Cranky, yet witty, bouldering legend John “Verm” Sherman has lost his mojo and is jonesing to regain it. What better way than to climb the world’s most famous boulder problem, Yosemite’s iconic Midnight Lightning? He climbed it 25 years ago, but since then the climb has gotten harder and Verm’s gotten softer due to beer lust and a third-degree burning passion for bird photography. Standing in his way is his age (57), weight (200 pounds), dozens of injuries and myriad health issues. Verm wants to save condors from extinction, and if leveraging his climbing celebrity will help, he’ll stop at nothing. Verm enlists the assistance of Ryan “Meatball” Whited, a cheerfully sadistic personal trainer. A 6-month mission to whip Verm back into shape ensues, leading to a final confrontation with bouldering’s “Problem of Problems.”

Old Man Lightning Director/Producer Dawn Kish and subject John "Verm" Sherman in person