Throughout the history of cinema and mountaineering, many films have been made about mountains, climbing and mountaineers. Some of them are far from reality, some are simply absurd to the professional eye. We have tried to select only the best and created our Top 10 movies about mountains and climbing that deserve your attention.
The top 10 films about mountains and climbing include the best films that reveal the most difficult expeditions to the highest peaks of the world; the stories of mountain climbers who survived mountain disasters. Many of them are documentaries or based on real events.
[blockquote]Many movies are based on the stories of famous books written by mountain climbers. If you prefer to read stories, see the list of the best books about mountains and climbing. We also recommend that you watch travel movies.[/blockquote]
Choosing the best movie from the top 10 is hard enough. They all deserve your attention in their own way. After all, each describes one or another story from the life of mountaineers, reveals the events of a particular expedition. That is why the list is without rating and positions. We hope you will find time to look through them all. We’d love to hear your impressions and advice on other films in the comments.
A documentary about the two friends who first climbed Peru’s Siula Grande (6344 m) on the west face in 1985. The ascent to the summit went fairly quickly and smoothly, but during the descent, Joe injures his leg on a tear and can no longer descend on his own. Risking his own life, his partner Simon gradually ropes his friend down. But suddenly Joe falls into a crevasse, Simon with the last strength holds his friend on the rope… And then the most interesting thing happens, but let’s not deprive you of the pleasure and tell the whole plot. The movie is based on the book of the same name by event participant Joe Simpson.
We don’t drive on the Sioula Grande, but we do have a great hike in Peru that you can join.
A very impressive film about the ascent of the legendary Reinhold Messner together with his brother Gunther to the ninth eight-thousander of the world – the peak of Nanga Parbat (8126 m) in 1970. The film is based on real events, in accordance with the stories and books of Messner himself, without any fictional additions by the director.
Documentary biographical film in which members of a 1999 search and research expedition try to solve the mystery of the death of the first unconfirmed climbers on Everest in 1924 – George Mallory and Andrew Irwin. Starring one of the best climbers in the United States and a member of the expedition, Conrad Anker, who found Mallory’s body. All of George’s gear was with him, except for a photo of his wife, which he promised to leave at the summit. So had he reached the summit? To try to solve this question, Anker will have to climb the mountain himself and go through all the difficulties of climbing to the highest point in the world.
The film is about the historical first ascent of Everest (8848 m) by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay as part of the British expedition in 1953. The script was based on books and stories of the team members (some of them are on our list of the best books about mountains). You can make your way to Everest base camp to partially relive those emotions of mountaineers and see the coveted summit with us on the classic trek to Everest or on the extended program via the Gokyo Lakes.
It was not so long ago that commercial climbing of Everest began. Many participants did not understand the seriousness of expeditions and thought that money could solve everything. But the Mountain had its own opinion. In 1996, tragic events unfolded on the slopes of Jomolungma and changed the approach to amateur group recruitment. Thanks to 5 books written by survivors of that climb and 2 movies (we recommend watching them together), made on their basis, we have the opportunity to be transported to the slopes of Everest and try to understand the reasons for what happened.
A film with a fictional story, but no less exciting and instructive. Reinhold Messner came up with the screenplay idea and director Werner Herzog brought it to life. Two young guys are trying to get the attention of a girl. To prove to her (or to themselves?) who is the best of them, they decide to climb the most dangerous peak in Patagonia, the Sierro Torre. But one dies, and the other discovers that he is no longer the first on that peak. The entire film is punctuated with beautiful scenery, as most of the filming was done at the foot of the mountain.
The North Face, or Wall of Death, is a nearly vertical, 1,800-meter-high slope on the way to the summit of Mount Eiger (3,970 m) in the Alps. In 1936, Hitler promised an Olympic gold medal to climbers who could climb it. The four brave men who accepted the challenge were then unable to cope with the task. The film is based on real events. By the way, the first passage of the North Face was carried out only 2 years later by the team, which included Heinrich Harrer (the author of the book “Seven years in Tibet”).
The story of two inseparable friends who set out to climb the second highest peak in the world after Everest – K2, aka Chogori (8611 m). Despite being two diametrically opposite characters, these two fellows work well together and even saved a group of climbers from an avalanche. By coincidence they are offered to join this company and climb the peak as a member of the expedition. Special attention should be paid to the footage of the mountain scenery, which was created using only real footage, without any computer special effects.
A documentary filmed on the slopes of Everest in 2014, when 16 Sherpas died after an ice avalanche. The main character, Purba Tashi, has been to the summit of Jomolungma 21 times. This is the story of the hard life of the Sherpa mountain people in Nepal, their culture, family values and attitude towards the mountains. Without Sherpas it is impossible to imagine any successful expedition to the top, because only through their endurance in the mountains climbers from all over the world can carry out their ascents. There are many interviews with witnesses of the disaster, with relatives of the victims, and with the children of Tenzing Norgey, the Nepalese Sherpa who first climbed Everest with Edmund Hillary.
An old Soviet feature film, but no less thrilling and relevant. The story of a group of mountaineers who set out for Svaneti to make their first ascent of the unconquered peak Or-Tau. The forecast said a dangerous cyclone was coming, and the climbers had to turn around urgently and go down. But one of the members of the expedition hid this information, and the group is waiting for a difficult return to the base camp. It is worthy of note that the Or-Tau summit is fictional, and the shooting itself took place in the Elbrus region. Starring Vladimir Vysotsky.
[blockquote]Many movies are based on famous books written by mountain climbers. If you prefer to read stories, see the list of the best books about mountains and climbing. We also recommend that you watch travel movies.[/blockquote]
Of course, this is not a complete list of all the movies about mountains and mountain climbers. There are documentaries, fiction, and even dramas, thrillers or action films. We have tried to choose those that are more descriptive of reality and reveal the human potential in the mountains. Share your favorite mountain movies in the comments. Perhaps together we’ll expand our list of the best mountain and climbing movies to the top 20.
And remember, climbing a mountain, be it five or eight-thousanders, is a risky activity in which much depends not only on your fitness and experience, but also on the weather conditions, your partner in a bundle, the condition of the slope and other factors that are difficult to influence. That’s why when planning your hike in the mountains you should only turn to the experts. Kuluar teamleaders are experienced professionals. They will do everything to make your ascent was successful and as safe as possible. You can choose your route on the hike selection page.