King Lines - El Pontas

It was always going to be difficult for me, as a non-climber, to review a film like this, which is purely about a climb. But it was chosen as Best Film at ShAFF 2008 and highly praised by the judges, so here goes…

This 13 minute segment from the 60-minute King Lines is about deep water soloing. Filmed on location in Mallorca amid beautiful coastal scenery, it captures Chris Sharma’s challenging ascent of the Es Pontas arch.

Chris, who has been climbing professionally for more than a decade, is hailed as the world’s best rock climber, a pioneer who has mastered some of the most spectacular and difficult routes in the history of the sport. With no real home, he travels the world searching out the most challenging climbs. More than this, it has to be “the most beautiful and creative route – that’s the king line.” For Sharma, the most fascinating part of the climb is the process – “When you first try the climb, you can’t do all the movements, but then you start piecing it together and figuring it out.”

As he attempts the first ever ascent of Es Pontas, climbing inside the arch, Chris falls again and again some 50 feet into the sea. He moves with grace and agility, toes pressing hard into the rock, fingertips searching out tiny crevices. When interviewed during filming, Chris said “What makes this climb so difficult is that you’re upside down. You’re hanging on your arms and your fingertips the whole time. On top of that the wall is absolutely blank for seven feet. You have to actually just leap through the air and stick another hold.”

Lowell and Mortimer’s cinematography is excellent. Daniel Cross provides the original music, which sometimes fades to silence as Chris reaches for his next hold. That’s when you forget to breathe. If you too are a non-climber and want to see what all the fuss is about, try this!