The White Mountain (2024) Movie Script
1
[PGHM 1 speaks French]
[helicopter whirring
in distance]
[PGHM 1 speaks French]
[helicopter whirring
in distance]
[]
[helicopter whirring]
[speaks French]
[helicopter whirring]
[]
[pilot speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[PGHM 2 speaks French]
[Bastien in English]
This is the biggest mountain
rescue operation in the world.
We do more than 1,000 rescues
every year.
[PGHM 3 speaks French]
[]
[Bastien] We can reach any part
of the Mont Blanc Range
within 10 minutes.
[]
[indistinct chatter in French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[PGHM 4] Okay...
[speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[PGHM 5 speaks French]
[Bastien] Being alone in
a crevasse is very stressful.
It feels like the loneliest
place on Earth.
[Bastien speaks French]
It's too narrow.
They cannot even use
their arms sometimes.
[woman 1 speaks French]
[Bastien speaking]
[Bastien speaks French]
[woman 1] No.
[woman 1 speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[woman 1 speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[woman 1 speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
Okay.
[PGHM 4 speaks French]
[Aurelle] Okay.
[Bastien speaks French]
[PGHM 4] Hello.
[]
[PGHM 4 speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
- [speaks French]
- [woman 1 speaks French]
[speaks French]
[helicopter whirring]
[]
[Bastien]
[reporter 1]
Europe's highest mountain
is melting before our eyes.
Symbol of global warming.
[reporter 2]
Mont Blanc is in the crossheads
of climate change.
[reporter 3]
After rising temperatures.
[reporter 4] Glacier is
breaking apart 10 times
more quickly
than anyone expected.
[reporter 4] Scientists are
warning that a glacier
on the tallest mountain
in Europe could collapse
at any moment.
[reporter 5]
Future of this glacier
is far from certain.
[Bastien]
[]
[]
[woman 2]
I haven't felt this excited
in a long time.
The potential for adventure.
I'm headed to Chamonix, France,
where I'll be living
for the foreseeable future.
Mont Blanc is so impressive that
it consumes this entire valley.
I'm very excited to see snow.
Mostly just really excited
to ski.
It's been three years
since I've properly skied
and not spent part of my year
on crutches.
[announcer 1 on speaker]
Next up is Hadley Hammer
out of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
[Hadley] I came into skiing late
and I had to learn
a lot later in life.
I signed up for a competition
for a social thing.
[thuds]
- [people groaning]
- [announcer 1 on speaker] Wow!
[Hadley] Got last place.
But I've always gotten back up.
That's how I was raised.
[indistinct chatter]
[cheers]
[indistinct commentary
in background]
[crowd cheering]
[]
[Hadley]
I don't know
if it's masochistic,
but I like the challenge.
You feel like you're operating
on a different plane.
Powering down the slope,
no hesitation.
I think there's the roof of
a building tilted quite a bit.
[Hadley chuckles]
[Hadley]
Everything goes vertical
in an instant.
That's my jam.
Maybe it would have been nicer
if I had the same passion
for something with little risk,
but I don't.
And the last few years threw
other life curveballs.
[]
[chuckles]
[Hadley] How are... how are you?
[Hadley's friend]
Welcome, welcome!
Yay!
How was the drive?
- [Hadley] It was good.
- [Hadley's friend] Yeah?
[Hadley] Mellow.
Cool.
Holy moly.
It's like having Everest outside
your back door.
I want to get up to the top
of these ridges
and ski one of these
steep spaces.
But you know when you're
coming back from injury,
you don't know if your mind,
and your body are going to work.
I imagine in three days,
I'll wake up with that view
from the window like,
"Oh, okay, holy shit, I'm here."
[birds chirping in distance]
[radio beeping]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[PGHM 6 speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[PGHM 5 speaks French]
[speaks French]
[radio beeping]
[Bastien]
We are following two alpinists.
It's two brothers
and their father fell down uh,
a cliff.
They were skiing down
the Mont Blanc,
now they are trying to...
to go down.
We will uh, pick them up
to bring them back to Chamonix.
They don't know yet
their father is dead.
[]
[PGHM 7] Yeah.
We are very, very sorry.
Your father fell
from the... the cliff.
He wasn't alive
when we arrived on him.
Sorry.
Oh, okay.
We're very, very, very sorry.
Okay.
[Bastien]
My name is Bastien Fleury.
I've been a mountain rescuer
for six years.
But sometimes I feel like
I'm still a beginner here.
In this job, you can see that
things can change very quickly.
From a happy moment
to something really tragic.
You think you get used to it,
but you don't.
It's really difficult
to deal with families
of victims.
We can ask
for psychological help,
but we often don't.
I grew up here in Chamonix
and I'm sad,
because the mountain I knew
is disappearing.
You have less snowfall.
The glaciers are melting
very fast.
And the crevasses on the
glacier are opening
more frequently
and for a longer time.
I can see the change
from year to year.
It's unbelievable.
And it means we have a lot
of accidents.
