A new all-female film production showcases Canadian climber Bronwyn Hodgins’ epic achievement on La Rubia, a gruelling sport climb in southern Spain.
In the uncompromising world of big wall climbing, burnout is not simply a risk—it’s a rite of passage. For 32-year-old Canadian climber and guide Bronwyn Hodgins, the toll came after a string of bold ascents, leaving her drained and directionless. Searching for a shift, she turned away from granite monoliths and toward sport climbing, imagining a less taxing path. But the rock, as usual, had other plans.
La Rubia isn’t just a film about a climb—it’s a study in mental and physical resilience. We follow Hodgins to the sun-baked limestone of southern Spain, where she sets her sights on La Rubia (5.14c / 8c+), a route far beyond what she previously considered her limits. What begins as a physical challenge quickly becomes a major head game and crucible.
The stakes are no longer about sending grades—they’re about furthering her passion without succumbing to additional burnout.
Shot with a rock jock’s eye by Bronwyn’s friend Julia Cassou, the film captures not only the intensity of training, but also the quieter moments: doubts creeping in at dawn, the heavy weight of expectation and the power of showing up, again and again.
La Rubia is a raw portrait of a climber wrestling with obsession, redefining success and learning—sometimes the hard way—that the mind is often the steepest wall of all.
Bios:
Bronwyn Hodgins is a professional climber, rock guide and filmmaker based in Squamish. Known as the first Canadian woman to free climb El Capitan in Yosemite (2018) she has also led remote Big Wall expeditions to Baffin Island, Mexico, Chile and Greenland. When at home, she enjoys teaching advanced climbing courses and is a co-founder of Rock and Rise festival for female and genderqueer climbers.
Bronwyn is an avid storyteller and loves sharing her adventures as a creative outlet to complement her athletic pursuits. She’s given many in-person presentations as well as writing about her exploits, but in recent years has been particularly drawn to documentary filmmaking. In 2021 she co-directed El Gavilan, a film about resurrecting a forgotten adventure climb in Mexico. This all-female film featured in the Banff World Tour among many other international film festivals. For this new project she’s thrilled to step into the lead role of producer and director.
Julia Cassou is a photographer and award-winning cinematographer with a passion for capturing adventure in the world’s most remote landscapes. Originally from southern France, her work has taken her on bold expeditions—sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, capturing first ascents in Greenland, and navigating glaciers and technical rock faces in Patagonia and Pakistan.
After years of storytelling through still images, she has grown increasingly interested in motion projects over the past three years. Her debut film project, Cap Sur El Cap, premiered at the Mountains on Stage world tour in 2022. In 2024 Julia joined Sean Warren, Pete Whittakker and Sean Villenueva O’Dricoll establishing a highly technical 1000m big wall in Greenland. A few months later she headed south to capture an all-female first ascent expedition in northern Patagonia.
As a woman in the adventure film industry, Julia brings a distinct perspective, aiming to challenge the traditional narratives of climbing and expedition filmmaking. For this project, she is making her directorial debut as co-director.
La Rubia is now on a global tour with Mountain on Stage throughout April and May.
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