Customer Reviews

Above All Else: Everest Dream [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Of the dozen or so tapes available made about climbing Mt. Everest, this one ranks slightly above average. The footage, and explanations of the route especially high on the mountain, is high quality. The two main characters, especially Jamie Clarke, carry much of the film with some personality and reflections on their attempts on the peak. But the dramatic content here, fueled by this being the climbers third attempt, and an around the world contact with a school back in Canada via the Internet, are not enough of a driving narrative to compel the viewer to stare with anticipation at each moment of the story. And the shots of the Khumbu Icefall, story of the Monasteries and Sherpas (though well respected here) are told better in other videos. If you have not seen many Everest videos and this one sounds interesting to you, it's well worth a look. If you're like me and have seen several others, this would be one to skip.

Jamie Clarke and Alan Hobson are two canadians who organized an Everest Expedition in 1997 totally funded by Sponsor's( Lotus, Colliers, etc), that would attempt to summit the mountain by the south face just one year after the worst season in Everest history (1996 - 15 deaths).They attempted the summit two times before, both times by the north face, both times without any sucess on the summit.

The film has some great scenes about the "entire" climbing, from Base Camp to Camp 4 , being the most notorious the ones in ; the Khumbu Icefalls, the Lotse Face(Camp3), the South Col(camp 4), the Hillary Steps, the South Ridge and of course the summit.

Both guys actually make comments about the summit day and also of other difficult moments(Alan at the Icefalls). Jamie did pretty well on the summit day(proving to be a strong climber), but Alan had some serious trouble on the way back after almost giving up on the way up because of problems with oxygen and cold(very resilient).This is a good film about climbing everest with a great message in it.

Note: the climber that appears hanging dead on the Hillary Steps is a british climber named Bruce Herrod. Before commiting his body to the mountain, a camera was found and the film in it was still intact.The camera was delivered to his former girlfriend, and the film in it revealed later that he actually summited but unfortunately died on the way back at the Hillary Steps. The picture of Bruce Herrod on the summit can be found in the last chapter of David Breashears book (High Exposure).He was the last person to summit in the 1996 season.

I have seen 5 of the 7 Everest DVD's I own and this one was the most 'human' in terms of feeling real and emotionally moving. So many of the others are more like generic documentaries on Everest and its climbing legends. This DVD was just what I wanted. No fancy camera shots or special effects, just plain and simple the realites of a challenge and how it affected those on the expedition. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who just want to see it from a more simplistic and real angle. I would also like to see the unedited version.

This story recounts the dream shared by Canadian climbers and friends, Jamie Clarke and Alan Hobson. The dream was simply to summit Everest. It would be years before their dream was realized.

They first tried to summit Everest with the 1991 Everest/Canada Climb for Hope Expedition. They were unable to make their summit bid, as gale force winds put an end to their ascent. Five hundred metres from the top they were forced to descend, their high camp having been blown right off the mountain.

In 1994, they joined the Emergo Everest Expedition in an effort to once again reach the summit. Again, the fates intervened. When they were just two hundred metres from the summit, a fellow expeditioner fell prey to pulmonary edema. They made the decision to turn back and help evacuate a fallen comrade to safety, a choice they never regreted, given the alternative.

They made the bid to try again in 1997, their third attempt to try and reach the top of the world. This trip was to be the culmination of their dream. The weather was great. There are some nice views of the Khumbu Ice Fall, as well as some shots of an avalanche in the making, some decent climbing footage, and the usual spectacular views of Everest.

Both of them made the summit. They got to the top and down in one piece. Unfortunately, one of the Sherpas was not so lucky, as he fell into crevasse on the descent. Luckily, they were able to rescue him, and with a doctor as part of the expedition he received immediate medical attention. He was successfully evacuated, and his prognosis was for a full and complete recovery from his injuries. All in all, the expedition was a success, as there were no fatalities and the summit of Everest was reached, the realization of a long held dream.

Read everyone else's review then come back to mine...This DVD is Awesome!! ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL!!

This documentary recounts how Canadian climbers Jamie Clarke and Alan Hobson made 3 attempts on the summit of Everest over the span of 10 years.

Jamie seems to be a passionate climber. Alan appears more like a person who is just curious. On their first attempt in 1991, they tackled Everest from the more challenging north face. 500m short of the summit, gale-force winds put an end to the expedition.

On their second attempt in 1994, they took the northern route again. And again, the weather was punishing. 200m from the summit, the lead climber was down with HAPE. The team abandoned the summit bid to rescue him.

On the 3rd attempt, the new team abandoned the north face (which they didn't really explain why) and headed to Nepal for another attempt on an easier route. This time, we get great views of the Khumbu Icefall. There is a great amount of excellent footage on this section of the climb.

Alan and Jamie battle with illness as the window of clear weather begin to close. Quality of the footage deteriorates higher up, which is understandable. Everybody is tired to the marrow. From Camp 4, they used oxygen. The summit bid started in darkness. Alan fell behind and almost wanted to give up, but his Sherpa urged him on.

They both made it. It was an emotional moment for Alan. His voice cracked when he reported from the summit. Jamie seems a lot more philosophical about their success. Alan seeemed forgotten when he struggled down to Camp 4 but both men descended safely. A Sherpa fell into a crevasse in the icefall, but was rescued.

It's truly an inspiring video. You can feel the joy of their successful summit. However, these men are not professional mountaineers. It would have been more interesting if they had tackled the north face and succeeded on their 3rd attempt. Still an amazing feat. The moral of the story - don't give up and try an easier route.

This is a hard earned success adventure that shows both the joy and the sacrifice of great achievement in the face of great challenges. Well filmed and presented, it will lift your spirits and your steps

This story is one of the most inspiring of almost any I've ever heard. We just recently attended a business seminar with over 40,000 people at the RCA Dome where Jamie Clarke spoke. Before this man completed his presentation, that crowd was so intently listening to him, you could hear a pin drop. What a testimony to courage and endurance. I give this my highest rating.

This movie was poorly made. Too much fade in/fade out. Long interruptions. Few actions scenes, and generally too short. For instance, a scene in Hillary Step have a duration of just 4 seconds. It seems they made it just to pay some expenses of the journey. The only good thing is that they reached the top of Everest.

This movie was poorly made. Too much fade in/fade out. Long interruptions. Few actions scenes, and generally too short. For instance, a scene in Hillary Step have a duration of just 4 seconds. It seems they made it just to pay some expenses of the journey. The only good thing is that they reached the top of Everest.