14 Peaks Documentary

[jbchalk]

I don't see myself ever going on an 8000m expedition again, even if I still romanticize and dream about it.

Never say never buddy. I just bet you may later in life. I know I want to as does Kristine maybe when the kids are older and more self-sufficient.

As for the documentaries, I loved both of them. Very different but awesome stuff.

[Salient]

Just watched it this morning and I must say, that was very interesting. It could've and should've been longer and gone a bit more in-depth on some of the experiences on the mountain but, regardless I think it was great.

[I Man]

My wife and I finished this last night. Overall as a film, I was not impressed. It is very rushed and has no flow. It is also low budget, which just goes along with the whole idea that no one cared about Nims because he wasn't a Westerner. That whole thing is pretty wild.
My main thoughts here are #1 - how the heck did he pull this off? Even being perfectly fit and skilled, the idea that he got weather and conditions on 14 peaks in a "single" climbing season is beyond comprehension to me.
Also, Messner saying "he has my full respect" and "this is a unique and important mountaineering achievement" means more than the entire world's approval. Messner is famously dismissive of almost everyone and anything.
Sure, what he did is not my style and has no interest to me personally (not that I am remotely capable of even trying!) - but I am definitely impressed by Nims.

[TomPierce]

My wife and I finished this last night. Overall as a film, I was not impressed. It is very rushed and has no flow. It is also low budget, which just goes along with the whole idea that no one cared about Nims because he wasn't a Westerner. That whole thing is pretty wild.
My main thoughts here are #1 - how the heck did he pull this off? Even being perfectly fit and skilled, the idea that he got weather and conditions on 14 peaks in a "single" climbing season is beyond comprehension to me.
Also, Messner saying "he has my full respect" and "this is a unique and important mountaineering achievement" means more than the entire world's approval. Messner is famously dismissive of almost everyone and anything.
Sure, what he did is not my style and has no interest to me personally (not that I am remotely capable of even trying!) - but I am definitely impressed by Nims.

Yeah Matt, that's sort of where I landed. Cinematically not the best film in the world, and it was hardly a cliff hanger of suspense (pun intended), e.g. they wouldn't have made a Netflix film about a guy who almost pulled it off, you know how it'll end. But still a fun film of a massive accomplishment, hearty kudos to Nims. I for sure couldn't have done that even at my (now long gone) physical peak.

NOT to discount the accomplishment, but I found myself wondering how hard are those peaks after all? K2 for sure looked hard in the filmed spots, but I think I heard him say he did the 3 highest peaks in the world in 48 hours (Everest, Lhotse, Makalu)? And I think at the time of filming that he had less than 10 years of experience as a climber? Could be wrong on that. Made me wonder if Western climbers have overstated the difficulty of many of these peaks over the years or have been just too cautious?Maybe it's partly that, but coupled with his phenomenal physical condition and enormous drive. Again, well deserved accolades to him. Dude kicked butt.

-Tom

[jrbren_vt]

The mountain photography alone makes this worth watching multiple times. I really enjoyed it. Very impressive individual.

[homicide133]

Anyway - I have had much more "fun" in Alaska and The Andes - getting the experience I want - being alone on a mountain with my team and really climbing. That being said, there is just something about 8000m peaks and they continue capturing my imagination.

Curious what mountain you climbed in the Andes? If it was Aconcagua, that's not climbing and just a big hike. Kinda like the 14'ers.

[I Man]

Curious what mountain you climbed in the Andes? If it was Aconcagua, that's not climbing and just a big hike. Kinda like the 14'ers.

