[soft suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
- Warmed up?
Right here. There. - There.
- Hop to this. Open hand. - Yeah.
- Bah, all the way up.
♪ ♪
- Yeah, get that... nice, dude. Come on.
Jason was a climber long before he was an actor.
Yeah, twist that hip a little bit.
Come on. Come on, nice, dude. Yeah, yeah.
Like, climbing is part of his DNA.
Yeah. Come on.
- [shouts] - Nice.
You know, I met him when he was a teenager
camping out in the desert to go bouldering.
Come on! - [grunts]
- Nice. - Oh, you big bastard.
[grunts] All right.
- Dude. - Whoo!
- [chuckles]
- Not bad for a silverback. - [chuckles] Not bad at all.
Jason is a really passionate climber,
but especially, he loves bouldering.
Bouldering is climbing shorter walls, you know,
maybe between three and six moves without a rope.
Whoa. [grunts]
- Nice. Get it.
- [grunts] - Nice.
Get it. - [grunts]
- Aw.
- Bouldering was kind of the way that I was able
to take the rest of my climbing to another level.
Up!
It's about finding the hardest possible moves
that a human can possibly do.
[grunting]
It's such a fine-tuned,
detail-oriented form of climbing.
Come on.
I was one of the people
that helped legitimize bouldering
as a formal discipline in climbing,
and so bouldering definitely has a important place
in my evolution as a climber.
[panting]
Bouldering is climbing distilled
down to its purest form.
- To me, this is my favorite style of climbing.
I, like, love rolling up to the crag,
having a really hard problem.
I like to hold on to something, like,
barely there because I weigh 250.
I just want to test my strength
and see that I can climb something
that's pretty impossible for my size.
- The cool thing is, though,
it's like you could take that same boulder,
and you might do it one way, and then someone,
you know, like myself might be able to do the same boulder,
but they're going to have to do it a completely different way.
- Like when you roll up
and you're just like, "Look, no hands!"
And you just do it because you're a dick
and you wanna make me feel bad? Like that?
- [chuckling] Yeah. - Cool.
- It's kind of like that.
- Where's a place that we would go for the competition?
- I mean, there's this amazing place called Albarracín.
It has some of the nicest boulders in the world,
beautiful red sandstone.
And there's boulders of all levels, all different styles.
It without a doubt
is the best bouldering area in all of Spain.
I think it could be the perfect spot.
It's for real.
- That is for real.
♪ ♪
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
- To April and Maiza, you guys. - Aw.
[overlapping chatter] - Cheers.
- And to everyone else. - To everyone.
all: Hello.
- Hey. - Look who's here.
Welcome, people.
- We brought some things for you.
- Dang. [laughter]
- Is that a hunk of meat?
- Hey.
[object impacts on table] [laughter]
- What is that? - It's a piece of a pig.
- It's a pig leg.
- Pig. - Ohh.
- Oh, God. Careful. - I'm just gonna grab a piece.
- But it actually doesn't get
any more traditional than that.
- Yeah. - Like, that...
- This is looking pretty good. - Yeah. Anybody want a piece?
- It's all about cutting, like, really thin...
- I'm gonna put some cheese on that.
- It's pretty crazy, you guys.
Like, I've been living here for, like, almost 15 years now,
so I just came here on a climbing trip.
You know, we were in Mallorca
kind of like you guys right now,
and everyone was getting ready to leave.
And I was like, "You know what?
I think I'm just going to stay."
So yeah, it's pretty crazy that kind of a random climbing trip
can change your life so much.
So beware, you know? [laughter]
- Well, I think our lives are already changed.
- Yeah. [overlapping chatter]
- Significantly. - Like, on point.
- Yeah. [chuckles]
- Prior to coming here, my life is, like, very linear.
I, like, go to school. I have a job.
I'm going to go to grad school,
I'm going to get a different job.
I love climbing so much,
but I'd never really thought about it
as, like, a serious thing.
Winning the prize money and the prAna sponsorship,
I think it could be cool
to pursue my passion for climbing.
- Do you guys have any idea why we're here in Albarracín?
- Bouldering? - Yeah.
[cheering and chatter]
- I'm so excited!
- Yeah. - This is the best week so far.
- The boulder we picked for the main climb is super awesome.
It's going to, like, make you, you know, put you to the test
on many different ways, right?
So... - We're excited.