[PGHM 8 speaks French]
[indistinct chatter in French]
[helicopter whirring
in distance]
[Bastien]
Five minutes ago, they say
you need to go on that rescue
or go on another one.
I don't know yet.
[helicopter whirring]
[]
[Bastien]
Two alpinists are stuck.
Last night it was raining a lot.
Maybe they are really wet,
really cold
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
You're okay?
[Tomas speaks French]
[helicopter whirring in back]
[]
[Tomas speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[helicopter whirring in back]
[]
[Bastien]
The helicopter is here.
We can go.
[indistinct radio chatter]
[helicopter whirring]
[Bastien]
[PGHM 2 speaks French]
[Bastien]
[Pierre-Yves speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Pierre-Yves speaks French]
[Bastien]
[Pierre-Yves speaks French]
[Bastien]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Pierre-Yves]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Pierre-Yves]
[Pierre-Yves]
[Bastien]
[]
[Bastien]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
- [Hadley's friend] Should we go?
- [Hadley] Let's go.
[Hadley's friend] Cool.
[]
[Hadley] Being in a place
like Mont Blanc,
I feel it bubbling in my body,
this urge to ski.
I love skiing so much,
but life has served up a lot
of suffering.
February of last year,
it was unseasonably warm.
[]
[Hadley]
We were quite high up
the slope at that point.
[]
[Hadley]
It was hot,
grippy snow that feels like
it can take your leg
wherever it wants.
[]
[Hadley] Which it did.
[thudding]
[Hadley] Oh God! Oh God!
Oh my God.
My knee just popped.
Oh, fuck.
And I knew right away
what had happened.
Fuck!
[Hadley grunting]
[]
[Hadley]
Coming back from injury,
not being able to ski
in the way I know leaves me
with a feeling of fear.
When you doubt
your physical body,
you just get into this crazy
head space of like,
"Am I not willing
to take enough risk?"
The scary part is I don't know.
You would never drive
down the highway
with a car that you knew
the brakes were about to go.
[]
[Hadley]
My knee doesn't feel good.
I don't feel good.
Am I pushing things too far?
[Hadley's friend]
I really don't like it.
[Hadley's friend pants]
[]
[Hadley's friend] Fuck.
[]
[Hadley's friend]
My knee is going
bloop, bloop, bloop, fuck.
[Hadley]
That's exactly
how I tore my knee.
Frustrating.
I've come here
and I'm a professional skier
and I can't even get down
one of the more simpler runs.
The skiing that I enjoyed,
it's like putting a ski race
on a rocking mountain face.
And the goal is to ski
in style down that face.
[]
[Hadley]
Reminding yourself
that you know
how to play in that playground
is part of that process
at the top.
[]
[PGHM 9] Bastien!
[]
[Bastien]
My biggest dream is
to cross the Mont Blanc Range
from one point to the other
in one push,
passing by the summit
of the Mont Blanc.
It's known as the Traverse
or Ultra Traverse.
It's 46 kilometers in distance.
Climbing difficult faces
and skiing down
very tough routes.
My goal is to do this project
in less than 24 hours.
That's never been done before.
It's a massive challenge.
It's dangerous and you need
to be very focused.
I think I can do it.
[birds chirping in distance]
[physiotherapist] Was it sore?
It got sore quite quickly,
even within that first run.
Okay.
[Hadley] It wasn't that long ago
that I couldn't even stand
on my leg.
I've learned that injuries
to the body
are easier than injuries
to the heart or the mind.
I remember when David and I met,
I had no idea he was
romantically interested in me.
Went right over my head.
The first time
I skied with David,
I was like really shocked.
He was in all of his alpine
climbing kit,
totally dorky.
I thought, "Ooh, okay,
here we go."
And then he just started
cruising down the mountain
and he was skiing really fast.
[chuckles]
I remember saying to him like,
"Wow, David,
you're a pretty good skier."
And he just was like, "Yeah.
I'm Austrian."
[]
[Hadley]
He was the leading alpinist
in the entire world.
[David]
To me, alpine climbing is...
is less a sport than...
than really an attitude.
With this attitude, you also
say to yourself that,
"If I'm not able to do it
in the style
that I have in my mind,
I'm going to leave it alone."
[Hadley]
I actually didn't really
give a shit that
he was a famous climber.
It wasn't what attracted
me to him.
But man, how impressive.
He was the most gifted athlete
I've ever seen.
[]
[David]
You need to know what your body
is capable of.
You need to know what your mind
is capable of.
And then you certainly
know your limits.
And you want to get close
to those limits
and sometimes even push
those limits.
Then if everything feels right,
you can just go and try
to realize your dreams.
[Hadley]
We're both at the height
of our careers,
both professional athletes.
We got to know
the world together.
And it created a connection
between us
and a connection between us
and nature.
And that felt magical.
I mean, there were just so many
reasons why I loved him.
But being in the mountains,
that was so important
to both of us.
Go. [chuckles]
Hello.
Hi.
Oh, I'm Hadley Hammer.
I am from Jackson Hole, Wyoming,
born and raised.
I was filming in the States
and David was in Canada
on a training trip.
