 00:28:48,643 trying to get to the objective. 568 00:28:48,726 --> 00:28:49,894 It was exciting. 569 00:28:49,978 --> 00:28:51,312 It was more exciting than it would have been 570 00:28:51,396 --> 00:28:53,273 if everything had gone as planned. 571 00:28:53,356 --> 00:28:56,651 [sweeping music] 572 00:28:56,734 --> 00:28:59,279 It really was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. 573 00:28:59,362 --> 00:29:01,948 ♪ ♪ 574 00:29:02,031 --> 00:29:03,783 You know, as a climber it's sort of, like, 575 00:29:03,867 --> 00:29:05,952 this idyllic-looking challenge. 576 00:29:07,704 --> 00:29:09,831 Look at that. [laughs] 577 00:29:09,914 --> 00:29:10,957 - We were surrounded 578 00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:13,209 by, like, some of the most beautiful granite towers 579 00:29:13,293 --> 00:29:14,669 I've ever seen in my life. 580 00:29:16,087 --> 00:29:17,505 - And that was gonna be our home 581 00:29:17,589 --> 00:29:19,007 for the next two weeks. 582 00:29:19,090 --> 00:29:20,592 It was, like, really hot. 583 00:29:23,845 --> 00:29:25,263 - We spent the morning setting up. 584 00:29:25,346 --> 00:29:27,140 And then me and Em have just been, like, 585 00:29:27,223 --> 00:29:29,017 you know, caged up for so long, we were like, 586 00:29:29,100 --> 00:29:31,311 "We gotta go and at least find the base of the wall." 587 00:29:31,895 --> 00:29:34,814 - [panting] 588 00:29:40,737 --> 00:29:42,947 You see it? - Oh, holy shit. 589 00:29:44,824 --> 00:29:47,911 - It's really intimidating, actually. 590 00:29:47,994 --> 00:29:49,329 I think we should move up a little bit, 591 00:29:49,412 --> 00:29:50,955 and then we can look at a map. - Yep. 592 00:29:54,042 --> 00:29:55,877 The way you ascend a big wall is, 593 00:29:55,960 --> 00:29:59,088 you climb one rope length, and you stop. 594 00:29:59,172 --> 00:30:01,049 And then oftentimes you swap. 595 00:30:01,132 --> 00:30:03,718 And your belayer climbs one rope length and stops. 596 00:30:03,801 --> 00:30:05,428 And then you keep going up like that. 597 00:30:07,639 --> 00:30:10,058 - In order to, like, do a clean ascent, 598 00:30:10,141 --> 00:30:11,601 each one of those rope lengths 599 00:30:11,684 --> 00:30:12,685 she has to climb 600 00:30:12,769 --> 00:30:14,354 without falling. 601 00:30:14,437 --> 00:30:16,189 If she falls, she has to go back down 602 00:30:16,272 --> 00:30:17,190 to the beginning of that pitch 603 00:30:17,273 --> 00:30:20,652 and do it again until she doesn't fall. 604 00:30:20,735 --> 00:30:22,737 - And a lot of times, that is how you fail. 605 00:30:22,820 --> 00:30:25,949 You get stuck at a pitch and you can't complete it. 606 00:30:26,032 --> 00:30:27,700 You know, sometimes you continue, and then you say, 607 00:30:27,784 --> 00:30:30,870 "Well, I freed every pitch except this one pitch." 608 00:30:30,954 --> 00:30:33,331 But that wasn't my goal. 609 00:30:35,959 --> 00:30:39,128 So in my ideal world, we could free climb 610 00:30:39,212 --> 00:30:41,256 the route in its entirety. 611 00:30:41,339 --> 00:30:42,924 And you don't return to the ground 612 00:30:43,007 --> 00:30:44,259 until you've reached the top. 613 00:30:44,342 --> 00:30:46,553 So we're going straight underneath that wet streak. 614 00:30:46,636 --> 00:30:48,471 And then it-- you're definitely gonna trend 615 00:30:48,555 --> 00:30:50,348 over into that corner system right there. 616 00:30:50,431 --> 00:30:51,307 And that's where that... 617 00:30:51,391 --> 00:30:52,934 I had a lot of doubts on pitch two, 618 00:30:53,017 --> 00:30:54,936 because it was this really long pitch. 619 00:30:55,019 --> 00:30:58,690 And there were lots of difficult sections. 620 00:30:58,773 --> 00:30:59,691 - I've only climbed probably 621 00:30:59,774 --> 00:31:01,401 three or four pitches of that difficulty, 622 00:31:01,484 --> 00:31:04,737 and they've all taken me weeks of working on them. 623 00:31:04,821 --> 00:31:07,031 So you see these big corners? - Uh-huh. 624 00:31:07,115 --> 00:31:10,326 - Then it goes-- - And then it goes left. 625 00:31:10,410 --> 00:31:11,953 I see the Kyrg Monster. 626 00:31:13,663 --> 00:31:14,831 For me, the Kyrg Monster 627 00:31:14,914 --> 00:31:17,083 was one of the hardest parts of the climb. 628 00:31:17,166 --> 00:31:19,961 It's named after this famous pitch 629 00:31:20,044 --> 00:31:23,256 on El Capitan in Yosemite called the Monster Offwidth. 