- Yeah. - Damn.
- Don't drink too much wine
because we're going to keep you guys on your toes,
no pun intended. all: Oh!
[bell tolling]
[soft dramatic music]
[birds singing]
♪ ♪
- [laughing] Oh, dang.
[laughs] It's like a high-kick.
[laughs]
♪ ♪
- Origami... it's an artistry similar to climbing
because I do think climbing is an art.
I remember being interested in origami when I was little.
I like working with my hands and particularly, like,
smaller, more detailed things.
I think climbing is an art.
It's not just brute strength. There is an art form to it.
- Come on, kick it!
Yeah! [cheering]
- I played sports growing up.
I wanted to play scholastic basketball,
and then I discovered that I'm trans.
I started testosterone, had top surgery, healed.
And the thing that I was looking forward to was,
I can play sports again.
And then I was told I couldn't
because I identify as trans.
I started climbing a year after my top surgery,
and I was finding myself in this sport
as I was finding myself as a human.
As a shorter climber,
I have to have a very large wheelhouse of technique.
I have to know a lot,
and I have to be proficient at a lot.
And I do feel a pressure to perform well
because I want to represent my community.
I mean, how freaking awesome would it be to win
because representation is so important,
and trans climbers exist.
♪ ♪
[birds singing]
- When I start to fall, I... it's whenever...
- You know, you kick the other foot out.
- It's whenever I'm on that... both feet at the same time.
- Hm.
- Bouldering for me, you know,
I just haven't done a whole lot of it in general.
I don't really have access to boulders around me back home.
Bouldering requires a lot of core strength and balance,
and so a slacklining is a great way
to practice for that.
- You look so chill.
- All right. I'm gonna get the turn this time.
- Yeah.
- Robyn's been climbing for almost her entire life,
and so it's really cool to get that combination of, like,
climbing experience, a lot of it,
and also this, like, young energy.
I'm always stoked to spend time with Robyn.
- Ooh. [laughs]
The spin looks hard.
- Good. Yes, there you go.
You're good to find it. Sit back a little bit more.
Good, Robyn. Yes.
Yes, good. Good, good, good.
Nice, Robyn.
Yes, yes, yes! - [laughs]
- Oh, that was it. - [laughs] That was better.
- You had the start position there.
- I think Brad and I get along really well
for a lot of different reasons.
We're the same age.
He's super easy to get along with.
He's super personable and, like, sweet and nice.
And then we're also both pretty positive people.
That was better. - It was good.
- I balanced for, like, a sec. - Yeah.
It's important to, like, get into those weird positions
where you're like... - I'm like, ah!
- I don't know how I'm holding this right now,
but I am. - [laughing]
- Just like starfishing.
We just have a lot of fun.
I think we're just really goofy when we hang out.
And it's just, like, normal.
It's like we could have been friends forever.
- Come on. Alle.
Dude, crushing it. Frickin' killing it.
- Whoo! - Oh!
That was, like, six steps!
- That was so sick! - Nice.
- I actually did something.
- And you started on your left foot that time, too.
- That was fucking crazy.
- I'm excited to get on some rocks, so let's do it.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- We're looking for the most well-rounded climber
of this group, and bouldering is really going to dive deep
into exploring the details of their technique
and their strength.
Here in Albarracín, you have such a variety
of different types of climbing,
whether it's being overhangs or vertical walls or slabs.
And it really is a great place to test all of our climbers
on many different styles of movement.
So the boulder problems that we chose, you know,
it really reflects the format of climbing competitions
that really challenge you in distinct ways.
- [chuckling] Oh, man.
- The main climb is going to
push them more psychologically,
and it's going to, you know, really force them
to keep their shit together.
Hey, guys. Welcome to Albarracín.
- Nice.
- Spain's best bouldering area.
I've bouldered all over the world,
and I can definitely say this is one of the best
places I've ever been to.
As you can see, it's, like, this amazing red sandstone.
Some amazing holds, some amazing movements.
And you're really going to put your skills to the test.
♪ ♪
This 26-foot-tall boulder starts off on good holds
and leads to an overhanging bulge
with really small 1/4 inch edges.
From there, the holds become more rounded
and are really tricky to hold onto.
The final section
is an intimidating 10-degree overhang
that starts 18 feet above the ground.
It's definitely going to test you psychologically, you know?
The crux is at the very top,
and some of you might get a little bit scared up there.