And then the plan was
to go and meet
and spend a week together
in Canada.
That first night that
they didn't come back
when they were supposed to,
you know,
I wasn't overly alarmed.
Three world-renowned
mountain climbers
are believed to be dead
after an avalanche
in Banff National Park.
Parks Canada says officials
immediately flew over the area
and saw signs
of multiple avalanches
along with debris,
including climbing equipment.
They do not know exactly when
they will be able to recover
the bodies...
[]
[Hadley]
It felt like
the ground fell away.
The flight I took
to recover the body
was the flight
that I had originally
booked to meet him.
[]
[Hadley]
Thousands of people showed up
to say their own goodbyes.
There you go,
there it is, there it is.
Use both, use both.
[Hadley] After David died,
I spent one year never sleeping
more than four hours.
[physiotherapist] Bam, bam, bam.
[]
[Hadley]
I processed my grief through
moving in the mountains.
I processed everything through
moving in the mountains.
Because I couldn't control
the emotional pain,
I countered that by creating
more pain, a controllable pain.
The burn in your lungs
or the burn in your muscles,
creating more pain.
You can survive a lot.
[]
[]
[Bastien]
It takes a lot of time to train
for the Ultra Traverse.
To do it in less than 24 hours
would be the first.
Most people do it in seven days.
[]
[Bastien]
It feels good to feel alone
in these remote places.
You're so close to the sky.
It's kind
of a spiritual pilgrimage.
[]
[Marie]
I met Bastien during a hike.
And we went paragliding
the second day we met.
And all our dates after that
were all about sports
in the mountains.
And sometimes the mountain
is just unfair.
[indistinct chatter]
[Bastien]
I like to compete in ski
mountaineering as an athlete.
And when I discovered
this sport,
it was like a perfect mix
of all the things I love.
The Pierra Menta
is the Tour de France
of ski mountaineering.
So it's a very good training
for The Ultra Traverse.
It's the biggest race
in the season,
so you need to be very focused.
The tracks are very technical,
very dangerous.
[man 1 speaks French]
[announcer 2 speaks French]
[crowd cheers]
[]
[indistinct shouting
in background]
[]
[cheering]
[bells ringing]
[indistinct commentary
in background]
[man 2] Bravo!
[Bastien] Finished in the top
10.
I couldn't imagine
to achieve this.
I'm really happy with this.
[crowd cheers]
[Marie speaks French]
[indistinct chatter in French]
[]
[Hadley]
The conditions are pretty
challenging right now,
because there's either
wind-crusted snow
or sun-crusted snow
or no snow at all.
With such bad conditions,
I've just wondered,
am I making the wrong choice?
Dependable snow all season long
hasn't existed in recent years.
You realize how much
is dependent
on what the climate
is doing around you.
[grunts]
[Hadley]
I don't know what the fear
is of just saying,
"There's climate change,
and it's real,
and it's happening here.
And it's not just happening over
the course of people's lifetimes
but right now."
It's not the nicest.
[pants]
[Hadley] Yeah.
[indiscernible speech]
[shudders, chuckles]
[wind howling]
[Hadley] Oh, hey.
[pants]
Oh wow, hello.
Nice?
[Hadley]
Yeah, this is so beautiful.
[Johanna] You see Mont Blanc,
the one in the middle.
[Hadley] It's amazing.
That's where it is.
[wind howling]
[]
[Hadley]
This is a good test to see
how the knee feels with
what looks like very firm snow.
If my knee feels good
on firm snow,
it's one step further
in the process.
[Johanna] Ciao.
[]
[cheering]
[Johanna] That was good.
[Hadley] Yeah, it was great.
[Hadley chuckles]
[Johanna]
I think we're going to get
powder turns down there.
- [Hadley] You think so?
- [Johanna] Oh, I think so.
[]
[Hadley]
When I ski, I feel all these
different emotions.
The mountains, just because
of their level of danger,
force you to be engaged
and focused.
Because if you're half engaged,
it just simply won't work.
There's potential for an
accident is that much higher.
[]
[Hadley] That was nice.
[Johanna] Nice, nice.
[]
[Hadley]
I wrestle with the risk
that I take.
And before David passed,
it never really hit me
how dangerous what I do is.
And now I'm just aware
of a network of men
and women that have lost
their partners in the mountain.
I was in Chamonix the other day
and there was four of us
eating lunch
and three of us had lost
the love of our lives
to the mountains.
It would be foolish of me
not to think
of what I do as really risky.
It simply is.
Before the risk was
worth the reward
to be in the present moment,
to really feel like myself.
There's nothing
that can match that.
But what becomes really tricky
with the changing climate
is that I can't control
the risk.
And I need to look
at the consequences.
[man 3] You think we got
everything we need?
[Hadley]
Well, if we don't, we have
everything we don't need.
[laughs]
[]
[Hadley]
The greatest risk
in working with snow
is it all coming down on you.
If current trends stay,
the mountains
will only become more dangerous.
And what I do will only become
more dangerous
because the snowpacks
are more unstable
with crazier weather.
It's really hard to predict what
the snow will do.
