A Leo Dickinson film! Eric Jones tackles the Matterhorn North Face. Also a re-creation of Whymper's first ascent. 52 minutes. The first filmed ascent of the Matterhorn North Face in Winter by highly acclaimed adventure film maker Leo Dickinson.
Winner of 'Grand Prix' at the Les Diablerets Film Festival in 1976. The Matterhorn is everyone's idea of what a mountain should be. It has a classic outline, awesome outcrops, treacherous slopes, and commands the respect of every climber. The film follows the fortunes of three mountaineers as they tackle the difficult North Face in the cruel grip of winter.
To set the scene, the catastrophe which struck Edward Whymper's first ascent party where four of his companions tragically plunged to their deaths, is expertly reenacted. The modern expedition is also plagued by problems: Eric Jones was hit by an avalanche and only manages to stop perilously near the edge of a 1,000 ft cliff edge. Then one of the worst storms ever recorded in Zermatt strikes the Matterhorn.
Blazing sunshine can turn to blizzard in minutes making climbing appallingly arduous. The climbers have no alternative but to retreat. Battered but not beaten and with time and bad weather against them, the climbers launch a second attempt. They climb in the dark while thunderstorms rumble around them. Given the conditions, the camerawork of Leo Dickinson was of remarkable quality; breathtaking photography despite appalling weather conditions. This film is a mountaineering classic.
