It is not simple to battle a colder environment, avoid falling rocks, and get back alive.
Most people want to watch the best mountain climbing documentaries to motivate themselves for mountain climbing.
They do not find the best options because there are no guides online to help you with documentary selection.
It is also crucial to know that climbing documentaries like Free Solo differ from mountain documentaries.
The documentaries we listed are free to watch on most online video streaming platforms. You can watch them on iTunes, Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+.
List of the Best Mountain Climbing Documentaries
Documentaries are a popular form of media that can be used to educate and inform people about the world.
These documentaries range from the history of mountain climbing to what it is like to climb Mount Everest.
There are many different types of documentaries, but this list focuses on those that are specifically about mountain climbing.
1. Meru
| Preview | Product | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meru | Buy on Amazon | |
![Meru [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51O29MrIETL.jpg)
| Meru [Blu-ray] | Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-12-19 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
Directors: Elizabeth Chai and Conrad Anker
Release Date: 2015
Duration: One hour and thirty minutes
Meru is a documentary about summiting a peak that no one had climbed before.
The director of the documentary Conrad Anker was part of the team that climbed the park of the Meru mountain.
Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk were also part of the team.
Meru is a hard-to-climb peak in the Himalayas mountain range.
You will learn a lot of technical aspects of climbing in this documentary as they will tell about the climbing gear functions.
Some experts consider it the best mountain climbing documentary of the decade.
2. Touching the Void
| Preview | Product | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Touching the Void | Buy on Amazon | |
| Touching the Void | Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-12-18 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Release Date: 2003
Duration: One hour and forty-six minutes
Touching the Void is an excellent documentary to understand the journey of a climber on the mountain.
It is a peculiar documentary because you can look into the life of mountaineers who go to summits with partners.
Joe Simpson and Simson Yates are the climbers in the documentary.
All the scenes are not authentic as these are recreations according to the book.
Joe Simpson wrote a book about his experience with his partner in the mountains.
The director created the documentary according to details in his book.
3. 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible
Director: Torquil Jones
Release Date: 2021
Duration: One hour and thirty-one minutes
14 peaks: Nothing is impossible is a documentary about Nirmal Purja.
He planned to do something that no one had ever tried before.
He wanted to summit all fourteen highest peaks of the world in one year.
Many considered it impossible because he had to get permits to summit these peaks at once.
Some thought it was impossible to do it due to exhaustion from summiting one peak.
This documentary is about the Nirmal Purja.
He was part of the British national forces.
You will know the things he had to do from day one.
The documentary becomes intense as he moves on to climb the K2 and Mount Everest.
4. Torn
Director: Max Lowe
Release Date: 2022
Duration: One hour and thirty-two minutes
Torn is a documentary by the best climber of the 90s.
Max Lowe made this documentary about his father climbing Mount Everest and Meru Peak.
His father, Alex Lowe, was famous for summiting new peaks and adjusting new routes in the mountains.
You will also find his footage of rock climbing online.
People know him because he was in the news for a long time as he was buried in an avalanche in 1999.
Max was ten years old at the time of his father’s death.
He gave tribute to his father by making a documentary from the footage he got from his father’s camera.
You will enjoy this documentary without knowing much about climbing.
5. Mountain
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Willem Dafoe, Renan Ozturk (Actors)
- Jennifer Peedom (Director) - Robert Macfarlane (Writer) - Stephen Boyle (Producer)
- English (Playback Language)
- English (Subtitle)
Last update on 2024-12-18 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
Director: Jennifer Peedom
Release Date: 2017
Duration: One hour and fourteen minutes
Mountain-Beautiful Mountain Climbing Film is more than an informative documentary.
You will be mesmerized by the scenes and landscapes in the film.
You can see climbing walls, ice, mountains, and ski planes.
You will get more of the artistic side of the climbing instead of the detailed explanations of the equipment for climbing.
It has better cinematography than most other files of the same genre.
Many experts think that it is a masterpiece that can motivate people to join climbing sports.
6. The Alpinist
| Preview | Product | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Alpinist | Buy on Amazon | |
![The Alpinist [DVD] [2021]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51NwV0OueHL.jpg)
| The Alpinist [DVD] [2021] | Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-12-18 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
Directors: Nick Rosen and Peter Mortimer
Release Date: 2021
Duration: One hour and thirty-one minute
The Alpinist documentary is about Marc-Andre Leclerc.
He is an expert in rock climbing, ice climbing, and mountaineering.
These acts are part of daily Marc’s daily routine.
You will see Marc doing a free solo on long climbing walls.
Some parts of the documentary are about his climbing skills on the ice.
When you combine the cinematography from excellent directors and the climbing skills of Marc, you get one of the best mountain climbing documentaries.
