SEE BELOW FOR AN IMPORTANT STATEMENT REGARDING ONE OF THE FILMS

EVENT DETAILS

  • HUGE PROPS TO OUR EVENT CO-SPONSORS: CMU EXPLORERS CLUB + EXPLORERS CLUB OF PITTSBURGH

  • Location: CMU McConomy Auditorium

  • Parking: Morewood parking lot (across Forbes, entrance on Morewood) is free in the evening after 5p for visitors. The East Campus Parking garage is no longer free for visitors, which is a change from previous years.

  • Date: Monday, March 24, 2025

  • Time: Doors and sweepstakes ticket sale at 6p | Film at 7p

  • Closed Captions: Likely! We always try.

  • Price: FREE - no tickets required, but donations in the form of sweepstakes ticket purchases are strongly encouraged!

  • Sweepstakes: Like past years, fundraiser tickets may be purchased for a chance to win 10 AWESOME prize packages. 100% of proceeds benefit SWPACC + Access Fund. Cash and credit accepted! Sweepstakes Tickets will sell for: 3 for $5 | 10 for $10 | 30 for $20. Last year, we broke a fundraising record... BY A LOT! Together, we raised $3,365! CAN WE DO IT AGAIN?!

  • Prize Package Donors: TBA

REEL ROCK 19 - PITTSBURGH SCREENING COMMITTEE STATEMENT

For roughly the past 10 years, ASCEND Climbing, Explorers Club of Pittsburgh, CMU Explorer Club, and SWPACC have been hosting a Reel Rock film screening in Pittsburgh, primarily as a means to raise money for Access Fund + SWPACC, as well as provide an annual connection point for our climbing community.

It has been brought to our attention that the film The Cobra and the Heart, included in Reel Rock 19, features climber Thomasina Pidgeon, who publicly supported climber Charlie Barrett. In June of 2024, Mr. Barrett was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact that occurred during a weekend in Yosemite National Park.

ASCEND, The Explorers Club of Pittsburgh, SWPACC, and CMU Explorers Club unequivocally denounce all forms of sexual harassment and sexual violence. As leaders in the climbing community, we have built our organizations on mutual trust and respect, and do not condone the crimes of Mr. Barrett, nor the actions of those who would take advantage of our community and its members.

As the climbing community continues to grow, it is imperative that any abuse is addressed due to the nature of our sport demanding high levels of trust from every participant. Unfortunately, we have already seen the damage that can come from misplaced trust due to influence in the community. Addressing even small situations is critical to stopping flagrant abuse from happening in the future.

We will be showing The Cobra and the Heart last, allowing those who do not wish to support the film the opportunity to leave following the annual raffle ticket drawing during intermission. 

Official Reel Rock Statement: https://reelrocktour.com/blogs/news/an-important-conversation

If you or someone you know, has been or is currently the victim of sexual violence, we encourage you to contact the following resources: 

National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.4373 or go to rainn.org/resources

National Sexual Violence Resource Center at www.nsvrc.org/

ABOUT THE FILMS

Reel Rock 19 showcases three world-premiere climbing films spanning disciplines, characters, and continents: a heartfelt story of second chances in love and climbing on Squamish’s legendary Cobra Crack; an outrageous 18-day big wall epic on Patagonia’s towering Torre Central; and the pursuit of a lifelong dream—a 5.15 first ascent—made possible by an unlikely partnership. Reel Rock 19 is on tour worldwide starting March 2025.

  • DEATH OF VILLAINS: A former child climbing-prodigy confronts his struggle with disordered eating to attempt his life-long dream of climbing a groundbreaking 5.15 first ascent, with the help of an unlikely, and controversial partner.

    • Featuring: Kai Lightner & Joe Kinder

  • RIDERS ON THE STORM: Three Belgian big-wallers endure eighteen days of howling snowstorms, frozen feet, and gnarly runouts in their attempt to make a long-coveted alpine first ascent. 

    • Featuring: Siebe Vanhee, Sean Villanueva O’Driscoll & Nico Favresse

  • THE COBRA & THE HEART: A turbulent 20-year saga of love, loss, and redemption: a whirlwind romance, a crushing defeat on a legendary climb, a religious epiphany, and family betrayal, all building to a desperate bid for a rare second chance—at love, fatherhood, and climbing.

    • Featuring: Didier Berthod, Thomasina Pidgeon & Cedar Pidgeon

WATCH THE TRAILER