630 00:31:25,341 --> 00:31:27,969 It's this type of climbing called wide climbing. 631 00:31:28,052 --> 00:31:30,555 It's something that I've always struggled with. 632 00:31:30,638 --> 00:31:32,640 You're literally having to wedge your body 633 00:31:32,724 --> 00:31:35,184 inside of it and inch your way up. 634 00:31:35,268 --> 00:31:39,439 And it's so, so uncomfortable. 635 00:31:39,522 --> 00:31:40,940 I've spent 2 1/2 hours 636 00:31:41,024 --> 00:31:43,985 on the Monster Offwidth on El Cap. 637 00:31:44,068 --> 00:31:45,320 It's a necessary evil 638 00:31:45,403 --> 00:31:47,322 when it comes to big-wall climbing. 639 00:31:52,702 --> 00:31:55,330 Oh my God, it feels so fucking good to climb! 640 00:31:56,873 --> 00:32:00,376 - So I think it's probably a mix of being so psyched 641 00:32:00,460 --> 00:32:02,503 to be on the rock after all this. 642 00:32:02,587 --> 00:32:06,341 But also, it doesn't feel quite as natural as it usually does. 643 00:32:06,424 --> 00:32:09,802 - Not 100% sure where to go. 644 00:32:09,886 --> 00:32:12,847 - This 3,000 feet or so of climbing above us, 645 00:32:12,930 --> 00:32:15,308 we're playing on the first hundred feet. 646 00:32:15,391 --> 00:32:20,063 ♪ ♪ 647 00:32:20,146 --> 00:32:22,815 - This style of climbing is called free climbing, 648 00:32:22,899 --> 00:32:25,985 which means using our hands and feet to ascend, 649 00:32:26,069 --> 00:32:29,072 and the rope only in case of a fall. 650 00:32:29,155 --> 00:32:30,323 And so that's not to be confused 651 00:32:30,406 --> 00:32:32,450 with free soloing, which is free climbing, 652 00:32:32,533 --> 00:32:33,868 but without a rope. 653 00:32:33,951 --> 00:32:36,454 [screams] 654 00:32:37,789 --> 00:32:39,582 - You all right? - Yeah. 655 00:32:42,877 --> 00:32:45,713 There is a risk of bad falls. 656 00:32:45,797 --> 00:32:48,925 And the consequence can be pretty high. 657 00:32:50,134 --> 00:32:52,512 - You're on belay. We'll just start romping. 658 00:32:52,595 --> 00:32:54,722 - Okay, we'll hopefully romp. 659 00:32:54,806 --> 00:32:56,724 I don't like the first pitch, at least... 660 00:32:56,808 --> 00:32:58,476 - Well, I love it, so... - You do? 661 00:32:58,559 --> 00:33:00,937 - Between the two of us, we're balanced. 662 00:33:01,020 --> 00:33:02,897 Yeah, it's like one of my favorite pitches actually. 663 00:33:02,980 --> 00:33:04,649 - Really? 664 00:33:09,278 --> 00:33:13,324 - So injury to the left elbow, injury to the left leg. 665 00:33:13,408 --> 00:33:15,201 - I can wiggle my feet. I can feel everything. 666 00:33:16,452 --> 00:33:18,538 - So I just got, like, this text message. 667 00:33:18,621 --> 00:33:21,082 "Emily fell. It's not okay." 668 00:33:21,165 --> 00:33:23,793 It was one of the hardest, scariest moments of my life. 669 00:33:23,876 --> 00:33:25,128 And like, I didn't know 670 00:33:25,211 --> 00:33:29,215 my brain could think that much in 30 minutes. 671 00:33:29,298 --> 00:33:33,094 She slipped and took a 50-foot fall, 672 00:33:33,177 --> 00:33:37,223 and hit a ledge before the rope caught her fall. 673 00:33:37,306 --> 00:33:39,517 No broken bones. - No broken bones. 674 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:41,310 We don't think--no. 675 00:33:41,394 --> 00:33:43,062 - I think you got a massive rope burn 676 00:33:43,146 --> 00:33:44,230 around your neck. 677 00:33:45,273 --> 00:33:46,941 It was the most serious accident 678 00:33:47,024 --> 00:33:48,818 I'd ever had in climbing. 679 00:33:48,901 --> 00:33:52,196 But I walked away. I got really lucky. 680 00:33:53,823 --> 00:33:55,616 It's still in my head. 681 00:33:57,827 --> 00:34:01,497 But at the same time, it was my mistake. 682 00:34:01,581 --> 00:34:03,249 You know, a lot of times, things aren't in your control, 683 00:34:03,332 --> 00:34:04,917 like rock fall. 684 00:34:06,169 --> 00:34:07,628 You can be pretty traumatized from that 685 00:34:07,712 --> 00:34:09,630 because you don't know when it's gonna happen again. 686 00:34:14,051 --> 00:34:16,262 - What the fuck? - What's that noise? 687 00:34:17,889 --> 00:34:19,640 - Oh, my God. 688 00:34:19,724 --> 00:34:22,185 [boulders tumbling] 689 00:34:22,268 --> 00:34:24,479 - Rock! - Oh! 690 00:34:31,110 --> 00:34:32,570 - Rockfall, or loose rock 691 00:34:32,653 --> 00:34:33,821 on a big vertical wall like this, 692 00:34:33,905 --> 00:34:36,407 like, it's one of the ways that I've come closest 693 00:34:36,491 --> 00:34:38,618 to getting myself killed in the mountains. 