Hot Aches Productions

A road movie that celebrates the best of British trad climbing. From the bold Northumberland sandstone to the raging sea cliffs of Gogarth, four World-class climbers embark on a road-trip to attempt some of the most fierce and inspiring routes in the UK. Cinematic filmmaking, cutting edge traditional climbing and a 7.5 ton converted truck – the Odyssey begins!

From acclaimed directors Paul Diffley and Chris Alstrin comes a wild journey through the strange sub-culture of offwidth crack climbing. Join two brave British lads, Pete Whittaker and Tom Randall, as they take on the decidedly American sport of climbing bloody, painful and often dangerous cracks that require wedging body parts into places they weren't meant to be. Randall and Whittaker's ultimate goal is to make the first ascent of a renowned offwidth test-piece known as Century Crack, which looms above the forgotten lands deep in the Utah desert. If they can achieve this unlikely climb from under the noses of the competitive Americans, it will be a coup for these young up-starts, but the odds are stacked against them.

After their success climbing the world’s hardest offwidth, the Wide Boyz, Pete Whittaker and Tom Randall, embark on their next crack climbing mission. This time their sights are set on the thinner end of the crack climbing spectrum. Their goal is the mighty Cobra Crack in Squamish BC, considered to be the hardest finger crack in the world. First climbed by Canadian ‘rock star’ Sonnie Trotter after battling it out with Didier Berthod, the route hit the media spotlight in the film First Ascent. With no local hard cracks to train on, the Wide Boyz refit their underground training dungeon and commit to a year of torturous finger training. With only a short trip to Canada planned, the Boyz face their biggest challenge yet against the sharp granite bite of the mighty Cobra Crack!

Natalie Berry is one of the UK’s top female sport climbers, with an impressive career in competition climbing. But despite growing up in Scotland—home to some of the world’s best traditional and winter climbing—she had never ventured into the mountains. Transition follows Natalie over the course of a year as she steps out of her comfort zone, learning the art of traditional climbing, winter mountaineering, and skiing under the mentorship of renowned Scottish climber Dave MacLeod.

The controversial story of one of the World's best trad climbers, Englandʼs James Pearson. After a dramatic rise to become one of the top climbers in the UK, controversy surrounding the grading of his routes left him feeling ostracised from the climbing scene. The film tells James’ story and follows his return to the UK as he faces his demons and looks to redeem his place within the UK climbing community.

SERIES | Monkey see monkey do (1/4) Set in the post-industrial landscape of a disused Welsh slate quarry, this films follows three very different climbers as they battle their way up some unusual climbing. Matt Segal, a professional climber from the U.S.; Hazel Findlay, a young student from England; and Johnny Dawes, the British climbing legend from the 1980s, take it in turn to crimp, squirm and wriggle their way up the esoteric route "Gin Palace".

Hazel Findlay enjoys an epic day of mountain running and solo climbing in the Welsh mountains of Snowdonia. Stunning shots combine with a considered soundtrack underpinned by a subtle environmental message. The first version of the film toured with the Brit Rock Film Tour 2018, while an alternative version with revised script was released digitally.

A celebration of one of the UK's most impactful climbers: Edwin Drummond. We pay tribute to his life with a look at the historic first ascent of what's now considered to be one of the world's greatest trad multi-pitches 'A Dream Of White Horses'. Located on the spectacular cliffs of Gogarth in North Wales, this ascent was made by Ed Drummond and Dave Pearce in 1968. We bring the ascent to life through reenactment with James Mchaffie and Lex Pearce (Dave's son) accompanied by Ed's poetry which was as big a part of Ed's life as climbing. The two blend together beautifully in this atmospheric tribute to a man who changed the climbing scene forever.