So be safe. Take care of each other.
Spot each other well.
- You guys are going to have two tries each on this boulder.
The two climbers who fail to send
or use the most attempts to send
will be going to the elimination round.
- Let's do it. - Let's do it.
- Yeah.
- One of the biggest dangers
that comes with bouldering is falling.
You really want to make sure you have good spotters,
and you want to make sure you have
enough foam to properly pad
wherever you are going to climb.
More pads creates more seams,
so having things to cover the seams as well
is really important because the last thing you want
is someone to land, and their ankle
go in between the pads, and it break.
And that kind of stuff happens all the time.
Robyn, you're going to start us off,
and you're going first.
- Perfect.
[tense music]
I get more scared bouldering than I do sport climbing,
just because sport climbing, you're on a rope,
your falls are usually pretty safe.
Bouldering, you have to be kind of more aware
of your body and where you're falling and the ground.
[exhales deeply] - Come on, Rob.
- So each individual move tends to matter a little more.
- Come on, Robyn. - You got this.
- Nice. - Good.
- Nice, Robyn.
Good.
♪ ♪
- So good.
- Come on, Robyn.
- Really moved nicely through that bottom section.
- Yeah.
♪ ♪
- This is really kind of a tricky section, right?
- This is. These next three moves...
- Mm-hmm. - Right here is where it gets...
it gets very real.
- So good.
- Come on, Robyn. Yeah.
- Yes. - Come on.
- Just bend back a little bit. - Come on, Robyn.
- Yeah. - Come on, Robyn.
Nice.
- [sighs] - You got it.
- Find the holds. You can do it.
- You got it. - You got this, Robyn.
- We're with ya 100%. Come on.
Find your feet. Come on. - Come on.
- We're with you.
- Come on. - We're with you.
- So she seems to be a little more unsure of this section.
- Yeah.
- Come on, Robyn. - Come on, Robyn.
- [panting]
- Here we go. - You can do it.
- [grunting]
- Yes! [all cheering]
- Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
[sighs]
Oh, I was so nervous. [all cheering]
- Nice job! Yeah! - Nice work, Robyn.
[cheers and applause]
- Whoo!
You guys got it!
[all cheering]
- Mario, you're up next.
- I'm very, very interested to see how Mario does,
you know, because, you know, he's already been
in that hot seat last week in the elimination round.
- Injury is probably my biggest concern
when it comes to bouldering because you just want to rage,
and you want to try hard
because there's not a lot of moves.
[breathing heavily]
♪ ♪
- Come on, Mario. - Nice.
I... see, I feel like he is not comfortable on his feet.
- Come on. - Come on, Mario.
- Come on.
- He made it past that first section.
- Yes! - Yeah, so definitely...
- This is that rough move. - This is the first
little moment of truth right here,
being able to get over this bulge.
♪ ♪
Come on.
- Ooh.
- Ah, fucking A!
That was scary. Yeah.
♪ ♪
- Can we get another pad?
- I don't think we need this pad here.
- Yeah, let's move this one over.
- Mario, you're up for your second attempt.
- You know, let's just be honest.
Any time you hit the ground, it's kind of fucking scary.
♪ ♪
The voice in my head saying, like, you know,
you're the oldest in the group.
You're just not as strong as everyone else.
You don't know how to try hard anymore.
I fight it as much as possible.
♪ ♪
- Come on, Mario. - Come on, Mario.
You got this.
- Nice. Come on. - Yeah.
- You got this, Mario. Come on.
- Come on. - Come on.
- Come on, Mario. - Come on.
- He's in the same spot where he fell last time.
- Good. - Yes.
♪ ♪
- Good. - Come on!
- Come on. - Come on.
- Oh! - You okay?
You all right? - Yeah, my foot popped.
Give me a minute.
Fuck!
It sucks knowing that I could be
in the elimination round right off the bat.
It's a shitty feeling.
Okay.
I have to start working smarter than I've done before.
♪ ♪
- You know, this is my weakness.
This could be the week that I go home, you know?
And that's kind of how I feel right now.
- You got it, Brad.
- Come on, Brad.
♪ ♪
- Yes. - He's making
good decisions thus far.
♪ ♪
- Nice. - He is getting close
to the crux.
- Nice. - Yeah. Come on.
- Nice. - Come on, Brad.
- Good.
- [breathing heavily]
- Yeah. - That's it!