694 00:34:40,787 --> 00:34:42,622 When anything comes down 695 00:34:42,705 --> 00:34:45,166 from, like, baseball-sized or bigger, 696 00:34:45,249 --> 00:34:48,169 if it hits you it will kill you. 697 00:34:48,252 --> 00:34:50,338 - Oh, there it is. Look at it. 698 00:34:51,422 --> 00:34:52,715 I just don't think this rain is 699 00:34:52,799 --> 00:34:54,634 the kind that's gonna go away. 700 00:34:57,136 --> 00:34:58,346 - Topo, Tico, if you copy, 701 00:34:58,429 --> 00:35:02,016 we're gonna begin moving downwards, Emza. 702 00:35:02,099 --> 00:35:04,519 Wisely done leading today. 703 00:35:08,272 --> 00:35:11,692 - You kind of have to just keep forging ahead. 704 00:35:11,776 --> 00:35:14,737 There are a lot of factors that are out of our control. 705 00:35:25,915 --> 00:35:29,252 - I really don't think it's rope draggy. 706 00:35:29,335 --> 00:35:31,712 And then remind me-- went pretty far right. 707 00:35:31,796 --> 00:35:32,713 [man shouting] 708 00:35:32,797 --> 00:35:34,382 [together] Rock! 709 00:35:34,465 --> 00:35:37,468 [boulders tumbling and crashing] 710 00:36:06,122 --> 00:36:09,750 - I've spent the last 25 years of my life 711 00:36:09,834 --> 00:36:13,212 trying to avoid uncontrollable risk. 712 00:36:15,506 --> 00:36:18,175 There's no escape if we're in the middle of that slope 713 00:36:18,259 --> 00:36:20,303 when something falls out of that gully. 714 00:36:29,687 --> 00:36:31,772 - It's the process of analyzing the risk 715 00:36:31,856 --> 00:36:34,817 and making decisions around that risk. 716 00:36:36,319 --> 00:36:39,655 If everything was perfectly safe and comfortable and easy, 717 00:36:39,739 --> 00:36:42,617 all of these things would lose their allure. 718 00:36:42,700 --> 00:36:46,412 ♪ ♪ 719 00:36:46,495 --> 00:36:48,748 - Me and Emily ultimately decided we were willing 720 00:36:48,831 --> 00:36:50,708 to go through the rockfall potential 721 00:36:50,791 --> 00:36:52,627 one more time. 722 00:36:52,710 --> 00:36:54,337 It was worth it for the goal 723 00:36:54,420 --> 00:36:56,756 that we had worked so hard for. 724 00:36:58,716 --> 00:36:59,634 We're gonna take that risk, 725 00:36:59,717 --> 00:37:01,135 but it doesn't mean it goes away 726 00:37:01,219 --> 00:37:03,012 in your brain or your heart. 727 00:37:05,598 --> 00:37:07,767 - I'm just gonna lay like this. 728 00:37:08,643 --> 00:37:10,269 I feel fine when I lay down. 729 00:37:12,396 --> 00:37:16,442 I woke up with this really weird, like, vertigo. 730 00:37:16,525 --> 00:37:18,778 I just am really dizzy if I move too fast 731 00:37:18,861 --> 00:37:22,114 or move my head too fast. 732 00:37:22,198 --> 00:37:23,950 And I can't get rid of it. 733 00:37:25,034 --> 00:37:26,744 I'm leaning towards still going, 734 00:37:26,827 --> 00:37:29,413 just 'cause we only have this short weather window. 735 00:37:29,497 --> 00:37:32,541 It's taken a lot of time and energy 736 00:37:32,625 --> 00:37:34,251 just to get to this point. 737 00:37:36,587 --> 00:37:38,005 - I guess we got good news and bad news. 738 00:37:38,089 --> 00:37:40,466 The good news is, for the first morning in six weeks, 739 00:37:40,549 --> 00:37:41,759 there's not a cloud in the sky. 740 00:37:41,842 --> 00:37:43,886 Bad news? - I don't feel good. 741 00:37:45,429 --> 00:37:47,056 - Em's still having some dizziness... 742 00:37:47,139 --> 00:37:48,683 - I feel really dizzy. - Stuff going on. 743 00:37:48,766 --> 00:37:52,019 - I'm trying to fight it and pretend it's not there. 744 00:37:52,103 --> 00:37:53,938 Just have to start walking, maybe. 745 00:37:54,021 --> 00:37:55,648 - Yeah, let's do it. 746 00:37:55,731 --> 00:37:57,024 - Okay. 747 00:37:58,693 --> 00:38:00,152 - Fine with it. 748 00:38:00,236 --> 00:38:02,863 - It was nerves, and it was stress. 749 00:38:04,699 --> 00:38:08,411 It was really just my body and brain freaking out. 750 00:38:09,745 --> 00:38:15,835 You know, not trusting myself, wanting to succeed too badly. 751 00:38:15,918 --> 00:38:20,381 ♪ ♪ 752 00:38:20,464 --> 00:38:22,049 We were planning on-- 753 00:38:22,133 --> 00:38:24,218 hoping to have five days on the wall. 754 00:38:24,301 --> 00:38:28,764 We wanted to spend one night on a ledge at pitch eight, 755 00:38:28,848 --> 00:38:31,350 and then set up camp on the bare ledge up higher. 756 00:38:34,645 --> 00:38:37,857 - Double back through both. Just back through. 