The Alpinist

In an interview with Tim Ferris, Alex Honnold (American free solo rock climber), the subject of the 2018 documentary film Free Solo, is asked who impresses him currently. Honnold mentions Marc-Andre Leclerc (Canadian rock and alpine climber), a climber who is relatively unknown due to his elusive and low-profile nature. There is little video footage of Leclerc's climbs, because, as Honnold states, "He's just going out and climbing for himself in such a pure style."

Marc is an expert in alpine solo climbs and conquers the most difficult alpine peaks and mountain faces all by himself.

In 2015, director Peter Mortimer, a climber himself, comes across a blog post about Leclerc, a 23-year-old Canadian who had solo climbed a famous climbing route known as The Corkscrew (1,250m, 5.10d, A1) on Cerro Torre. Mortimer himself was a fan of Derek Hersey, who could climb mountains with nothing more than a chalk bag and a pair of old tennis shoes. Derek died when he slipped and fell on one his climbs.

Peter was captivated by solo free climbers, who put life and limb on the line for glory.

Climbing used to outlawed and for vagabonds. But now it is a high-profile Olympic sport with armies of followers behind top athletes.

Mortimer travels to Squamish, British Columbia-the heart of Canada's climbing scene-to meet Leclerc. Leclerc is quirky and unaccustomed to being filmed. Unlike others, he doesn't care about accolades or fame; he simply climbs for his love of climbing and adventure. Marc is 23 years old. Marc had moved to Squamish after high school, to join the ranks of hard-core climbers. He was not afraid to put his body on the line to learn climbing.

Marc didn't have any money or even a phone. He lived under a stairwell. He had a girlfriend named Brette. They moved into a tent in the forest to live cheaply.

The old timers liked him as he was not doing anything for Instagram glory. He just liked climbing.

Although Leclerc enjoys free solo rock climbing on Stawamus Chief in Squamish, breaking Honnold's speed record on The Grand Wall (1000 feet, 5.11a) (from 59 minutes to 57 minutes), his main aspirations are in solo alpine climbing. Honnold knew that Marc was not doing it for the records, he just enjoyed the spiritual aspects of climbing.

Marc met Brette on the party circuit in Squamish. This was right after high school, and Marc was into drugs use. Brette brought Marc to climbing.

Alpinism is the discipline of climbing big and technical mountains. Mountain climbs began in the 30's and 40's with large crews and lots of gear. But by the 50's it was also important how one made the climb. Climbing was a form of freedom, and the ultimate form of that freedom was to climb alone, solo. Solo climbing is an art of surviving in the craziest situations. Half of the solo climbers of all time have died in the mountains.

Mortimer's crew travels with him to Canmore in the Canadian Rockies for ice climbing season. Ice climbing is rarely done solo as it is climbing frozen water. Ice can collapse at any second.

Although incredibly dangerous and rarely done, in a single day Leclerc solo climb both ice and mixed routes of rock and ice, including on the notorious Stanley Headwall, where he free solos famous routes such as Nightmare on Wolf Street (WI6+, M6), French Reality (WI6+, 5.8), and Nemesis (WI6). This attracts the interest of local climbers.

Marc was good friends with his mother. He had ADHD and was home schooled for a while. Marc played a lot in the woods and read books on adventure. He first read a book on mountains when he was 8 years old. After a couple of years, he took up technical climbing.

Leclerc becomes restless as the film crew plans the next shoot and drops off the radar for months, to Mortimer's frustration. The crew eventually tracks Leclerc down to the Ghost River Wilderness Area in Alberta. Brette Harrington, Leclerc's girlfriend and fellow climber, remarks that Leclerc is a free spirit who doesn't care about films or "making his own climb significant to the world."

In April 2016, news breaks that Leclerc has completed the first winter solo ascent of the Emperor Face of Mount Robson in British Columbia via the alpine climbing route Infinite Patience (2,250m, VI, 5.9, WI5, M5). This sends shock-waves throughout the climbing community, and Mortimer is frustrated that Leclerc made the solo ascent without letting his crew know. Leclerc tells him that "it wouldn't be a solo to me if somebody was there." Having now completed the first solo ascent, Leclerc invites the crew to Mount Robson to film his method of solo alpine climbing. Leclerc carries no communication devices and climbs on-sight, meaning that he has never been on the mountain and "never rehearsed the route."

Experienced climbers are happy for Marc for accomplishing these feats, but they know that he is taking huge risks.

Months later, Leclerc travels to Patagonia to attempt the first winter solo ascent of Torre Egger, and on-sight, a longtime dream of his. Torre Egger is lashed by vicious storms in the winter and is not an easy climb in the summer either.

Leclerc allows one cameraman, his climbing friend Austin Siadak, but only for the lower sections of the route-a variation of Dani Arnold [de]'s 2010 Winter Link-Up route that finishes with Titanic (950m, 5.10, A1) on the southeast face. Leclerc would then complete the summit push alone with a small camera. After days of climbing, a snowstorm hits, and Leclerc-only four pitches from the summit-is forced to abandon his Bivvy, rappel the mountain in blizzard conditions, and hike back to El Chaltén.

Mortimer expects Leclerc to pack up and fly back home, but Leclerc is determined to complete the climb. No longer an on-sight ascent, Leclerc decides to raise the stakes by climbing without any additional food or Bivvy equipment. On September 17, 2016, Leclerc completes the entire route in just 21 hours, thus completing the first-ever solo winter ascent of Torre Egger on a route with difficulties of 5.10, WI3, M5, and A1.

Mortimer begins assembling the documentary with his footage. In March 2018, Harrington calls Mortimer and tells him that Leclerc and his climbing partner Ryan Johnson have gone missing while descending Mendenhall Towers in Alaska. Mortimer travels to Alaska with Harrington and Leclerc's family and friends to search for him. Near the climbers' descent route, Juneau Mountain Rescue discovers ropes buried in avalanche snow, and it is presumed that Leclerc and Johnson are both dead. Their bodies are never recovered.

Months after the accident, a memorial is held for Leclerc in Squamish.