Ultimate Rush (2011)
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Stephen Schiff — Writer
Episodes 9
The Primal Climb
Climbers Leo Houlding, Jason Pickles and Sean Leary trek deep into the Amazon, venturing to be the first to ascend the east face of the impressive Cerro Autana. In a trip filled with risk and enlightenment, these free spirits soon discover a host of reasons why this summit has never been reached from the east.
Read MoreOne Breath
Free diver William Trubridge fills his lungs to capacity and attempts to be the first man without fins to dive to 300 feet in one breath. Deans Blue Hole in the Bahamas provides a beautiful backdrop, but beneath the surface lays a sport, which can only be mastered with rigorous training and extraordinary physical ability.
Read MoreSteph Davis
Follow the adventures of climber Steph Davis as she pushes past the safety of traditional climbing and learns to fly. The only woman to have free-soloed a 5.11 route, Steph is known for her relentless approach to climbing the sports most challenging routes like "The Diamond" on Colorado's Longs Peak. Inspired by her fear of free-fall, Steph ventured into BASE-jumping and with the help of her husband Mario Richard, pioneered the sport of BASE climbing. After a successful free-solo BASE-climb of Utah's iconic Castleton Tower, Steph decides to take an even bigger leap as...
Read MoreFree and Solo
Few climbers possess the skill and mental resolve that is required to climb 'free solo' and Dean Potter is a legend among these men. With dozens of dangerous ascents under his belt, he knows that without the safety of a rope, his knowledge and skill is paramount to survival. However, Dean also knows that to progress, he needs to tackle more technical routes. Falling has become inevitable, so living by the motto "flying is better than dying" he combines his expertise of climbing and BASE-jumping to dramatic effect.
Read MoreVertical Ice
Ice climber Harald Berger has waited patiently for one of Austria's most awe-inspiring waterfalls to freeze over. 'The Supervisor' is as high as the Eiffel Tower, a cascade of frozen water that entices and threatens through its fragile beauty. But without the security of rope, Harry's ice-pick and wits are all there is between him, a thousand feet of ice and air, and a first ever free solo ascent.
Read MoreThe Witch's Thumb
The art of traditional climbing is the soul of the sport, a self-sustaining endeavor taking many years to perfect. Establishing new routes, learning to lead and protect yourself are hallmarks of the traditional climbing discipline. Join world class "Trad" climber Matt Segal as he and climbing partners, Alex Honnold, Daniel Woods and Renan Ozturk, set out on a ten day expedition through Utah's Green River canyon in search of first ascents in the remote sand stone wilderness and take on the iconic tower known as The Witch's Thumb.
Read MoreThe Towers of Ennedi
For expedition climber Mark Synnott, the intrigue of the exploration is the ultimate thrill. The veteran climber has completed big wall missions to Pakistan, Baffin Island and the Himalayas. Now inspired by the solitary image of an arch-like tower he first saw some ten years earlier Synnott leads two of the worlds most exciting young climbers deep into the dead heart of Africa, on a mission to climb the mythical towers of the Ennedi.
Read MoreThe 45 Towers
Professional climbers Alex Honnold and Cedar Wright embark on a 30-day cycling adventure through the desert southwest to climb 45 of the most difficult sandstone towers the world has to offer. The two-man team will cycle 800 miles and ascend over 12,000 vertical feet, challenging themselves on each tower's most difficult route. Climbing up to 5.13b, these two athletes will push themselves to the brink of exhaustion, enduring high winds and desert sandstorms to achieve a goal that would take, the most hard-core desert climber, a lifetime to achieve.
Read MoreSummit of Antarctica
Rising to 2931 meters in Queen Maud Land, Antarctica - the Ulvetanna Peak is referred to as "the masterpiece of the range". However such a romantic title should not disguise the ferocity of the challenge Leo Houlding, Jason Pickles and Sean Leary have set for themselves. To succeed in being the first climbers to ascend the legendary NE ridge, the expedition must be watertight and the Antarctic weather must be sympathetic to their cause.
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