[]
[Hadley]
The temperature variation
is changing so much
and so quickly.
If I was really honest
with myself,
I wouldn't be skiing this week.
Let's get these monsters
off the back.
[Jake] Yeah.
[jake grunts]
[]
[Hadley]
There's just a lot of energy
in the snowpack
and so small things can become
big things quite quickly.
I mean, you've got
a lot more experience
with this than I have.
It's going to be tricky.
As you can see,
it's what's releasing the snow
everywhere else.
[Jake] Hm.
[Hadley]
The shallower it is,
the weaker it is,
and the more prone you are
to hitting this spot.
[Jake] The more likely it is
to trigger.
[Hadley] Yeah, sure.
[Jake] And the trouble
with these kind of lines is...
No margin for error.
[]
[Hadley]
We're camping in the hope that
we'll be early on something.
[]
[Hadley]
The struggle right now
is I feel mentally
and physically ready to ski,
but there's not
the opportunity to do so.
There's like
this constant soundtrack
of the glaciers moving
and rockfall coming down.
Really feel like
you're on the front lines
of nature changing
and climate changing.
[]
[Hadley]
And what level of danger
am I willing to accept
to ski in Chamonix?
[]
[speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[man 4 speaks French]
[Bastien]
[Bastien] Bastien and I
have the same name
We like the same things.
And it was obvious then that
Bastien was a good person to...
to do this project.
He's a really good alpinist
and also a really good friend.
[laughs]
[speaks French]
[laughs]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[chuckles]
[Bastien]
[Lardat speaks French]
[]
Bastien told me that um...
that he... he wouldn't
do the Traverse, because like
the conditions are real,
real too bad.
And the...
and the conditions are scary.
So he doesn't say that...
that many times.
[Lardat speaks French]
[speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
Yes.
[Marie] When he told me that,
I realized that
how risky it would be.
He wants this so much.
It's just a bit scary sometimes
when I think about it.
[]
[man 5]
With Stephane,
it was just like fun
and happiness.
[]
[]
[Kilian]
[Marie]
Bastien never really talked
about the details
of this accident.
We don't really talk
about the risks.
That would make me
very scared and anxious.
I just try
to not think about it.
[Killian]
[]
[wind howling]
[Hadley]
The problem with skiing
in the mountains,
where it's not controlled
and there's risk of avalanche
is that even
when you make poor decisions,
a lot of the times,
the consequence
isn't negative.
You'll have a really good day.
You'll ski a really cool line.
And you start to do that
too much,
where you're
making these decisions
that are a little bit
on the line,
but getting away with it,
gives you this false confidence
that you're in control,
that you know the mountains
well enough that
you're making smart decisions.
I'm very aware of the risk
that's associated
with just a little bit of snow
coming off the mountain
It makes me question like,
"Am I going to kill
myself here?"
[rumbling in back]
[Jack] Holy shit.
[phone clicks]
[Hadley] There you go.
That has been what
we've been seeing all day.
[]
[Hadley]
I think saying no is important.
For me,
it's a game of longevity.
You can only prepare so much.
You can only take
so many avalanche classes.
You can only read the weather
so many times.
I don't think
I can control the risk
as much as I thought I could.
[]
[speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Marie speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[Marie speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
The conditions are not the best
as they imagined
because everything is melting.
[Lardat speaks French]
[Marie speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Marie speaks French]
Even his boxers.
[speaks French]
[laughing]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien] Yes.
[Lardat speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[chuckles]
[speaks French]
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[speaks French]
- Yeah, yeah.
- All right, go.
[]
[Hadley] After David passed, it
was very much about me hiding
and resetting.
Yet when I am in the mountains,
part of my motivation is him.
Should we go?
And it gives me a feeling
of comfort.
Because if I'm not climbing
or skiing stuff that I know
he would love doing,
I feel like
I'm not honoring him.
What's nice about Chamonix
is if the skiing isn't good,
there is still so much
climbing to do.
And the key to knowing
that I'm back as a skier
is being able to climb up
the mountain, get to the top.
And not be overwhelmed
by the fear or the flashbacks.
[]
Doing stuff
when it's still dark,
it feels like
you've stolen hours out of life.
Stars are out.
It's quite a beautiful morning.
[David] All is good, Hadley?
[Hadley] Yeah.
The mountain goat,
he doesn't like to stop.
It's going to be a day
where I'm going
to test my lung capacity.
Because that guy does
not like to be standing still.
[]
[David]
[Hadley] So cold.
[grunts]
[Hadley] So cold.
[David] It is.
[Hadley] Holy moly.
I don't know why,
but it feels good
to look at the same view
that David saw.
I feel like when I'm here,
in a way he's here with me.
I'm below.
Oh my God.
Hands.
Holy shit.
Mother.
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[panting]
[wind howling]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien] Okay.
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[grunts]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
Ooh.
[]
[David speaking indistinctly]
[Hadley] Okay.
[David] Okay?
[Hadley] Yeah.
Totally fine.
[panting]
[]
[panting]
[Hadley] Oh man.
