Big smile, bigger heart, and admired by all, Marc-André Leclerc is the kind of boychik one would be proud to call their own. Alright, so he experimented a little with drugs. Who hasn’t? When it comes to scaling faces on Alpine mountains, he is quite literally the master of all he surveys. Born to break records, Leclerc forever changed the face of rock climbing, pushing the limits of adventure with every new challenge. In addition to our hero’s masterful exploits, filmmakers Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen offer a brief but cogent history of the sport. The expeditioners’ approach to scaling changed in the 1950s when climbing in style offered mountaineers a unique form of philosophical freedom. It ain’t whatcha climb, but the way that you climb it. Solitude was all the rage, and the climber’s mantra became, “A rope, a rack, and the pack on your back.” The best climbs are the ones that pit man against mountains. With no parachutes or communication devices to assist in his journey, Leclerc begins at the foot of a mountain, his path uncharted. The director put in a call to a mutual friend when word arrives that Leclerc is arriving back in Canada. It’s at this glorious moment that the film-lover and the rock climber level off long enough to see eye to eye. No sooner did questioning the possibility of soloing alone cross my mind than Leclerc provided an answer: he never lets a camera near one of his solos because it wouldn’t be a solo if somebody was there to witness it. There is much more to be said, but I think it wise to let the film do the talking. (2021) — Scott Marks