- Oh, my God. That's awesome.
- Big low cut. - [sighs] Whoo!
- Nice. - Let's go!
Fucking sent train, guys! Let's go!
- Nice. [all cheering]
- Brad nailed it. I mean, it was really impressive.
- Yes!
- Bouldering is probably his weakest discipline
in climbing, so I don't think any of us
saw that coming.
He sent in Mallorca, he sent in Siurana,
now he sent here.
He's really emerging as a frontrunner.
- [softly] Let's fucking go.
♪ ♪
- Come on. - Come on, Alice.
- Nice. - Come on, come on.
- Come on. - Come on, Alice.
- You can have the most talented people in the world
climbing bouldering competitions,
and any given day, it could be anybody's game.
- Good. - Nice.
- Good. - Nice job.
- Yeah! [cheering]
- [laughs]
- Come on, Deco.
- It really does come down to finding the right headspace
and just a little bit of luck, you know,
that their foot doesn't slip at that critical moment.
- Nice, Deco.
♪ ♪
- [grunts]
Fuck yeah! - Whoo!
- Nice, Deco. - Ah!
[applause] - Nice job.
- Fuck yeah!
- Nice job, Deco.
[cheers and applause]
♪ ♪
- I'm a short person. I'm very short.
Whatever the tall person does,
it's like, I can't do that.
So I've had to learn a lot of technique.
- Yes.
- Yes, you got it. Yes.
- He's looking good.
- Definitely moving through this slower section smoothly
without exerting too much energy.
But this is where he needs to really
reach because he's a bit shorter.
- You're strong. Nice.
- Yeah, you got it. - Very good.
♪ ♪
- [grunts]
- Nice.
- Oh, yeah. - Nice job.
- Whoo! [applause]
- Nice. - Thank you.
- It's really cool to see that Cat, Alice, and Deco
were able to execute.
Because everyone's dimensions are different,
nobody really does it the same way.
So it's cool that they're all kind of having
to figure it out for what suits them best.
- Nice, Cat. - Nice work, dude. Crushed it.
- Whenever you're ready, Tiffany.
You got this.
- In bouldering, there are no ropes,
and if you fall from the top of a boulder,
you can do some serious harm.
And having been injured,
I don't really want to go through that again.
I feel like I'm competing not just against my own body,
not just against eight other climbers at this point,
but very much myself.
Okay.
My stomach is sinking all over again.
I am very, very conscious about this one.
I'm... I'm scared.
- Come on.
- We're with you. Come on. 100%.
- Good, Tiffany. Come on.
You can do this.
You got this. Nice.
- Yes. - Come on, Tiff.
Good. You got this.
♪ ♪
Come on. You can do this. - Come on, Tiff.
- Come on, Tiffany. You got this.
- Come on, Tiffany. - Come on. Go get it.
[overlapping chatter]
- I think she's kind of panicking now.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah. - Come on.
- Come on. You got this. - You can do this.
- We got you. - We got you, 100%
- Come on. Strong, huh?
- Come on.
- Falling, falling!
- Good effort. - You're good. Nice run.
- You okay? - Thank you. Yeah.
- Really good effort. - Thank you.
- Good effort. That was good.
♪ ♪
- I'm feeling quite shaky after that.
[sighs] I don't know how it's going to play out
in terms of going forward.
♪ ♪
Am I going to face this? Am I going to overcome this?
Or am I going to make a choice to sort of
just back out and away from it?
It's really important that I find a way to the top.
- Tiffany, that was your first attempt.
You'll have your second attempt whenever you're ready to go.
- Yeah, you got this, Tiff. - Okay.
- You got this, Tiffany.
♪ ♪
- You got this, Tiff. - Come on, Tiff.
100%. - Yes.
- Come on. You can do this.
- Let's go.
- Good. - Nice, Tiff.
- It's okay. - We're with you.
- Watching Tiff and seeing her nerves,
she hits a hold, and you can see the fear.
♪ ♪
- Very nice. You got this.
Come on, Tiffany. - Strong.
Come on. - Come on, Tiffany.
[high-pitched ringing] - Yeah, come on.
[ringing continues] [overlapping chatter]
- [panting]
[high-pitched ringing]
Ah!
[indistinct chatter] - Come on, Tiffany.
♪ ♪
- Ah!
♪ ♪
Ah! [chatter continues]
Ah!