[]
[Hadley] I'm losing my glove.
[David] Oh!
[Hadley] Holy shit.
Fuck.
Hands.
[]
- [Hadley] Oh.
- [David] Doing okay.
[sighing]
[Hadley] Fuck.
[panting]
[David] Good job.
Yeah.
[grunts]
- [Hadley] Holy shit.
- [David] Okay.
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[panting]
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[both sigh]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[speaks French]
Come on, let's go.
[Lardat] Woah!
[Bastien whistles, shouts]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[phone ringing]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien] You are so tired that,
it's really difficult
to keep calm.
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
[thuds]
[grunts]
[Lardat panting]
[]
[David] Once we're down
and then we're getting there.
[Hadley] It's hard to tell
how far you have gone
and how you have to go.
You just reach up,
feel something really nice
to pull up on.
[panting]
[Hadley] Oh, man!
Did you just use the rope
the whole way?
[David]
[Hadley] On this?
Okay.
There's always a moment
nearly every time I'm
in the mountains,
I'm outside of my comfort zone.
It's trusting that there will
always be something to grab.
[panting]
[Hadley] And the only option
is to keep going.
[David] Woah, woah, woah, woah.
[Hadley]
You think it's just
going to get colder?
[David]
[Hadley]
Well, let me just put
my jacket on then.
Oh man, that feels better.
[David]
[laughs]
[David]
[Hadley] Okay.
[David]
Ooh.
[]
[Hadley]
When I think of David,
what triggers me the most
is that he missed out
on so much.
He believed in me so much
and I want to make use
of that belief.
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien] When you're pushing so
hard so far from outside help,
small things
can turn into big things
and then you have a problem.
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[grunts]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[phone ringing, beeps]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Marie speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Marie speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[grunts]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[]
[]
[David]
[Hadley] Okay
[David] Okay?
[pants]
[]
[Hadley] We found a tree
Wow.
[Hadley grunts]
[David] Get in there.
Yay!
[grunting]
[cheers]
[mimics explosion]
[Hadley]
I don't think mountains
are there for me to conquer.
It's more of an internal fight.
And I feel like I have made
some really big steps forward.
[sighs]
[sniffles]
[]
When I said
I want to do something,
he was always super supportive,
because he knew
I'm like kind of stubborn
and like to set goals
that are probably too big
for my feet.
I would always have him
in my corner.
Whether, he's here or like not.
And that doesn't really go away
just because he's gone.
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Marie grunts]
[speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Marie speaks French]
[laughing]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[laughs]
[indistinct chatter in French]
[speaks French]
[Marie speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[laughing]
[indistinct chatter in French]
[Bastien] I'd like to try again.
To try to do it even faster.
Unfortunately, Mont Blanc
is changing so quickly.
It's likely going to be more
and more difficult
to do the traverse
in the future.
With the changes
in our environment,
it's going to be harder
to find the right time
and the right conditions.
Perhaps that means I don't get
another chance.
[]
[Hadley]
I feel this turning
of a corner where it's not just
about suffering and trying hard.
It's also about lightness
and having fun.
What I think Chamonix brought
out of me
is that
I actually really love my life.
And it is not worth it to me
to end it early.
These mountains have brought me
to a place in my life
where I want to continue to live
and continue to flourish.
And it's hard
to see them disappearing,
because it also means that
they're disappearing
for everybody else.
I've had these dreams of
this high white mountain to ski.
But while I didn't get
to prove that I'm ready,
knowing that I'm ready
is close enough.
I'm in a place
where I feel whole.
[]
[PGHM 1 speaks French]
[helicopter whirring
in distance]
[PGHM 1 speaks French]
[helicopter whirring
in distance]
[]
[helicopter whirring]
[speaks French]
[helicopter whirring]
[]
[pilot speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[PGHM 2 speaks French]
[Bastien in English]
This is the biggest mountain
rescue operation in the world.
We do more than 1,000 rescues
every year.
[PGHM 3 speaks French]
[]
[Bastien] We can reach any part
of the Mont Blanc Range
within 10 minutes.
[]
[indistinct chatter in French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[PGHM 4] Okay...
[speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[PGHM 5 speaks French]
[Bastien] Being alone in
a crevasse is very stressful.
It feels like the loneliest
place on Earth.
[Bastien speaks French]
It's too narrow.
They cannot even use
their arms sometimes.
[woman 1 speaks French]
[Bastien speaking]
[Bastien speaks French]
[woman 1] No.
[woman 1 speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[woman 1 speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[woman 1 speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
Okay.
[PGHM 4 speaks French]
[Aurelle] Okay.
[Bastien speaks French]
[PGHM 4] Hello.
[]
[PGHM 4 speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
- [speaks French]
- [woman 1 speaks French]
[speaks French]
[helicopter whirring]
[]
[Bastien]
[reporter 1]
Europe's highest mountain
is melting before our eyes.
Symbol of global warming.
[reporter 2]
Mont Blanc is in the crossheads
of climate change.
[reporter 3]
After rising temperatures.
