Alex Against The Rock for Sport Relief

When I agreed to help Sport Relief

with the fantastic fundraising they do,

I didn't quite know what I'd got myself roped into.

This is Moonlight Buttress, Utah -

a tough challenge for experienced climbers,

let alone a girl from South Wales

who sits next to me on The One Show sofa for a living.

No, I can't! Agh!

Oh, God!

The rock rises a sheer 1,200 feet off the canyon floor.

That's 200 feet higher than London's Shard.

Agh!

The climb is so long and steep

that it's going to take her three days...

-Is that it for today?

-That's it.

..and she'll have to spend two nights

sleeping strapped to the wall.

What a way to spend your birthday!

Birthday cake! Happy birthday, Alex!

And all for Sport Relief.

All I genuinely want to do now

is get off this wall,

but I will not be defeated.

Presenting The One Show five days a week

throws up all sorts of challenges,

but keeping guests in check - not to mention her co-presenters -

isn't too physically demanding.

I'm not particularly outdoorsy, not particularly sporty,

don't like outdoor climbing gear to wear. Erm...

The whole thing actually terrifies me.

-Agh!

-Agh!

Now Alex has been given the opportunity to show the viewers

a different side to her character, and some Welsh steel.

I think that some people see me as, kind of,

the fluffy One Show presenter who sits there, you know,

in her little dresses. This is an opportunity for me

to shut them up once and for all.

And up until now,

she hasn't tested her head for heights too rigorously.

-Da-da!

-Da-da!

Sporty? No. I mean, I never competed in school.

I used to avoid sports day like the plague. I'd always have a note.

Cos I just... I didn't like the shorts, really.

All in all, not a natural choice

to go through the pain barrier for Sport Relief!

I have never climbed anything more than stairs before.

I don't know how I am with heights at that level.

I don't know whether I'm fit enough. But more than that,

I've basically got all the gear and no idea.

If you're about to conquer a piece of overhanging rock

higher than The Shard, it might be time to do something about that!

So back in January, when Sport Relief gave her the challenge,

Alex knew she'd have to get serious.

First stop - an indoor wall not far from The One Show studios,

to climb for the very first time.

Next, she needs a partner to help her up Moonlight Buttress.

Enter - Andy Kirkpatrick.

He's at the top of his game and known all over the world

for pushing the boundaries of what is physically possible to climb.

He also has a way with beginners.

Last year, he got his 13-year-old daughter

up one of the world's legendary big walls.

I come from the city of Hull -

which is the flattest place in Britain -

and somehow, I've ended up making a living climbing

sort of overhanging rocks and big walls

and mountains, kind of all over the world.

Generally, in the most terrible conditions possible.

'Andy looks hilarious. He doesn't even look like'

he's seen a mountain, let alone climbed it!

'I don't really look like a climber. I kind of look like a bin man.'

-Oh!

-OK, so is that...?

What sort of training is this?!

'He has written books. You know,

'he's a very accomplished climber, so I'm sure I'm in safe hands.'

Don't be too long, cos the rope

-might start breaking.

-Don't... Oh, Andy!

Agh!

'Maybe she doesn't grasp how difficult it will be,

'but not physically difficult. It will be physically'

really, really difficult, but the fact that

she can't just say, like, "Cut! I want to stop. I want to get out."

Oh!

-Agh!

-It's all right.

Oh, my God, this is hellish!

Alex has just nine weeks to persuade Andy to allow her

off this wall and up a real mountain.

Agh!

'The standout difficulties she's going to face

'are the fear of heights. She's going to have to'

really overcome that kind of... And a natural fear of...dying!

Alex throws herself into a gruelling routine,

mixing hard training with holding down a day job

with me and Chris on The One Show.

Keep it going, Alex. Keep it going. Good work! Good work!

-Head up.

-Agh!

Climbing three times a week over the winter,

she begins to look fluent on the climbing wall

and master the basic skills that she'll need

to stay alive in the world of big wall climbing.

Follow the rope.

One of her instructors, Audrey, has been filling her in

on some of the other realities of what it's like

to live for days on end in the vertical world.

And the main thing she said, which is really unpleasant,

and I've got issues anyway with things like this...

but going to the loo.

So, how... Girl to girl, how does this work?

OK, um, lots of different methods.

I found the method that worked for me was just having a funnel

and into a bottle, but there are devices out there that help.

And then she started talking about funnels and SheWees,

and it was just too much.

