Climbing in Wendenstöcke

The Wendenstöcke sit in the Uri Alps and overlook Gadmen in the canton of Bern; the massif’s multi-summited profile and main summit, Gross Wendenstock, make it a natural stop for multi-pitch and alpine lines. In film, the Wendenstöcke are presented alongside other Swiss classics as part of a wider portrait of long routes, mixed terrain and the cultural continuity of alpine climbing in Switzerland.

Guillaume Broust’s film follows Cédric Lachat around five well-known Swiss areas — the Eiger, Gastlosen, Wendenstöcke, Lauterbrunnen and the Rätikon — pairing hard, multi-pitch ascents with interviews that situate those climbs in a history of evolving techniques and gear. The footage leans heavily on trad and long, sustained pitches; the film notes climbing in 8a+ territory and places emphasis on endurance, route-finding and on-the-rock problem solving.

Contributors include Cédric Lachat, Nina Caprez, Mélissa Le Névé and Tobias Suter, while voices such as Beat Kammerlander and Claude Remy add context about first-ascent history and changing ethics. The result is a measured survey of Swiss big-wall and alpine styles: sustained, technical climbing on steep faces that rewards both athleticism and careful planning.