757 00:38:37,940 --> 00:38:39,900 Wow, fuck, it's been so long to get here. 758 00:38:39,984 --> 00:38:41,944 I feel like I might puke. - I know, It's like nerves. 759 00:38:45,114 --> 00:38:46,907 Yes, Adrian! Perfect! 760 00:38:46,991 --> 00:38:51,370 Stand up! So good! 761 00:38:51,454 --> 00:38:53,039 Now you step right. 762 00:38:54,582 --> 00:38:56,542 Nicely done, Adrian. - Fuck, yeah. 763 00:38:56,625 --> 00:38:59,086 - Good job. - One down! 764 00:39:01,130 --> 00:39:04,425 - I followed and was actually super stressed and nervous. 765 00:39:07,219 --> 00:39:09,764 Got through it just fine and arrived at the belay 766 00:39:09,847 --> 00:39:10,931 and was like, "Oh my God, this is gonna be 767 00:39:11,015 --> 00:39:12,391 "a long climb, 768 00:39:12,475 --> 00:39:16,187 'cause I am just not feeling on." 769 00:39:19,607 --> 00:39:20,900 Just takes so much mental energy. 770 00:39:20,983 --> 00:39:22,526 And I'm like, I don't know if I have it. 771 00:39:24,570 --> 00:39:26,864 [exhales heavily] Okay. 772 00:39:26,947 --> 00:39:29,283 Pitch two is a 45-meter face climb, 773 00:39:29,366 --> 00:39:31,118 so there's no cracks. 774 00:39:31,202 --> 00:39:32,912 The holds are all really, really tiny. 775 00:39:32,995 --> 00:39:35,998 - All right now. Nice and confident. 776 00:39:43,380 --> 00:39:45,049 - [whispering] Fucking stop panicking. 777 00:39:46,050 --> 00:39:49,887 It's really intricate climbing. 778 00:39:49,970 --> 00:39:51,222 Put your feet in the right place 779 00:39:51,305 --> 00:39:53,641 at exactly the right time in the right order. 780 00:39:58,521 --> 00:40:00,815 Everything has to be pretty perfect. 781 00:40:05,736 --> 00:40:07,113 I'm nervous. 782 00:40:07,196 --> 00:40:14,161 ♪ ♪ 783 00:40:15,413 --> 00:40:18,415 [panting] 784 00:40:20,543 --> 00:40:27,550 ♪ ♪ 785 00:40:34,640 --> 00:40:36,392 [whispering] Come on, Emily. 786 00:40:36,475 --> 00:40:38,686 Now move to your left. 787 00:40:38,769 --> 00:40:40,729 Relax, you can do it. 788 00:40:40,813 --> 00:40:47,778 ♪ ♪ 789 00:40:56,120 --> 00:40:58,372 - Yeah! - Oh, my God. 790 00:40:58,455 --> 00:41:01,792 That's fucked up. - Good work, Em. 791 00:41:01,876 --> 00:41:03,252 - I made it through The Crux, 792 00:41:03,335 --> 00:41:05,045 and there was this relief. 793 00:41:05,129 --> 00:41:07,214 I think I can do this. 794 00:41:07,298 --> 00:41:09,592 Off belay! 795 00:41:10,801 --> 00:41:14,555 - Fuck yes. - Oh, man. That was a fight. 796 00:41:14,638 --> 00:41:17,600 Holy shit. [exhales heavily] 797 00:41:19,101 --> 00:41:21,604 And then, you know, the fear and anxiety sets in, 798 00:41:21,687 --> 00:41:23,647 because you look up, and you're like, "Oh, wow. 799 00:41:23,731 --> 00:41:27,109 You know, I have another 2,800 feet of climbing left." 800 00:41:29,778 --> 00:41:31,489 - I knew that pitch was gonna be 801 00:41:31,572 --> 00:41:33,699 very difficult for me to ascend, 802 00:41:33,782 --> 00:41:35,534 which I kind of knew coming in, 803 00:41:35,618 --> 00:41:37,661 but you never know until you really get on it. 804 00:41:39,455 --> 00:41:41,332 [groans] 805 00:41:43,417 --> 00:41:47,838 God. [groaning] 806 00:41:52,176 --> 00:41:53,802 It was too hard for me. 807 00:41:53,886 --> 00:41:55,095 There was no way we were gonna risk 808 00:41:55,179 --> 00:41:56,722 missing this weather window. 809 00:41:58,390 --> 00:41:59,850 The only way Em was gonna have a shot 810 00:41:59,934 --> 00:42:01,602 was if I backed off and sacrificed 811 00:42:01,685 --> 00:42:03,812 a little bit of my time. 812 00:42:05,189 --> 00:42:08,067 We've got a big mountain to climb. 813 00:42:08,150 --> 00:42:10,736 I don't even know if I can do it from there. 814 00:42:10,819 --> 00:42:13,072 - I don't think you should be that bummed. 815 00:42:13,155 --> 00:42:15,074 I thought it was fucking hard. 816 00:42:16,492 --> 00:42:18,410 I wanted every pitch still. 817 00:42:18,494 --> 00:42:20,120 But if I didn't send a pitch, 818 00:42:20,204 --> 00:42:22,164 I was willing to let it go to make sure 819 00:42:22,248 --> 00:42:23,707 the team could keep moving. 820 00:42:25,834 --> 00:42:28,337 - In a way, he was doing what he does best, 821 00:42:28,420 --> 00:42:30,631 which is helping other people 822 00:42:30,714 --> 00:42:33,467 be successful in the mountains. 