More than 20 years ago, South African mountaineer Bobby Woods pulled off a dramatic feat of endurance—climbing three of the Western Cape’s sheerest peaks in 24 hours, without equipment, solo.
The unearthing of a film about this unbelievable mission inspires two South African mountain hotshots—Andy Court and the late Teodor Iliev—to step up and investigate modern trad- and speed-climbing techniques to see if the 20-year-old challenge is really as monumental as it sounds.
The film by Garrreth Bird is thrilling and gut-wrenching.
The three routes are Frontal on Klein Winterhoek, North West Frontal on the Du Toits Massif and Exposure in F major on the Witteberg. The challenge included 40-plus km of rough off-trail hiking, over 1000m of speed-climbing on three peaks, 14 abseils—not to mention one and a half hours of driving in between the walls.
Feeling that their slightly safer approach allows them to skimp a little on preparation, the climbers put their “we can only try” philosophy to the ultimate test. Things start well and all seems to be on track … until darkness falls, halfway up the biggest and hardest wall.
The film puts the viewer front and centre on a mission that redefines backyard adventure.
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