The trailer for the new Alex Honnold adventure is out now. The mini-series called Arctic Ascent with Alex Honnold takes the well-known climber to Greenland for the ascent of Ingmikortilaq.
The new show features heavily on what Honnold has done since he became a household name with Free Solo. The Greenland adventure brings in new faces and a heavy focus on climate change. The effects of a warming planet appear more glaringly evident in Greenland, where the country’s ice sheet continues to melt. Ice in the area is melting seven times faster now than in the 1990s. Greenland has lots 234 billion tons of ice per year.
Here’s a first look at the new documentary:
As the trailer highlights, the trip focuses on climbing and scientific research. The climbing goal was to conquer Ingmikortilaq, a 3,750-foot monolith found on one of Greenland’s eastern fjords. Along with fellow climber Hazel Findlay, they work to find a way up the giant rock wall. Also along on the project are climber Mike Schaefer, Greenlandic guide Adam Kjeldsen, adventurer Aldo Kane, and Dr. Heïdi Sevestre, a glaciologist.
Honnold is known for his ropeless extreme high-risk climbs, but this time, the environment takes center stage as the biggest challenge. Risks include crumbling rock and falling ice, and a very remote location makes this film another edge-of-your-seat adventure.
“The protection was very sparse and the rock was quite loose,” wrote Honnold in a post for the American Alpine Club. “We fixed lines halfway up for filming and commuting, and then spent one night on the wall before Hazel and I climbed the upper headwall in one big day. The rest of the team decided the rock quality made it too dangerous for more people to be on the wall.”
While climbing, the team installed temperature sensors to understand what happens to the rock as permafrost thaws. They also used drones to map icebergs.
All episodes of the show premiere first on National Geographic on February 4, and added to Disney+ and Hulu the following day.
