Valley Uprising

Valley Uprising takes the audience into the famous campgrounds of Yosemite National Park. Taking us right back to the start of big wall rock climbing. Introducing us to the incredible people who pushed the fold every single day. These super humans defy imagination, with each generation pushing the bar higher than before.

Yosemite National Park sits slap bang in the middle of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California. One of the most stunning places of natural beauty in the whole of America. It was due to the work of people like John Muir that made it a National Park and treasure. Yosemite Valley was carved out by glacial movement, leaving behind huge spectacular granite rock outcrops. Names like El Capitan, Half Dome and Sentinel Rock stick in the minds of those who witness these giants. So when the rock climbers of the 1950s were looking to push their boundaries, it was Yosemite that was the obvious choice.

It is fair to say, that the climbing world was always viewed as a pioneering sport. But when a group of highly technical climbers started to test how far they could go, the results were incredible. These giant monoliths had always been seen as the impossible, but climbing legends like Royal Robbins and Warren Harding changed everything forever.

We get to meet some of the most talented climbers ever to walk the earth. Getting a backstage pass that gives a brutally honest account of what makes them tick. The competitive nature that drives them to go harder, faster and take more risks. When Warren Hardings team first ascended El Capitan they attacked it with huge amounts of equipment over a period of a year. But today people like Alex Honnold climb it without any ropes and completely unaided in one push. These super humans extend our beliefs constantly and it is hard to see where it will end.

Overall this is not your usual kind of documentary, the directors have done a brilliant job piecing together the masses of images and footage. The end result is an exhilarating journey of heart-stopping moments that will be hard to forget. I would say that you do not have to be a fan of climbing to like this. The stunning scenery and amazingly complex characters involved keeps you hooked in for the full film. It is quite a lengthy film but I have to say it flies by. If you are looking for something different to watch, then give Valley Uprising a go it will get you very high.

Update: Unfortunately, Valley Uprising is no longer available on Netflix. You can rent it on Amazon but it is not included with the Prime subscription.