So now, all I've been thinking about since that conversation with Audrey

is SheWees, and how this is going to work.

So... Right.

-So, can... Yeah.

-Your harness has got some buckles in the back

that you can just drop down. So you can just drop your trousers,

squat down, and nobody sees anything.

That is now stressing me out nearly as much as the climb itself!

Some clues as to why Alex would put herself through all of this

lie in her childhood and family.

Her parents, Alan and Mary, still live in

the same part of South Wales that she grew up in.

We are a very close family,

so whatever Alex does, or Jennie,

or myself, or Mary,

all the family are behind us.

The thing with Alex is, she's never forgotten her roots.

If she can help anyone, Alex will.

Yeah. Always been the same. She'd give anybody

-her last Rolo, wouldn't she?

-Absolutely.

-Yes.

Alex is about to put

her hard-earned skills to the test

on real rock for the very first time.

Her mum and dad are coming along too to support her,

along with her nephew, Dash.

-Here!

-Here! Ready for...?

-Action!

-Action!

I'm not so ready for action.

The cliff she will climb on is on the spectacular Pembrokeshire coast.

A local climbing team is waiting for her.

Well, we're having a little picnic...

pre-climb, in the car, because it's so miserable,

we don't want to get out. And as Mother here said,

"Oh, rather you than me! I'm just going to sit in the car."

Good experience, anyway, isn't it?

-Well, there is that, Dad.

-Yeah.

-Good experience!

You'll never forget it, will you?

-OK, well, hopefully, I'll see you later for a cup of tea.

-Yes.

We'll keep the coffee for you.

-Don't break a leg.

-No.

The cliff rises 130 feet.

Her Sport Relief challenge will be nearly ten times higher.

It's quite dramatic, isn't it?

I'm absolutely dreading it.

Here we go!

Argh!

Oh!

This is totally out of her comfort zone...

Argh!

..but she always sees the bigger picture,

and she's doing it for a reason and a cause,

a good cause, and she'll see it through.

I don't know where to go, I'm stuck.

Just try and swing round onto the wall!

She always manages to surprise us.

I can honestly say that was the most terrifying thing I've ever done.

If that was supposed to make me feel better about Utah,

I think it's just done the opposite!

The countdown to her challenge is nearly at an end.

Just before she's due to leave for Utah, Alex visits London's Shard

to get her first taste of what it feels like

to be so far off the ground.

The thought of spending three days at this height...

is making me feel queasy.

I can feel the palms of my hands getting slightly sweaty.

I will be sleeping on a Portaledge,

which is as high as the top of this building.

How on earth do you go to sleep...

..basically, in the sky?

There's no wonder my parents aren't sleeping.

There's no wonder. And if they saw this they'd sleep even less.

The reason why Alex is putting her parents

through sleepless nights is simple.

A few weeks ago, Sport Relief sent her to the Philippines

to see the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan.

It claimed the lives of over 6,000 in the city of Tacloban alone.

If you haven't already supported her challenge, please...

If you have donated, thank you.

Alex met Sadie and Patricia, whose lives had been changed for ever.

How do you feel when it starts raining and it's very windy?

-So scared.

-You're so scared.

Sadie, what was the most precious thing that you lost in the storm?

People that I lost during the typhoon was my two other siblings.

-So, you lost your brother and your sister.

-Yes.

-What about you, Patricia?

-My father.

When once the girls would have played with their friends

after school, now every day they go to the church next door.

Before the storm it had no cemetery.

It's here Alex met Patricia's mum, Connie.

How long have you been married?

30 years.

He was a very loving father.

Never in all the films that we've done have I ever felt...

somebody's pain, like Connie.

Connie has lost the man she loves...

Sport Relief is supporting local projects,

such as this child-friendly space.

Here, children get the chance to be themselves,

despite the trauma they've undergone,

and gain some hope for the future.

The waiting is over.

After a 15-hour journey, Alex is in Zion National Park, Utah.

It's game on for Alex Against The Rock.

-So, you looking forward to seeing it?

-Yeah, I feel quite excited.

-Quite butterfly...

-Like Christmas?

-Yeah.

This feeling might last for a very short period of time.

But for now I'm quite excited to see it.

Just have to remember that

when you feel really scared, it's just excitement.

-You just didn't realise it.

-That is such a lie.

-Right, so where is it?

-That's it there, this big pillar going up.

-You see?

-Oh, no.

Oh, wow.

I...

Can't see anybody on it.

