Al Lee's New Film Project Revealed

Award-winning film maker Alastair Lee is at it again, this time with a new film codenamed 'The Asgard Project' tracking top climber Leo Houlding as he prepares for a combined climbing and BASE jumping expedition to Baffin Island.

Presented by Berghaus, the film follows Houlding's progress as he prepares to attempt the first free ascent of the West Face of Mt Asgard on Baffin Island. Having climbed the route, Leo and his American climbing partner Sean Leary, then intend to jump from the tower in wing suits.

The first stage of training and climbing has already begun with Leo and Sean setting a new speed climbing record by climbing and jumping from two 300-metre towers in Riglos, Spain. Alastair was there to film the action, some of which you can see in his latest trailer.


It wasn't all straightforward. Leo describes the jump from one of the towers:

'The cloud closed in before we reached the top of El Pizon. On the summit, engulfed in thick white cloud we re-packed our pilot chutes several times, a sure sign of nerves. From the exit,  I called Al on the ground to check the cloud base. "Two third of the way up the wall" Al encouraged us, "It should be fine, but lets go one at a time" - I said to Carlos, my confidence contradicting my senses.'

Asgard NW Face - How Hard?

Scheduled for August 2009, Houlding and Leary's attempt to make the first free ascent of this massive wall in Arctic Canada could take up to two weeks with the climbers living in port-a-ledges on the wall, reckoned to the one of the hardest in the world.

Alastair will be with them every step of the way, filming both the ascent and the BASE jump. Once the wall's been rehearsed, the pair plan to free climb it in a day using techniques perfected in Yosemite before donning wing-suits and descending rather more quickly.The film is due out in Novermber 2009, just in time for the Kendal Mountain Festival and, potentially, yet another awards.

More details and that stunning trailer at www.posingproductions.com