For those of us who savour long walks in Nature but draw the line at steep inclines with no path to follow, a viewing of Meru (the so-called “shark’s fin” peak in the Garhwal Himalayas) is heartily recommended. Present-day mountaineers can also revel in the two attempts to reach the unforgiving summit—and perhaps a few of those respectfully annoyed that this trio of adventurers beat them to the bragging rights as the first ever to look down from the virgin top.
Expert climbers Jimmy Chin (who also directed alongside Chai Vasarhelyi), Conrad Anker and Renan Ozturk gamely either work the camera (largely Chin and Ozturk) or courageously stand before it whether chronicling the odyssey, reliving past horrors (Ozturk inadvertently skiing over a cliff and opening his skull; Chin being swept away but—miraculously—surviving a deadly avalanche), stoically chowing down—night after night—on couscous, displaying the painful wisdom of abandoning their first quest (2008) when just 100 metres short of the objective or pushing themselves relentlessly on the second even as common sense (Ozturk appears to suffer a stroke) gives them difficult pause on their second pass.
As dangerous as these attempts are, there is palpable camaraderie amongst the three amigos and a fair bit of black humour (“The best alpinists are the ones with the worst memory.”) to mask their fears and apprehensions which continue to build as the goal looms closer every climbing day.
In a most certainly unintended link to a totally different story, Jimmy’s orange helmet is immediately at one with those worn by Ukrainian freedom seekers doing battle with Viktor Yanukovych’s Berkut and associated thugs in the recent production, Winter on Fire (cross-reference below). Yet, on reflection, both groups were warriors struggling to achieve a specific result and ready to die in the process.
The images are truly spectacular (the long shots—many employing time-lapse photography—are unforgettable as they wordlessly reinforce just how small these men are compared to their surroundings), offering insiders’ views both to stubborn, stunningly beautiful Nature and determined, seemingly unstoppable explorers wanting to conquer her dangerous heights.
Those who have died against these odds (notably Mugs Stump and Alex Lowe, who figure prominently in the professional and private lives of the principals) would, no doubt, have been proud of this accomplishment. Perhaps one and all could join in the song which graces the closing credits, “The Light Never Fails” and conjure up their own particular meanings to those oh-so-apt lyrics. JWR