John Smolich

In 1984 an American China-Everest Expedition returns to the wicked north face of the world's highest mountain. The climbing team includes Jim Wickwire, Phil Ershler and John Roskelley, led by Lou Whittaker, the dean of American climbers. Journey with them through Tibet and up the perilous mountain and share their triumph when a single team member, Phil Ershler stands on top of the world.

Chris Bonington and Jim Curran trace the history of K2 expeditions from 1903 to the disastrous loss of life in the summer of 1986, when 13 climbers died on K2, climbing tragedies that aggressively carved the epithet the 'savage mountain' into the public consciousness. Jim Curran was hired by the British 'Fuller’s K2' team to document their attempt on the unclimbed NW Ridge, so he was at the mountain, all summer. Inevitably, his documentary ended up drifting into a gripping narrative from the front line of the disastrous and tragic summer that killed 13 climbers on K2.