The film tells the story of two mountaineers from Boulder, Jim Erickson and Art Higbee, who tried to climb the 2200 foot vertical face of the Half Dome in the Yosemite vally, California, without ropes, an extreme climb. After several unsuccessful attempts made between 1971 and 1977, the two alpinists tried to "free climb" - i.e. ropes and equipments were used only as a safety mesure - once again, and were unexpectedly successful.