Doug Robinson

The documentary Jeff Lowe's Metanoia traces the life and exploits of legendary mountaineer Jeff Lowe, from his visionary climbs around the world to his battle with an incurable neurological disease. The term "metanoia" means a fundamental shift in thinking or a transformation of the heart. In 1991, Jeff Lowe opened an incredible climbing route, called "Metanoia," on the north face of the Eiger in Switzerland, a feat that profoundly changed his life. This film recounts this exceptional adventure, which also becomes a metaphor for his battle with Lou Gehrig's disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which gradually caused him to lose all his physical abilities. A spiritual epic, Jeff Lowe, confronted with his own mortality, reveals his unique philosophy and inspiring creative genius, while showing his great inner strength in the face of adversity.

In the shady campgrounds of Yosemite valley, climbers carved out a counterculture lifestyle of dumpster-diving and wild parties that clashed with the conservative values of the National Park Service. And up on the walls, generation after generation has pushed the limits of climbing, vying amongst each other for supremacy on Yosemite's cliffs. "Valley Uprising" is the riveting, unforgettable tale of this bold rock climbing tradition in Yosemite National Park: half a century of struggle against the laws of gravity -- and the laws of the land.

BRAVE NEW WILD is an offbeat chronicle of America’s Golden Age of rock climbing before and after the controversial ascent of the Dawn Wall in 1970. Some forty years later, Oakley Anderson-Moore, the daughter of a pioneering climber, stumbles upon her father's old hi8 tapes, and sets out to answer the question: why climb when there's nothing to gain -- and everything to lose? Wry humor and an eclectic original soundtrack punctuate the delinquent antics of the Vulgarians in the ‘Gunks, the larger-than-life rivalry of Yosemite’s rock gods, and the fruit tramping, freight train hopping hobodom of her dad’s climbing life. This film is quintessential viewing for those who long for adventure.

Writer and mountain guide Doug Robinson explains the sport of climbing, focusing on the climbing movement, with several leading climbers providing examples on challenging routes across the United States.