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Documentary / Climbing Journal
Ultimate Skiing on Mount Rishiri
Yasutoshi Hattori (2013)
Mount Rishiri (1721 meters) floats in Japan's northernmost sea. In February, when seasonal winds blow from the sea, winter is at its harshest. Daisuke Sasaki, one of Japan's most famous backcountry skiers, dares to ski down 1400 meters of unforgiving cliffs, some with a gradient of 50 degrees. But even before he can ski down, Sasaki must first face the ordeal of climbing the mountain with ski equipment on his back. This documentary follows Sasaki as he challenges-and ultimately succeeds in-skiing down the snowy mountain, despite the unavoidable risk of avalanches.Ultimate Skiing on Mount Rishiri
- 2013
- Japan
- 49 min
Mount Rishiri (1721 meters) floats in Japan's northernmost sea. In February, when seasonal winds blow from the sea, winter is at its harshest. Daisuke Sasaki, one of Japan's most famous backcountry skiers, dares to ski down 1400 meters of unforgiving cliffs, some with a gradient of 50 degrees. But even before he can ski down, Sasaki must first face the ordeal of climbing the mountain with ski equipment on his back. This documentary follows Sasaki as he challenges-and ultimately succeeds in-skiing down the snowy mountain, despite the unavoidable risk of avalanches.Climbing locations
Availability
DVD / BLU-RAY -
Documentary / Expedition Journal
Kazuya Hiraide's Challenge to the Unexplored Northeast Face of Shispare
(2018)
On 22 August 2017 Kazuya Hiraide and Kenro Nakajima completed a new route up the NE Face of Shispare (7611m), Karakorum, Pakistan. The new route - climbed in impeccable alpine style - deals with difficulties up to M6 / WI 5. This was Hiraide’s third attempt at the mountain; in 2007 he the NE Face, while in 2012 and 2013 he attempted the SW Face.Shispare is one of the most 'recent' mountains in the Karakorum. It was only in 1974 that a team from Poland and Germany headed by Janusz Kurczab climbed this summit. The team received the Piolet d'Or Asia award for the ascent.Kazuya Hiraide's Challenge to the Unexplored Northeast Face of ShispareKazuya Hiraide's Challenge to the Unexplored Northeast Face of Shispare
- 2018
- Japan
- 112 min
On 22 August 2017 Kazuya Hiraide and Kenro Nakajima completed a new route up the NE Face of Shispare (7611m), Karakorum, Pakistan. The new route - climbed in impeccable alpine style - deals with difficulties up to M6 / WI 5. This was Hiraide’s third attempt at the mountain; in 2007 he the NE Face, while in 2012 and 2013 he attempted the SW Face.Shispare is one of the most 'recent' mountains in the Karakorum. It was only in 1974 that a team from Poland and Germany headed by Janusz Kurczab climbed this summit. The team received the Piolet d'Or Asia award for the ascent.Climbing locations
Availability
DVD / BLU-RAY Video on Demand -
Documentary / Expedition Journal
Denali - The Ultimate Downhill
(2017)
Daredevil skier Daisuke Sasaki embarks on a death-defying descent down the Southwest Face of Denali, the peak formerly known as Mount McKinley (6,190m). It's a fall of some 3,000m, on a slope at points as steep as 55 degrees. Temperatures can dip to 30 below zero Celsius, with winds up to 30m per second, and oxygen level at 40% what it would be on the ground. NHK assembles a team of first-class specialists to accompany the adventure, with eight UHD cameras to capture the thrilling ride. The result is an immersive 4K experience on the highest mountain peak in North America, where one split-second judgment can mean the difference between life and death.Denali - The Ultimate Downhill
- 2017
- Japan
- 99 min
Daredevil skier Daisuke Sasaki embarks on a death-defying descent down the Southwest Face of Denali, the peak formerly known as Mount McKinley (6,190m). It's a fall of some 3,000m, on a slope at points as steep as 55 degrees. Temperatures can dip to 30 below zero Celsius, with winds up to 30m per second, and oxygen level at 40% what it would be on the ground. NHK assembles a team of first-class specialists to accompany the adventure, with eight UHD cameras to capture the thrilling ride. The result is an immersive 4K experience on the highest mountain peak in North America, where one split-second judgment can mean the difference between life and death.Climbing locations
Availability
DVD / BLU-RAY -
Documentary / Portrait
Le skieur du vide
Alain Tixier (1990)
