Tom Frost

The American Sportsman was an American television series on ABC that aired from 1965 to 1986 and pioneered the outdoor sports and recreation genre. Hosted by Joe Foss and later the famous Curt Gowdy, the show featured hunting, fishing, and other outdoor adventures every Sunday, often with celebrities from film, sports, or music. The show consisted of filmed reports where the hosts and celebrity guests participated in outdoor activities: freshwater and saltwater fishing, hunting, whitewater kayaking, hang gliding, and even rock climbing. The crew traveled across the United States, Canada, and sometimes abroad, capturing the spirit of adventure and exploration.

From John Muir in the 1860s to today's super-athletes, Vertical Frontier tells the rich and captivating saga of these free-spirited climbers whose contributions to the techniques, equipment, and ethics of mountaineering enabled them to be the first to conquer Yosemite's legendary big walls. Illustrated with spectacular footage, both old and new, shot on these granite walls, the story is told by the climbers whose artistry and relentless determination helped launch a sport now enjoyed by millions around the world, including David Brower, Warren Harding, Royal Robbins, Yvon Chouinard, Tom Frost, Jim Bridwell, Lynn Hill, Hans Florine, Dean Potter, and many others. Their epic feats range from the first ascent of El Capitan, which took 45 days over a year and a half, to today's speed climbers who complete the same route in under three hours.

This entertaining film documents the first ascent of the very difficult South Face of Annapurna, a huge Himalayan wall that the right team could achieve the seemingly impossible. The ascent of the South Face of Annapurna in 1970 was one of those breakthrough ascents - both technically and psychologically. Chris Bonington assembled the cream of British mountaineering and American Tom Frost for the attempt. The documentary is punctuated by wry observation, understatement and cutting humor from a by-gone age when the game of taking huge risks was matched by a determination not to take it too seriously.

1967: Two of the world's best climbers, Yvon Chouinard and Royal Robbins, tackle the west face of Sentinel Rock, an iconic 2,100-meter granite peak located in Yosemite National Park, considered one of the most difficult in the world. The film's atmosphere is immersive, driven by a sober narrative that highlights the intimate relationship between man and the wall. The technical difficulty of the route, the prolonged physical effort, and the isolation reinforce the heroic dimension of this ascent. The documentary also reveals the essential solidarity between the climbers: each progression requires rigor, inventiveness, and total trust in both the equipment and the partner. This film is considered a benchmark in the history of mountain cinema. It testifies to the pioneering spirit of the era and the evolution of climbing techniques, perfectly illustrating the transition to a more athletic and thoughtful approach to large rock faces.

BRAVE NEW WILD is an offbeat chronicle of America’s Golden Age of rock climbing before and after the controversial ascent of the Dawn Wall in 1970. Some forty years later, Oakley Anderson-Moore, the daughter of a pioneering climber, stumbles upon her father's old hi8 tapes, and sets out to answer the question: why climb when there's nothing to gain -- and everything to lose? Wry humor and an eclectic original soundtrack punctuate the delinquent antics of the Vulgarians in the ‘Gunks, the larger-than-life rivalry of Yosemite’s rock gods, and the fruit tramping, freight train hopping hobodom of her dad’s climbing life. This film is quintessential viewing for those who long for adventure.