As we ramp up to the start of a new climbing season in the Himalaya, its fun to look back on a bygone era of mountaineering in Nepal. The video below is the first part of a documentary about the first expedition to climb the mountain and some of the old footage is great, including shots of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. I also happen to love the over the top narration and bombastic music. It reminds me of the educational films we use to watch as a kid in school and I mean that in the best possible way. At 42 minutes in length, you’ll once again have to make yourself comfortable, but if you enjoy this look back at climbing history, you may want to check out the second part of the documentary which can be found here.
Kraig is an outdoor and adventure travel writer based in Nashville, TN. Over the course of his career, he has contributed to numerous online and print outlets, including Popular Mechanics, Gear Junkie, Outside Online, National Geographic, Digital Trends, Business Insider, TripSavvy, about.com, and of course The Adventure Blog.
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The narration and "bombastic music" TOTALLY reminds me of videos in grade school. Feels like there should be a screening of Fantasia after it!
But I also love how shots of Everest – even filmed on old grainy cameras — are just as powerful and awe-inspiring as those shot in higher-tech equipment. Nice reminder that it's not always about the lens, but the actual view. Thanks for posting!
Agreed! The old, grainy film actually looks more intimidated and formidable. Love it!