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**The Alpinist** - Netflix Documentary (2021)

5,108 Views | 40 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by mazag08
schmendeler
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Just watched it and thought it was quite good. About a young man that is a rising star in Alpine Climbing. Give it a watch, I think it will be worth your time.

93%/97% Critics/Audience Score on rotten tomatoes.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_alpinist_2021
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Mule_lx
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Just watched it last night. Well done. That guy is a graceful climber. It was almost mesmerizing. He made it look simple.
Complete Idiot
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I watched this on my long holiday break sitting at home, it was definitely interesting with some beautiful scenery. I think most of us humans are curious about these people who willingly participate in free climbing challenges that it would seem math tells us will eventually end in serious injury or most likely death due to things outside of the climber's control. I am certainly curious since I feel like I am wired completely opposite to those folks as I avoid almost all risk possible, even risks my mind just conjures up and probably aren't real.

So it was interesting to try to get in his head and figure out why he was doing what he did. Even fellow free climbers considered him an extreme risk taker, Watching him climb methodically and smoothly was a bit mesmerizing, but I'd break out in a sweat if the perspective showed a view down. He was doing climbs considered extreme in warm, dry weather when it was snowy and icy - unbelievable.
MW03
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Really enjoyed this one, and I'm not into mountain climbing.
MW03
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spoilers, my man
Complete Idiot
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MW03 said:

spoilers, my man
I edited but I don't think that point has anything to do with why one would watch the movie. If anything I guess it could make it more compelling.
Max Power
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I've watched several mountain climbing films over the past few years, there are some great ones. While I did enjoy this one I didn't like it as much as some others I've seen recently. It's worth a watch. I've always wanted to get into climbing but the worst case scenario for me is too much to handle as a family man. Had I lived in a mountainous area in my 20s, who knows if I'd be alive, it's easy to see how addicting it can be.

Free Solo is the scariest and most exciting movie I've ever seen, it's truly incredible. My heart felt like it was going to explode while watching it. If you enjoy climbing movies some others I'd recommend are The Dawn Wall and Meru. I hear good things about 14 peaks but I haven't seen it yet.
YouBet
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I've done five 14ers and a bi^tch of a climb in Borah Peak in Idaho.

But this free climbing mess? No thank you.
The Collective
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These shows tend to give me a panic attack.
Ervin Burrell
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Went on a bit of a nature/adventure documentary binge over the holiday - The Alpinist was great, as is 14 Peaks and River Runner (all of these are on Netflix).
GoAgs92
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I liked the fact that the kid just climbed and basically didn't care a lick about the movie.

"We found out he was halfway across the world climbing the hardest mountain in Peru by himself"

The fact that he lived in a stairwell for years was great.
Thunder18
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Good documentary. Guy was an incredible climber
drmwvr
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Watched this last night. Those scenes when he is climbing up sheets of ice barely hanging on to the side of the mountain, all I can say is wow. All of it is crazy really! Something I can guarantee you I'll never do!

I do wish they explained more on how he got back down, that seems as dangerous (or more…) than going up.
Head Ninja In Charge
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I watched this and 14 Peaks a few days apart and they are both so good. Truly terrifying watches, even in the comfort of your own home. Wish I could've seen both on the largest screens (IE, IMAX or an equivalent) possible.
LouisHerbertWong
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Ervin Burrell said:

Went on a bit of a nature/adventure documentary binge over the holiday - The Alpinist was great, as is 14 Peaks and River Runner (all of these are on Netflix).


I've seen all three of those, plus Free Solo and The Dawn Wall. I agree with the above poster... Free Solo's the best I've watched. If you haven't, give it a shot.
Max Power
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Watched 14 Peaks this morning, incredible feat. Some men are different than the rest of us.
TP Ag '87
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Watched Free Solo, followed by Alpinist. Glad we watched in that order.

