National Geographic Everest 50 Years on the Mountain

Customer Reviews

Everest. 50 years on the mountain

2008-10-26
Excellent ,but will not play on (International) DVD player although the player is set to receive all regions. I had to watch it on the PC.

Another Nat'l Geographic Winner

2008-01-07
Excellent narrative on the World's Highest Mountain. Filmed expertly and true to the history of the mountain. I highly recommend this DVD if you really want to see Everest without climbing to the Lhotse Face. This a great family adventure that you can enjoy and be unashamed to include, in the viewing, your children or grandchildren.

Must see for Everest students

2007-03-09
Ever since watching the Discovery channel series on Everest I have been hooked on the mountain. This movie has helped me continue to get my "adrenelene fix" just by watching it. Not only is the historical footage and info incredible, but the actual footage near the top helped me realize just how much "exposure" the climbers have on the final ridge with sheer drop offs on both sides. If you have any interest in Everest or mountain climbing, this dvd is a great one to own.

Good Movie

2007-02-08
Enjoyable movie - I had hoped to see more of the mountain and the trails going up it.

National Geographic-Everest 50 years on the Mountain

2006-08-22
The best Everest DVD and I've seen them all!

National Geographic - Everest

2006-03-18
In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay made history as the first people to reach the top of Everest. Now, 50 years later, three sons of Everest's most celebrated climbers return to the mountain to challenge it again. Join their journey as they brave the elements and face death to climb 29,000 feet of wind-blasted rock and ice. And, relive the dramatic history of Everest from great triumphs to deadly tragedies, enduring rivalries and the unsung role of the Sherpa people - as National Geographic exposes the untold stories that lurk in the mountain's epic shadow and takes you on THE ultimate Everest experience.

The Real Story of Mountaineering

2005-12-22
I was happy to finally see a mountaineering epic that included the subtlety of mountaineering - the pain, personal issues, and outright defeat in the face of danger and personal discomfort.

The storyline of the Sherpa people is finally revealed with all of its candor, passion and grief. I actually found this to be the core of the film and of Everest mountaineering, ensuring the value of my purchase.

This is truly about peoples lives on the mountain.

2005-09-19
This was less about 50 years of the mountain, than how people change during their relationship with the mountain. It was not preachy and did force conclusions on you, but let you draw your own conclusions on how living with the mountain effected peoples lives over the last 50 years. A very enjoyable video.

Good Visuals, Good Background Information

2005-01-23
Ever since I read the fascinating book "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer, I have maintained an interest in Mt. Everest. I read several more books on the subject (and the tragedy that Krakauer wrote of). I also saw a few documentaries and a terrible "made-for-TV" movie on the tragedy. I saw the I-Max movie and still, I always looked forward reading or watching anything else I could find. "Everest-50 Years on the Mountain" is as good a visual presentation as any I've seen (the I-Max movie aside). It tells of the attempt by the sons of Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary to climb Mt. Everest together. I didn't really find their story all that compelling but it was as good an excuse as any other to put this National Geographic special together. What I did enjoy was the background information, especially about the Sherpas, and how they were able to include a lot of historical film into the story. Most of all, I enjoyed the film of the mountain and the climb that was documented. The photography was fantastic as well as instructive. It helped me retrace the steps that Krakauer and company took in "Into Thin Air" by showing what he wrote of. The climb to the Hillary Step was very instructive by showing just how much exertion and rest was required to take three or four steps. The crowds that Krakauer commented on were there as well as the bored millionaire looking for something different to do. However, we were not burdened by having to follow the millionaire, we were able to focus on a group of men who made the story all the more interesting. We saw them at their best and sometimes at their not so best.

I have looked more and more these days for the sort of National Gepgraphic specials that I used to covet seeing when I was growing up. The Society has expanded more into history these days (or so I judge from the available DVD's on Amazon.com). Maybe that's because the wilderness has been tamed too much to compell us like it used to. However, I found "Everest-50 Years on the Mountain" to be the quality of special that I was looking for. I'll be watching this one again and again.

A Visual Delight

2004-05-08
Documentary manages to capture the history, spirit, beauty, and danger of the world's highest peak. Would have receive 5 stars were it not for the slightly haphazard story line, however the film is visually stunning and this alone is worth the purchase price.