823 00:42:33,550 --> 00:42:35,427 - Oh, I'm so happy for you. 824 00:42:35,511 --> 00:42:36,845 That was amazing. - Thank you. 825 00:42:36,929 --> 00:42:38,472 - So proud of you. 826 00:42:39,974 --> 00:42:41,558 - I was in a mode at that point. 827 00:42:41,642 --> 00:42:45,020 I was moving well, I was climbing well. 828 00:42:45,104 --> 00:42:47,648 I was still very much trying to not get ahead of myself. 829 00:42:50,693 --> 00:42:52,278 - Do it. Do it. 830 00:42:52,361 --> 00:42:54,280 - The pitches are just so long. 831 00:42:58,867 --> 00:43:00,202 If I'm feeling tired 832 00:43:00,286 --> 00:43:03,330 or if I'm starting to feel doubt creep in, 833 00:43:03,414 --> 00:43:07,209 I try to block everything out except for one word, 834 00:43:07,293 --> 00:43:08,669 and that word is "yes." 835 00:43:10,379 --> 00:43:12,506 I say that word in my head. 836 00:43:12,589 --> 00:43:19,555 ♪ ♪ 837 00:43:28,522 --> 00:43:31,150 It helps me, like, hold on tighter. 838 00:43:31,233 --> 00:43:33,027 I don't know how else to describe that, 839 00:43:33,110 --> 00:43:35,321 but I've been doing it since I was 12 years old. 840 00:43:35,404 --> 00:43:37,114 I just call it "the yes factor." 841 00:43:37,197 --> 00:43:43,287 ♪ ♪ 842 00:43:43,370 --> 00:43:45,080 [grunts] 843 00:43:46,290 --> 00:43:53,339 ♪ ♪ 844 00:44:00,429 --> 00:44:02,014 [exhales] 845 00:44:03,515 --> 00:44:10,439 ♪ ♪ 846 00:44:20,115 --> 00:44:21,992 [whimpers] I'm scared. 847 00:44:23,994 --> 00:44:27,831 Okay. Looks like we're done. 848 00:44:29,917 --> 00:44:32,086 And then the final pitch of that day 849 00:44:32,169 --> 00:44:35,923 was pitch seven, the Kyrg Monster. 850 00:44:36,006 --> 00:44:37,883 All right, you're climbing. 851 00:44:39,927 --> 00:44:43,138 I had been thinking about that pitch for days. 852 00:44:43,222 --> 00:44:50,229 ♪ ♪ 853 00:45:02,032 --> 00:45:04,118 - Take? 854 00:45:04,201 --> 00:45:05,786 Is that what you said? - Yeah. 855 00:45:05,869 --> 00:45:07,663 - Gotcha. 856 00:45:10,416 --> 00:45:12,543 I think I got 15 feet 857 00:45:12,626 --> 00:45:13,961 before I was completely exhausted 858 00:45:14,044 --> 00:45:15,379 and like, "This isn't working." 859 00:45:16,922 --> 00:45:18,173 Can you lower? 860 00:45:18,257 --> 00:45:19,842 - You don't want to think about it? 861 00:45:19,925 --> 00:45:21,718 - I just couldn't climb it. 862 00:45:21,802 --> 00:45:22,970 - You were climbing it. 863 00:45:23,053 --> 00:45:24,346 - No, I was barely moving. 864 00:45:24,430 --> 00:45:27,182 Like, you see how far I got? - Yeah, no, of course I did. 865 00:45:29,351 --> 00:45:30,602 - It's one of those moments 866 00:45:30,686 --> 00:45:33,439 where the doubt starts to creep in. 867 00:45:33,522 --> 00:45:36,108 What if I am not gonna get through it? 868 00:45:39,111 --> 00:45:40,988 It's still so hard. 869 00:45:41,071 --> 00:45:43,198 And it's not gonna get any easier. 870 00:45:43,282 --> 00:45:45,826 So I just needed to grit my teeth and do it. 871 00:45:50,706 --> 00:45:53,750 [panting] 872 00:45:55,919 --> 00:45:57,421 - Come on. 873 00:45:59,548 --> 00:46:01,008 Come on. 874 00:46:01,091 --> 00:46:03,552 - I don't feel safe. - You're safe. I promise. 875 00:46:07,431 --> 00:46:09,516 You're safe. 876 00:46:09,600 --> 00:46:10,684 Do what you do. 877 00:46:10,768 --> 00:46:15,481 Get it back and clip or place your stake, 878 00:46:15,564 --> 00:46:18,817 whichever one feels easier. 879 00:46:18,901 --> 00:46:21,278 - Either one. - Come on, Em. 880 00:46:21,361 --> 00:46:24,490 ♪ ♪ 881 00:46:24,573 --> 00:46:25,991 - I got through that section 882 00:46:26,074 --> 00:46:29,661 and became really scared that I was gonna fall. 883 00:46:29,745 --> 00:46:31,371 And I didn't know if I had the energy 884 00:46:31,455 --> 00:46:33,832 or strength to repeat it. 885 00:46:33,916 --> 00:46:40,923 ♪ ♪ 886 00:46:50,307 --> 00:46:55,646 - Come on, Em. Come on, come on. 887 00:47:00,275 --> 00:47:01,985 You got it. 888 00:47:06,698 --> 00:47:07,991 - I was really afraid 889 00:47:08,075 --> 00:47:09,868 that I was gonna blow it on the final, final move 890 00:47:09,952 --> 00:47:12,996 of this pitch that I'd spent so much energy on. 891 00:47:13,080 --> 00:47:15,624 But I couldn't really reach the ending hold. 892 00:47:16,959 --> 00:47:23,799 ♪ ♪ 893 00:47:32,516 --> 00:47:35,060 [wind rushing] 894 00:47:39,815 --> 00:47:43,443 - Emily, trust yourself! 895 00:47:44,152 --> 00:47:46,905 - [screaming] 896 00:47:46,989 --> 00:47:50,200 Fuck yeah! 897 00:47:50,284 --> 00:47:52,452 Whoo! 898 00:47:52,911 --> 00:47:55,289 - Fuck yeah! - Please don't break. 