the story

High Ambitions in the Himalaya is a 57-minute documentary with an honest, introspective look at high-altitude mountaineering.
Directed by Curt Dowdy

On the world’s highest mountains, most climbers return home without reaching the summit, and some don’t return at all. High Ambitions in the Himalaya follows Into Thin Air Mount Everest survivor John Taske, Mount Everest summiter Hall Wendel and four additional international teammates as they attempt Cho Oyu, a neighbor of Mount Everest and one of fourteen prized 8000-meter peaks (with summits above 26,000 feet).

Spending a month on the mountain, experiencing bone-chilling, –40 degree temperatures and venturing into oxygen-deprived altitudes known as the “death zone,” team members strive to stand atop the world’s sixth-highest summit. Their hardships test not only physical endurance but also judgment and character. Ultimately lessons from the journey may prove more important than the goal.

Read more about the climbers...