The Climb (2023 TV show)

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The Climb was an 8-episode reality TV series that pitted 10 amateur climbers against each other in multiple climbing scenarios and styles. The winner received $100,000 USD and a $100,000 USD sponsorship from outdoor gear producer, prAna. The show starred professional rock climbers Chris Sharma and Meagan Martin and featured actor Jason Momoa.

Contents

Although no official announcement has been made by HBO, on April 1, 2024, climbing gym Adventure Rock announced it was the Midwest site for hosting season 2 auditions for The Climb. [1]

Development

Momoa met Sharma in the mid-1990's while boulder climbing at Hueco Tanks, TX. The Climb is a collaboration between Sharma, Momoa's production company, On the Roam, and the Intellectual Property Corporation. [2] HBO Max greenlit The Climb in July, 2021. [3] Climbing locations included Mallorca, Wadi Rum, and Barcelona. [4]

Season 1

Season 1 aired on HBO Max in January, 2023. The ten episodes featured amateur climbers Robyn Ragins, Cat Runner, Alice Hafer, Dominique (Dom) Barry, Tiffany Soithongsuk, Andre (Deco) Braga, Bradford (Brad) Burns, Mario Stanley, Maiza Lima, and April Welch. Cat Runner won the grand prize after outclimbing Dom Barry. [4] [5]

Episode
Number
NameOriginal
Air Date
LocationClimb TypeEliminated
1Deep Water SoloJanuary 12, 2023Majorca, Spain Deep Water Solo Maiza Lima
2The PrecipiceJanuary 12, 2023Majorca, Spain Free Climb Mario Stanley
3High BallJanuary 12, 2023 Albarracin, Spain Bouldering April Welch
4The CaveJanuary 19, 2023Albarracin, SpainFree ClimbBrad Burns
5First AscentJanuary 19, 2023Wadi Rum, JordanFree ClimbTiffany Soithongsuk
Deco Braga
6The CrackJanuary 19, 2023Wadi Rum, Jordan Crack Alice Hafer
7The SpireJanuary 26, 2023 Barcelona, Spain Multi-pitch Robyn Ragins
8El DiabloJanuary 26, 2023Majorca, SpainDeep Water SoloDom Barry

Criticism

Season 1 was criticized on climbing websites for various reasons, including: choice of climbing destinations; rating of difficulty of climbs; editing the video footage of climbs; placement of anchors; the presentation to the audience of how difficult/easy climbing is; and when climbers chastised Deco for not finishing a climb after realizing he had qualified. [6] However, the show was also praised for things like: presenting many different types of climbing; blending a competition with an easy-to-watch-and-understand TV show; showing the camaraderie between climbers; and showcasing Chris Sharma. [7]

Although Momoa appeared in each episode, it was noted that he wasn't present during the climbs due to the need for hernia surgery. [8]

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References

  1. https://www.instagram.com/adventurerock/p/Cqfnc3ROM8m/
  2. "Jason Momoa's New TV Series is a Dirtbagger's Dream". 12 January 2023.
  3. "WATCH: Jason Momoa Takes His Passion for Rock Climbing to New Levels in HBO Max's 'The Climb'".
  4. 1 2 "Jason Momoa and Chris Sharma on Creating Reality Competition Show 'The Climb'". 12 January 2023.
  5. "Cat Runner, Trans Winner of HBO Max's 'The Climb,' Won't Be Tokenized". www.out.com.
  6. "Review: HBO's The Climb Falls Short - WeighMyRack". February 8, 2023.
  7. Simon, Russell Max. "HBO's The Climb shows true climbing culture". www.russellmaxsimon.com.
  8. "The Climb On HBO Max : Stream it or skip it ?". La Fabrique Verticale. January 18, 2023.