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GREAT VIDEO
I ORIGINALY TAPED THIS ONE OFF OF PBS BACK IN THE MID 80'S ALWAYS A FAVORITE OF MINE. I WOULD LOVE TO WATCH IT ESPICIALLY AFTER A WINTER MOUNTAIN CLIMB OF MY OWN. THE DEDICATION TO MARTY HOEY AND CHRIS KERROBROCK WAS TOUCHING. A REALIZATION OF MOUNTAIN TRAGEDY. SOUNDTRACK IS EXCELLANT AND THE NARRATION BY JOHN DENVER SUPERB. THIS VIDEO IS REALLY PART 2 OF THE WHOLE STORY. EVEREST NORTH WALL IS A MUST SEE TO GET THE IDEA OF THE ENTIRE EXPEDITION'S ACHEIVMENT. ALTHOUGH GOOD THE WINDS OF EVEREST IS A MUCH BETTER VIDEO. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Very well made, from a time past and almost forgotten.
In 1982 Lou Whittaker led the first American attempt on Everest's Tibetan(north) side. But tragedy and harsh conditions turned the team back (seeEverest: North Wall). Lou returned with an even stronger team in 1984,filmed here, and this time faced even more horrendous conditions, but theteam's willpower would not be driven back without a fight. The strengths ofthis film are that it shows somewhat of a who's who from a golden age ofAmerican Himalayan mountaineering (compared to the commercialism of today),with John Roskelley, Jim Wickwire, Phil Ershler, Geo Dunn, John Smolich,Peter Whittaker and many more, and it is very well filmed by Steve Marts.But all the same it failed to utilize two enormously dramatic potentialstorylines: One, regarding the death of teammate Chris Kerrebrock in 1981on Denali, who asked upon dying that a team member take his trumpet valveto the summit of Everest (barely touched upon here). The will to accomplishthat feat, is a tremendous story in itself (see Jim Wickwire's book,Addicted to Danger). The 2nd element missed upon, which I will not reveal(again, see Everest: North Wall), is talked more about, but again, I feltnot capitalized on for emotional storytelling. None the less, this film isan important historical event and extremely well filmed. Narrated by JohnDenver. ... Read more

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Reviews (4)

The Dream of Everest
I own this movie and I watch it at least once a week.It merely hints at the hard labor of planning an expedition and getting a team in-country to begin the climb,The amount of work is only hinted at but easily seen by one who has participated.To me the film was incredibly revealing.When Marty was participating in a small group photograph, I got the sense that she had been distracted while dressing and had failed to loop over the tail of her belt.That becomes obvious as she is posing for the photograph and her belt buckle, with both sides fully exposed are there to see and the free-tail is lifting in the breeze.As Marty proceeded uphill as she started to climb; she met the camera in a full frontal shot just before the incident, her buckle is again exposed with the full two-sided buckle clearly visible and no reverse loop with the tail of the belt and it is completely clear that it was not looped back and therefore not ready to be fully weighted.I mentioned to friends that would have to be corrected or she could be hurt.The tragedy struck and she was killed.I felt for every team member who had lost not only a friend but am actual extension of the team itself.Without faulting anyone, I think we all need to consider priorities first and getting fully and properly dressed is essential.I think we all need to check each other because a second set of eyes are invaluable in identifying something that has been overlooked.This film teaches a lot in a very short time and it reveals a fraction of the planning and execution that goes into making an expedition work.I plan to use this film as a teaching resource in the future.I love the film and it will always be treasured by me. Gene

Very good
I purchased a few Everest videos all togther. The recommendations led me to try this one. And I wasn't misled, but... I was a little dismayed when the video was half over and they were just getting to Everest. The video is about who and why people climb Everest, and what it takes to prepare (ie equipment and strategy) and how hard and dangerous it is even for experienced climbers. It is worth watching but its not a whole hour of trying to get up the mountain.

She was my cousin and an awsome woman!
With regards to Marty: I saw this video just after it was released. It was difficult to watch, but gave me an insight to my second cousin's death and helped me deal with it. I spent time with her as a child and she was more than loving and giving. I have since then shown it to my friends and my children. All who have seen it, thought it was well done and informative. ... Read more

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True Everest History and Mystery.
Who was the first to summit Everest...Mallory or Hillary? This is a very informative video with interviews with people that were actually there as part of Mallory's team. The man who climbed everest "because it is there" is more famous for the mystery of the outcome of his climb, than the attempt on the summit itself. Whether he made the top or not, Mallory will go down as the pioneer of summit attempts on Everest. This is a historic video that sheds light on the mystery of the lost climbers.

