Meru
is just as much about humanity as it is about climbing a formidable peak in the
Himalayas, and the photography by two of the climbers (Jimmy Chin and Renan
Ozturk) is awe- inspiring.
Admirably, the film shows brotherhood at its best as well as heroism and
brawn. It opens with a stark scene
of a tent clinging to the side of a frosted cliff. Inside are climbers, some asleep, some awake, listening to a
morning toll. Outside are sheer
cliffs covered with ice and the starry blue sky in the background. We’re a part of a major climb, with Jon
Krakauer, a seasoned climber, as guide and commentator; he was a member of an
earlier attempt to climb Mount Everest
The climbers are Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin and
Renan Oztark. Conrad had Alex
Lowe, a legendary climber killed in an avalanche, as his mentor. Ever since, he is bound and determined
to scale Shark’s Fin in Meru, a summit Krakauer describes as the center of the
universe where heaven and hell come together. It’s a 1,500-foot blade of granite 15,000 feet high. Conrad and Jimmy had made a previous
attempt that failed.
Anker, Chin, and Oztark will attempt the climb
carrying their own gear (200 pound loads) without the help of sherpas. When a storm comes in, they have to stay in a tent fastened
to a cliff for four days, which depletes their food supply. Jimmy and Renan assume that when they
get out, they’ll be going back down.
But no, Conrad insists on going on up.
However, later, when Renan suffers frostbite
and trench foot and they have no food, the trio is forced to turn around. Three years pass, and Conrad and Jimmy
are continuing to plan for another attempt at Meru. Renan wants to go too, but then he has a ski accident and
sustains a severe head injury.
Nevertheless, he still wants to go, and the other two have to make a
decision about whether to include him.
It will make it riskier for Conrad and Jimmy, as well as Renan. The last half of the story is about
that journey and whether or not they succeed.
Meru
is a well-made documentary that sheds light on the kind of people who have
burning aspirations to scale great heights, including their backgrounds, which
also helps explain who they are and how they came to be. As much as I admire and appreciate the
nobility of their efforts, I have to acknowledge that I don’t really understand
the passion for climbing. Still, I
could enjoy it vicariously by watching the film and getting to know these
players and the sense of brotherhood that seems to be characteristic of serious
mountain climbers.
Meru
is in limited release, but is coming out on DVD, Blu-ray, and VOD this November
(2015).
Scaling great heights at considerable
cost in astonishingly beautiful surroundings.
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