E11

Rhapsody at Dumbarton Rock was the hardest traditional climb in the world when Dave MacLeod finished it in 2006: French 8c+ climbing protected by tiny wires far below the crux, with groundfall potential the entire way. Hot Aches' film about the two-year battle became an instant classic of British climbing cinema.

What sets E11 apart is its honesty about fear. MacLeod takes fall after enormous fall onto gear that may or may not hold, and the film sits with the psychological toll: the sleepless nights, the partner watching from below, the question of whether any route is worth this. The climbing is historic; the portrait of a mind managing terror is timeless.