Must watch Trekking Adventure Movies and Documentaries
No one can experience outdoor adventure in any one way, but one can do so through various activities like hiking, trekking, climbing, or camping. Anyone who has ventured into the wilderness knows it is a thrilling adventure, but you also get addicted as you want to do it again. You will love these movies if you are an adventure seeker and want to see some thrilling survival stories. These movies are some of the most exciting adventure movies; some are based on true events, while others are fiction, but in these movies, you are going to love the riveting plots and mesmerizing scenery.
Outdoor activities have different influences on people; some reclaim their lives, while others change their life course. Some people do so to seek forgiveness, and many want to have a thrilling adventure. These adventure and backpacking movies will make you want to go to the mountains to have an experience of your own. There are a few Old and Upcoming movies for some outdoor trekking inspiration; we have provided a complete list of a few of those movies below.
1. Everest (2015)
Everest is an adventure and drama movie directed and produced by Baltasar Kormakur. The film is a recreation of the real incident of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster. The movie focuses on two joint expedition groups who face a disaster while climbing the highest point on Earth; one of the teams is led by Rob Hall, and the other by Scott Fisher.
While climbing the mountain without warning, they are hit by a violent storm, which turns the adventure into the wildest snowstorm ever encountered by men. The team must survive the harshest conditions, like extreme winds and freezing temperatures. They must battle the nearly impossible odds and prove that humans can overcome the most difficult situations.
2. The Summit (2012)
The Summit is a documentary movie directed by Nick Ryan, which is based on K2 2008, a catastrophic single disaster. The film features some of the actual footage from various teams. The movie is a compelling attempt to recreate and try to solve what happened on K2 on that horrific day.
In August 2008, 22 international climbers came together to reach the top of K2’s second-highest mountain on Earth. Just before they were about to reach, 11 people vanished without a trace. Most of the documentary filming was done by Swedish mountaineer Fredrik Strang. On the other hand, the documentary could not be completed as he could not do the summit. But the footage was still of significant importance as it helped people provide the details on what happened, as the returned climbers have a different story to tell.
3. 127 Hours (2010)
127 Hours is based on a real incident with a mountain climber named Aron Raiston, directed by Danny Boyle. When Aron Raiston was stuck, he made a daily video diary, some people have seen only parts of the scenes, and the footage is kept in a bank vault for safety. But to accurately portray the events in the movie, both James Franco and director Danny Boyle were allowed to view the footage.
A movie based on the story of Aron Raiston, who fell between canyons and was trapped under a boulder for 127 hours. He has to take drastic measures to survive, as no one knows where he is, and he does not inform anyone.
4. Uunchai (2022)
Sooraj R. Barjatya directed Uunchai movie; the movie story is about 3 friends, Amit, Om, and Javed, who are older, who take a trek to climb Mount Everest to fulfil the last wish of their fourth friend Bhupen. Eventually, Mala, a long-lost love of Bhupen, joins them and regrets not fighting for them. While overcoming their physical limitations and discovering freedom, they embark on a personal, emotional, and spiritual journey.
They all have been friends for the last 50 years; Bhupen has been dreaming of climbing Mount Everest. He wants to climb it with friends, but only Amit takes him seriously, as all of them are senior citizens. But everything changes when Bhupen dies due to cardiac arrest; his four friends have become his family. Later, he got a ticket to Mount Everest and learned that Bhupen had bought the ticket for all of them in advance. Amit then has a conversation with Om & Javed, and he tries to convince them to immerse Bhupen’s ashes in Everest as a tribute. He then tries to push them to do some physical activities, and then later Mala joins them as strangers, but she is not what she says. And they began the journey to climb Mount Everest.
5. Poorna (2017)
Rahul Bose directed Poorna movie, and the film is based on the real story of Malavath Poorna, the youngest girl to climb Mount Everest. The movie is about a 13-year-old tribal girl and her amazing journey from a Telangana village to the top of the world.
It has been the dream of a 13-year-old Indian girl whose father was a farm worker to climb Mount Everest. She was fighting life’s adversities when IPS officer Pradeep came into her life. Who mainly focused on the welfare of underprivileged children when he came to know about Poorna. Then, Pradeep helped Poorna to achieve the dream of climbing Mount Everest.
