A new rock climbing documentary has been released showing three of the world's best climbers in a race to get back to sending a 9a route.
Race to 9A, directed by climber Simon Yamamoto, follows Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell and Sonnie Trotter as each man tries to become the first to return to climbing at 9a level – equal to 5.14d in the Yosemite Decimal System. It shouldn't be that hard, you might think – Caldwell climbed the Dawn Wall in 2014, Trotter repointed Estado Critico in Spain in 2015 and even though Honnold says his 9a attempts later turned out to be more like 8cs, no one doubts the Free Solo star's climbing abilities.
But the three men share a common affliction: they're getting older. They have families now. And their focus on training just isn't what it used to be.
"My life used to be all about rock climbing, and now I would put rock climbing as one of like four equal priorities," says Caldwell, who first climbed a 9a aged 18. Last year, we saw him climb a new route on the biggest alpine face in North America with Honnold, but the ensuing documentary The Devil's Climb highlighted the struggles of aging and climbing.
"When life gets busy and the kids are sick, it starts to get easier and easier to say, oh I'll do it tomorrow," says Trotter in the opening of the 28-minute flick. He began at age 16 and was the first Canadian to climb at 5.14c.
At the time of filming, in the spring of 2024, Honnold has a two-year-old and two-week old, so even though he himself is the baby of the trio – still in his 30s – he admits that even he's feeling the pace of family life.
"Realistically, over the last two months I've been climbing outside two days a week, maybe, and then training in the gym maybe two days a week and just totally haggard all the time," says Honnold.
Honnold says he thinks that Caldwell, 46, is having an easier time "grounding down" into middle age, and while the Dawn Wall star doesn't give off major FOMO vibes in Race to 9A, it was only in October 2023 that he expressed sadness after failing to send the Heart Route in Yosemite.
According to Honnold, all three have climbing partners already, but they're "24-year-olds without jobs who can spend six hours a day in the gym" and aren't up all night doing laundry like he is. So the three of them set what Trotter calls "a gentlemen's challenge" – each works on his own project to see who can be the first to get back to 9a graded routes.
The film shows the men visiting each other as they project their routes – and also bailing on visits due to sick kids – and contemplating the virtues of being in competition with climbers who are going through similar things.
"It's definitely ignited something in me where I know that they will be working towards the goal and I don't want to get too far behind," says Trotter, who's chosen Spirit Quest after belaying Caldwell on the route years ago.
"Basically, if I can exceed my own expectations and perform at a higher level than I thought I coul,d then that's that's fine," says Honnold philosophically about his attempt to send Bachelor Party on Potosi Mountain near his home in Vegas.
He says that as far as he's concerned, the only thing standing between him and being able to climb anything on earth is finger strength, but the accountability of his friends is helpful too.
"It helps to have training partners who are aspiring for the same things but also struggling with the same challenges."
If you follow the climbers, you probably already know who wins the race, but just in case, we won't spoil it for you. Check out the film below, which is refreshingly heartfelt and worthy of half an hour of your attention.