...BECAUSE IT'S THERE...
This is a Nova special presentation film, narrated by noted climber and filmmaker David Breashears. It explores the mystery of Mallory and Irvine who disappeared into the mists of Everest during a 1924 summit attempt and were never again seen alive.
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Editorial Review

In 1924 British "gentleman climbers" George Mallory and Andrew Irvine attempted to reach the top of the world's tallest peak, Mount Everest (28 years before the successful expedition of Sir Edmund Hillary). Mallory and Irvine were last spotted 1,000 feet from the summit, at which point they vanished, never to be seen again. Seventy-five years later, a nephew of a member of the 1924 expedition sponsored a search for the bodies of Mallory and Irvine, hoping to prove that they had been the first to conquer Everest. The PBS documentary series Read more

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Reviews (6)

Rumble And Toot
Volcano's Deadly Warning is a near excellent entry in PBS's long-running and usually sterling NOVA series.USGS scientist Bernard Chouet's hypothesis concerning long-period seismic events as a reliable precursor for the prediction of explosive volcanic events is the focal point of the video.Folks who have read Stanley William's book 'Surviving Galeras' and/or Victoria Bruce's book 'No Apparent Danger' should already be familiar with the issues surrounding Chouet's hypothesis.I was worried that the video would take sides in a controversy that has gone beyond basic volcanology, but the video is accurate and even handed.The video follows 1 common scientific thread over a 15 year period [from Nevado Del Ruiz in Colombia to Popocateptl in Mexico] and would be a good video to use for a lesson in scientific thinking.Fans of rivers of red hot basaltic magmas should avoid this video because it focuses on explosive volcanic eruptions and the volcanologists.The one time I had a problem with the video is when it described the eruption at Galeras that killed half a dozen volcanologists.The video does a good job at telling about the conflicting data that the scientists had concerning Galeras and the choices that were made based on then incompletely understood data, but then goes on to say that information was 'disregarded' by the scientists.Despite that one small complaint, I would highly recommend Volcano's Deadly Warning to any earth science teacher or volcano enthusiast.

Watch it
Nova needs to add more extras and to put out more of thier videos in the DVD format. Enjoyable, educational, and balanced. The searchers, with a discreet camera following them, walk about an area where climbers who fall off Everest seem to collect. I understand the need to be respectful, but I think it would be more (for a lack of a better word) 'scary' to see what the stakes of climbing Everest often are. Do I give away the ending? They find Mallory expecting to find Irvine, but do they find the answer? It was possible they made it, though not likely. But how often has 'not likely' not prevented people from accomplishing thier goal? Its incredible to think men in sweaters and skimpy boots climbed at the top of Everest, while they use space age materials now. They need to find Irvine! And the camera!

We will never know.
What a mystery.Did Mallory & Irvin summit before Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953?We will probably never know, so its up to the viewer to come to his or her own conclusion. This video has great information and detailed maps of where clues were left behind.Everest has always been a passion of mine and this video is an important part of my collection as far as the history of the mountain goes.The climbers on this expidition are on a mission to find the bodies of Mallory and Irvin and search a mountain were humans don't belong. I dont think Mallory made the top, but what do you think.......? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Documentary    2. Instructional / Educational    3. Movie    4. TV Shows   

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Reviews (8)

National Geographic-Everest 50 years on the Mountain
The best Everest DVD and I've seen them all!

National Geographic - Everest
This documentary has great vintage footage of past climbs, and the new footage taken during the current climb is shot with an appropriate sense of awe and terror.The individuals climbing are very real and success is far from being assured.The dangers and magnitude of the adventure is well told.

The Real Story of Mountaineering
I was happy to finally see a mountaineering epic that included the subtlety of mountaineering - the pain, personal issues, and outright defeat in the face of danger and personal discomfort.
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Solo worth getting
Saw this first as a teenager and a young rock climber. What an inspiration! Shows what climbing was like before it was invaded by PC and rock nazis...the guy actually USES pitons...the current equivalent of harpooning whales...great direct aid climbing. Anyone interested in climbing history ought to own this and memorize it.Read more

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Editorial Review

Filmed in the IMAX format, this film had the luck (or lack thereof) to be shot during the same fateful and fatal climb of Mount Everest chronicled in Jon Krakauer's book, Read more

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Reviews (134)

Good family watching
My six year old son and I enjoyed watching this DVD together.It provided opportunities to talk about overcoming challenges, plate techtonics and mountains, the need for planning, courage and sacrifice, tragedy, and the beauty of God's creation.The bonus feature on the making of the film was also compelling.Highly recommended.

Mediocre, at best!
I have read "Into Thin Air" and watched the Discovery Channel series on Mt. Everest, so I received this DVD with great anticipation.However, my excitement dissolved quickly due to the cheesy music, awful special effects, lack of drama, and poor landscape visuals.I was completely bored.It was a waste of 45 minutes.