899 00:47:58,000 --> 00:48:00,502 I'm so psyched. I tried so hard. 900 00:48:00,586 --> 00:48:02,129 Oh, my God. 901 00:48:02,212 --> 00:48:05,674 And I knew that I didn't have another try in me. 902 00:48:05,757 --> 00:48:10,470 [chuckles] Oh, my God. 903 00:48:10,554 --> 00:48:13,181 Oh, that was insane. 904 00:48:16,059 --> 00:48:17,686 Jesus. 905 00:48:17,769 --> 00:48:19,479 You know, that could have resulted in a failure 906 00:48:19,563 --> 00:48:23,442 on free climbing the entire wall. 907 00:48:23,525 --> 00:48:27,279 And having that under my belt gave me a lot of confidence. 908 00:48:27,362 --> 00:48:30,282 [uplifting music] 909 00:48:30,365 --> 00:48:33,285 ♪ ♪ 910 00:48:33,368 --> 00:48:36,538 - You good? - Yeah. 911 00:48:36,622 --> 00:48:38,457 We're gonna set up camp right here. 912 00:48:38,540 --> 00:48:41,501 I'm tired and hungry and cold. 913 00:48:41,585 --> 00:48:43,170 We've got a lot of work to do, 914 00:48:43,253 --> 00:48:44,713 but it's kind of just part of it. 915 00:48:44,796 --> 00:48:50,510 ♪ ♪ 916 00:48:50,594 --> 00:48:52,012 Whoa. 917 00:48:52,095 --> 00:48:58,727 ♪ ♪ 918 00:48:58,810 --> 00:49:01,855 There's a really unique kind of fear that you have 919 00:49:01,938 --> 00:49:05,317 when you realize that you're capable of something-- 920 00:49:05,400 --> 00:49:06,818 - I might not move again. - It's pretty nice. 921 00:49:06,902 --> 00:49:07,819 - You should try it. 922 00:49:07,903 --> 00:49:09,780 You haven't laid down here. - I haven't. 923 00:49:09,863 --> 00:49:10,947 I am laying down. - Oh. 924 00:49:11,031 --> 00:49:13,617 - The desire to achieve it is that much stronger. 925 00:49:13,700 --> 00:49:20,666 ♪ ♪ 926 00:49:25,295 --> 00:49:27,714 I slept really good in the ledges. 927 00:49:27,798 --> 00:49:29,883 Maybe the best night of sleep we've had so far. 928 00:49:29,966 --> 00:49:32,761 - In five weeks or six weeks. - Which is awesome. 929 00:49:32,844 --> 00:49:34,012 Today, we're just hoping to make it 930 00:49:34,096 --> 00:49:37,099 up two pitches with all our stuff 931 00:49:37,182 --> 00:49:39,851 to establish kind of our final camp. 932 00:49:39,935 --> 00:49:42,896 [tense music] 933 00:49:44,272 --> 00:49:45,732 - Once you're getting that high off the ground, 934 00:49:45,816 --> 00:49:48,068 you're also adding all these risks. 935 00:49:48,151 --> 00:49:49,861 It has rockfall, it has weather, 936 00:49:49,945 --> 00:49:52,239 it has all these additional facets. 937 00:49:52,322 --> 00:49:58,578 ♪ ♪ 938 00:49:58,662 --> 00:50:01,373 - Rock! - Ugh. 939 00:50:03,125 --> 00:50:04,835 Let me know if you move much further left. 940 00:50:04,918 --> 00:50:06,628 - Okay. 941 00:50:06,712 --> 00:50:09,214 - Think I'm in a good position. 942 00:50:09,297 --> 00:50:11,049 - Ropes don't get cut very often, 943 00:50:11,133 --> 00:50:12,759 but that's--pretty much the only way 944 00:50:12,843 --> 00:50:14,302 is through rockfall. 945 00:50:14,386 --> 00:50:18,557 I lost a friend last year. 946 00:50:18,640 --> 00:50:21,852 He was, like, standing on a ledge clipped into a bolt, 947 00:50:21,935 --> 00:50:24,062 and the ledge gave out and cut his rope. 948 00:50:26,314 --> 00:50:28,024 There was literally nothing 949 00:50:28,108 --> 00:50:30,527 that could have been done differently. 950 00:50:30,610 --> 00:50:34,948 [somber music] 951 00:50:35,031 --> 00:50:36,867 And there are things that happen 952 00:50:36,950 --> 00:50:39,536 that take people away from us, 953 00:50:39,619 --> 00:50:42,414 and that could happen to us. 954 00:50:42,497 --> 00:50:46,251 And it's part of the life that we choose to live. 955 00:50:48,211 --> 00:50:52,048 We've all come to accept that in some way. 956 00:50:55,385 --> 00:50:58,305 [dramatic music] 957 00:50:58,388 --> 00:51:05,353 ♪ ♪ 958 00:51:26,875 --> 00:51:29,336 - So we're at pitch 11 ledge. 959 00:51:29,419 --> 00:51:32,589 I'd say we're now officially halfway up. 960 00:51:32,672 --> 00:51:34,132 - We set up camp. 961 00:51:34,216 --> 00:51:38,512 We got here with plenty of time to kind of organize 962 00:51:38,595 --> 00:51:40,347 and make it feel like home. 963 00:51:40,430 --> 00:51:42,849 That said, it still does drop off significantly 964 00:51:42,933 --> 00:51:44,684 all the way to the ground. I'm staying tied in. 965 00:51:44,768 --> 00:51:47,187 [chuckles] - Just to be clear. 