6. Meru (2015)
Meru is a documentary film that shares the story of the first ascent of Mount Meru via the Shark Fin route in the Indian Himalayas by Jimmy Chan and Conrad Anker. Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi directed the movie, and it also won the Audience Award: U.S. Documentary at Sundance Film Festival 2015.
Conrad Anker also found George Mallory on Mount Everest in 1999; people worldwide know about it. The movie is about two men overcoming their adversities in life and opting to climb Mount Meru via the Shark Fin route. Shark Fin route, a magnificent creation of mother nature, is a flat wall going up straight, and Jimmy & Conrad decide to climb it. Some of the clips are filmed by them while on the expedition, while the filmmaker does others. The film shows the hard conditions they faced and how they overcame them to reach the mountaintop.
7. Vertical Limit (2000)
Vertical Limit is a survival thriller movie directed by Martin Campbell. The movie’s story is when wealthy Elliot Vaughn hires an expert mountain climber named Annie to climb K2 Peak in the Himalayas. When they were on the way, they faced an avalanche, which trapped Annie and 2 other climbers in the cave. After that, when Peter learns about it, he organizes a team of climbers to save her sister and others. They must overcome all adversities and do the task before running out of oxygen. In addition, they are also carrying nitrogen bombs, the consequence of which is also shown in the movie.
8. Infinite Storm (2022)
Infinite Storm is an American adventure drama movie, and Malgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englert do the direction for the same. The film is about an expert climber, Pam Bales, climbing Mount Washington. Upon coming down, she encounters a lone, stranded man and takes on herself to rescue him. But while they are coming back, they get stuck in a huge blizzard, which they need to escape and make their way down the mountain before nightfall.
Hiker Pam Bales enjoys exploring the natural environment and walking in the wilderness. One day, she was taking a trip on the Mount Washington Jewel Trail like usual. Then she finds a semi-conscious man in the woods, whom she names John, who seems lost in severe weather. She tries to bring him back to life but later realizes he does not want to be brought down or saved. But she still brings herself along with him safely through difficult situations. When they come out safely, John abruptly leaves without saying anything, but after some time, he and Pam meet and talk about each other.
9. Wild (2014)
Wild is an adventure drama movie directed by Jean-Marc Vallee. The film tells the story of Cheryl Strayed, who decides to hike alone.
Cheryl lost all hope when her marriage ended, and her mother passed away, which led to her destructive behaviour and reckless & rash decisions. She decides to set out on a hike without any experience and go a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. This trip becomes a remarkable journey for her as it not only leads to self-discovery and redemption that ultimately heals her.
10. The Way Back (2010)
The Way Back is an American survival movie directed by Peter Weir. The movie’s story is about six prisoners escaping the Soviet Gulag in Stalin-era Russia. There will be a 4000-mile journey that is suicidal, desperate, and difficult as they trek through the mountains, desert, and Himalayas of Mongolia (Siberian Arctic, Gobi Desert).
Six prisoners, including Janusz, Mr. Smith, and Valka, escape from one of Stalin’s prisons; many die during the journey. On the way, they meet Irena, a teenage Polish girl who lies about her parents’ death to join them in the escape. The group then faces a sandstorm, which leads to Irena getting sunstroke. She collapses multiple times because of this, and she later accepts her fate and dies; in a harsh situation, another man dies with the same future. Mr. Smith tries to give up as they move ahead, but others convince them to move forward. Then, later, with the help of some Chinese people and the Indian government, they eventually made it.
11. Wampler’s Ascent (2013)
Wampler’s Ascent is a documentary directed by Elizabeth Wampler. It is a story about Steve Wampler, a man who has a severe form of Cerebral Palsy. He tries to climb the biggest rock face in the world, El Capitan, in Yosemite National Park. Terror and triumph were involved in ascending the rock with 20,000 pull-ups in 5 days and 6 nights.
Wamplers Ascent is the story that inspired all when Steve Wamplers makes an impossible climb up the biggest rock face in the world, El Capitan, in Yosemite. It took 20,000 pull-ups, climbing for 6 days, and sleeping at the side of the mountain at night. He is a husband and father has a severe form of Cerebral Palsy, and his story raises compassion. He is an athlete who, by using one limb, his right arm, and the use of an electric wheelchair, moves around. While climbing, he overcomes panic, strong will, and grit to show the power humans possess.
