Adventure Film: The Old Breed – First Ascent of Saser Kangri II, Indian Karakoram

Mark Richey and Steve Swenson are alpinists of the old breed: adventurers with successful careers and busy family lives who stalk the world’s most elusive summits on their vacations. At 53 and 57 years old, respectively, the two friends were lured to the Indian Karakoram frontier last July for one more objective: the first ascent of Saser Kangri II — the second-highest unclimbed mountain in the world at 7,518 meters high.

2012 Piolets d’Or

The story of their epic climb, captured on film by Wilkinson, is both a grand adventure and probing inquiry into the psychology of risk-taking, and why some people just can’t quit.

5Point Film Festival will screen The Old Breed later this month in Carbondale, Colorado. For a sneak peek at other films playing at this year’s festival, visit 5point.org.