7. Sherpa
| Preview | Product | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sherpa | Buy on Amazon | |
| Sherpa | Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-12-18 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
Director: Jennifer Peedom
Release Date: 2015
Duration: One hour and thirty-six minutes
Sherpa is a documentary about the people living in the Himalayas mountains near the world’s top peaks.
You will get to know what Sherpa people think about climbers.
These people work as guides for the people climbing Mount Everest.
They have some reservations about the climbers.
You will also learn about the events that took place during a fight between climbers and the Sherpa people.
Most people listened to the views of the climbers for the Sherpa people.
You will find what Sherpa people want to tell the world about this fight.
8. The Summit
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Christine Barnes, Hoselito Bite, Marco Confortola (Actors)
- Nick Ryan (Director) - Mark Monroe (Writer) - Nick Ryan (Producer)
- English (Playback Language)
- English (Subtitle)
Last update on 2024-12-18 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
Director: Jennifer Peedom
Release Date: 2012
Duration: One hour and thirty-five minutes
The Summit is another documentary by Jennifer Peedom.
She wanted to tell people about the events of 2008 that led to the loss of lives of eleven climbers on K2.
Many teams were trying to summit the K2 in 2008.
They were not aware of the dangers on their way.
You will find all the things that went wrong on that disastrous day.
The documentary has footage from the people on the K2 in 2008.
It has some interviews also with the people who witnessed different events on the K2.
9. Breathtaking: K2
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Carla Perez, Adrian Ballinger (Actors)
- Adrian Ballinger (Director) - Karl Archer (Writer) - Karl Archer (Producer)
- English (Playback Language)
- English (Subtitle)
Last update on 2024-12-18 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
Director: Adrian Ballinger
Release Date: 2020
Duration: Forty-six minutes
Breathtaking: K2 is about the journey of Adrian Ballinger with his mate Carla Perez and the guide towards the K2.
It is one of the deadliest peaks in the world as it has one of the highest death ratios for climbers.
You can learn about all the aspects of climbing K2.
The journey in this documentary starts with the planning to climb the K2.
The director also guides us about the logistics part of mountain climbing.
You should watch it to know how you can summit K2.
10. Mountain of Storms
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Doug Tompkins, Yvon Chouinard, Dick Dorworth (Actors)
- Lito Tejada-Flores (Director) - John Crowley (Writer) - Robert Collinson (Producer)
- English (Playback Language)
- English (Subtitle)
Last update on 2024-12-19 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
Director: Robert Collinson and Lito Tejada-Flores
Release Date: 2018
Duration: Fifty-two minutes
Mountain Of Storms is about the journey of five expert Ski professionals who took the road trip to Patagonia from California.
These ski professionals went down from one of the highest peaks on the American continent.
This documentary also tells the way people motivate themselves to launch a brand.
11. The Porter
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Nathaniel J. Menninger (Director) - Nathaniel J. Menninger (Producer)
- German, English, Spanish, French, Italian (Playback Language)
- German, English, Spanish, French, Italian (Subtitles)
Last update on 2024-12-18 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
Director: Nathanial J Menninger
Release Date: 2020
Duration: Fifty-five minutes
The Porter: An Untold Story At Everest is the full name of this documentary.
If you saw Sherpa and want to know more about these people, you can watch this documentary.
You can finish this documentary in under one hour and experience the journey of an American who climbed Everest with minimum gear.
The director became a porter for some time to see the hardships of the people in this job.
You can also experience some aspects of the porter job with this documentary.
12. The Man Who Skied Down Everest
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Yuichiro Miura (Actor)
- Lawrence Schiller (Director) - Judith Crawley (Writer) - F.R. Crawley (Producer)
- English (Playback Language)
- English (Subtitle)
Last update on 2024-12-18 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
Directors: Bruce Nyznik
Release Date: 1975
Duration: One hour and twenty-six minutes
The Man Who Skied Down Everest is a documentary about Yuichiro Miura.
This climber wanted to do something that no one had ever done before.
He climbed Mount Everest and came down by skiing.
We do not want to add a spoiler here.
You can watch the documentary to find out how he did it.
You may not find a high-quality video in this documentary, as it was made in 1975.
You will see many incredible things in this documentary.
The sound effects by Bruce Nyznik are exceptional.
Mountain Skiing Documentaries
You can find the best mountain skiing documentaries on the list.
- Solving For Z: You can find amazing footage of people’s experiences during high-altitude mountain skiing.
- Mount St. Elias: It is about skiing down a dangerous mountain in the US.
- K2: The Impossible Decent: It is about skiing from the second-highest mountain in the world.