Pierre Tardivel has been one of the best extreme skiers since the 1990s. A great specialist in impossible descents, he tried the north face of Les Courtes, a 900 m wall with a 65° slope. Turning after turning, Pierre controls his speed, contracts, observes and locates the place where he will pass. Risks of avalanches, falls, the feat is not without risk. Extreme skiing has evolved considerably since its inception: material, style... This archival document pays tribute to the one who has made this sport evolve in the most significant way possible: to achieve impossible feats.- 1990
- France
- 23 min
Pierre Tardivel has been one of the best extreme skiers since the 1990s. A great specialist in impossible descents, he tried the north face of Les Courtes, a 900 m wall with a 65° slope. Turning after turning, Pierre controls his speed, contracts, observes and locates the place where he will pass. Risks of avalanches, falls, the feat is not without risk. Extreme skiing has evolved considerably since its inception: material, style... This archival document pays tribute to the one who has made this sport evolve in the most significant way possible: to achieve impossible feats.Climbing locations
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Documentary / Chronicle
Volcano above the clouds
Hugh Thomson (2003)
Volcano above the clouds is a documentary about alpinism that takes place in Mount Kilimanjaro. It was directed by Hugh Thomson in 2003 and produced by WGBH. It is a part of the series Nova. It features Robin Buxton, Michael Ngatoluwa, Kevin Dougherty, Volker Lorenz, Chris Vile, Kenton Kool and others.- 2003
- France, Germany, USA
- 55 min
Volcano above the clouds is a documentary about alpinism that takes place in Mount Kilimanjaro. It was directed by Hugh Thomson in 2003 and produced by WGBH. It is a part of the series Nova. It features Robin Buxton, Michael Ngatoluwa, Kevin Dougherty, Volker Lorenz, Chris Vile, Kenton Kool and others.Climbing locations
Availability
DVD / BLU-RAY -
Documentary / Expedition Journal
Vertical ascent
(2003)
In Arctic Canada, at 70 degrees north latitude, a large fjord is lined with precipitous cliffs formed by some 10,000 years of glacial activity. In June, 2003, a Japanese team of climbers embarked on a momentous journey to scale one of these cliffs -- a towering citadel 1200 metres above sea level. Filmed against a panoramic Arctic backdrop, this documentary recounts their bold and painstaking ascent, which was hampered by freezing temperatures, snowstorms and treacherously loose rocks.
- 2003
- Japan
- 49 min
In Arctic Canada, at 70 degrees north latitude, a large fjord is lined with precipitous cliffs formed by some 10,000 years of glacial activity. In June, 2003, a Japanese team of climbers embarked on a momentous journey to scale one of these cliffs -- a towering citadel 1200 metres above sea level. Filmed against a panoramic Arctic backdrop, this documentary recounts their bold and painstaking ascent, which was hampered by freezing temperatures, snowstorms and treacherously loose rocks.Climbing locations
Availability
Video on Demand -
Documentary / Historical
Mano Yamadai sonan kesshi no kyushutsu geki
(2002)
Mano Yamadai sonan kesshi no kyushutsu geki is a documentary about alpinism that takes place in Mount Tsurugi. It was produced in 2002 by NHK. It is a part of the series Project X Challengers. It features Kunii Masahiko, Zenba Takako and Kubo Junko.Mano Yamadai sonan kesshi no kyushutsu geki
- 2002
- Japan
- 43 min
Mano Yamadai sonan kesshi no kyushutsu geki is a documentary about alpinism that takes place in Mount Tsurugi. It was produced in 2002 by NHK. It is a part of the series Project X Challengers. It features Kunii Masahiko, Zenba Takako and Kubo Junko.Climbing locations
Availability
DVD / BLU-RAY -
Documentary / Chronicle
Mountain of ice
Liesl Clark (2003)
Mountaineers and scientists battle the snowy precipices of Antarctica's highest peak - the Vinson Massif. The film's story is told through the voice of Jon Krakauer, mountaineer and best-selling author of "Into Thin Air". His high-risk expedition to scale the icy peak is interwoven with the epic story of Scott and Amundsen's race to reach the South Pole in 1912. Krakauer examines why one team failed and the other succeeded, even as he battles with the challenge of conquering the unpredictable slopes of the southern continent's mightiest summit.- 2003
- France, Germany, USA
- 55 min
Mountaineers and scientists battle the snowy precipices of Antarctica's highest peak - the Vinson Massif. The film's story is told through the voice of Jon Krakauer, mountaineer and best-selling author of "Into Thin Air". His high-risk expedition to scale the icy peak is interwoven with the epic story of Scott and Amundsen's race to reach the South Pole in 1912. Krakauer examines why one team failed and the other succeeded, even as he battles with the challenge of conquering the unpredictable slopes of the southern continent's mightiest summit.Climbing locations
