The multi-award-winning film "The Future of Climbing" by the French-Swiss duo Guillaume Broust and Cédric Lachat takes a sometimes serious, sometimes humorous look into the future of climbing. It features climbing stars such as Chris Sharma and Dave Graham.
Climbing: A niche becomes an industry
It wasn't that long ago that climbing and bouldering took place on natural rock faces, far removed from the mainstream. With the Olympics and the boom in private climbing gyms, the sport is increasingly moving indoors. At the same time, natural climbing areas are facing ever greater threats.
This is also observed by Swiss professional climber Cédric Lachat, who is the protagonist of the film. "The Future of Climbing" which puts the future of sport to the test:
What challenges do we face as climbers?
What legacy will we leave for the next generation?
And what if the future of sports lies indoors after all?
We need to better understand the challenges of tomorrow in order to preserve the historical values of this sport.
Cédric Lachat
Trailer: “The Future of Climbing”
A journey through halls & hotspots
"The Future of Climbing" takes an international look for the first time at the many issues that shape climbing and bouldering. This includes, on the one hand, the Indoor Arena Boom and the influence of social media on the popularity of the "trend sport", on the other hand to the Protection of natural climbing areas including the flora and fauna, as well as conflicts with local residents.
The film follows Cédric Lachat on his travels to well-known outdoor hotspots such as Fontainebleau, Yosemite or St. Léger, but also looks into various climbing and bouldering gyms in Europe and the USA.
These are all important issues that need to be addressed to ensure long-term access to climbing in nature.
Cédric Lachat
Images: Guillaume Broust (1&2), Alex Lopez (3), Cédric Lachat (4)
Famous climbing stars have their say
In the approximately 50 minutes of the film, Cédric Lachat, together with filmmaker Guillaume Broust, paints an honest and at times humorous picture of the global climbing community.
Many well-known international climbing stars will also be performing: including Dave Graham, Solenne Piret, Chris Sharma, Alexander Huber and Marc Le Menestrel.
The film is now available for free on YouTube.
"The Future of Climbing" premiered in Zurich in 2025. Since then, it has been shown at numerous international film festivals and has won more than ten awards.
The film is now available for free on YouTube in several languages.
- Year of publication: 2025 (France)
- Directed by Guillaume Broust
- Runtime: 52 min
- Languages: French, English, Italian, Spanish
- Subtitles: French, English, Italian, Spanish, German
That might interest you
- Far from being trashy: 5 climbing films that take themselves seriously
- "Weather Stein Ridge" – Michi Wohlleben releases film about his record ascent
+ + +
Credits cover image: Cédric Lachat/Guillaume Broust