"Essential" Adventure Documentaries?????

Wondering if anybody had any favorite adventure/exploration video documentaries in their movie collection that they are willing to share. I've become a huge fan of the genre lately and I'm looking for some new recommendations.

Favorites so far...
- Trek (about the AT)
- Touching the Void (climbing)
- Alone In The Wilderness (about the man who built a cabin in Alaska)
- Step Into Liquid (surfing)
- Riding Giants (surfing)
- Endless Summer I & II (surfing)

Anybody willing to recommend any others that you can rent or buy???? Thanks!

Himilaya

Himilaya directed by eric valle

its a french movie, originally called caravan, about the dolpo people in tibet. all non actors, an amazing movie with the himilayas in the background of every scene. the "making of" featurette on the dvd tells the story of filming which was really interesting. the director wanted to attempt to make a record of their culture before it , as tinle says, "is melting away like snow in the sun."

if you can ever see this movie on the big screen...don't miss the opportunity!!!

I really enjoyed "Grizzly Man". Check it out at http://www.grizzlyman.com/

Touching the Void

Amazing story!!

If you're into some of the adventure films, you should also make a point to check out the next Banff Mountain Film Festival, they're short films (at least most of them are) but they are cool and very interesting.

I tend to read a lot, but most of them are simply books and are not movies.. I wouldn't limit yourself to those on film, there are 1000 more books worth reading than what is available to the eye..

Jay

Jay H,

Went to the last Banff Mtn. Film Festival (Radical Reels) a month ago. It was indeed very cool, and I'm certainly going to try to go to each Banff festival that comes around.

PBS "Lost on Everest"

WGBH (Boston MA PBS station) aired a documentary several months ago about man who built a cabin in Alaska and lived there for decades. Can't remember the name, couldn't find anything quickly on google.

Dugan said:

PBS "Lost on Everest"

WGBH (Boston MA PBS station) aired a documentary several months ago about man who built a cabin in Alaska and lived there for decades. Can't remember the name, couldn't find anything quickly on google.

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Dugan, I think you are referring to Richard Proenneke- great show, saw it 3 times.

Alone Across Australia . . .

I just spent WAY more money than I can spare this month to buy this DVD and I am excited. LOVED, LOVED< LOVED it when they showed it at the Banff Mountain Film Festival.

sli74

Banff film availability

is there any way to find out through Banff if/when the films are available?

I caught the world tour in the spring, as well as radical reels a few weeks back, I've described movies to people who missed it, and they'd like to check them out.

Particularly "Alone in Austrailia" was one I have reccomended people seek out, one of the craziest things I have seen.

Tuco said:

Dugan, I think you are referring to Richard Proenneke- great show, saw it 3 times.

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Yup, that's the one. Available here:
http://www.alaskanha.org/lake-clark-national-park.htm

I just caught the tail end of a broadcast of "Hero School: Mountain Rescue" last night on PBS. The rigors of training these rescuers undergo is amazing. The footage from the Alps is beautiful as well. It re-airs locally this Saturday:

Hero School: Mountain Rescue
WLIW Oct 22 03:00pm
Special/Other, 60 Mins.

Students learning lifesaving techniques at a school in the French Alps prepare for rescue operations.

Original Airdate: November 1, 2003.

First Descent (http://www.firstdescentmovie.com/) will be coming out in a month or so. It documents the history of snowboarding, and also takes five snowboarders to Valdez to do helicopter-assisted descents of various mountains in the area.

I caught one on PBS documenting the AT, looked pretty cool! Then saw it for sale in a local EMS a few months ago but don't remember the name. Anyone?

NukedRocket - Was it "Appalachian Impressions"??
That one is pretty good.

I want to check out "Trek".
I saw a little sneak preview of it and it seems pretty realistic.

2000 miles to Maine was rather funny.

Walking with Freedom I haven't seen yet, but have heard good things about!

I saw a 70's movie back a while ago. I think it was called "the Man who skiied everest". Something like that. 70's doc about a Japanese guy who climbs up the mountain and attempts to ski down it. It was pretty good. great crash scene at the end as he bounces down the mountain.

This thread is 3 years old but the in-laws are asking about Christmas gifts, so I thought it might be worth updating. Any one care to add to the list ? I'd add The Eiger Sanction, Vertical Limit and Cliffhanger for the entertainment value. Any great Mountain Movies on your list ?

Chip said:

Vertical Limit and Cliffhanger for the entertainment value.

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Lol, yeah, definitively entertainment and not documentary... Save for the Ed Viesturs' cameo in Vertical Limit the rest of the movie is pure "entertainment"

Well, anyway, to add to the list, there is always the IMAX Everest movie, also featuring Ed. It was filmed during the 1996 tragedy so it mentions some of that and has some great scenery shots.

For NE skiing/ski mountaineering history/stoke I really like The Meatheads' "Epoch". The Meatheads crew climb and ski on Washington, Marcy, Greylock, Katahdin, and Mansfield while also showing and telling some of the skiing history from each peak.

I loved "Touching the Void" (I've added 'stuffed' to my vocabulary) and "Alone in the Wilderness". I recently saw show in NatGeo about a guy who attempted a solo kayak across the Tasman Sea. He didn't make it. Some footage from his trek was saved, but I believe the last day or so was missing and he has never been found (but his boat was). Left a wife and a 3-yr old son behind.

I really enjoyed VERTICAL FRONTIER (narrated by Tom Brokaw). It's a history of rock climbing in Yosemite. I think it was at the Banff Film festival one year. It's available on dvd.