Watch: Bravo Marcel
10/2022
“It’s a strength of character which is so far beyond normal; a character that is still marked by hardship and necessity.”
Claude Remy
With his feet planted at the base of the wall, Marcel ties the rope into his harness and takes one final look at the kaleidoscope of colors sprawling towards the roof above him. He reaches out, carefully placing a well-versed hand on a bright yellow hold in front of him and begins the ascent. Below, a crowd is forming in the busy gym.Climbers stop to watch; anxious murmurs echo around the space. The 4c route is hardly the most challenging grade Marcel has conquered in his lifetime of alpine ascents. But on the day of his 99th birthday,as the crowd holds its collective breath and Marcel passes the yellow holds one-by-one, clipping his rope into each draw with ease, there’s no doubt this special ascent is one of the most breathtaking. Â
In our new film, meet Swiss climber Marcel Remy and follow his journey through the early days of alpinism, to his incredible climbing conquests almost a century later.
