"Walking on Everest," a film by François Damilano

The Grenoble Mountain Film Festival will show, on November 15, François Damilano's new film "Walking on Everest" (official title in French "On va marcher sur l'Everest"). For 52 minutes François, world-class alpinist and Team Petzl member, immerses us into the daily life of a commercial expedition on the Tibetan side of the world's highest summit.

On the world's rooftop, it is 07:30 in the morning on May 25, 2014. Sophie Lavaud and François Damilano reach the heralded altitude of 8848 m. Captured by François' camera lens, behind Sophie and below the summit, the north ridge extends into an ocean of mountains beneath the deep blue high-altitude sky. For the summit push they left camp 3, located at 8300 m, at 03:00 in the morning the day before, in frigid conditions made even colder by a strong wind blowing in from the west. However, after a weeks-long expedition on the Tibetan side of Everest, this day represents an achievement, the fitting conclusion to an important project, and one of life's important interludes. François tells the story of this interlude through his film.

Sophie, an "amateur" at 8000 meters

Sophie Lavaud's adventure represents the film's main thread. François and she met in spring 2012 on the Tibetan side of Shishapangma, one of the Himalaya's fourteen summits above 8000 m. In that particular year, the cold and strong winds made climbing in the mountains almost impossible. After a few weeks and several attempts, François' small group had to head home. Sophie was able to stick around for another attempt. Her wager paid off, and one week later she was standing on top of her first 8000 meter peak. Right afterwards, only twelve days later, she successfully climbed Cho Oyu (8201 m). Without knowing it, this amateur mountaineer from Geneva, Switzerland, joined the select group of ten or so women who have climbed two 8000 meter peaks in a single season. The two ascents completely changed Sophie's life. Little by little, as the number of requests increased, Sophie transitioned towards becoming a professional speaker. Soon enough, she sought once again to head back to the Himalaya. A new project came to fruition via the charity, Norlha, which fights to reduce poverty among the peoples and communities of the Himalaya. The expedition was organized and piloted by Karri Kobbler, a high-mountain guide and Everest specialist. The expedition took place on the northern Tibetan side of Everest, which experiences much less traffic than the Nepalese side.

The expedition: an intimate encounter with the exceptional

The nine-person expedition included a mix of professionals, amateur mountaineers (of varying experience), Everest seekers, and of course high-altitude Sherpas. François Damilano, a world-renown high-level alpinist and experienced Himalayan climber, is part of the team not as a high-mountain guide - even though guiding is an integral part of his nature - but as a filmmaker. Over the course of two months, by following Sophie, he filmed an insider's view of expedition life from start to summit. Climbing an 8000 meter peak represents a considerable investment - both financial and human - and subsequently an unbelievable adventure for all participants, whatever their background and experience. This is even more so the case when the Everest myth is involved, since climbing the mountain clearly has social status connotations. There are summiters on one side, and everyone else on the other… François' ambition was the following: to eliminate all bias and all condescending attitudes towards this so-called "scene" in order to truly delve into each individual experience. Through the film viewers will experience the relentless day-to-day progression in this oxygen-depleted environment, a progression where the internal thoughts (motivation, effort, doubt, suffering, denial, pleasure…) of each summit candidate interact with an exceptional natural setting. First across the arid Tibetan plateau, then through Rongbuk Glacier's cold moraines where base camp is located (5000 m elevation), and finally to the extreme conditions of Everest's north ridge. During this type of expedition, the perceived reality quickly becomes an intimate, private experience. A spectacular private experience with breathtaking landscapes, this video of exceptionally rare quality for such high altitudes questions what it means to be an alpinist, or not, or at least what it means to be a "modern adventurer".

To learn more

• "On va marcher sur l'Everest" (Walking on Everest) received support from FODACIM (Funding for Mountain Cinema) in which Petzl is a partner.
• View the trailer