[soft dramatic music]
[cheers and applause]
♪ ♪
- That was awesome.
- Great job, Tiffany!
Good job! That was amazing.
- [sniffling] Sorry.
♪ ♪
[sniffling]
Sorry.
[spluttering] I d... I d...
- That was great. - That's the best thing,
to see someone overcome...
- The fear like that. - Yeah.
- Oof.
That's why it made me tear up a little.
- She could tell she was... - Killed it.
- Absolutely terrified, and she kind of
just forced herself to override.
- Exac... override, exactly.
- [sniffles]
- Dom, you're up next.
- [claps twice]
- If he can send this first attempt, he'll be safe.
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
- I'm on the boulder, and...
[grunts]
The moment that I fully load that right foot,
I feel pain shooting through
from the outside through the inside of my knee.
Oh, goddamn it.
Right now, my body is saying, "I gave you a warning shot."
And I'm pretty high up, so it's like,
just continue on, you know, deal with it when you're done.
- Yes!
Yes!
Yes. - Come on, Dom.
- Come on. - Nice.
♪ ♪
- Yes, man!
- 100%. Come on.
♪ ♪
- [grunts]
- Come on, Dom. You can do this.
♪ ♪
- Come on.
- [grunts]
[cheers and applause]
- Nice job.
- ♪ Mm-mm-mm ♪
I had so much adrenaline going through me
that I didn't feel how much damage was done
until I put all the weight onto that foot.
Fuck.
- Dom, do you have it... do you have a knee problem?
- Um... yeah.
Yeah, it's okay, though. We'll be fine.
- It was definitely really cool
to watch you guys' progression on this boulder.
It was kind of different for everyone,
and it was really cool to see.
- There was a lot of suspense.
- [chuckles] I couldn't breathe.
So Tiffany and Mario
will be going into the elimination climb.
[downbeat music]
- I know that I'm going into this elimination climb
knowing that I really need to pull something out of the bag.
♪ ♪
- I'm back in the elimination round once again,
but I'm here to win the $100,000 cash
and that one-year sponsorship from prAna.
You know, I wanted to have the opportunity
to really continue to show that rock climbing
is an inclusive, welcoming place for everyone and anyone
because I think that's really what matters.
♪ ♪
[FaceTime chiming]
- Hey, love. - Hey.
How are you doing?
- Good. What's going on?
- Um, the day hasn't gone so well for me.
I'm going to be doing...
the elimination climb tomorrow.
My husband is an incredible climber.
He's amazing.
It's a very special bond between us.
You know, he reminds me...
how strong I can be.
[sentimental music]
- What happened today doesn't matter.
What matters is getting yourself back mentally
to where you need to be to be able to climb hard.
And you channel all of your energy at those key moments
into just holding on.
- [laughs] Holding... holding on.
- And not letting go. - [laughing] And not letting...
I love it when you say that.
- Go up the climb by not falling off.
- Yeah. Ha-ha. Very funny. [laughs]
- But that is good advice.
Channel all of that.
- [laughs]
- Look, I love you, but go have fun
and I hope I don't see you in a day or two.
- [laughs]
My Chinese Zodiac is a Tiger,
and I identify with that a lot
in that you need to be able to be fierce,
but you also need to find that serenity.
And I hope I can do that.
I hope I can bring my grit. [laughs]
But I hope I can maintain that grace as well.
I hope I'm not seeing you in a couple of days either.
[laughter]
♪ ♪
- Bye-bye. Bye, love.
- Bye. Love you. Bye. [smooches]
♪ ♪
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
I'm here in the elimination spot
and there is the part of me which
is full of doubt...
♪ ♪
Encompassing everything that's happened to me in the past
from an injury aspect or a fall aspect.
But I know that I need to persevere,
and I know that I can
because I do not want to go home.
And I am determined to,
you know, give it my absolute best.
- Mario, Tiffany, in this competition,
you've tried many different types of climbing.
One thing we haven't done yet is a roof climb.
So this is your first boulder in the elimination round.
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
It's low to the ground,
but you'll be completely horizontal,
so having a strong core is essential
to sending this boulder.
There are some good holds, but a lot of them
aren't as positive as they look,
so it's really easy to get mixed up and out of sequence.
The hardest part of this boulder is the move at the end
when you'll have to throw your leg up
and mantle yourself up over the top of the boulder.