Just insanity. Amazing, but insane.
GoAgs92
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2/3 the way through 14 peaks and the feat is incredible but the movie is comparatively dull vs the other 2.
Ol_Ag_02
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TP Ag '87 said:

Watched Free Solo, followed by Alpinist. Glad we watched in that order.

Just insanity. Amazing, but insane.


I thought Dawn Wall was better than Alpinist and 14 peaks. Might give that one a try too.
Head Ninja In Charge
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I would say out of main four here:

1. Free Solo



2. The Alpinist
2b. The Dawn Wall
4. 14 Peaks
MW03
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Head Ninja In Charge said:

I would say out of main four here:

1. Free Solo



2. The Alpinist
2b. The Dawn Wall
4. 14 Peaks


Co-sign
Chipotlemonger
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Alright I loved Free Solo, Dawn Wall, and Meru. Time to catch this one!
jetescamilla
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Oddly enough I already knew the outcome of this documentary since I live in Juneau AK.

I reliever when I learned of these climbers who went missing in three winter months climbing the mendenhall towers and thinking "wtf were they doing up there at this time of year." I actually have a coworker who is an alpanist as well and knew the local Juneau guy, Ryan, who died. My coworker is big into first ascents, on the climbing website "lost of john" he by far has the most Alaska pins ot of any members who are peak baggers.

Detoured a little, but I also remember how the weather sopped in for the following days and hindered Juneau Mountain Rescue from searching the areas. Then they found the rope buried in the snow and had to just say, "confirmation, but no recovery is possible." The mountain's are no joke.


Sorry for the side tangent but really interesting to see this now from a perspective I had already kind of known.
Big Al 1992
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Good watch. Fee Solo was a better documentary - not that it's a contest. But it helps when the subject tells you where you're gonna be climbing. Imagine you're making a documentary and your subject of the film is climbing somewhere but he doesn't tell you where. And also Alex is a much more likable character. They both are out there on the spectrum but the Canadian seemed way out there.
Ervin Burrell
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AustinAg2012 said:

Ervin Burrell said:

Went on a bit of a nature/adventure documentary binge over the holiday - The Alpinist was great, as is 14 Peaks and River Runner (all of these are on Netflix).


I've seen all three of those, plus Free Solo and The Dawn Wall. I agree with the above poster... Free Solo's the best I've watched. If you haven't, give it a shot.
Saw Free Solo a couple years ago, it's great. Only drawback was sweaty palms for 90 minutes. And when I saw Alex Hommel (sp?) at the beginning of The Alpinist call Marc "nuts" (or something like it) I knew we were going to see some crazy stuff.
NoHo Hank
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GoAgs92 said:

2/3 the way through 14 peaks and the feat is incredible but the movie is comparatively dull vs the other 2.

Some of it was moving editing, but some of it also reflects how routine they made the accomplishment look. Simply climbing K2 or Annapurna is an unreal feat. Only the very best in the world have done that. Something like 300 people ever have climbed K2. Doing them both (along with the other 12) in the same year is absolutely mind blowing. That would be like running a 3 minute mile or something. Then he came back a couple years later and climbed K2 in the winter. It was comparatively boring only in so much as the guy and his team are on such a different level than everyone else that it's hard to contextualize it.
Ervin Burrell
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NoHo Hank said:

GoAgs92 said:

2/3 the way through 14 peaks and the feat is incredible but the movie is comparatively dull vs the other 2.

Some of it was moving editing, but some of it also reflects how routine they made the accomplishment look. Simply climbing K2 or Annapurna is an unreal feat. Only the very best in the world have done that. Something like 300 people ever have climbed K2. Doing them both (along with the other 12) in the same year is absolutely mind blowing. That would be like running a 3 minute mile or something. Then he came back a couple years later and climbed K2 in the winter. It was comparatively boring only in so much as the guy and his team are on such a different level than everyone else that it's hard to contextualize it.
Yup - the fact the he climbed multiple peaks while hungover and just kinda shrugged it off as "welp, got that one out of the way" is f'ing nuts. For most folks this requires years of training and weeks if not months to execute the climb, and this guy just does it in no time while feeling like sh/t. Crazy.
Zona81
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YouBet said:

I've done five 14ers and a bi^tch of a climb in Borah Peak in Idaho.

