The 12 best films and documentaries about mountains and mountaineering
Don't miss the best mountaineering and mountaineering films and documentaries, we bring you a must-see list. These mountain and mountaineering films and documentaries tell the stories of death-defying mountaineers who have reached some of the world's most unreachable peaks.
Let these characters, who follow in the footsteps of historic climbing figures or dare to go where no one has gone before, inspire you to find your own hiking and mountaineering adventures around the world.
The Alpinist
American filmmaker Peter Mortimer has been directing mountaineering, climbing and adventure films since 2003. One day he became interested in the life of Canadian Marc-André Leclerc, and the commitment of his solo ascents. In 2018, Leclerc decided to climb the Mendenhall Towers in Alaska with Georges Johnson. It was the last trip for this mountaineer called to change the rules of the discipline.
"The Alpinist" is was released on 10 September in US theatres.is currently not available on any of the streaming.
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Free Solo
Free Solo is a documentary directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. The film follows climber Alex Honnold on his journey to become the first person to free climb El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.
Free Solo documents and celebrates Honnold's remarkable feat of reaching the top of Yosemite's 3,000-foot El Capitan wall without any help. Free or solo climbing is when the climber ascends without the aid of any rope, harness or protective equipment. It is different from bouldering, as individuals tend to go much higher than usual.
Everest
Everest is a commercial film based on the book by Jon Krakauer Into Thin Airwhich chronicles the devastating events of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster. The film Everest was very well received by Krakauer, and grossed millions at the box office, as well as earning a high rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
On this occasion, the story focuses on the survival attempts of two commercial expedition groups led by the renowned climbers Rob Hall (famous for popularising commercial Everest climbing and played by Jason Clarke in the film) and Scott Fischer (who was Hall's rival and played by Jake Gyllenhaal).
Krakauer joined Hall's expedition as Outside magazine journalist. Unfortunately, expeditions descend into chaos after summit attempts are delayed because ropes are not installed in the upper regions of the climb, and the weather changes abruptly.
This high-profile tragedy raised a debate on the commercialisation of climbing Mount Everest. Into Thin Air highlighted how wealthy amateurs paid large sums of money to join expeditions and put themselves and the lives of other climbers and guides at risk.
K2
K2 is often described as the "Wildest Mountain". It is much harder and more dangerous to climb than its neighbour Everest. Approximately one in four people who reach the summit of K2 have died according to statistics. The film recreates the day 22 climbers attempted to reach the summit of K2 in 2008 and only 11 survived.. At the time, it was the deadliest day in the history of modern mountaineering. This film brings together all the different climbers' perspectives of the story, tracing what really happened on that fateful day.
127 hours
127 HOURS is the true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston's admirable adventure to save himself after a fallen rock crashes into his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah.
James Franco is outstanding in this true story that while it may make you forget about climbing for a while, it really makes for a truly thrilling time in front of the screen.
Valley Uprising
Valley Uprising, is a 90-minute feature film about six decades of Yosemite climbing history. And it's sure to please many, and mark others, because Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen of Sender FilmsThey tried to make Valley Uprising a film that would be accessible to everyone, not just climbers.
It is an inspirational mountain and mountaineering film that is truly a celebration of this way of lifeand to follow your dreams, to live an experiential life rather than a materialistic life. And that is the major thread that runs through all these people in the film: that they have dedicated their lives, or at least a large part of their lives, to living great experiences in the valley.
Wild Soul (Wild)
This film is a chronicle of a woman's solo trek of eleven hundred miles undertaken as a way of recovering from a recent personal tragedy. If you want a reflective filmWith its breathtaking shots of nature and captivating photography, this is definitely the film for you.
The Dawn Wall
In 2015, American climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson captivated the world with their effort to scale a 1,000-metre rock face in Yosemite. The pair lived on the vertical cliff for weeks, igniting a flurry of global media attention.
Touching the void
Touching the Void is a mountain and mountaineering film in the docudrama genre which tells the story of the disastrous and almost fatal climb of Siula Grande in the Cordillera Huayhuash in the Peruvian Andes by Joe Simpson and Simon Yates.
In 1985, Simpson and Yates attempt to climb the previously unclimbed West Face of Siula Grande in Peru. As they reach the summit, the weather turns, and Yates falls and breaks his leg on the descent. Touching the Void has been critically acclaimed, The Guardian called it one of the most successful documentaries in British history.
Mountain
This film is one of the most impressive love letters ever written to the world's highest peaks by the current generation of mountaineering filmmakers. Narrated by Willem Defoe, through beautiful imagery and cinematography, the documentary showcases some of the highest mountains in the world. It is also directed by Jennifer Peedom, Mountain follows her debut film, Sherpa, and explores the relationship between humankind and the Earth's natural wonders.
Pure life
On the south face of Annapurna, at 7,400 metres, Iñaki Ochoa de Olza is dying.. His rope partner raises the alarm. And from the other side of the world, the largest rescue attempt in Himalayan history.
For four days, a dozen men, including some of the world's best mountaineers from ten countries, set out in an attempt to rescue their injured comrade. The rescue attempt itself and the men who risked their lives to save him are exceptional. A film full of pure intensity and honesty.
Sherpa
Sherpa is a documentary 2015 film by Australian filmmaker Jennifer Peedom that was shot during the 2014 Mount Everest ice avalanche. The film focuses on Sherpa Phurba Tashi, a man who has climbed Mount Everest 21 times. While leading an expedition for a New Zealand company called Himex, the film explores the sacredness of the mountains within the Sherpa culture.
While the documentary was being filmed, an ice avalanche killed 16 Sherpas. and the film's narrative moves on to tell the story of the events that took place after the tragedy. Sherpa is essential viewing for all mountain lovers and for anyone who hopes to climb Mount Everest one day. The film is a tribute to Sherpa guides.
Cover: Conrad Anker ascending Mt Meru. Image: Meru (film).
