FILM: THIS MOUNTAIN LIFE

There are heaps of great films about climbing and mountains. We can’t begin to review all of them, but will cover some here and there…

This Mountain Life (2018) is a great film that starts with a weirdo wondering around in the snow talking to himself—or so it seems. Simon Beck isn’t lost, though. What he's actually doing is... just watch it and see.

This impressive first scene (or vignette), with a twist, sets the scene for an amazing degustation—or buffet?—it’s very satisfying—of varied views and experiences of humans on mountains, with stunning vision and a gorgeous original soundtrack.

The film centres around daughter and mother team, Martina Haulk and Tania Haulk, journeying on foot along the Coastal Traverse of British Columbia, from Squamish to Skagway. It’s a really long way through snow, mountains, rivers and glaciers. Martina describes her mom as “hardcore and humble,” and that fits them both.

Their story and history is so touching and inspiring. Okay, I cried.

Other stories spliced through the film explore ice climbing and tribe, race, spirituality, religion, the elements, risk, isolation, avalanche and response, near death, beauty, heroism… and always there are the many beautiful faces of the mountains, clouting us with the grand sense of the sublime the way only mountains can.

Some of the stories are accompanied with animation, which works really well, too.

Well done, Director Grant Baldwin and Producer Jenny Restemeyer. Really recommend this one. Go watch it.