Everest: The Other Side-a movie that will leave you sweating

North Face Everest Routes Courtesy: MARTIN GAMACHE, JAIME HRITSIK, CHIQUI ESTEBAN, NG STAFF SOURCES: 3D REALITY MAPS; THE AMERICAN ALPINE JOURNAL; THE HIMALAYAN DATABASE; ED WEBSTER; EAST FACE IMAGERY COURTESY OF DIGITAL GLOBE @ 2012; RAPHAEL SLAWINSKI

I saw Everest: The Other Side in an IMAX theater this week with close friends. We were the only ones there for the 2:00 pm matinee.  

It was a solid human story of stunning tragedies, perseverance and courage. The family dynamics felt real, not forced or artificial. Some risk, and big picture decisions, will invite critical conversations in the car ride home.
 
The cinematography was outstanding, especially from the drones-DJI Inspire 3 and DJI Mavic Pro. The filming brought the viewer as close as one can without being on the mountain. The back stories provided relevant context as to why they were there without over dramatizing them
 
In my mountaineering experience, especially at extreme altitudes (Everest, K2, etc.) it’s easy to lose perspective so I thought the relationship between climbers and Sherpas was respectful, while also revealing the real-world tensions that sometimes happen between different cultures.
 
Bottom line: highly recommended especially if you are curious about mountaineering or even if you are a weekend skier on the green runs.
 
I believe the correct term is you will be gobsmacked with sweaty palms, especially in the last 20 minutes.
 

 

 

Climb On!
Memories are Everything
Alan

2 Responses

  1. A powerful reminder of the courage, risks, and dedication behind every Everest expedition. Safety, teamwork, and respect for our Sherpas must always come first. – Nepal Base Camp Treks Pvt. Ltd.

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Alan and Ida on the sumit of K2, July 27, 2014
Alan and Ida on the summit of K2, July 27, 2014

A surge of debilitating fatigue overtook me. My shoulders drooped. I stared at my yellow boots, crushed by disappointment. I had trained hard for K2 and tried to anticipate every scenario, but now I was failing, and there was nothing I could do.

Closing my eyes, I was powerless, hopeless, and ready to surrender to the mountain. Everything I wanted—the summit, a safe return, my vow to my mother—was slipping away.

My ice axe dangled from my harness as my grip was weak.

Staring at the small yellowish spot illuminated by my headlamp on the snow, it was over, and, oddly, I didn’t care.

It was 12:30 a.m. on July 27, 2014—my fifty-eighth birthday.

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