Watch Matt Bush Free-Solo Scary Big Stone

You probably haven’t heard of New Zealander Matt Bush, but if you like bold ascents, then he should be on your radar. Climb New Zealand has published a number of short films of Bush climbing.

“The hold, more of a wrinkle in the rock really, is as deep as a fingernail. It’s wide enough for five fingertips to be jammed together, three from his left hand, two from his right. As he dangles there, relying on five half-fingertips – the ground waiting 25 m below, the valley floor 100 m below that and his right foot resting on a smudge of support – his left foot creeps out sideways, blindly seeking a vital hold hidden under a rocky lip. It’s a critical, committing move. There’s no rope. Just the climber pressed into the smooth brown rock. Some birds. Sun. Air. And in this particular position, not much of a second chance. As he levers off his left foot and reaches up for a solid left-hand hold, Bush never felt freer.”

Matt Bush Free-Solo