966 00:51:52,400 --> 00:51:55,111 Everything's going as planned, which is weird. 967 00:51:55,195 --> 00:51:56,822 I mean, every day we've been here, 968 00:51:56,905 --> 00:51:58,323 except the days we were on the wall, 969 00:51:58,406 --> 00:52:00,492 it's rained every day. 970 00:52:00,575 --> 00:52:02,494 And so we feel pretty lucky. 971 00:52:02,577 --> 00:52:09,543 ♪ ♪ 972 00:52:16,091 --> 00:52:17,259 The ledge that we were sleeping on 973 00:52:17,342 --> 00:52:20,303 basically was just sitting under these teetering blocks 974 00:52:20,387 --> 00:52:21,680 that was this next pitch. 975 00:52:21,763 --> 00:52:24,391 - Good work, Emily! 976 00:52:24,474 --> 00:52:26,893 - Fuck. I'm right under it. 977 00:52:28,645 --> 00:52:30,522 I was definitely, like, knocking on things, 978 00:52:30,605 --> 00:52:32,858 listening for hollow noises, 979 00:52:34,943 --> 00:52:36,528 making sure that it was in solid rock 980 00:52:36,611 --> 00:52:38,196 and not the loose rock. 981 00:52:40,907 --> 00:52:42,784 [bird calls] 982 00:52:42,868 --> 00:52:45,078 So a lot of times in free climbing, 983 00:52:45,161 --> 00:52:48,707 in order to find a passage up the wall, 984 00:52:48,790 --> 00:52:50,959 it entails having to climb down. 985 00:52:51,042 --> 00:52:56,882 ♪ ♪ 986 00:52:56,965 --> 00:52:58,717 You're climbing down, and your feet feel the holds 987 00:52:58,800 --> 00:53:00,302 before your hands feel the holds. 988 00:53:03,013 --> 00:53:04,598 It's just a different movement, 989 00:53:04,681 --> 00:53:06,600 and it's a different kind of trust. 990 00:53:10,228 --> 00:53:11,605 - Another route Emily had done, 991 00:53:11,688 --> 00:53:13,064 called Golden Gate in Yosemite, 992 00:53:13,148 --> 00:53:16,443 we spent two days stuck on the down climb 993 00:53:16,526 --> 00:53:18,612 while she tried to work it out. 994 00:53:18,695 --> 00:53:25,660 ♪ ♪ 995 00:53:46,431 --> 00:53:49,100 [cheering] - Whoo! 996 00:53:49,184 --> 00:53:51,978 Ha! 997 00:53:52,062 --> 00:53:53,939 Oh, I'm psyched. 998 00:53:55,523 --> 00:53:56,608 After the down climb, 999 00:53:56,691 --> 00:53:58,109 the route changes character dramatically. 1000 00:53:58,193 --> 00:54:00,528 You feel so high up. 1001 00:54:01,571 --> 00:54:04,032 Come on, Emily. That knot's good. 1002 00:54:04,115 --> 00:54:05,450 It's good. 1003 00:54:05,533 --> 00:54:12,499 ♪ ♪ 1004 00:54:32,394 --> 00:54:34,688 The rock climbing is so good, 1005 00:54:34,771 --> 00:54:37,983 kind of what you want in a granite pitch. 1006 00:54:38,066 --> 00:54:39,526 And it just so happened to be 1007 00:54:39,609 --> 00:54:42,153 2,500 feet off the ground in Kyrgyzstan. 1008 00:54:43,113 --> 00:54:50,078 ♪ ♪ 1009 00:55:05,802 --> 00:55:07,721 We are four pitches from the summit right now. 1010 00:55:07,804 --> 00:55:08,930 But it's a little late. 1011 00:55:09,014 --> 00:55:13,226 We're gonna go down and spend one more night. 1012 00:55:13,309 --> 00:55:15,437 We had this really big, nice ledge 1013 00:55:15,520 --> 00:55:17,522 that we'd set up camp at. 1014 00:55:17,605 --> 00:55:20,025 We repelled back down and spent that night 1015 00:55:20,108 --> 00:55:22,861 and then were able to go back up to our high point 1016 00:55:22,944 --> 00:55:24,696 the next day. 1017 00:55:24,779 --> 00:55:25,864 I'm really excited to see the summit. 1018 00:55:25,947 --> 00:55:26,865 I feel like we've been dreaming 1019 00:55:26,948 --> 00:55:29,576 about climbing this wall for a while now. 1020 00:55:29,659 --> 00:55:32,162 And so being on the top is gonna be pretty special. 1021 00:55:40,545 --> 00:55:43,506 - Summit day. 1022 00:55:44,299 --> 00:55:47,260 Here on this corner, on this arête, you just look out 1023 00:55:47,343 --> 00:55:50,263 and we can see base camp all the way down there. 1024 00:55:50,346 --> 00:55:53,266 [soft music] 1025 00:55:53,349 --> 00:55:59,939 ♪ ♪ 1026 00:56:00,023 --> 00:56:02,567 - We were at the high point yesterday, 1027 00:56:02,650 --> 00:56:04,861 and it's my turn this morning. 1028 00:56:04,944 --> 00:56:06,529 - Go get it. 1029 00:56:06,613 --> 00:56:09,532 [dramatic music] 1030 00:56:09,616 --> 00:56:16,581 ♪ ♪ 1031 00:56:31,721 --> 00:56:33,556 - And we were just cruising. 1032 00:56:33,640 --> 00:56:34,641 But at the same time, 1033 00:56:34,724 --> 00:56:36,142 the clouds were building up the valley. 