Everest: Beyond the Limit

Rare is the in-depth series on a great adventure such as climbing Mt. Everest. This mini-series is one such, and for armchair alpinists, it is time well spent to follow this crew up the longest hill on the planet.

The human element is very much in play throughout -- the New Zealand climber trying to summit Everest after losing his legs in another climbing tragedy before, the Hollywood Harley designer climbing against all odds after being pieced together with screws and wires following a horrific motorcycle accident, the French man attempting the climb a mere two weeks after having a cancerous kidney removed. By any of our normal standards, these people living normals lives is a heroic feat. But these are not normal lives: they are on a quest to summit the world's tallest mountain and perhaps one of its most dangerous forbidden zones. A tall order for you or I, but for them, an even taller one -- and a challenge they cannot resist.

They are led by one of the world's great climbers, who nurses, kicks, leads and cajoles them to go forward, or in some cases, turn around while they still are relatively certain to get back down alive. Having lost 80% of his mates to climbing accidents, Russell Brice knows tragedy. As he says to one climber over the radio in one episode "I don't want to have to call your wife and tell her you've died on Everest." You can tell Russell Brice means what he's saying. And that the news he brings, good or bad, is indeed the way things are.

Some make the top and get back down, and others do not, turning around at different points on the climb. All gave it their all, in a place where that statement is literal, not figurative.

In short, if you want to get a great idea of what climbers see on their way up Everest, and also see glimpses of the suffering required to complete such and extreme challenge, then this show is for you.

As an armchair adventurer, I loved this series and the great camera and sound work that made it very real. The personalities are interesting and the dynamics between the expedition leader, the climbers and Sherpas provide plenty of drama for those of us who like to thrill-seek from the comfort of our living room. The only thing that might have made this series better was more of the in-depth interviews of the climbers and crew. I would have loved seeing the climbers returning home to their loved ones after their saga was over. Another thing I would have liked to have seen included is more of the behind- the-scenes footage of all the preparations that the leader, his crew, director and TV cameramen had to go through to get this documentary filmed .

I am fascinated by Mount Everest and mountaineering in general. Climbers are usually admirable, courageous people who adapt and persevere using experience and thorough preparation and training. They often have fascinating life stories. This show is not about them. The main characters in Everest: Beyond the Limit are newbies who pay tens of thousands of dollars to have their hands held up the mountain.

There are plenty of interesting characters around, but the guides, sherpas and veteran climbers are just supporting actors who we learn little about. We actually don't learn much about anything, since this show is all about drama not education. The third-grade-level narration relies on about fifteen Everest facts and cliches that are repeated every episode. My wife and I eventually started laughing when our favorites came back. We still have one season to watch, and are considering a Bingo game for recurring statements like:

Even if they make it to the summit there's no guarantee they'll make it back down. As they got higher, so did the risks. If they can't find him, he's as good as dead. And at this altitude that's a death sentence. Eighty per cent of the fatalities happen on the way down. In the death zone the body starts eating itself. The effort has left them exhausted. He knows he's lucky to be alive. But this day isn't over yet. He needs to get down fast And X treads the line between life and death. X is at a higher altitude than he's ever been. X is in unknown territory. After x his dream may be shattered.

For all the work and risk that went into producing this show, it seems like an opportunity wasted. Despite the problems, we are still watching, mostly for the scenery. The mountain, and the heroism of the sherpas and guides are dramatic enough to fill a show, and I wish they had.

I once enjoyed watching movie named "Vertical Limit" - a true hint of mountaineer's consciousness and spirit. Only this time the highest Mountain will put mens' guts to the test you can find nowhere else.

The cameramen-sherpas have done outstanding job so the viewer is literally on the mountain with the expedition members witnessing their pain and struggle, defeat and victory. Plus the panorama views are almost to die for. This is the rarest scenery I have seen in my life so far! Both seasons are strongly recommended!

However, may be, people who have never been to the mountains themselves will not be able to appreciate in full this excitement, almost awe of the mens' spirit. :(

Overall, for me it's like the final breakthrough of Tim Robbins in "Shawshank Redemtion" only this time there are real people not just movie characters.

I'm old, I'm isolating and running out of things that amuse me on the television. I came across this while looking through on demand shows. I am really enjoying it. I would never have climbed Everest even when I was young, but I have always been interested in stories about the people who do climb it. This is the best documentary I have seen with the combination of reality TV and kind of the inside story of how things work with these type of expeditions. I know it has its faults, but it's been something to loo forward to, to me. I am on series 2 and will watch series 3.