Old Man Lightning

Year
2025
Country
USA
Duration:
60 mins

Overview

John “Verm” Sherman, a legendary rock climber, raconteur and curmudgeon, has lost his climbing mojo and wants it back. What better way to do that than by scaling the world’s most famous boulder problem, Yosemite’s mythical Midnight Lightning? He conquered it 25 years ago, but since then the climb has gotten harder and Sherman has gotten softer due to beerlust and his passion for bird photography. Nevertheless, he’s stubborn and determined. Plus, Sherman is dedicated to saving condors from extinction through his photography, and if leveraging his climbing celebrity will help, he’ll stop at nothing. With the help of cheerfully sadistic trainer Ryan “Meatball” Whited, Sherman embarks on a six-month mission to conquer bouldering’s “Problem of Problems.” What could possibly go wrong in this comedic climbing comeback film?

Production Team

Director
Dawn Kish

Festival Screenings

Featured in the 2025 Mountainfilm Festival.

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