Product Details

• Actors: Eric Jones
• Directors: Leo Dickinson, Eric Jones
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Number of tapes: 1
• VHS Release Date: April 15, 2000
• Run Time: 52 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0970816901
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #504,315 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Climbing Magazine 1984

This is certainly a film which deserves wider viewing and amply qualified as the Best Mountaineering film of the festival (Telluride).

Product Description

Widely acclaimed by serious climbers as a masterpiece of a mountaineering film. Winner of 5 major film awards: "Best Mountaineering Film" at Telluride Mountain Film Festival and at Trento Mountain Film Festival in 1982, "Best Film" at the Kendal Mountain Film Festival and San Sebastian International Film Festival and "Grand Prize" at the Gravity Sports Film Festival.

"Eiger Solo" is a documentary of the first British solo ascent of the Eiger North Face. Welsh mountaineer Eric Jones' ultimate dream was to climb the notorious North Face of the Eiger, alone. The film also skillfully blends in expertly done reconstructions of the dramatic epics and tragic history of the Eiger North Face: the pioneering attempt by Sedlmeyer and Mehringer; the epic rescue of Tony Kurz; Harrer and Heckmair's first ascent. The climax of the film recreates John Harlin's 5,000 ft fall during the historic winter ascent of the Eiger Direct in 1966. Filming Eric Jones on his solo climb was almost as great a challenge to cameraman and filmmaker Leo Dickinson, who had to be lowered from a helicopter to Death Bivouac, high on the mountain to capture Eric's progress on film. This film also contains rare interviews with Heinrich Harrer, Anderl Heckmair, Don Whillans and Adolf Rubi. "Eiger Solo" is probably the best of its genre on the subject and thoroughly deserves to be! regarded as a masterpiece of a mountaineering film, it will thrill and inspire both serious climbers and armchair mountaineers alike.

This video is now also available on DVD. The VHS video is in NTSC format and can only be played in the US and Canada. Note that the DVD is region free and can also be played outside the U.S. and Canada so long as your equipment can play NTSC - most of the recently made set top DVD players in Europe can do that.

Be sure to view the trailer at adventure-eye.com!

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweaty Palms, August 21, 2003

By 

Barry "Proud to be an American" (Salt Lake City, Utah United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Eiger Solo [VHS] (VHS Tape)

As I watched this video my palms actually began to sweat, and I got butterflies in my stomach. The film is expertly done, and the stories of the first unsuccessful, and first successful attempts added a polished touch to the story. Having been a climber for almost 20 years, I appreciated a film that told the truth about climbing. It is the best I've seen.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Eiger Solo, August 10, 2007

By 

Richard J. Slezak - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Eiger Solo (DVD)

This would of been a great video if it actually worked. There is good history and awesome camera work but DVD did not play through instead it would stop at every scene and leave the viewer in the scene menu requiring the viewer to physically click on next scene in order to continue watching the video.

I returned the DVD in exchange for another. The return and exchange transaction went smoothly and I got the new DVD in 2 days! Unfortunately the replacement DVD had the same issues. Maybe it was a bad batch but I didn't bother trying to get a third one.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I'll never forget it, April 20, 2004

By 

Jorge Barbarosa "the_bassist" (the back 9) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Eiger Solo [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Back in the late 60s I checked out a book called "Straight Up" not really knowing what it was about. It was about the life of John Harlin, great book, interesting man, tragic ending to his enormous life. Since that time the Eiger has always been a presence in my life. I journeyed to it's face back in '78, stared straight up at it's face and was awed. This VHS should be a CD by now, but sadly it's not. I've never climbed the Eiger, the pull was never that strong, and having retired from all but the most recreational climbing, I'm now out of the game. Nonetheless the lure of the Eiger, it's legendary status among those who consider such things as legendary is profound. Enjoy this VHS. The Eiger's "will," will hold your rapt attention.