Scotland in winter is an arena where mountaineers pit their skills against exacting climbs often in ferocious conditions. It is respected by climbers around the world. Distilled examines what makes the climbing here so potent. Andy Cave first climbed in Scotland as a teenager. This was the start of a lifelong journey for Andy, which took him from the depths of a Yorkshire coal mine to the peaks of the Himalayas. As the story unfolds we see dramatic footage of Andy climbing some of Scotland’s classic and most challenging winter routes in the full spectrum of conditions that Scotland’s mountains can conjure. Distilled is a celebration of Scottish winter climbing and a poignant profile of a life spent in the mountains.

Featuring Britain's best rock climbers, plus top overseas visitors, Committed packs in over 200 'E' points of action: The hardest and most dangerous ascents that have been grabbing the climbing headlines everywhere. It examines the diversity of climbing style and location that together, make the British Trad scene unique and respected right around the world. The featured climbs include numerous hard first ascents, audacious repeats and bold solos. From the sea cliffs of Scotland, to the gritstone test pieces of Enlgand, to the mountains in Ireland and Wales...

Multi-award winning E11 tells the story behind the first ascent of Rhapsody, a route considered to be the hardest traditional rock climb in the world. Told in an offbeat dramadoc style the film attempts to understand what it takes to climb a route of this standard and strives to get inside the head of its first ascentionist, the understated yet quite remarkable Dave MacLeod.

Committed Volume II showcases five of Britain's best climbers on a spectacular array of hard routes; the terrifying Walk of Life, one of Scotland's toughest winter routes; gritstone's best “last great problem”, the youngest female ascent of an E7 and the world's maddest mantel; it's all here.

A gripping tale of two female climbers from Scotland as they push their limits to see if they have what it takes in the spectacular Canadian Rockies. Tackling some of the steepest and toughest routes in the country, their roller coaster ride of self-questioning and sheer bloody-mindedness dressed up as determination is an inspirational story of success in the hard world of winter mixed climbing.

Veteran British mountaineers Mick Fowler and Victor Saunders reunite to tackle Chombu, the last unclimbed 6,000 metre peak in Sikkim, overcoming cancer, old age and a thirty-year falling out. The film portrays two of the UK's best mountaineers in a wonderful blend of biography, historic footage, and still imagery.

Paige Henry is a young woman suffering from PTSD and depression. She finds relief through spending time outdoors; rock climbing, wild swimming and tree climbing. Paige sets her sights on climbing her hardest route to date at Pen Trwyn on the North Wales coast. This film will remind everyone of the joy to be had in the outdoors.

Ed Drummond (1945-2019) was known for his poetic writings, and his bold first ascents and urban protest climbs, such as his ascent of Nelson’s Column. He combined philosophy, talent and an individual approach to leave an immense legacy. The film makes use of archive material, reconstructions and animation to take you on a journey through the mind and climbs of one of the greatest characters to ever grace the UK climbing scene.

Brit Rock has all the best new climbing films featuring some of the country’s most popular climbers. Leading filmmaker and founder of the Brit Rock Tour Alastair Lee is collaborating with the best of the UK’s adventure filmmakers as well as his own new productions resulting in this stunning new line up of compelling stories from the vertical world.

St John’s head on the Island of Hoy is a wild and remote 1150 foot sea cliff. It was first climbed in 1970 by climber and poet Ed Drummond together with Oliver Hill. They took 7 days to climb the cliff, sleeping on ledges and in hammocks along the way. Now, 40 years later, one of the World’s top climbers, Dave MacLeod, sets out to climb the cliff in a single day, finishing with a new desperately hard final pitch up the headwall.Macleod’s historic new climb, The Longhope Route Direct (E11), is captured close-up with the latest HD cameras and contrasted with the challenges of Drummond’s first ascent through interviews and archive material. The film also follows Drummond, now in his late sixties and suffering from Parkinson’s disease, as he makes a pilgrimage back to St John’s Head to look upon the route one last time.

In 2016, at the age of just 17, William Bosi became the youngest Brit to climb the ultimate magic grade: 9a. This short film follows William’s journey to climb Steve McClure’s Malham test piece, Rainshadow. Documented in an observational style, the film gently reveals what it takes to climb at this level.