Three guys vs. a mountain that eats people for breakfast. Who blinks first?
The first filmed winter ascent of the north face of the Matterhorn. To set the scene, the tragic story of Edward Whymper's first ascent is skillfully pieced together. The modern expedition, a team of three British climbers, is also plagued with epics: Eric Jones is hit by an avalanche and can only come to a dangerous stop at the edge of a 1000 foot drop. Then the worst storm ever recorded in Zermatt hits the Matterhorn. With time and weather against them, the team is forced to climb in the dark as thunderstorms rumble around them. This adventure captures the skill and courage of the climbers, their agony and tension, and the beauty of the assault on this spectacular mountain. Grand Prize at the Les Diablerets festival (Switzerland) in 1976.
Cinematography
Helicopter shots so gorgeous they'll give you vertigo.
Editing
Whymper's 1865 tragedy cuts hit like a gut punch.
Practical Effects
Real avalanches. Real storms. No stunt doubles, no mercy.
Director
Leo Dickinson
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Director Leo Dickinson filmed his own climb while nearly dying multiple times—no separate camera crew existed.
This 1976 win at Les Diablerets helped establish adventure documentary as a serious festival genre, not just travelogues.
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