This documentary follows mountain climber John Harlin III as he attempts to scale the north face of the Eiger in the Swiss Alps, one of the most dangerous climbs in the world. Harlin feels compelled to complete the journey because his father died making the same trip. As Harlin plots his trip, he tries to instill in his daughter the same sense of awe towards nature that his father gave him. Once Harlin begins to climb, his family watches his ascent from a distance through a telescope.