13. Beyond the Edge
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Chad Moffitt, Sonam Sherpa, John Wraight (Actors)
- Leanne Pooley (Director) - Leanne Pooley (Writer) - Matthew Metcalfe (Producer)
- English (Playback Language)
- English (Subtitle)
Last update on 2024-12-19 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
Director: Leanne Pooley
Release Date: 2013
Duration: One hour and thirty minutes
Beyond The Edge is a documentary about the first Mount Everest successful summit in 1953.
You can see a mix of old footage of the people climbing Everest in 1953 and some recent interviews.
The old footage is not high quality, but you will get the idea of what those people faced during the summiting attempt.
It is one of the mountain documentaries that came in 3D.
14. The Wildest Dream
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|---|---|---|---|
| The Wildest Dream | Buy on Amazon | |
| The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest | Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-12-18 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
Director: Anthony Geffen
Release Date: 2010
Duration: One hour and thirty-four minutes
The Wildest Dream is about the first try to summit Mount Everest.
It is essential to know that the people who came back to the ground after summiting Mount Everest was not the first to try it.
A British expedition tried to summit Mount Everest in 1924.
They did not come back alive.
You will find out what happened to them during the journey in this documentary.
15. Cerro Torre
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Alexander Cruz, Raul Cruz, Grover Isaac Farfan Ortega (Actors)
- Armin Thalhammer (Director) - Katharina Rettenbacher (Producer)
- English (Playback Language)
- English (Subtitle)
Last update on 2024-12-18 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
Director: Thomas Dirnhofer
Release Date: 2013
Duration: One hour and thirty-eight minutes
Cerro Torre – a snowball’s chance in hell is a documentary about the history of mountain climbing.
It is more suitable for the mountain climbing lover to watch this documentary as it gives footage from different eras.
You will find some scenes from the climbers in the past who tried to climb K2 and Mount Everest for the first time.
You will also find many latest videos with mesmerizing views of mountains and landscapes.
This documentary is not for beginners as it will give many technical points in this documentary.
Most parts of the videos are about David Lama and Pete Ortner.
16. High and Hallowed: Everest 1963
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- JonKrakauer, TomHornbein, WilliUnsoeld (Actors)
- Jake Norton (Director) - Jim Aikman (Writer) - Jake Norton (Producer)
- (Playback Language)
Last update on 2024-12-18 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
Directors: Jim Aikman, Jake Norton, and Dave Moron
Release Date: 2013
Duration: Forty-eight minutes
High and Hallowed: Everest 1963 is a documentary about the all-American climber team summiting Mount Everest in 1963.
Most documentaries are about climbers from Britain and other areas.
You can relate more to this documentary if you live in America.
It is different than the attempt of American climbers in 2012.
It has excellent cinematography.
You may love this documentary if you love mountain climbing.
17. Kilian Jornet Path to Everest
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| Kilian Jornet Path to Everest | Buy on Amazon | |
![Kilian Jornet: Path to Everest [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Spain ]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51yUkpYEdlL.jpg)
| Kilian Jornet: Path to Everest [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Spain ] | Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-12-18 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
Director: Sebastien Montaz
Release Date: 2018
Duration: One hour and twenty minutes
Kilian Jornet Path To Everest is about the journey of the Kilian Jornet.
He is a mountain runner as he runs along the mountain as climbs them.
He is an expert in speed-climbing the mountains.
You can see his techniques in the documentary as he will make Mount Everest climbing looks easy.
You can look at his climbing techniques and training methods to motivate yourself for mountain climbing.
There is nothing better than watching someone climb the mountains as he runs on them.
18. K2: Siren of the Himalayas
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| K2: Siren of the Himalayas | Buy on Amazon | |
| K2: Siren of the Himalayas | Buy on Amazon |
Last update on 2024-12-18 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
Director: Dave Ohlson
Release Date: 2012
Duration: One hour and fifteen minutes
K2: Siren Of The Himalayas is about the team’s efforts in climbing K2.
You can see this documentary to learn about teamwork during mountain climbing.
It is one of the best mountain climbing documentaries for teams.
Some parts will also help you if you want to go as a solo mountain climber.
Watching this documentary will help you communicate with the other climbers on the same mountain.
19. The Fatal Game
- Amazon Prime Video (Video on Demand)
- Mark Whetu (Actor)
- Richard Dennison (Director) - James Heyward (Writer) - James Heyward (Producer)
- English (Playback Language)
- English (Subtitle)
Last update on 2024-12-18 // Source: Amazon Affiliates
Director: Richard Dennison
Release Date: 1997
Duration: Fifty-two minutes
The Fatal Game is a documentary about the conditions on Mount Everest. People should not think it is easy to climb Mount Everest.
Even the most professional climbers find it hard to reach the peak.
You will find Mark Whetu and Mike Reinberger in this documentary as they climb Everest.
You will find that the way down from Everest Peak is harder.