So you've been put through the test on the main climbing day,
and this is going to be definitely the next level.
- Obviously, there's a lot on the line here.
This is your first of two boulders.
The person that tops the most boulders
in the fewest amount of tries will win and gets to continue
on in this competition.
- What do you think?
- I'm psyched.
- It's a roof.
Love that.
So hopefully I can just, like, pull it out the bag.
- It's a sexy piece of rock.
[laughter] Let's get going.
I'm excited.
I think this is, like, pretty par for the course in Texas,
and so I'm very excited to get on it.
- Yeah, let's do it.
- So Mario, you're going to be going first
based off of how you did in the main climb.
- Okay. - Sick.
- I'm excited. - Get your shoes on. Let's go.
- Okay. - Let's go, guys.
- Whoo! - Bring your A-game.
- Whoo-whoo! - Now's the time to shine.
- I am nervous about going into
another elimination climb.
But now, I personally feel like
as long as I'm patient with myself,
I'm better at things that are going to involve,
like, just being slow and methodical.
I think the real test that I'm going to have to do
is really just dig down deep in myself.
- Let's see it, Mario, you got this.
Let's see it, - Come on, Mario. Yeah.
- Get psyched. - Yeah.
- Ready, Mario? Go for it.
- Sí. - Yeah, Mario.
- Yes. Come on, Mario. - Nice. Come on.
- Come on, Mario.
- You got this, man. Come on. - You got it.
- Yes. - Nice.
- Come on.
- Ooh. Fancy. - Come on, Mario.
- Nice. - Very good, Mario.
- Hard section. Come on. - Come on.
- Yes.
- You got it.
♪ ♪
- [straining]
- Come on! - Let's go, Mario!
- Come on, Mario!
- You've got this. Come on.
- [breathing heavily]
♪ ♪
- Yeah! [overlapping chatter]
[applause] Nice, Mario.
- Nice, Mario. Come on. - Come on.
- Come on, Mario.
Come on, Mario.
- Come on. Come on. - You got this.
Come on. - Come on.
- Man, don't rush. Don't rush.
Man, you've got this.
You got this. Come on. - Nice.
[cheers and applause]
- [groans]
- Nice job.
[whistling and cheering] - Yeah!
[soft dramatic music]
- Topping the first boulder felt fucking cool.
It was honestly the motivation that I need
to keep kind of pushing forward.
- Fuck yeah, Mario.
- First top of the elimination round. Nice job.
[cheers and applause] - Come on, Tiffany.
- You got this, Tiffany.
- Ooh. - Yes.
- You know, there's kind of a minefield of holds in there.
There's quite a lot to choose from,
so the trick with this climb was going to be,
you know, making sure you pick the right holes to go forth.
And I was racing with the doubt,
but I was like, "Just try and set it aside
"because you know you can do this climb,
"so hold it together.
This isn't the time to fall apart."
♪ ♪
- There we go.
- Nice. - Come on, Tiff.
- Sweet moves. You got it.
- Come on, girl. - Come on, Tiff.
Come on, Tiff. - Come on, Tiff.
- Come on.
- Yeah. - Good.
- You got this.
♪ ♪
- Come on. You got it. - Come on.
- Come on, Tiff. - Come on.
- Come on!
- Come on, come on.
[cheers]
- Come on. Come on.
- Come on, Tiff. - Go get it, Tiff.
Come on. - Come on, Tiffany.
Come on, Tiffany. - Come on.
- Figure it out. Trust yourself.
You got this.
Come on. You got this!
[cheers]
Come on, Tiffany!
Very good. Awesome.
- Come on, Tiff! - Yeah, Tiffany!
Awesome. - Come on, Tiff.
- Yeah, Tiffany! - Come on.
[cheers and applause]
- Nice job! Yeah!
[soft dramatic music]
Second top of the elimination.
- [sighs] - Good job.
♪ ♪
- Awesome job. - Damn straight.
- You all both controlled that swing beautifully.
- Not a dab in sight.
- Going into the second boulder,
being in a tie with Tiffany,
I was really trying to just focus on, like,
what I need to do because
the moment you start thinking about your competitor,
you've already given that person the victory.
- You can drop your stuff here.
- I wanted this to be on my own terms and my own effort
and my own energy.
- Mario, Tiffany, this is the second boulder
of the elimination round.
This boulder problem is completely different
from the first elimination climb.
