Michi Wärthl

January 1876. A small group of mountaineers is attempting Mont Blanc, the highest European mountain. Among the group is a woman wearing a skirt, British mountaineer Isabella Straton. 150 years later, another group of four mountaineers, including Ines Papert, is using the same equipment trying to re-tell the story of the first winter ascent of Mont Blanc in an homage to a female pioneer in the Alps, Isabella Straton.

The mountains are both an escape and a place of refuge for four generations of mountaineers. The film shows us their passion and the questions associated with their way of life. With Jacques Grandjean, we strain to reach alpine crystals in brittle rock on sheer rock faces. On the north face of the Gross Ruchen, we hear extreme climber Dani Arnold cursing in the windstorm. We accompany Stefan Siegrist on his expedition to Makalu’s western pillar in Nepal. Werner Munter, more than 70 years old, is still searching for new routes in the remotest areas of Val d’Hérens. Searching for the right path, the four guides face fundamental questions which concern us all: How much am I willing to risk to make my dreams come true? How much risk do you need in life?

Nanga Parbat - Die herausforderung is a documentary about alpinism that takes place in Nanga Parbat. It was directed by Gerhard Baur in 2005 and produced by Gerhard Baur Films. It is a part of the series Nanga Parbat (1/2). It features Michi Wärthl, Markus Walter, Markus Kronthaler, Günter Jung, Christian Walter, Fred Aschenbrenner and others.