Free Solo | What to Watch

The stunning Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo – about one man's historic death-defying feat – gets its terrestrial premiere on C4

The stunning Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo – about one man’s historic death-defying feat – gets its terrestrial premiere on C4

Alex Honnold (above) is a seemingly fearless climber who is trying to conquer the fearsome El Capitan, a 3,000ft chunk of sheer granite in Yosemite National Park, USA.

And he’s attempting to do it on his own and entirely without gear – no ropes, no harness, no nothing.

One slip and he’s dead.

With stunning scenery and heart-in-mouth moments, this film about his incredible feat also explores the challenge of Alex balancing his dangerous lifestyle with his relationships with his new girlfriend, Sanni, and the filmmakers, who are watching his every, perilous move.

There’s a reason why this superb documentary won an Oscar a couple of months back, and even if you've already seen it on the National Geographic channel, it’s so gripping it’s worth watching all over again.

TV Times rating: ****