[reporter 4] Glacier is
breaking apart 10 times
more quickly
than anyone expected.
[reporter 4] Scientists are
warning that a glacier
on the tallest mountain
in Europe could collapse
at any moment.
[reporter 5]
Future of this glacier
is far from certain.
[Bastien]
[]
[]
[woman 2]
I haven't felt this excited
in a long time.
The potential for adventure.
I'm headed to Chamonix, France,
where I'll be living
for the foreseeable future.
Mont Blanc is so impressive that
it consumes this entire valley.
I'm very excited to see snow.
Mostly just really excited
to ski.
It's been three years
since I've properly skied
and not spent part of my year
on crutches.
[announcer 1 on speaker]
Next up is Hadley Hammer
out of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
[Hadley] I came into skiing late
and I had to learn
a lot later in life.
I signed up for a competition
for a social thing.
[thuds]
- [people groaning]
- [announcer 1 on speaker] Wow!
[Hadley] Got last place.
But I've always gotten back up.
That's how I was raised.
[indistinct chatter]
[cheers]
[indistinct commentary
in background]
[crowd cheering]
[]
[Hadley]
I don't know
if it's masochistic,
but I like the challenge.
You feel like you're operating
on a different plane.
Powering down the slope,
no hesitation.
I think there's the roof of
a building tilted quite a bit.
[Hadley chuckles]
[Hadley]
Everything goes vertical
in an instant.
That's my jam.
Maybe it would have been nicer
if I had the same passion
for something with little risk,
but I don't.
And the last few years threw
other life curveballs.
[]
[chuckles]
[Hadley] How are... how are you?
[Hadley's friend]
Welcome, welcome!
Yay!
How was the drive?
- [Hadley] It was good.
- [Hadley's friend] Yeah?
[Hadley] Mellow.
Cool.
Holy moly.
It's like having Everest outside
your back door.
I want to get up to the top
of these ridges
and ski one of these
steep spaces.
But you know when you're
coming back from injury,
you don't know if your mind,
and your body are going to work.
I imagine in three days,
I'll wake up with that view
from the window like,
"Oh, okay, holy shit, I'm here."
[birds chirping in distance]
[radio beeping]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[PGHM 6 speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[PGHM 5 speaks French]
[speaks French]
[radio beeping]
[Bastien]
We are following two alpinists.
It's two brothers
and their father fell down uh,
a cliff.
They were skiing down
the Mont Blanc,
now they are trying to...
to go down.
We will uh, pick them up
to bring them back to Chamonix.
They don't know yet
their father is dead.
[]
[PGHM 7] Yeah.
We are very, very sorry.
Your father fell
from the... the cliff.
He wasn't alive
when we arrived on him.
Sorry.
Oh, okay.
We're very, very, very sorry.
Okay.
[Bastien]
My name is Bastien Fleury.
I've been a mountain rescuer
for six years.
But sometimes I feel like
I'm still a beginner here.
In this job, you can see that
things can change very quickly.
From a happy moment
to something really tragic.
You think you get used to it,
but you don't.
It's really difficult
to deal with families
of victims.
We can ask
for psychological help,
but we often don't.
I grew up here in Chamonix
and I'm sad,
because the mountain I knew
is disappearing.
You have less snowfall.
The glaciers are melting
very fast.
And the crevasses on the
glacier are opening
more frequently
and for a longer time.
I can see the change
from year to year.
It's unbelievable.
And it means we have a lot
of accidents.
[PGHM 8 speaks French]
[indistinct chatter in French]
[helicopter whirring
in distance]
[Bastien]
Five minutes ago, they say
you need to go on that rescue
or go on another one.
I don't know yet.
[helicopter whirring]
[]
[Bastien]
Two alpinists are stuck.
Last night it was raining a lot.
Maybe they are really wet,
really cold
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
You're okay?
[Tomas speaks French]
[helicopter whirring in back]
[]
[Tomas speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[helicopter whirring in back]
[]
[Bastien]
The helicopter is here.
We can go.
[indistinct radio chatter]
[helicopter whirring]
[Bastien]
[PGHM 2 speaks French]
[Bastien]
[Pierre-Yves speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Pierre-Yves speaks French]
[Bastien]
[Pierre-Yves speaks French]
[Bastien]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Pierre-Yves]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Pierre-Yves]
[Pierre-Yves]
[Bastien]
[]
[Bastien]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
- [Hadley's friend] Should we go?
- [Hadley] Let's go.
[Hadley's friend] Cool.
[]
[Hadley] Being in a place
like Mont Blanc,
I feel it bubbling in my body,
this urge to ski.
I love skiing so much,
but life has served up a lot
of suffering.
February of last year,
it was unseasonably warm.
[]
[Hadley]
We were quite high up
the slope at that point.
[]
[Hadley]
It was hot,
grippy snow that feels like
it can take your leg
wherever it wants.
[]
[Hadley] Which it did.
[thudding]
[Hadley] Oh God! Oh God!
Oh my God.
My knee just popped.
Oh, fuck.
And I knew right away
what had happened.
Fuck!