It's a less-than-vertical slab,
and the holds are tiny.
Most of them are only a few millimeters thick,
so the route is hard to find.
You'll need to use finger strength,
great footwork, and balance to finesse your way to the top.
As you can see,
it's a little bit different than the last one.
- [chuckles] - Not quite as overhanging,
but pretty challenging nonetheless.
- A little bit in the opposite direction.
- Yeah.
- It's a lot more technical, more footwork
and balance involved, and, you know,
finding the right body positions.
And that idea of being patient is always important
in slab climbing. - Mm-hmm.
There are definitely some holds where you are dreaming
and wishing that they could be better.
So the challenge is trying to get your footwork
to support you as much as possible,
and also keeping your body in and keeping your core,
like, engaged, like, as you move.
But I can't go into it thinking with that sort of...
that foreboding or that sense of failure.
You have to accept, and I have to accept,
and I always have accepted that failure
is part of this process.
If you can't accept failure, you can't grow.
You can't move forwards.
- Mario, you're first.
- [sighs]
[exhales deeply]
- You got this, Mario.
- This is where foot placement and finger strength
are crucial.
I mean, these holds are so small for your hands
and your feet.
- You got it. - Come on, Mario.
[tense music]
- Nice. - Come on, Mario.
♪ ♪
- Nice. - Nice.
♪ ♪
- Nice.
- Ah.
Fuck, that hurt. - Mm.
- Good effort. - Good effort.
- Thank you. - Good effort.
- You okay?
[soft dramatic music]
- Starting the second boulder, getting off the ground,
you know, there are some credit card crimps.
My right hand just fired right off the hold.
I... [sputters]
I mean, I was like, "Okay, you know, that was kind of it."
Definitely upset. Definitely annoyed.
A little pissed at myself.
♪ ♪
[suspenseful music]
- I think that if she can just keep it together
and not fall there and to get past it,
I really think that Tiffany could do this.
♪ ♪
- Nice. - Come on.
- Come on, Tiff. Nice, Tiffany.
- Yes. - Come on.
- Come on, Tiff. - Come on, Tiffany.
♪ ♪
- Yes. Come on, Tiff.
- Come on, Tiff. - Come on, Tiffany.
- You're doing so good. - Nice.
Come on, Tiffany. - Keep calm.
- I realized I wasn't moving forward
the moment Tiffany got on the wall.
She moved with just as much confidence
as she did in the first climb on this second climb.
She basically skated up the wall
in a very graceful, very smooth way.
- Nice. - Yeah.
[cheers and applause]
- Come on.
Keep it together. You got this.
Yeah!
[cheers and applause]
Nice job, Tiffany!
Awesome!
- I knew coming into the elimination climb
that it's about being able to find and bring
that confidence and assurance.
Mario.
- You did a good job.
- Going forward, I really feel like
every challenge we've been through has been,
like, such a test to me to continue to dig deep
and not give up and persist.
[triumphant music]
I'm not going to start crying now.
Okay. I'm not.
♪ ♪
Thank you. No, all of you.
Thank you. I'm so sorry.
[downbeat music]
- I've been in the elimination round twice.
And now, I'm finally heading home... it sucks.
- Come on. Get down here. Banana hug.
- Bananas. - Banana hug.
- Bananas, bananas.
- But I don't see it as a setback
in any way, shape or form.
Like, just because I'm going home
does not mean that my climbing journey or my climbing life
or the ambitions that I have, like, none of that stops.
♪ ♪
I'm not going to stop moving forward
until I'm in a pine box.
♪ ♪
[tense music]
- In climbing,
every move and every hold hinges on millimeters of rock.
But even though precision is important...
♪ ♪
It's not the only skill the climbers will need
because in the next leg of this competition...
- [shouts]
- They must find the perseverance
to conquer the toughest route yet.
- [screams] - [yelps]
- It's fucking hard, dude. Like, this route
is way harder than they've ever tried.
- Yeah. - It's going to be, like,
at their limit or maybe even beyond their limit.
- Come on! - Come on!
- Ah! - Oh, fuck.
- Come on. Oh! [all groan]
- Ah!
- That's a lot of blood.
- Ultimately, they will have to adapt
to the unexplored corners of the globe...
- There is this place called Wadi Rum.
- Whoa.
- I'm so stuck.
- If they want to rise up to the climb.