1034 00:56:36,226 --> 00:56:39,020 And they were building fast. 1035 00:56:39,104 --> 00:56:40,897 There is no doubt this weather is coming in, 1036 00:56:40,980 --> 00:56:43,233 and it's gonna be an issue for us. 1037 00:56:43,316 --> 00:56:44,859 Hey, Em. - What? 1038 00:56:44,943 --> 00:56:46,152 We're getting pretty late. 1039 00:56:46,236 --> 00:56:48,822 You're gonna climb through. 1040 00:56:48,905 --> 00:56:51,616 Hopefully, Emily can make up a little bit of time, 1041 00:56:51,699 --> 00:56:53,701 since she's obviously a stronger climber. 1042 00:56:56,079 --> 00:56:59,290 ♪ ♪ 1043 00:56:59,374 --> 00:57:01,334 - I was getting a little bit stressed, 1044 00:57:01,417 --> 00:57:04,254 feeling like we were gonna get rained out and snowed on. 1045 00:57:04,337 --> 00:57:06,673 It hasn't looked this way the last four days. 1046 00:57:06,756 --> 00:57:08,508 So we're definitely keeping a heads up 1047 00:57:08,591 --> 00:57:11,344 and trying to move relatively quickly. 1048 00:57:13,930 --> 00:57:15,056 Emily actually had been sitting 1049 00:57:15,140 --> 00:57:16,516 in that belay thinking, 1050 00:57:16,599 --> 00:57:18,184 "Adrian's gonna say it's too dangerous 1051 00:57:18,268 --> 00:57:20,270 and we have to go down." 1052 00:57:20,353 --> 00:57:22,147 I get up there. I'm like, "Okay, I'm going." 1053 00:57:22,230 --> 00:57:24,399 And she just burst out crying. 1054 00:57:24,482 --> 00:57:25,817 "What if we can't summit?" 1055 00:57:25,900 --> 00:57:28,027 I'm like, "We're going to the summit!" 1056 00:57:28,111 --> 00:57:33,032 ♪ ♪ 1057 00:57:33,116 --> 00:57:36,244 - His calm nature is very much a part 1058 00:57:36,327 --> 00:57:39,038 of his background as a mountain guide. 1059 00:57:39,122 --> 00:57:41,875 That's, again, where our partnership shines in a way. 1060 00:57:43,001 --> 00:57:49,299 ♪ ♪ 1061 00:57:49,382 --> 00:57:51,009 - Holy shit. - [chuckles] 1062 00:57:51,092 --> 00:57:53,678 - Oh, my God. [both laugh] 1063 00:57:53,761 --> 00:57:56,556 - Dude! - Whoo! 1064 00:57:56,639 --> 00:57:59,267 - Yeah! Ha-ha! 1065 00:58:00,310 --> 00:58:03,855 Holy shit! 1066 00:58:03,938 --> 00:58:05,690 I'm so proud of you. 1067 00:58:05,773 --> 00:58:07,483 [chuckles] 1068 00:58:07,567 --> 00:58:10,486 [ethereal music] 1069 00:58:10,570 --> 00:58:14,199 ♪ ♪ 1070 00:58:14,282 --> 00:58:16,075 You're the first human being 1071 00:58:16,159 --> 00:58:18,244 to free every pitch of that route. 1072 00:58:18,328 --> 00:58:19,913 How does that feel? 1073 00:58:19,996 --> 00:58:21,456 - I don't know. 1074 00:58:21,539 --> 00:58:23,666 I'll be-- ask me when I'm down. 1075 00:58:36,054 --> 00:58:43,061 ♪ ♪ 1076 00:58:47,690 --> 00:58:48,900 - My favorite moment is 1077 00:58:48,983 --> 00:58:50,401 when everyone's safe in base camp. 1078 00:58:50,485 --> 00:58:52,070 And it's so close now. 1079 00:58:52,153 --> 00:58:53,529 And like, I can feel it. Wow. 1080 00:58:53,613 --> 00:58:54,948 - Oof. 1081 00:58:57,575 --> 00:59:00,245 Okay, let's get out of here. 1082 00:59:00,328 --> 00:59:01,704 [chuckles] - Yeah. 1083 00:59:01,788 --> 00:59:02,872 Just to actually get 1084 00:59:02,956 --> 00:59:05,208 to celebrate this, like, wild accomplishment 1085 00:59:05,291 --> 00:59:07,085 for Emily and for all the team. 1086 00:59:08,711 --> 00:59:11,339 Yeah! [claps] 1087 00:59:11,422 --> 00:59:12,799 Ha-ha! 1088 00:59:12,882 --> 00:59:14,300 - Whoo! - Hi, guys. 1089 00:59:17,971 --> 00:59:22,350 I am truly happiest when I've gone and done something 1090 00:59:22,433 --> 00:59:25,895 that feels full, 1091 00:59:25,979 --> 00:59:29,941 and sort of took me to all the spectrums of emotion, 1092 00:59:30,024 --> 00:59:35,113 where I've been scared, elated, uncomfortable, 1093 00:59:35,196 --> 00:59:37,657 or felt like I'm gonna fail. 1094 00:59:37,740 --> 00:59:39,242 Had to try really hard. 1095 00:59:39,325 --> 00:59:41,953 Whoo! 1096 00:59:42,036 --> 00:59:44,664 Honestly, it just feels that much more rewarding. 1097 00:59:44,747 --> 00:59:48,793 ♪ ♪ 1098 00:59:48,876 --> 00:59:53,840 I hope that that mentality of exploration and curiosity 1099 00:59:53,923 --> 00:59:57,302 and adventure inspires other people 1100 00:59:57,385 --> 00:59:59,345 to kind of find their own-- 1101 00:59:59,429 --> 01:00:00,680 find their own form of that. 1102 01:00:01,806 --> 01:00:03,641 [bird calls] 1103 01:00:07,270 --> 01:00:10,189 [dramatic music] 1104 01:00:10,273 --> 01:00:17,238 ♪ ♪ 1105 01:00:58,321 --> 01:01:00,323 [bright tone]