The quotes here are all messed up. Sure I've hiked Aconcagua, but I was referring to climbing in Peru in the Cordillera Blanca - Alpamayo, Artesonraju and Huascaran Sur. None of those peaks are "hikes." Aconcagua certainly is just a tall 14er, but fun nonetheless

[homicide133]

The quotes here are all messed up. Sure I've hiked Aconcagua, but I was referring to climbing in Peru in the Cordillera Blanca - Alpamayo, Artesonraju and Huascaran Sur. None of those peaks are "hikes." Aconcagua certainly is just a tall 14er, but fun nonetheless

Right on

[timisimaginary]

My wife and I finished this last night. Overall as a film, I was not impressed. It is very rushed and has no flow. It is also low budget, which just goes along with the whole idea that no one cared about Nims because he wasn't a Westerner. That whole thing is pretty wild.
My main thoughts here are #1 - how the heck did he pull this off? Even being perfectly fit and skilled, the idea that he got weather and conditions on 14 peaks in a "single" climbing season is beyond comprehension to me.
Also, Messner saying "he has my full respect" and "this is a unique and important mountaineering achievement" means more than the entire world's approval. Messner is famously dismissive of almost everyone and anything.
Sure, what he did is not my style and has no interest to me personally (not that I am remotely capable of even trying!) - but I am definitely impressed by Nims.

Yeah Matt, that's sort of where I landed. Cinematically not the best film in the world, and it was hardly a cliff hanger of suspense (pun intended), e.g. they wouldn't have made a Netflix film about a guy who almost pulled it off, you know how it'll end. But still a fun film of a massive accomplishment, hearty kudos to Nims. I for sure couldn't have done that even at my (now long gone) physical peak.

NOT to discount the accomplishment, but I found myself wondering how hard are those peaks after all? K2 for sure looked hard in the filmed spots, but I think I heard him say he did the 3 highest peaks in the world in 48 hours (Everest, Lhotse, Makalu)? And I think at the time of filming that he had less than 10 years of experience as a climber? Could be wrong on that. Made me wonder if Western climbers have overstated the difficulty of many of these peaks over the years or have been just too cautious?Maybe it's partly that, but coupled with his phenomenal physical condition and enormous drive. Again, well deserved accolades to him. Dude kicked butt.

-Tom

they're certainly not the most technically difficult mountains to climb, but there's something unique to being above 8000m. the body is literally unable to heal at that altitude. recovery is impossible, and the physical damage you endure is happening at a cellular level. whatever other qualities Nims had to be able to pull this feat off, he definitely has to be some kind of genetic anomaly whose body can recover at a superfast rate in order to go from one 8000m zone to another so quickly.

[3DCJ]

Three of them in 48 hours? It was in the blood alright..."it" being the elixir that helped Lance Armstrong win the TDF for so many years.

[timisimaginary]

Three of them in 48 hours? It was in the blood alright..."it" being the elixir that helped Lance Armstrong win the TDF for so many years.

i'm sure you can back that accusation up with evidence, right?

some discussion of the benefits and drawbacks of EPO at altitude can be found here: https://www.summitpost.org/phpBB3/epo-f ... 68478.html
and here: https://www.usariem.army.mil/assets/doc ... e_Muza.pdf

[TomPierce]

Three of them in 48 hours? It was in the blood alright..."it" being the elixir that helped Lance Armstrong win the TDF for so many years.

i'm sure you can back that accusation up with evidence, right?

some discussion of the benefits and drawbacks of EPO at altitude can be found here: https://www.summitpost.org/phpBB3/epo-f ... 68478.html
and here: https://www.usariem.army.mil/assets/doc ... e_Muza.pdf

I hadn't even thought about the doping angle (and fwiw I'm a cyclist...). Absolutely no evidence I've heard of to support that, but isn't it rendered sort of moot by his above-board use of oxygen? Couldn't he have just cranked up the oxygen mixture/flow rate if he wanted a boost? Just pondering the idea. I don't see anything wrong with doing so if you're already on oxygen.

That aside, the whole altitude-as-a-goal thing does nothing for me. For sure you suck air, gasp for breath, see spots, whatever. Hard, hard work for sure. Misery at times, if not frequently. But is that skill? Eh, I guess it's at least a mental game of suffering. Personally I'm drawn to the puzzle-solving aspect of harder climbing, but that's just my draw. For others it's altitude, nothing wrong with that.

-Tom