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On October 3, Taylor McNeill, 30, finished his long-term project, Moonlight Sonata, a powerful compression problem in the Right Fork of Joes Valley, and proposed V16, putting him into a rarified class of elite climbers.
Mad Rock and Three Peaks Film have now released a short film about McNeill’s process on the climb. In between high-quality shots that outline his gradual improvement on the moves, the film tells the story of his initial elation at having found such a perfect, hard project; his growing frustration as the seasons replaced one another and left him empty handed; and his eventual realization that in order to do the boulder, he was going to have to start changing things about himself.
All in all, it’s a top-notch film. And McNeill’s dedication and willingness to adjust is something that every climber, indeed every person, can learn from.
Read More: An Interview With Taylor McNeill After His Send of Moonlight Sonata