Breathtaking
People who give this film a low rating are probably a little confused. This is not, I repeat NOT, a film about the events that happened to Rob Hall's and Scott Fisher's commercial teams in 1996. IF you did actually read the book (which I doubt some of the reviewers have since they seem to be so confused) "Into Thin Air" you would have known that the IMAX team was a completely different team, made up of world class climbers, that was filming their OWN documentery about climbing Everest. They agreed to attempt the summit at a latter date than the two above mentioned teams so as to not get in the way. Get it? This is a flim about Everest and attempting to conquer it and NOT about those tragic events. Yes, it does touch upon these because the IMAX team was on the mountain when they happened and because they were instrumential in helping many of the stricken climbers. This team dropped its own summit asperations to help the other climbs by donating their equipment (batteries, oxygen, and such) to the other climbers and even helping some of the stricken climbers down. Now, having said all that, this is a breathtakingly beautifully shot film with impressive panaramic visuals and helps the other 99.9% of the rest of us who will never climb Everest to gain some sort of insight into what it takes to overcome this uncaring mountain. I am also fully impressed by that fact that someone had to carry the camera and film up the mountain! That is an amazing feat by itself. I highly recommend this film to anyone, however if you are looking for a film about the tragic events that occured in 1996 this is not it! But I would still recommend this to you because it is essential to helping with some of the visuals of the book and does go over the detials a bit. Before watching this I had a hard time visualizing some of the features of the mountain, mainly due to lack of experience and understanding of mountain climbing. Make no mistake, this is one film you NEED to see. ... Read more

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Joint US, Chinese and former Soviet attempt at Everest.
In 1990 Jim Whittaker (first American to climb Everest, in 1963. See"Americans on Everest" tape) led a large team of climbers fromthe USA, China, and the former Soviet Union to climb Everest. While therewere language barriers, and medical emergencies, the team was verysuccessful. Viewers younger than about 30 may find the comradery shown (orsimply filmed to show) to be corney, given the long ago demise of the ColdWar. Something that the filmmakers attempted to use for narrative. But on ahistorical level, this was an interesting concept ten short years ago. Ofthe three Everest films produced by Pal Productions, this one is my leastfavorite (Everest: North Wall, and Winds of Everest being the other two). ... Read more

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Nice, intro to rock climbing, but lack any depth.
The video is first, extremely short due to it's made for television format.I have seen longer Northface advertising videos at REI, that come to think about it were more interesting.But hey they never said this wasa how to or documentary, so I am cutting them some slack.Only showsJoshua Tree, climbing at the best time of the year using the easiestroutes, on the best climbing surrface in the 48. ... Read more

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Editorial Review

Breathtaking cinematography and vintage footage focus on a small Sherpa village in Nepal where Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reunite to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their conquest of Mount Everest's summit. The first men to reach they summit, Sir Edmund and Norgay are also clearly friends. The genuine esteem between Sir Edmund and his family and residents of Kungbu, Nepal, is refreshing after the stories of numerous wealthy tourists' attempts to climb Everest, where Sherpas are mentioned in passing like colonial resources to be bought. One of the most remarkable features of this beautiful and educational video is the unusual insider perspective into the inner world of Sherpa culture, into the homes and families and monastic life of these high-altitude dwellers. Sir Edmund is a revered and popular figure in the Sherpa communities where he has devoted decades to constructing schools and empowering villagers. In addition to discussing the historic first conquest of Everest and the changes both the Hillary family and the Sherpa communities in Nepal have experienced in the last 30 years, this video is a rich cultural documentary of the Sherpa way of life. This video, part of the Read more

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Reviews (3)

emotional biography of Hillary
This exquisite documentary tells the deeply emotional story of Sir Edmund Hillary's relationship with the Sherpas over the thirty years since his and Norday's ascent of Everest.Hillary supervised the construction ofclinics, schools, and other improvements to Sherpa life and became verygood friends with those he worked with.This is a story of giving, love,gratitude, and grief. Especially interesting to me were the religiousceremonies and pageants.I loved this video and will watch it repeatedly.

Excellent
This was an excellent video. We loved it. The mountain is out of this world.

Not even worth stealing
This video is a scam. Everest itself appears for roughly 30 seconds. The rest of the video shows Sherpa's drinking home brew and getting drunk with Sir Edmund. If the mountain is what interests you, stay away. If, however,you like to watch drunk Sherpa's and drunk aging icons, this is the videofor you. ... Read more

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Poetry in motion
Doug Robinson brings a lifetime of climbing and guiding experience into a video that introduces beginners to rock climbing.The words and pictures give great tips on how to move with control and composure over vertical rock surfaces, rather than pitching and flailing desperately.I like the video so much that I've shared it with friends who are interested in learning to climb.Read more

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Climbing The Mist Trail TO Vernal Falls
A beautifully filmed video, I especially enjoy watching and listening to this video while working out on my crosstrainer, the minutes fly.

