Arc'teryx Presents: On The Verge

In the mountains behind the sleepy coastal town of Powell River, BC, a small group of rock climbers has spent decades quietly pioneering routes on some of the largest granite walls in Canada. As the last stands of old-growth trees harboured in these valleys come under threat of logging, the climbing community faces the uncertain future of a place that has come to define their lives and legacies.

Confronted with the decision to fight for these last ancient trees and potentially lose access or look away as the valley is stripped for timber, On The Verge is a snapshot of outdoors culture in British Columbia. The way we reconcile industries that give us access to the wilderness with the destruction they cause. The desire to protect our backyard but keep it for ourselves at the same time. The importance of these places to the people who have shaped them and been shaped by them in return.

[karliebellatrixyoung]

Great piece, fully agree, there's just one thing I wish I had heard someone say in this, which is: these last remaining old growth benches and corners are the last remaining reservoirs of biodiversity in the area, and losing them would not only have an outsize impact on the future biodiversity of the area, it would also likely have an impact on the productivity of the logging in the region. These trees are providing a large portion of the genetic material that is repopulating the valley bottoms where the industry is making its bread and butter money. They may also find that if they clear out the sub-alpine, the fog doesn't hang in the valleys as long, and the trees take an extra ten years to mature; sometimes a nearby forest is all that is keeping a grassland from turning to desert, logging these last old growth trees may turn this uniquely productive zone into just any other zone.

[ficklemedia]

Words fail me to describe how good this film is. I dont have enough thumbs either. I wish all climbing media had such a strong environmental message. Other companies could learn a thing because this makes me want to support arcteryx. Thank you so much.

[OtherNurse]

As a BC resident I was so excited to see this film. I hope the old growth in that area is kept untouched. Amazing to see the pioneering community in Powell River finding and establishing these tremendous routes. Thank you!

[freedomle]

"Old growth is the spirit of the valley." So true. Wish it were left alone. Magical place and wish to see it someday.

[roelmattheeussen]

As a climber and biologist this was just exceptional filmmaking. Longing for these open spaces in cramped west Europe....

[laurenaeva]

I can't believe this was 40 minutes! It felt more like 15 or 20. I don't think I've ever been so immersed in a documentary before.

[NewDoughs]

its very eye opening and scary how you can zoom in literally anywhere on BC using google maps and the area is riddled with logging patches. Literally anywhere. It makes you realize the affect of logging and how much we are using as a population. We need to plant more, restore these areas.

[darcykaltio]

What a beautiful film. Thank you. It is so important to protect our old growth forests.

[swaggabeef]

This is an amazing and extremely high caliber climbing film (or just film in general) and it makes me proud to be from BC Canada.

[brycefunk]

Arc'Teryx simply cannot produce a bad video. Just incredible filming to match a powerful story.

[ChrisIstace]

A stunning area, old growth forests and Granite big wall climbing. We need to continue to find a balance between logging & preservation of wild places. The two can co-exist when we work together, I have hope. My fear with all logging in BC is ownership by multi-nationals and not "local" timber companies that care about and spend time in the forests recreating themselves. Keep up the great work to all that work to love their communities, love ancient old growth forests and striving to preserve them for generations to come.

[mattmarcroft]

What a wonderful film, and I don’t mind saying brought a tear to my eye. The climbing community you have there are intelligent, passionate and pragmatic people, and I hope this film throws light on what is happening at Elder and Powell River. I hope I could see those trees and climb there myself one day. Beautifully shot, edited & scored filmmaking - well done all involved.

[samuelvvanes]

Im not in the targeted audience of Documentaries nor am I into rock climbing but after visiting the eldred valley a few weeks back and now seeing this I’m astonished Very well done 👏 documentary

[VFC]

Great film, amazing shots. I appreciate how you recognize the extent of Powell River’s logging history and how important it is to our community. However, we’ve always been a town of tourism and that should be embraced as well if we hope to better our economy and infrastructure. It's not just logging that has a rich history in Powell River, it's the trees themselves that are rooted in this town’s identity. Love where I live

[dArBaR]

Thanks @Arc'teryx . Proud to be born and raised in BC.

[BallardBaller]

The push pull she talks about at the end, is the paradox that are human struggles. This film is full of paradox, and I love it!

[Cholesky]

I live in an area where logging is a huge thing too. Seasons after seasons, I see a more and more aggresive development as well. Kilometers and kilometers of hiking/mtbing trails are destroyed and never restored. I'm not againt logging at all, I just want a different approach of it.

[texasranger]

This doc is really great. Believe there is a market for this kind of thing on YouTube. Also, great crew you assembled to bring it to life!

[ianjeffery]

This has become a comfort film for me. Truly beautiful film, full to the brim with meaning and realism. A beautiful reminder and something that encourages a new shift or change in your perspective every time you watch it. Incredible work to everyone involved.

[rosemaryadamick]

Thank you so much Christy for being the impetus behind this beautiful film! It brought back some lovely memories of our good times with you and Colin and the local climbing community in the beautiful campground you guys developed. Even though we are not climbers, this area is a great base from which to explore and hike the surrounding alpine, esp Emma Lake. I wish there was more we could do to save it!