All Work

National Geographic × The North Face

The Crux: Where Dreams Hang by a Thread

2024 — Docu-series

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The challenge

High stakes, fierce rivalries and dreams teetering on the edge.

A chalked hand on a yellow hold.

A four-part docu-series inside competition climbing. Elite climbers on the 2023 IFSC circuit, the qualifying year for the Paris 2024 Olympics, from the World Championships in Bern to the qualifiers in Laval, Jakarta and Melbourne.

The Crux was a Think Less idea: a series inside competition climbing during the qualifying year for the Paris 2024 Olympics. National Geographic released it on YouTube in August 2024, presented by The North Face.

Client
National Geographic × The North Face
Scope
Strategy · Creative · Production · Post
Delivered
4 episodes, 20 to 28 minTrailer, 1:30YouTube ShortKey art and episode artInstagram carouselsProduction photography
“Partnering with Think Less and Little Monsters on the origination of the series The Crux was a powerful collaboration. We saw the opportunity to bring to life a captivating series that gives an inside look into the world of competitive climbing with the goal of extending the sport’s reach. Climbing is at the center of The North Face brand, and we foundationally understand that in offering access to the sport of climbing, our brand can help foster a love for the sport while supporting its growth.”
Kaki OrrDirector, Brand Narratives / Global, The North Face

The strategy

We developed The Crux ourselves, then brought in the partners.

The Crux began as a Think Less idea: a series inside competition climbing during the Olympic qualifying year. We secured the access, shot the first episode at the World Championships, and then put the partners around it.

  1. 01

    Access

    A partnership with the IFSC, the sport’s federation: inside the isolation zones and call rooms the broadcast never shows.

  2. 02

    Package

    Little Monster Films, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s company (Free Solo), and director Nonuk Walter (Drive to Survive).

  3. 03

    Partners

    The North Face financed the next shoot window and presented the series; National Geographic released it on YouTube.

What made it hard

We filmed four Olympic qualifiers live, with one chance at each.

Each episode is built around a qualifying event: the World Championships in Bern, then the qualifiers in Laval, Jakarta and Melbourne. Places at the Paris Olympics were won and lost at each one, so the crew had a single chance to film it.

  • 4Qualifying events, four countries
  • 9Athletes followed
  • 3Continents

What we made

A climber on a dark volume, in black and white.
A climber lit red, looking up at the wall.
A climber reaching across the wall under violet light.
A climber on yellow volumes, cut by a beam of light.
Three climbers side by side, in black and white.
A climber spread across a colourful wall.

Four episodes of 20 to 28 minutes, a trailer, a YouTube Short, key art and production photography. In its first two months the series drew 3.2 million views across National Geographic's channels, and it won two 2025 Telly Awards.

How we did it

How do you get inside a sport that only lets you watch?

Our partnership with the IFSC took the cameras where competition coverage never goes, from the isolation zone to the moments after a climber comes off the wall. Created by Cole Sax and Phil Hessler, directed by Nonuk Walter, and produced with Little Monster Films.

  • 4Episodes
  • 3.2MViews in the first two months, across Nat Geo
  • 22025 Telly Awards

The series

  • Episode01

    The Ascent Begins

  • Episode02

    The Old Guard

  • Episode03

    On the Edge

  • Episode04

    Breaking Point

Key art

The Crux key art: “Where dreams hang by a thread”, presented by The North Face, with National Geographic, Little Monster Films and Think Less.

    On the circuit

    The series follows the climbers chasing those places, among them Janja Garnbret and Toby Roberts, who went on to win gold in Paris, Oriane Bertone, Campbell Harrison, Miho Nonaka and Jakob Schubert.

    The Bern arena from above, the wall lit for the final.
    Backstage in black and white, a climber waiting in the dark.
    A climber walking backstage past road cases.
    A climber in the dark before her turn.
    Athletes waiting in the dark behind the barriers.
    A climber in black and white, eyes lowered.
    A climber with braided hair in coloured stage light.
    A climber sitting on the mat in front of a packed arena, in black and white.
    Climbers walking together on a rest day.
    A climber in black and white, waiting in the wings.
    Teammates comforting each other after a round.
    A climber on a yellow volume above the crowd.
    A climber in an orange jacket by the water at dusk.
    A climber’s arm on a grey wall, in black and white.
    A coach holding an athlete after her round.
    A climber stretching for a hold on a purple-lit wall.
    A climber close to tears after her attempt.
    A climber hanging from a hold, from below, in black and white.
    Two climbers embracing.
    A physio working with a climber in the warm-up room.
    A climber crying, head bowed.
    A climber warming up by the window.
    A climber with her hands over her face.
    Two athletes hugging in front of the crowd.
    A climber roaring after topping a boulder.
    A climber falling away from the wall.
    A climber walking out to the wall under palm trees.

    The result

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