Availability
DVD / BLU-RAY -
Documentary / Chronicle
Big wall challenge
Yoshihisa Sakurai (2008)
This documentary follows a Japanese husband-and-wife team of mountain climbers who, despite having lost fingers and toes to frostbite on a previous climb, overcome their disabilities to make the first ascent on a 1300-metre sheer wall in Greenland in the summer of 2007.Yoshihisa Sakurai, Manabu Hirose
- 2008
- Japan
- 59 min
This documentary follows a Japanese husband-and-wife team of mountain climbers who, despite having lost fingers and toes to frostbite on a previous climb, overcome their disabilities to make the first ascent on a 1300-metre sheer wall in Greenland in the summer of 2007.Climbing locations
Availability
DVD / BLU-RAY -
Documentary / Expedition Journal
The white storm of the Stone Sentinel - Aconcagua
Kazuya Yamada (2012)
Sixth episode of the second season of the Japanese series 'The great summits'. In this episode, the crew climbs South America's highest mountain, Aconcagua (6959m) by its normal route. The Great Summits II series introduces eight of the world's most famed mountains such as Eiger and Grossglockner in the European Alps and Aconcagua in South America. Guided by expert climbers, viewers can experience what it feels like to climb these mountains. Feel the same fear and excitement through the lens of a Steadicam.The white storm of the Stone Sentinel - Aconcagua
- 2012
- Japan
- 29 min
Sixth episode of the second season of the Japanese series 'The great summits'. In this episode, the crew climbs South America's highest mountain, Aconcagua (6959m) by its normal route. The Great Summits II series introduces eight of the world's most famed mountains such as Eiger and Grossglockner in the European Alps and Aconcagua in South America. Guided by expert climbers, viewers can experience what it feels like to climb these mountains. Feel the same fear and excitement through the lens of a Steadicam.Climbing locations
Availability
DVD / BLU-RAY -
Documentary / Travelogue
Majestic peaks at the world's southern end - Paine Mountaina
Masayoshi Ichino (2012)
Fifth episode of the second season of the Japanese series 'The great summits'. This program fully introduces the popular trails and charms of the Paine Mountains, and the crew battles the wind to climb the craggy Mt. Almirante Nieto. The Great Summits II series introduces eight of the world's most famed mountains such as Eiger and Grossglockner in the European Alps and Aconcagua in South America. Guided by expert climbers, viewers can experience what it feels like to climb these mountains. Feel the same fear and excitement through the lens of a Steadicam.Majestic peaks at the world's southern end - Paine Mountaina
- 2012
- Japan
- 29 min
Fifth episode of the second season of the Japanese series 'The great summits'. This program fully introduces the popular trails and charms of the Paine Mountains, and the crew battles the wind to climb the craggy Mt. Almirante Nieto. The Great Summits II series introduces eight of the world's most famed mountains such as Eiger and Grossglockner in the European Alps and Aconcagua in South America. Guided by expert climbers, viewers can experience what it feels like to climb these mountains. Feel the same fear and excitement through the lens of a Steadicam.Climbing locations
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Documentary / Travelogue
The father of Cappadocia - Erciyes
Sakurako Abe (2012)
Fourth episode of the second season of the Japanese series 'The great summits'. In this episode, the crew climbs Mount Erciyes (3916m), in Cappadocia, Turkey. The Great Summits II series introduces eight of the world's most famed mountains such as Eiger and Grossglockner in the European Alps and Aconcagua in South America. Guided by expert climbers, viewers can experience what it feels like to climb these mountains. Feel the same fear and excitement through the lens of a Steadicam.The father of Cappadocia - Erciyes
- 2012
- Japan
- 29 min
Fourth episode of the second season of the Japanese series 'The great summits'. In this episode, the crew climbs Mount Erciyes (3916m), in Cappadocia, Turkey. The Great Summits II series introduces eight of the world's most famed mountains such as Eiger and Grossglockner in the European Alps and Aconcagua in South America. Guided by expert climbers, viewers can experience what it feels like to climb these mountains. Feel the same fear and excitement through the lens of a Steadicam.Climbing locations