Wonderfully relaxing
After viewing several times I find new things to see each time.The digital photography really makes a difference to the eye. ... Read more

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Editorial Review

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Not a movie about the mountain...
This movie plays out like a dry cultural movie of the Nepalese people and Edmund Hillary's life.The movie focuses on all that Hillary has done since he first climbed Everest, and how he has dedicated his life to helping the Sherpa people.All this is fine, but the title: "Surviving Everest" implied that the movie has something to do with the climbing of Everest, when in actuality it's just a half-baked biography / cultural lesson.
Disappointing and misleading
The DVD quality is poor. It feels like an old VHS tape. Most disappointing, considering this is from National Geographic! Collector's Edition my foot. Disappointing and misleading
The DVD quality is poor. It feels like an old VHS tape. Most disappointing, considering this is from National Geographic! Collector's Edition my foot.Read more

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Editorial Review

What does it take to stand on the roof of the world? Read more

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Interesting narrative on why climbers strive for Everest
Not to be confused with the CD-Rom "Everest: Quest for the Summit ofDreams" also with Eric Simonson. This documentary takes a look at thehistory of man's obsessions with climbing Everest. Going back to historicalfootage of the first explorers who determined that this was indeed thehigest spot on earth, to Mallory and Irvine, to Norgay and Hillary (who isinterviewed), to other notable climbers and attempts. Not so much adramatic representation of any given climb, as a retrospect into trying toanswer why climbers take the risks they do, and why Everest pushes thatrisk to the limit. Read more

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Recommended ... great historic footage
Well, we finally watched this video last week and is was truly a joy. We had no idea there was so much footage of this climb. Not all the way to the summit, but as far as the South Col camp the fantastic images were shot. Excellent, if dated
Not to be confused with the awful TV movie Into Thin Air, based on thebestselling Jon Krakauer novel. This is the actual film of Tenzing Norgayand Edmund Hillary's historic first ascent of Mt. Everest. While not asdramatic as other films on the subject (if only because the outcome isknown), it is none the less very well made, and an important historicaldocument in filmmaking. Some viewers today may feel the film is dated, andeven trite in spots. But the narrative moves very well, and its superbhistorical content make up for that. ... Read more

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Obsession of the climber
This movie is about a Mt. Everest climbing season and it's a visually stunning, beautiful film which has held up marvelously since its release. I originally saw it on the big screen, but the DVD transfer is stunning. Very little quality has been lost, either visually or in the audio segments. This is a high quality production from beginning to end, and you will not want this film to end! Profound Documentary of Human Endurance
An excellent documentary of one man's obsession to climb Everest which ultimately cost him his life. The struggle, the endurance, the pain and then the thrill of getting to the summit was incredible. MarkWheturecalls the events extremely well, but for me the ultimate point of thefilm is when upon reflection of the loss of his friend he says `It's notthat life is too short it's that your dead a long time.'

no surprises here
If you were hoping for the visual rehash of THE CLIMB or INTO THIN AIR keep looking. This video's another poorly shot saga of a middled aged dude with summit fever and the guide who lost his toes deciding between nobilityand a life wracked with guilt. There's not much to engage the viewer on apersonal, emotional level in spite of the dramatic circumstances. But ifwatching a talking head shot of a moody guy in a tent is your idea of goodvideo.... ... Read more

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Climb
I used Train to Climb Mt. Rainier to get me ready for an Aug. 2002 climb of Mt. Ranier with Shape Magazine. It was a great tool and provided me with all of the information that I needed to climb. It gave me detailed information about all aspects of building physical endurance, including stretching, aerobics, strength training (weight lifting), and anaerobic training. The program includes specific instructions on how to begin training in month one and how to continue developing strength and stamina each month until you are ready to taper your workouts before your climb. The program provided a variety of exercise choices which helped to keep my motivation from waning. Another great aspect of the program is that it provides you with a way to train at home. This is awesome when you live thirty miles from the nearest gym. I felt like I had two personal trainers which is amazing when you consider I live in a rural town of four hundred people.Read more

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Editorial Review

In June 1998, 11 women embarked on a treacherous course up Mt. McKinley, the highest peak in North America. They would brave weather and climbing conditions that brought about an unprecedented number of accidents and fatalities. "It's the nature of the mountain," a guide remarks in Read more

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