It's weird because there's been so many months, really,

of building up to it and you see it and you go,

"Oh, no, that is massive."

My main worries are, after doing short,

sharp bursts of training, I've always been very glad to reach solid ground,

and that is not going to happen.

My other fear is,

"Will I be able to go to loo? Will I be really embarrassed?"

You know. "Will I be able to sleep?

"What will we talk about when it's just the both of us

"stuck there on a rock?"

I'm a very optimistic person, so I'm convinced she'll be able to do it.

But what if she comes to her senses?

It really is a crazy thing to do.

No-one's going to be hauling her up there.

No-one's going to be helping her in any way.

She has to do it all herself.

I wish I was 100% confident.

But I'm not, really.

I'm petrified.

A bracing start to the first day.

And an introduction to Andy's dry sense of humour.

Is it cold?

It's really hot.

Hurry up, my feet are burning.

Argh!

If we wait any longer it's going to freeze over...

you can walk across.

OK, go, go, go, go!

Go, go, go!

This trek to the base is a bit like

the walk to the electric chair, don't you think?

The route follows some grooves and ledges in the rock to a thin,

single crack that splits the merciless wall.

-You got me, Andy?

-Yeah, climb when you're ready.

-All right.

Deep breath. Here we go.

Oh, the feet...

Oh, God.

There's no gentle introduction.

Alex has to scale the lower reaches

using a technique called free climbing,

relying only on the grip of her hands and the friction of her feet.

-Are you OK?

-Hang on.

-Are you relatively OK?

-Yeah.

-There's just nothing... Andy, have you got me?

-Yeah.

You're safe as houses.

Oh!

SHE GRUNTS

Oh, God!

I don't know what to do, I'm not standing on anything.

Yeah, no, I can't!

ANDY SHOUTS INSTRUCTIONS

You won't fall.

I've got you nice and safe, there's no need to be afraid.

I just don't know what to do now.

SHE GRUNTS

That's it!

Come on!

Remember, you're hardcore.

I know Andy's there but...

-you just feel like you're on your own.

-..the groove, Alex.

-What?

-Are you nearly at the top of the groove?

-Yeah.

That's the hardest bit.

You're almost there.

These shoes feel like they're slipping.

-OK, here we go.

-I've got you.

Go on, pull. Jam your foot in.

-SHE GRUNTS

-That's it.

That's it, come on, come on.

Keep moving your foot up, move your foot up, jam it in.

Come on, you're doing so well.

Oh, God, I just need to come up.

SHE SCREAMS

Lean back. Lean back.

-No-one said it would be easy.

-I don't think this is very safe.

Just step up.

Straight leg. Get your leg on.

Well done. Remember when I first met you and you said,

"The most important thing, Andy, it's got to be hard.

"I don't want people to think it's easy."

-Well...

-Well, that was a mistake, wasn't it?

But it will get easier, trust me.

Cos you will get harder and the rock will get easier.

Next, a sideways move across a blank section of rock,

using hanging footholds left by Andy.

One last effort lies between her and her bed for the night.

Come on, please.

Just get in.

Come on.

# If you can't hold on

# Hold on... #

All I genuinely want to do now is get off this wall.

But I will not be defeated.

Onwards and upwards.

Oh!

If you think about this climb, this route as a whole thing,

you'll never get up it. We have to think about

one little bit at a time.

Anybody who was up here would be scared.

You'd be stupid if you weren't scared.

That's it. Grab the edge.

-Well done.

-All right.

Yay!

Well done.

-Oh, God.

-I'm really proud of you.

Thank you.

Is this our camp for the night?

-Yeah. Going to get the Portaledge out.

-OK.

SHE GASPS

As the sun starts to set and the temperatures dip

towards freezing, it's time to make the bed.

-Oh, look, there's the divide.

-The Welsh borders.

Are we sleeping on this?

ALEX SCREAMS

-It's very rare for one of these to break.

-Well, I don't like rare.

Never would be a better option.

-If you sleep on the outside, you have more room.

-That's fine.

But if any rocks come down, you get hit by them.

I'm fine on the inside.

Apart from the fact that Alex and Andy are in the penthouse suite,

there is another reason why this evening is so special.

Oh, it's a little birthday cake!

"Happy birthday, Alex."

-That's quite impressive.

-That is really impressive.

Awww, thank you for carrying that up.

-My pleasure.

-And thanks for looking after me today.