12. Into Thin Air: Death on Everest (1997)
Into Thin Air: Death on Everest is a disaster television film directed by Robert Markowitz. An attempt is made in this film to recreate the disastrous event that took place on May 10, 1996, during the climb of Mount Everest. The story’s main character is Jon Krakauer, and his experience of life’s true extreme adventure focuses on struggle and survival at the top of the world’s highest mountain.
In a matter of 24 hours, three different groups of the expedition faced a storm, hurricane-force winds, and the effects of altitude, which led to the world’s greatest single-season death toll in the history of Mount Everest. When Scott Fischer reaches Camp 2, he is forced to go back down with a client named Dale Cruz, who fell sick. Krakauer joins the mountain expedition with the guidance of Rob Hall; they reach the summit, and when they descend, a storm hits them while most of the teammates are still on the top. Because so many groups were trapped together, accidents occurred in different parts, which was the greatest tragedy in Peak’s history.
13. The Wildest Dream (2010)
The Wildest Dream is a documentary film directed by Anthony Geffen. This movie tells the intersecting story of George Mallory, the first man to try to climb Mount Everest, and Conrad Anker, the mountaineer who discovered the frozen body 75 years later.
Mallory was torn between love for mountain climbing and love for his wife Ruth, but eventually, love for mountains took over, and he risked everything as he set out. He was wearing gabardine and hobnailed boots to achieve his life’s dream of climbing to the top of Mount Everest. In 1924, it was the greatest adventure a man could have had. He was last seen alive at 800 feet below the summit, and then the clouds came, and Mallory disappeared and became a legend. It was not until 1999 that another mountaineer named Conrad Ankers found his body. Mallory’s body was found with all his belongings except the picture of Ruth. This picture is something Mallory promised his wife that he would place at the summit.
14. Sherpa (2015)
Sherpa is a documentary film directed by Jennifer Peedom, an Australian filmmaker. She was filming a documentary about Sherpa culture and their spiritual relationship with the mountains. The largest avalanche in history happened in the mountains, killing 16 Sherpas.
Sherpa’s movie mainly focuses on Phurba Tashi, a Sherpa who has at least climbed Mount Everest 21 times. Tashi’s wife and family did not want to risk his life by climbing Mount Everest to earn money. In the film, you will learn about Sherpa culture, their spiritual connection with the mountains, and the difficult work and risk Sherpa takes while climbing multiple times with equipment. But during filming, an avalanche killed 16 Sherpas, which shifts the perspective and understanding of the days to come of the different groups. Some Sherpas protested and didn’t aspire to go up mountains; some wanted to respect the dead, and others wanted to improve their working conditions. Some of the sherpas have threatened others not to cancel the expedition. Tashi wasn’t aware of this, which led to the cancelled climbing season in 2014. In the end, he retired according to his family’s wishes. The film has some archival videos of Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hilary and interview clips of Norgay’s children.
15. High and Hallowed: Everest 1963 (2013)
High and Hallowed: Everest 1963 is a documentary directed by David Morton, Jake Norton, and Jim Aikman. The movie’s story focuses on an extremely remarkable Himalayan climb that will go down in American history. It shows the visionary efforts and daring American Mount Expedition for the first time through the West Ridge by Jim Whittaker and his comrades Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld. They again took this expedition to know the risk five decades later.
16. Touching the Void (2003)
A documentary directed by Kevin Macdonald is Touching the Void. The movie’s story is during their climb of the West Face of Siula Grande in the Cordillera Huayhuash in the Peruvian Andes; Joe Simpson and Simon Yates nearly lost their lives in the near-fatal descent.
Joe Simpson and Simon Yates reconstruct the remarkable yet death-impaling adventure in the Peruvian Andes. They climb the unconquered mountain of Sulia Grande, which brings out overconfidence in their ability. The story that follows is a risky descent during which Joe’s leg gets shattered brutally and puts Simon in a difficult situation in which he has to cut the rope on which Joe’s life depends. There is no surprise that both the climbers made it, and it is a surprise on its own how crippled Joe survived and found the strength to surpass each deadly trial.
About Author
Kanishk
Kanishk has lived in these hills all his life, so every time he wished to travel somewhere, the hills were his calling card. He completed his schooling in Dehradun and graduated with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. As a result, he was open to sharing in detail his personal experience of exploring with friends and his family. He then looked through different career choices but couldn't find something that made him happy and content. Until he got an opportunity to work in a traveling company and that to trekking. In his mind, this was like the mountains calling, and he began explaining the adventure of going to the hills to people.
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