The Asgard Project :: Our objective is to produce a groundbreaking film about the first free ascent of Asgard’s NWface, regarded as one of the most difficult big walls in the world.
About the Asgard Project
The Asgard Project is a ground breaking film which follows top climber Leo Houlding's ambitious expedition to make the first free ascent of Mt Asgard's daunting north face - regarded as one of the most difficult big walls in the world.
Working with leading film maker Alastair Lee the DVD of this unrelenting epic is the 1st December - order your copy here now.
For most of the year the fjords on Baffin Island are filled with frozen sea ice, but for a short period in the summer the ice melts and with 24 hours of daylight the area becomes a climbers paradise with mile high granite walls and amazing scenery.
The film includes three training trips to Riglos (Spain), Brento (Italy) and Yosemite (California) which set up the epic and spectacular journey to Mt Asgard itself including the battle against rock fall, ice storms and constant freezing conditions on the wall itself.
To reach Mount Asgard top climbers Leo Houlding, Sean 'Stanley' Leary and Carlos Suarez sky dive into the heart of Baffin Island, in the Arctic Circle, whilst the film and rigging crew take on the gruelling 5 day trek carrying 30kg packs. The story gets off to a spectacular start as the plot twists and unforeseen problems come thick and fast in this unrelenting epic. Once the team commit to the wall the drama only increases..... order your DVD now to find out the climax to this stunning blockbuster.
Sponsored by Berghaus and Nokia the Asgard Project is at the cutting edge of extreme climbing.
Many of the images on this site are kindly supplied by Alastair Lee and Doug Scott.
As well as Berghaus and Nokia, who are the main sponsors of the Asgard Project, the team have also received support from the following companies:
Asgard Project Sponsors
The Schedule
Training & Filming
The film will follow Leo, Carlos & Stanley as they gain the fitness and confidence required for this epic adventure by making a series of training climbs and jumps at some of the most spectacular climbing areas in the world. Along the way different climbing styles will be introduced and explained. All expertly directed and captured by arguably the UK's top climbing film maker Alastair Lee.
March: Riglos, Spain
Leo and fellow Berghaus athlete Carlos Suarez travelled to Spain for their first training climb. They made several skydives and a jump from a hot air balloon in preparation to speed climb and BASE jump from the main towers of Riglos. 300m high and very overhanging, the towers are conglomerate, an usual and interesting rock type. Thanks to easy access, original angles and complicated shots could be arranged to give stunning footage and photography. The training climb was a great success and helped Leo and Carlos prepare for the rigours ahead.
June: Monte Brento, Italy
Leo, Carlos and team spent three days in the Arco Valley, practising climbing and also perfecting their BASE jumping skills with top wingsuit specialist Robbie Pecnik. The Monte Brento where they spent their time cliff is 700m high and offers excellent BASE jumping with safe exits and the opportunity to get plenty of airtime. The trip was a great success with everybody returning safe but tired and with plenty of practise under their belts.
June: Yosemite, USA
The home of big wall climbing. Completely overwhelming on first encounter with time it turns from a fierce arena into an extreme playground. El Capitan is similar in nature and scale to Asgard. The primary filming objective is an on sight, free ascent of Golden Gate on El Cap over 2 days. The film will examine in detail the techniques of modern speed climbing in the place where they were born and explain the shift in perception that has occurred in the last decade that has enabled elite climbers to do climbs that take most weeks in a matter of hours.
30 July: 8 Sept
The Asgard Project commences. The team will set off for Baffin Island to start the gruelling 30 mile trek before setting the route on Mount Asgard, which could take up to two weeks, before Leo and Stanley attempt the route in just a single day.