[Hadley grunting]
[]
[Hadley]
Coming back from injury,
not being able to ski
in the way I know leaves me
with a feeling of fear.
When you doubt
your physical body,
you just get into this crazy
head space of like,
"Am I not willing
to take enough risk?"
The scary part is I don't know.
You would never drive
down the highway
with a car that you knew
the brakes were about to go.
[]
[Hadley]
My knee doesn't feel good.
I don't feel good.
Am I pushing things too far?
[Hadley's friend]
I really don't like it.
[Hadley's friend pants]
[]
[Hadley's friend] Fuck.
[]
[Hadley's friend]
My knee is going
bloop, bloop, bloop, fuck.
[Hadley]
That's exactly
how I tore my knee.
Frustrating.
I've come here
and I'm a professional skier
and I can't even get down
one of the more simpler runs.
The skiing that I enjoyed,
it's like putting a ski race
on a rocking mountain face.
And the goal is to ski
in style down that face.
[]
[Hadley]
Reminding yourself
that you know
how to play in that playground
is part of that process
at the top.
[]
[PGHM 9] Bastien!
[]
[Bastien]
My biggest dream is
to cross the Mont Blanc Range
from one point to the other
in one push,
passing by the summit
of the Mont Blanc.
It's known as the Traverse
or Ultra Traverse.
It's 46 kilometers in distance.
Climbing difficult faces
and skiing down
very tough routes.
My goal is to do this project
in less than 24 hours.
That's never been done before.
It's a massive challenge.
It's dangerous and you need
to be very focused.
I think I can do it.
[birds chirping in distance]
[physiotherapist] Was it sore?
It got sore quite quickly,
even within that first run.
Okay.
[Hadley] It wasn't that long ago
that I couldn't even stand
on my leg.
I've learned that injuries
to the body
are easier than injuries
to the heart or the mind.
I remember when David and I met,
I had no idea he was
romantically interested in me.
Went right over my head.
The first time
I skied with David,
I was like really shocked.
He was in all of his alpine
climbing kit,
totally dorky.
I thought, "Ooh, okay,
here we go."
And then he just started
cruising down the mountain
and he was skiing really fast.
[chuckles]
I remember saying to him like,
"Wow, David,
you're a pretty good skier."
And he just was like, "Yeah.
I'm Austrian."
[]
[Hadley]
He was the leading alpinist
in the entire world.
[David]
To me, alpine climbing is...
is less a sport than...
than really an attitude.
With this attitude, you also
say to yourself that,
"If I'm not able to do it
in the style
that I have in my mind,
I'm going to leave it alone."
[Hadley]
I actually didn't really
give a shit that
he was a famous climber.
It wasn't what attracted
me to him.
But man, how impressive.
He was the most gifted athlete
I've ever seen.
[]
[David]
You need to know what your body
is capable of.
You need to know what your mind
is capable of.
And then you certainly
know your limits.
And you want to get close
to those limits
and sometimes even push
those limits.
Then if everything feels right,
you can just go and try
to realize your dreams.
[Hadley]
We're both at the height
of our careers,
both professional athletes.
We got to know
the world together.
And it created a connection
between us
and a connection between us
and nature.
And that felt magical.
I mean, there were just so many
reasons why I loved him.
But being in the mountains,
that was so important
to both of us.
Go. [chuckles]
Hello.
Hi.
Oh, I'm Hadley Hammer.
I am from Jackson Hole, Wyoming,
born and raised.
I was filming in the States
and David was in Canada
on a training trip.
And then the plan was
to go and meet
and spend a week together
in Canada.
That first night that
they didn't come back
when they were supposed to,
you know,
I wasn't overly alarmed.
Three world-renowned
mountain climbers
are believed to be dead
after an avalanche
in Banff National Park.
Parks Canada says officials
immediately flew over the area
and saw signs
of multiple avalanches
along with debris,
including climbing equipment.
They do not know exactly when
they will be able to recover
the bodies...
[]
[Hadley]
It felt like
the ground fell away.
The flight I took
to recover the body
was the flight
that I had originally
booked to meet him.
[]
[Hadley]
Thousands of people showed up
to say their own goodbyes.
There you go,
there it is, there it is.
Use both, use both.
[Hadley] After David died,
I spent one year never sleeping
more than four hours.
[physiotherapist] Bam, bam, bam.
[]
[Hadley]
I processed my grief through
moving in the mountains.
I processed everything through
moving in the mountains.
Because I couldn't control
the emotional pain,
I countered that by creating
more pain, a controllable pain.
The burn in your lungs
or the burn in your muscles,
creating more pain.
You can survive a lot.
[]
[]
[Bastien]
It takes a lot of time to train
for the Ultra Traverse.
To do it in less than 24 hours
would be the first.
Most people do it in seven days.
[]
[Bastien]
It feels good to feel alone
in these remote places.
You're so close to the sky.
It's kind
of a spiritual pilgrimage.
[]
[Marie]
I met Bastien during a hike.
And we went paragliding
the second day we met.
And all our dates after that
were all about sports
in the mountains.