But this free climbing mess? No thank you.
I'm with you on Borah. Actually, the aptly named Chicken Out Ridge on Borah made me turn around (i.e., chicken out) when I tried to do it by myself. Went back a year later with a group and made the summit. I've done some pretty high mountains (including Mt Rainier) in my younger life, but for some reason nothing scared me like that beast.
YouBet
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Zona81 said:

YouBet said:

I've done five 14ers and a bi^tch of a climb in Borah Peak in Idaho.

But this free climbing mess? No thank you.
I'm with you on Borah. Actually, the aptly named Chicken Out Ridge on Borah made me turn around (i.e., chicken out) when I tried to do it by myself. Went back a year later with a group and made the summit. I've done some pretty high mountains (including Mt Rainier) in my younger life, but for some reason nothing scared me like that beast.

Ha! Yes! Borah was my first major climb and still the hardest one I ever did.

My buddies and I did a state park trip up there hitting Yellowstone and Craters of the Moon and on last two days of trip tells me, "We are going to do this hike over here on the way back tomorrow. No biggie."

So, in my mind, I have conjured up a single trail, 1-2 mile hike into a lake and back. He did not tell me we were going to summit a peak that is one of the more technically challenging peaks in the lower 48. A hole!

Just glad I was younger when I did it because there is no way in hell I could do it today.
Max Power
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Seeing that many people at the top of Everest in basically a traffic jam almost gave me a panic attack. That was incredibly dangerous, and stupid to boot if you ask me. I thought the government was limiting permits to try and keep stuff like that from happening. I could have sworn I read they were going to increase permit costs and put a cap on them to try and keep the number of people on the mountain to a lower number.

I also have huge respect for those guys who risked their own lives to help others that were on the mountain and in trouble. Personal goals and personal safety be damned, they knew they had to try to help.
Ervin Burrell
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Max Power said:

Seeing that many people at the top of Everest in basically a traffic jam almost gave me a panic attack. That was incredibly dangerous, and stupid to boot if you ask me. I thought the government was limiting permits to try and keep stuff like that from happening. I could have sworn I read they were going to increase permit costs and put a cap on them to try and keep the number of people on the mountain to a lower number.

I also have huge respect for those guys who risked their own lives to help others that were on the mountain and in trouble. Personal goals and personal safety be damned, they knew they had to try to help.
I think they are, it's just that particular climbing season there happened to be like a two day window where the summit could actually be scaled due to weather (I think normally there's a 10 day to 2 week window).
amg405
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Just finished it. Pretty good and worth the watch, although 14 Peaks was a bit more entertaining in my opinion.

As a former educator, the fact that he's 100% on the spectrum jumped out at me immediately. I thought he was a fascinating person. I also loved hula hoop expert guy.
YouBet
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Max Power said:

Seeing that many people at the top of Everest in basically a traffic jam almost gave me a panic attack. That was incredibly dangerous, and stupid to boot if you ask me. I thought the government was limiting permits to try and keep stuff like that from happening. I could have sworn I read they were going to increase permit costs and put a cap on them to try and keep the number of people on the mountain to a lower number.

I also have huge respect for those guys who risked their own lives to help others that were on the mountain and in trouble. Personal goals and personal safety be damned, they knew they had to try to help.
I assume you've read Krakauer's book?
Chipotlemonger
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I loved it. Finally watched it tonight!

Free Solo is still the top climbing doc, but to me there were some even more tense moments in this film. Highly recommend it.

Guess I should queue up 14 peaks next huh?

This documentary was an excellent ode to Marc-Andre. I really liked what they were able to capture for this film. But what a freaking gut punch at the end.
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