Product Details

• Actors: Dave Mahre, Lou Whittaker, Jim Wickwire, Robert Redford, Marty Hoey
• Directors: Laszlo Pal
• Format: Color, Full Screen, NTSC
• VHS Release Date: November 16, 1982
• Run Time: 60 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004Y55R
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #340,619 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, December 2, 2000

By 

snowleopard (Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Everest North Wall [VHS] (VHS Tape)

In 1982 Lou Whittaker led a team of Americans as one of the first teams to attempt Mt. Everest from the North after China started to open up Tibet to Westerners. The team composed of a who's who of American climbing at the time: Jim Wickwire, Phil Ershler, Eric Simonson, Larry Neilson, Geo Dunn, and Marty Hoey, who was attempting to become the first American woman to summit. But there was a secondary goal to their attempt: In 1991 teammate Chris Kerrebrock died in a training climb on Denali, and while dying asked Jim Wickwire that he, or one of the team members take his trumpet mouthpiece to the summit of Everest. This film is the story of that team.

There is so much drama presented here. In the team's attempt on the peak with no Sherpa support. On the hostile weather and unexplored terrain. On the attempt to get Kerrebrock's mouthpiece to the summit. And on the ardous, and tragic events of the climb itself. Plus biographical vignettes of team members Wickwire, Frank Wells, Dave Maher, and including a nice section on the beautiful Hoey.

Perfectly shot by Steve Marts (Fairweather, Winds of Everest) and scored by Alan Hovannes, with narration by Robert Redford. In the day of fast paced MTV style television, and commercialized guided trips up Everest, this film, Everest: North Wall, may seem a bit dated, but it is of historical importance, and plays like a beautiful tribute to climbing from a day gone by as well. Perfectly made, with a dramatic, compelling narrative.

A sequel of sorts can be seen in Winds of Everest. Available on Amazon.com as well.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Dream of Everest, September 26, 2003

By 

Reginald E. Deal "[e-mail]" (Round Rock, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Everest North Wall [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I own this movie and I watch it at least once a week. It merely hints at the hard labor of planning an expedition and getting a team in-country to begin the climb, The amount of work is only hinted at but easily seen by one who has participated. To me the film was incredibly revealing. When Marty was participating in a small group photograph, I got the sense that she had been distracted while dressing and had failed to loop over the tail of her belt. That becomes obvious as she is posing for the photograph and her belt buckle, with both sides fully exposed are there to see and the free-tail is lifting in the breeze. As Marty proceeded uphill as she started to climb; she met the camera in a full frontal shot just before the incident, her buckle is again exposed with the full two-sided buckle clearly visible and no reverse loop with the tail of the belt and it is completely clear that it was not looped back and therefore not ready to be fully weighted. I mentioned to friends that would have to be corrected or she could be hurt. The tragedy struck and she was killed. I felt for every team member who had lost not only a friend but am actual extension of the team itself. Without faulting anyone, I think we all need to consider priorities first and getting fully and properly dressed is essential. I think we all need to check each other because a second set of eyes are invaluable in identifying something that has been overlooked. This film teaches a lot in a very short time and it reveals a fraction of the planning and execution that goes into making an expedition work. I plan to use this film as a teaching resource in the future. I love the film and it will always be treasured by me. Gene

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very good, March 8, 2002

By 

Daffydd (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Everest North Wall [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I purchased a few Everest videos all togther. The recommendations led me to try this one. And I wasn't misled, but... I was a little dismayed when the video was half over and they were just getting to Everest. The video is about who and why people climb Everest, and what it takes to prepare (ie equipment and strategy) and how hard and dangerous it is even for experienced climbers. It is worth watching but its not a whole hour of trying to get up the mountain.