Everest the Hard Way

Directed by Ned Kelly

The classic expedition documentary of the 1975 British Expedition led by Chris Bonington up the South West Face of Everest. The summit was reached by Doug Scott and Dougal Haston followed by an epic bivouac just below the summit. Sadly mountaineer and cameraman Mick Burke died near the summit a day later. Peter Boardman and Pertemba summitted a few days later and made a harrowing descent, finding the top of the fixed ropes only by chance. In many ways, this films records both the end of an era the of big British national expeditions and is the harbinger of a the new alpine style in the Himalaya.