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Beyond Everest lies a world of high peaks with slopes to be climbed and skied where reality can exceed your dreams.
Why Make a Film Called Beyond Skiing Everest?
Everest has been a dream for the world’s greatest mountaineers as the penultimate jewel in mountaineering since it was recognized as the highest peak in the world in 1865. Since then some of the world’s greatest alpinists have scaled its slopes and stood on its summit.However, over the past 15 years, the advent of modern commercial guiding has created an environment on Everest and other major high peaks where we are seeing not only death counts by the dozens, but massive crowds that have made climbing both undesirable and not possible for many mountaineers. Everest 2014 witnessed the final straw with the deaths of 16 Sherpa in a single avalanche that closed the peak.
The Modern commercialization of climbing Everest and other popular high peaks is based on accommodating mass entry into what historically has been earned only through years of experience and dedication to learning the ropes. With the use of supplemental oxygen and a host of drugs to effectively bring the peak down in altitude, and by using Sherpa to haul loads for this mass, this commercialization has placed thousands of people in harm’s way when historically only those that paid their dues even thought about climbing the highest peaks in the world. This has created controversy, death, and tragedy both to humans and to the delicate environments surrounding these peaks.
By and large, the problems have been covered from the people directly associated with the commercialization; the local governments, the guide companies, and the local Sherpa, and clients, all that benefit directly from the abuse.The minority view, that of those who take on the highest peaks of the world with more pure methods have been shut out of the conversation, as well as from accessing the peaks practically and now factually.Everest is closed!
Beyond Skiing Everest is a story about three mountaineers that grew up in the mountains and over their careers developed the experience and knowledge to climb and ski the world’s highest peaks in a natural progression that has taken them all over the world, but who have also been caught in the issues surrounding Everest.
This team climbs a more pure style without the aid of Sherpa, supplemental oxygen, drugs, or any of the modern tools used to create the massive crowds heading to these peaks. After experiencing the destruction of life and the environment, Everest and the popular peaks became not only impossible to climb with this pure style, but also the antithesis of what has drawn people to climb the highest peaks in the world in the first place. Raw beauty and challenge has been diluted.
Follow this trio as they set off after their Everest years to find high peaks that offered chances at first ski descents with no people for miles.They realized that the world is a playground of countless mountains where they could find unmatched beauty, challenges, and experiences well beyond Everest.
Follow this team as they explore in depth the issues that surround Everest from first hand experience. Although the trio has over 25 years and expeditions to some 40 of the world’s greatest and highest peaks, they do not consider themselves “professional” mountaineers.They have few ties to the industry where the people that are attempting to resolve the issues also have the added pressure of preserving their livelihoods derived from the use of the mountains.
This trio sees the situation and will offer an unbiased opinion to the scenario and problems surrounding modern commercialized climbing, a view point that is biased only from that standpoint that the problems have forced them to find their fix on other peaks.
The film will then cover the team’s passion as they take their sport to other peaks in China, Nepal, Tibet, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and their backyard Colorado in a pictorial that is sure to inspire other climbers that passion can’t be closed with a mountain.
Follow the team as they set off for other peaks throughout South America and Asia where they obtain first and near first ski descents on peaks rarely climbed let alone skied. In a pictorial of 7 expeditions, see places never before captured on film. But ultimately, follow the team as they use these expeditions as the training ground to take on the most extreme objective of their entire careers, to become the first people ever to ski from above 7,000 meters / 23,000 feet in the winter!
See how over the years they have had to redesign literally every piece of gear to handle these extreme altitudes in -100 degree temperatures and hurricane force winds. Learn that true adventure is taking on objectives that offer a greater chance of failure than success, and the process of adventure is derived from going back to the objective until you either succeed or realize it is impossible. Learn that objectives of this magnitude often entail years to figure out, but also learn that well beyond Everest, there lies a chance to succeed with your passion well beyond what you ever thought possible.
To date, we have raised over $500,000 in filming ski mountaineering expeditions to Tibet, Northern China, Nepal, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru. We are looking to raise $87,500 to give the film a spectacular edit, music, graphics and polish.
We need your support to finish this project.By getting on our team, you will play a role in helping us to not only reestablish more ethical methods of mountaineering needed to preserve these delicate environments but even life itself.By doing so, this film will also inspire people to follow their passions, and to learn that the world is a playground of countless mountains and places where reality really can exceed even your dreams.
