Marc-André Leclerc climbs alone, far from the limelight. The free-spirited 23-year-old makes some of the boldest solo ascents in history. With no cameras and no margin for error, Leclerc’s approach is the essence of solo adventure.
Marc-André Leclerc (M.A.), a solo Alpine climber from Canada, caught filmmaker Peter Mortimer’s (“The Dawn Wall”) attention by “completing a 4,000 ft route of ice and rock in one of the harshest environments on earth; Patagonia.” Introverted and focused on his craft, M.A. avoided publicity and unlike most social media climbers, didn’t film his ascents. The documentary came to fruition when Mortimer convinced the young climber to allow his ascents to be filmed.
Back in the 1950s, reaching the peak was passé; it was all about how one reached the top, spawning Alpinism. Alpinism is the art of climbing large mountains in the lightest or fastest manner. Forming new routes and trails made a name for some people but also pushed others too far. Due to the danger of this sport, it is one of the deadliest activities on Earth.
M.A. was born in the Squamish, British Columbia, a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts. With a head of curly hair and a sweet grin, M.A. climbed the various cliffs with his girlfriend Brette Harrington. The couple lived off the land in a tent, close to their favorite routes. Mortimer films M.A. embarking on more adventures, like making camp in an ice cave. Solo ice-climbing is rarely attempted because of the shifting and unpredictable nature of frozen water. Well M.A., a pioneer, made things more challenging by combining ice-climbing with rock climbing. Using the tiny spikes of his ice axes, he’s easily able to ascend both rock and ice.
Patagonia’s Torre Egger – considered the hardest summit in the Western hemisphere — during the winter is the harshest time to climb, let alone doing it solo. Mortimer stayed behind while M.A.’s climbing partner Austin tagged along to film his summit with one camera. In mountain ranges like the Andes, it is not enough for the climbers to just hold on, there are avalanches and other dangerous elements.
Between its charming subject and its vertigo-inducing footage, this documentary will please both climbers and non-climbers alike. For multiple scenes, I was holding my breath watching M.A.’s precarious movements. Also, being unable to travel for more than a year, it is great to see various beautiful places onscreen. For a lot of climbers, it’s about social media clout, but for M.A., it was spiritual. M.A.’s mother pointed out he wasn’t capable of handling a standard 9-5 job. Studies on work-life balance have proven people shouldn’t work as much and need more time to pursue arts or engage in leisurely activities. “The Alpinist” is a testament that everyone deserves to pursue their passions.
In Theaters Friday, September 10th following a September 7th nationwide Fathom Events premiere
