In January 2015, American rock climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson took the world by storm with their efforts to climb THE DAWN WALL, a seemingly impossible-to-climb 3,000-foot smooth granite cliff in Yosemite National Park, California. The two lived on the steep vertical massif for weeks, igniting a wave of media attention in all parts of the world.
But for Tommy Caldwell, The Dawn Wall is much more than a climb. It is the culmination of a life defined by his mission to overcome all of life's obstacles. At the age of 22, the climbing prodigy was taken hostage by rebels in Kyrgyzstan. He managed to free himself, but soon after lost his index finger in an accident. However, he has the will to come back stronger than ever. With his marriage also falling apart, Tommy Caldwell seeks a way out of his pain by fixating on his biggest, seemingly unlikely goal - free climbing The Dawn Wall.
Tommy is literally obsessed with the idea - for weeks, months and literally years he has been systematically researching and trying out possible lines that could lead him to eventual success, which up to this point has been absolutely unthinkable to those in the know, but his ambition is to make it accessible to at least the next generation of climbers.
A full 7 years pass until, together with his partner Kevin Jorgesson, Tommy is finally close to success. After 19 days of life on the vertical rock, the two made the first historic ascent of El Cap on January 14, 2015.
At the 14th Challenge Days The Dawn Wall will be presented for the first time in Bulgaria as part of the world premiere wave this autumn, directed by one of the most respected filmmakers in the creation of climbing and adventure films, with over 20 years of experience - Josh Lowell.