Brent Barghahn

Arc'teryx Presents: Ground Up follows Brent Barghahn alongside Amity Warme during a ground‑up free attempt on El Capitan’s El Niño (Pineapple Express variation). Shot over eight days, the film concentrates on the mechanics of modern big‑wall free climbing: hauling, fixing and unfixing lines, reading fragile granite, and managing weather and injuries while remaining on the wall.

The ascent is presented as a sequence of sustained, hard pitches rather than a single, isolated crux; the film calls out specific sections such as the La Niña crux, the “Black Cave” pitch, and the “Lucy Is A Labrador” pitch to show how complexity accumulates over many hard pitches. Director Chris Alstrin gives space to both intense climbing sequences and quieter recovery and decision‑making moments, so Barghahn’s climbing here appears as steady, process‑driven pushing on a multi‑day big wall rather than a one‑off athletic highlight.