How and Why Mountain Goats Climb Impossible Cliffs

Mountain goats and Alpine ibex climb cliffs and dam walls that appear almost vertical. But they are not breaking gravity—and they sometimes fall.
This documentary explores how split hooves and whole-body mechanics make extreme climbing possible. We follow these animals onto mineral-rich dams and exposed mountain faces, where steep terrain can offer essential minerals and protection from predators—but also brings deadly risks from avalanches, falling rocks, and a single missed step.
Why do they deliberately enter such dangerous places? How do their hooves hold onto tiny edges? And what really happens when they lose their footing?