Last autumn, Matty Hong joined Jacopo Larcher, Siebe Vanhee and the Pou brothers in an expedition to the wild and remote Baspa Valley of the Indian Himalayas – first suggested as a suitable expedition location by the late Hansjörg Auer – and this, The North Face’s latest film, was the product of the expedition.

This region brought a wealth of climbing opportunities for the team, from single pitch sport, to multi pitch big wall climbs – the team managed to sink their teeth into the latter towards the end of the two week trip.

This mix of climbing is a continuing theme throughout the film, with the wild Himalayan weather dictating what the group manage to climb, with no single objective, no fixed route, and no final itinerary.

Speaking of this loose schedule, Siebe noted “Exploring a place is all about expectations. If you expect a lot, it can get really hard, but if you’re really open for whatever can happen or whatever can be in your path, exploration is really fun.”

In a fitting tribute to Hansjörg, the Pou brothers sent “Latin Brother” a 7c+ / 560m route, while on the other side of the valley, Matty, Jacopo and Siebe climbed a 7b / 450m route “Toby’s Shipwreck”.

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