# Happy birthday to you...

# Happy birthday to you

# Happy birthday, dear Alex Jones

# Happy birthday to you. #

-Hip hip...

-Hooray!

-Hip hip...

-Hooray!

-Hip hip...

-HOORAY!

HOORAY!

Mmm. This is lovely.

What kind of cake is it?

I don't know. American?

It's definitely a birthday I won't forget.

Did you sleep OK?

I did, I did. I always sleep well on the Portaledge.

I think I probably slept for about three hours.

-Really?

-Mmm. Off and on.

Time for breakfast.

The upside of this challenge is that there is probably no better place

to have a cup of tea in the morning.

This is actually the nicest part so far.

-Oh, God, I hope there's nobody down there.

-Paul's coming up.

-Just tell him it's wee.

-It'll be all right.

We've dealt with the wee scenario, and we're over it. We've moved on.

I had to go and stand up there in the dark, took my head torch off,

and put the music on very loud.

-ALEX LAUGHS

-And then Alex had a wee.

-Andy was the gentleman.

-I was.

Ahead of Alex today lies another 600 feet of vertical rock.

You've broken, like, a mental barrier yesterday.

So today, you're probably going to have to break a physical barrier.

Alex is using a technique called Jumaring

to scale the sheer face.

Gosh, it's quite strenuous, this, isn't it?

Just make lots of short, little movements,

-not lots of big ones.

-OK.

This technique is really exhausting.

It's just like spending six hours in a gym doing pull-ups.

Come on, let's go.

Can I beat the bag? Oooh!

ANDY LAUGHS

I'll let you get up here, then I'll hold it up.

I did get that weird feeling, you know, during training.

Everybody was saying, you're going to get the exposure thing,

and I think I just got that a bit.

-Oh, where you suddenly look down, and go...

-HE GASPS

Well, you've just got to sort of talk yourself round, going,

-"It's fine, it's fine."

-Yeah, you're safe.

And the ropes feel quite elasticated and a little bit unsteady.

You're attached to lots of things, though.

She can also be comforted by the fact that as well as Andy,

she has a team of world-class climbers supporting her.

But Alex still has to dig deep to reach the second Portaledge.

The training wall doesn't prepare you for this.

The end of a long day.

Everything is burning really badly.

-Are they your leg loops?

-No, here.

Is everything untucked?

Yes, everything's untucked. I just rubbed the rope.

SHE CRIES OUT

SHE GROANS

Stand on this ledge, and you'll stop hurting.

Come on, you're nearly there!

Stand on this huge ledge. Well done.

-Oh, gosh.

-Let's have a look.

I don't know what's happened. It's all, like, burnt there...

It's way too tight!

You've got it too tight. Surprised you can even breathe.

Let's slack it off a bit.

You need to be all tucked in, like a small child.

Oh. Thanks, Andy.

That better?

-Is that it for today?

-That's it.

When you're at your most tired and your most vulnerable,

it pushes you again.

You think, "Oh, we're nearly there, it's nearly over for the day,"

and then one little bit will just push you again.

It's never over.

Tomorrow, there's still a tough climb to the summit.

So Andy's brought something to help motivate her for the last push.

Some drawings from the children that she met in the Philippines.

"Wishing you all good health. Love, Trish." Oh, that's lovely.

She's a little girl that...

See, this is why it's important, isn't it,

that we do things like this?

So at the end of an awful day like today,

and then you think, "Gosh, they've got nothing."

Good morning.

Quite a windy night.

The whole Portaledge was flying around in the wind.

Hi.

Oh, God, it's freezing, isn't it?

You're really sweet. I could feel you putting things on me.

SHE LAUGHS

It's like having a dad on the Portaledge!

200 feet to go, and in Alex Against The Rock,

there'll only be one winner.

We've just finished the first pitch of the day,

so we have just one more to go, which is brilliant news. But...

Even this morning, I know it's nearly over,

but I cannot wait to get onto just solid land.

Hanging here feels dreadful.

Alex decides to finish in style,

and free climb to the summit.

SHE STRAINS

It's been some journey.

SHE SCREAMS

SHE LAUGHS Yes!

CHEERING

-SHE LAUGHS

-Well done, well done!

I don't think I've ever experienced anything as exciting

as just stepping over the top there.

People might think she wasn't climbing the wall herself,

but she climbed every single inch of that wall herself.

What I've learned is, if you put yourself out of your comfort zone

and it raises that much money,

then it's worth doing time and time again.