‘The Devil’s Climb’: Watch Exclusive Clip Of Nat Geo Doc; Q&A With Exec Producer James Smith

Most climbers know the old saying, ‘Don’t look down,’ but how about this for advice? “Stay alive.”

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In an exclusive clip of Nat Geo doc The Devil’s Climb, a guide gives the stark warning to renowned rock climbers Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell as they prepare to scale the infamous North American mountain The Devils Thumb.

As they discuss how the climb could be achieved, the conversation moves on to the risk of avalanches, as the guide says: “They’re beautiful if they don’t hit ya.” He goes on to recall how a near-death experience with a falling rock soon after he became father stopped him from continuing his own dangerous climbs.

“I don’t think there’s any advice I can give you that you don’t already know. I would stay: Stay alive. You have a family,” he adds ominously.

The clip comes ahead of the show’s launch today on Nat Geo. Tomorrow it will hit Disney+ and Hulu. The show comes from Plimsoll Productions and its adventure division led by James Smith, who answers our questions on the show below.

Smith, Martha Holmes, Alan Eyres and Grant Mansfield are executive producers for Plimsoll, along with Peter Mortimer, Jonathan Retseck, Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell. Renan Ozturk is the director, and Matt Pycroft is the co-director. Drew Pulley is the edit director. For National Geographic, Chris Kugelman is executive producer, Bengt Anderson is SVP of Unscripted Production, and Tom McDonald is EVP of Global Factual and Unscripted Content.

ITV Studios-owned Plimsoll launched the unit to build out an adventure department with with the same high-level expertise as its natural history team.

James Smith on ‘The Devil’s Climb’

DEADLINE: What was the biggest technical challenge shooting this climb?

Alex and Tommy, who are two of the best rock climbers of all time, set out to climb all five peaks in The Devil’s Thumb massif in a single day. This meant they had to move quickly, climbing without ropes for long sections. It was impossible for our camera team to keep pace, so we planned aheadand placed people into key positions along the route to capture as much as possible as Alex and Tommy sped past. It was a military-style operation, meticulously planned by our co-director Matt Pycroft. Thankfully, the weather gods were on our side, and everything came together.

DEADLINE: What safety protocols did you have in place?

Safety in the mountains hinges on having the right people in the right places. We had a world-class safety team, including our medic and basecamp manager Dave Weber and our rigger Waldo Hetherington. All safety protocols were overseen by Secret Compass, a UK-based risk-management company I’ve worked with for more than 14 years; the team at Secret Compass has kept me and my crews safe in Afghanistan, Greenland and many other challenging places.

Alex and Tommy were full of praise for our entire team. Just before they started the climb, Alex messaged, “This is the best team ever assembled for this kind of expedition. I would literally do anything with this crew.” Tommy was even more effusive:“You might have assembled the best and most badass adventure filmmaking team in history.”

DEADLINE: How does this show exemplify the ‘adventure’ brand at Plimsoll, and what is next in the brand’s development?

The adventure brand at Plimsoll is all about authenticity. Tommy and Alex were already planning the Alaska expedition – they just invited us along for the ride. Together with National Geographic, we’re not just sharing stories; we’re embarking on a journey that illuminates the wonders of our planet through captivating narratives and breathtaking visuals, inspiring audiences to explore the extraordinary connections that bind us all to this vibrant world. We have a couple of projects in production: one for a streamer and another for a UK broadcaster. Next year, we’re planning to follow Alex on an epic climb, potentially the most challenging of his career since Free Solo.

DEADLINE: What is the audience demand for hi-octane content like this, and where is that audience primarily?

We’re seeing a lot of demand for films and series like this, but platforms and broadcasters want their own takes on the genre. Some want premium feature documentaries and others are focused on celebrity involvement. There are also buyers who are looking for expeditions with purpose. It seems everyone is up for adventure.

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