A series of vignettes captured in Brevard, North Carolina at the end of December.
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In 1966, John Harlin II died while attempting Europe's most difficult climb, the North Face of the Eiger in Switzerland. 40 years later, his son John Harlin III, an expert mountaineer and the editor of the American Alpine Journal, returns to attempt the same climb.
It is winter at an emergency shelter for the homeless in Lausanne. Every night at the door of this little-known basement facility the same entry ritual takes place, resulting in confrontations which can sometimes turn violent. Those on duty at the shelter have the difficult task of “triaging the poor”: the women and children first, then the men. Although the total capacity at the shelter is 100, only 50 “chosen ones” will be admitted inside and granted a warm meal and a bed. The others know it will be a long night.
By letting go of the urge to control and embracing the unexpected, the creative process finds a new pulse. Thus, Gut Knows What Mind Does Not Understand aims to celebrate what emerges when we trust our intuition and the experiences the world offers us.
In The Beckoning Silence, Joe Simpson, whose amazing battle for survival featured in the multi-award winning "Touching the Void", travels to the treacherous North Face of the Eiger to tell the story of one of mountaineering's most epic tragedies. As a child, it was this story and that of one of the climbers in particular, that first captured Simpson's imagination and inspired him to take up mountaineering.
In a groundbreaking expedition on Mount Everest, dozens of scientists converge to investigate what secrets the world’s highest peak has to tell us about our changing climate. The notorious Khumbu Glacier is mapped in stunning detail, biologists study extreme lifeforms, and a team of Sherpas and climate scientists climb straight toward the “death zone” to install the highest weather station in the world.
A collection of cool and calming shots from around a town.
In the valleys of Appalachia, a battle is being fought over a mountain, the consequences of which affect every American; it's a battle that has taken innocent lives and threatens to take more. It is a battle over protecting our health and environment from the destructive power of Big Coal. Mining and burning coal is at the epicenter of America's struggle to balance its energy needs with environmental and health concerns. Nowhere is that concern greater than in Coal River Valley, West Virginia, where a small but passionate group of ordinary citizens are trying to stop Big Coal corporations, like Massey Energy, from continuing the devastating practice of Mountain Top Removal.
In the frozen heights of Canada’s tallest peak, an international team of scientists launches a daring expedition to unearth thousands of years of climate data in one record-breaking ice core. Glaciologist and National Geographic Explorer Alison Criscitiello is the brain and brawn behind this ambitious quest. As she leads her team on a 10-day climb up the mountain, through whiteout conditions and precarious icefalls, Ali and her team defeat the odds and reach Mt. Logan’s summit plateau where they camp for 16 days, while drilling in frigid conditions.
Zanskar is a remote kingdom in the northwest Indian Himalaya, where local people are snow-bound for six months of the year. About 10,000 Zanskaris live in the isolated valley. In winter, mountain passes are blocked, the summer Jeep road closes and buses stop. Two decades ago, three friends founded a ski school - to enable winter travel in the valley, improve quality of life, and to encourage young people to stay in Zanskar by helping establish a culture of mountain sports. The film tells the story of this friendship, the ski school and the development of skiing in the area. Along the way a bigger question is raised. Most recently, the federal government announced a major road building project that will provide year round access to Zanskar. How can Zanskar's wilderness be preserved? It is only a matter of time before the winter road is completed, and the "Big India" rushes in.
Snow Warrior is a love letter to the splendour of winter. It captures the beauty of a northern city through the eyes of a bicycle courier named Mariah.
In 2004 X1 Sports took a band of intrepid climbers to Croatia . Their mission was to find some of the best and unknown rock in the Europe ; the reason, well to see if they could Deep Water Solo off it of course. With some of the best climbers in the world, Chris Sharma, Steve McClure, Leo Holding, Depth Charge charts their progress and antics as they look to challenge their limits each and every day. Depth Charge is an on the wall documentary of their every move and allows the viewer to see exactly what makes a climber tick.
A man steadily bashes through the snow. He disappears and the trees, covered in white, shift and show a beautiful array of hidden colors. A poetic, meditative short film about letting go of the past and embracing the unknown future.
There are as many paths as there are people. Some choose to be carpet salesman, others choose to be skiers. These behaviors are part of life's routine, and consciously or not, we're all slaves to it somehow. But you can't have the result without the process- you must get up to go down. Let this be your field guide to the minutia, the frivolities and of course the addiction to pure, uncut, freedom. Go ahead, scratch that itch. Because after all, we are creatures of HABIT.
In 2019, Nepalese mountain climber Nirmal “Nims” Purja set out to do the unthinkable by climbing the world’s fourteen highest summits in less than seven months. (The previous record was eight years). He called the effort “Project Possible 14/7” and saw it as a way to inspire others to strive for greater heights in any pursuit. The film follows his team as they seek to defy naysayers and push the limits of human endurance.
Thomas de Dorlodot and Horacio Llorens journeyed for a personal adventure across the Himalayan mountains. They covered roughly 350km and became the very first paragliders to fly over Rohtang Pass.
Brian Reynolds, a double amputee below the knee athlete, has triumphed over numerous challenges throughout his life. Growing up without a role model to guide him, he has embarked on a mission to empower para athletes by demonstrating that nothing is beyond reach. Join us in this documentary as we follow Brian's journey to make history by becoming the first double amputee to conquer the legendary Leadville 100 Ultra Trail Marathon in Colorado.
Filmed in 1987, this documentary chronicles the journey of Via Rail's The Canadian as it makes its way across Canada.
Groups of young people participate in CAI (Italian Alpine Club) projects for rehabilitation-therapeutic purposes, tackling treks in the mountains to re-educate themselves about the environment.