FROM THE REVUE IN ON THE EDGE MAGAZINE: 'I must confess to being a complete novice in the world of video and film and am certainly no David Breashears (although I wish I had his money!)” writes likely lad Stuart Peacock, excusing the home-made style of his video featuring an ascent of Everest by its north-east ridge. Personally, I’m very glad Peacock is not Breashears, whose formulaic filming is proving increasingly slick and bland. Peacock’s home movie is, by contrast, cheerfully rough and ready. For this is essentially a tale of how a personable bloke stomped up the historic approach to Everest’s summit without much fuss, armed with a modern high definition video camera. Although at times it feels a bit like you’re trapped in room watching a holiday slideshow given by Dave Tordoff, the most remarkable thing about this video is the extraordinary footage of the traverse of the north-east ridge – and especially of folk climbing the legendary Second Step.

 

This is the historic impasse that stopped Mallory, Irvine and all the other pre-war British climbers attempting to bag the summit and which was only finally overcome in 1960 by a Chinaman climbing in bare feet. Because, presumably, of the exhausting nature of simply staggering around on exposed ground at 28,000’ there exist relatively few good still photographs of the Second Step, let alone moving images. But such was Peacock’s evident stamina and enthusiasm that there are five minutes of amazing film of his companions thrashing up the fixed ladder like some pot-bellied climbing club working off a hangover on a Sunday by biffing up a Diff. It’s quite mesmerising. If anyone still harbours any lingering illusions that climbing the biggest lump on the planet still has an aura of elite glamour, then watching this vid should successfully cure them.

 

Stuart Peacock’s no-nonsense commentary and guilelessly indiscriminate filming allow the mountain to be shown for what it is – an enormous version of Snowdon. Basically if you’ve got the cash, the lungs, the determination and most importantly the luck with the weather, then it seems you too can ‘Walk in the Footsteps of Legends.’  Peacock clearly feels that’s what he’s done, and managed to make himself into a homespun auteur in the process. Good for him. Just don’t give up the day job yet. (Too late – Stuart writes: ‘I’ve sold my house and have more climbing trips planned.’’ – Ed) VIDEO