Nat Geo Lines Up Jim Morrison Everest Doc

Free Solo directors Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin have documented ski mountaineer Jim Morrison’s descent down Mount Everest’s Hornbein Couloir in Everest North (w.t.) for National Geographic.

The feat marks the first time someone completed a ski descent down the Hornbein Couloir on the north face of Mount Everest. The documentary chronicles Morrison’s preparation for the feat, his climb to the top—last successfully accomplished in 1991—and his descent.

The accomplishment was a dream for Morrison and his late partner, Hilaree Nelson, who died tragically in 2022 on Nepal’s Manaslu after they summited together. Morrison dedicated the record-breaking achievement to her.

Among those to summit Everest with Morrison were Chin, Erich Roepke, Pemba Sharwa Sherpa, Esteban “Topo” Mena, Carla Perez, Roberto “Tico” Morales, Pur Bahadur “Yukta” Gurung, Ngima Tenjing Sherpa, Pemba Gelje Sherpa, Tenging Gyaljen Sherpa and Pasang Sona Sherpa.

“Standing on the north face of Everest, finishing this climb was overwhelming and deeply personal,” Morrison said. “It’s the culmination of years of work and an extraordinary team effort. Climbing the direct north face and skiing what Hilaree and I believed to be the world’s greatest ski run was a dream we chased together. Hilaree’s spirit and energy was a galvanizing force for me and this incredible team. I hope what we accomplished honors her and the love for these mountains we shared.”

“We are so proud to support Jim’s historic achievement and are awed by his unwavering dedication to pursuing this seemingly impossible feat,” said Carolyn Bernstein, executive VP of documentary films for National Geographic. “This film is both a tribute to Jim’s late partner, Hilaree Nelson, and a testament to the power and beauty of exploration. Starting with Oscar and BAFTA winner Free Solo, this is Nat Geo Doc Films’ seventh film in partnership with Chai and Jimmy—the world’s premier chroniclers of people who push the limits of human potential—and we are once again blown away by their artistry.”

Chin commented, “We are truly grateful to be able to climb and film on such a rarely visited and stunning side of Everest: the north face. The film will be a truly epic and cinematic experience, chronicling the first ski descent of the most coveted and iconic ski mountaineering line in the world and what it took to get here. We will share an extraordinary story about the power of the human spirit and hopefully expand audiences’ perception of the human experience.”

Vasarhelyi added, “Our film—which has been a passion project for so many over the past six years—is really a story of love and humanity and what defines us. Jim’s achievement is such an incredible moment, but the heart of the story we tell will show the years of dedication and sacrifice it took for him to make it to the top of the mountain.”

The film is produced by Academy Award winner Shannon Dill, who also served as a key creative and logistical producer on the ground for the Everest North (w.t.) expedition.