And sometimes the mountain
is just unfair.
[indistinct chatter]
[Bastien]
I like to compete in ski
mountaineering as an athlete.
And when I discovered
this sport,
it was like a perfect mix
of all the things I love.
The Pierra Menta
is the Tour de France
of ski mountaineering.
So it's a very good training
for The Ultra Traverse.
It's the biggest race
in the season,
so you need to be very focused.
The tracks are very technical,
very dangerous.
[man 1 speaks French]
[announcer 2 speaks French]
[crowd cheers]
[]
[indistinct shouting
in background]
[]
[cheering]
[bells ringing]
[indistinct commentary
in background]
[man 2] Bravo!
[Bastien] Finished in the top
10.
I couldn't imagine
to achieve this.
I'm really happy with this.
[crowd cheers]
[Marie speaks French]
[indistinct chatter in French]
[]
[Hadley]
The conditions are pretty
challenging right now,
because there's either
wind-crusted snow
or sun-crusted snow
or no snow at all.
With such bad conditions,
I've just wondered,
am I making the wrong choice?
Dependable snow all season long
hasn't existed in recent years.
You realize how much
is dependent
on what the climate
is doing around you.
[grunts]
[Hadley]
I don't know what the fear
is of just saying,
"There's climate change,
and it's real,
and it's happening here.
And it's not just happening over
the course of people's lifetimes
but right now."
It's not the nicest.
[pants]
[Hadley] Yeah.
[indiscernible speech]
[shudders, chuckles]
[wind howling]
[Hadley] Oh, hey.
[pants]
Oh wow, hello.
Nice?
[Hadley]
Yeah, this is so beautiful.
[Johanna] You see Mont Blanc,
the one in the middle.
[Hadley] It's amazing.
That's where it is.
[wind howling]
[]
[Hadley]
This is a good test to see
how the knee feels with
what looks like very firm snow.
If my knee feels good
on firm snow,
it's one step further
in the process.
[Johanna] Ciao.
[]
[cheering]
[Johanna] That was good.
[Hadley] Yeah, it was great.
[Hadley chuckles]
[Johanna]
I think we're going to get
powder turns down there.
- [Hadley] You think so?
- [Johanna] Oh, I think so.
[]
[Hadley]
When I ski, I feel all these
different emotions.
The mountains, just because
of their level of danger,
force you to be engaged
and focused.
Because if you're half engaged,
it just simply won't work.
There's potential for an
accident is that much higher.
[]
[Hadley] That was nice.
[Johanna] Nice, nice.
[]
[Hadley]
I wrestle with the risk
that I take.
And before David passed,
it never really hit me
how dangerous what I do is.
And now I'm just aware
of a network of men
and women that have lost
their partners in the mountain.
I was in Chamonix the other day
and there was four of us
eating lunch
and three of us had lost
the love of our lives
to the mountains.
It would be foolish of me
not to think
of what I do as really risky.
It simply is.
Before the risk was
worth the reward
to be in the present moment,
to really feel like myself.
There's nothing
that can match that.
But what becomes really tricky
with the changing climate
is that I can't control
the risk.
And I need to look
at the consequences.
[man 3] You think we got
everything we need?
[Hadley]
Well, if we don't, we have
everything we don't need.
[laughs]
[]
[Hadley]
The greatest risk
in working with snow
is it all coming down on you.
If current trends stay,
the mountains
will only become more dangerous.
And what I do will only become
more dangerous
because the snowpacks
are more unstable
with crazier weather.
It's really hard to predict what
the snow will do.
[]
[Hadley]
The temperature variation
is changing so much
and so quickly.
If I was really honest
with myself,
I wouldn't be skiing this week.
Let's get these monsters
off the back.
[Jake] Yeah.
[jake grunts]
[]
[Hadley]
There's just a lot of energy
in the snowpack
and so small things can become
big things quite quickly.
I mean, you've got
a lot more experience
with this than I have.
It's going to be tricky.
As you can see,
it's what's releasing the snow
everywhere else.
[Jake] Hm.
[Hadley]
The shallower it is,
the weaker it is,
and the more prone you are
to hitting this spot.
[Jake] The more likely it is
to trigger.
[Hadley] Yeah, sure.
[Jake] And the trouble
with these kind of lines is...
No margin for error.
[]
[Hadley]
We're camping in the hope that
we'll be early on something.
[]
[Hadley]
The struggle right now
is I feel mentally
and physically ready to ski,
but there's not
the opportunity to do so.
There's like
this constant soundtrack
of the glaciers moving
and rockfall coming down.
Really feel like
you're on the front lines
of nature changing
and climate changing.
[]
[Hadley]
And what level of danger
am I willing to accept
to ski in Chamonix?
[]
[speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[man 4 speaks French]
[Bastien]
[Bastien] Bastien and I
have the same name
We like the same things.
And it was obvious then that
Bastien was a good person to...
to do this project.
He's a really good alpinist
and also a really good friend.
[laughs]
[speaks French]
[laughs]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[chuckles]
[Bastien]
[Lardat speaks French]
[]
Bastien told me that um...
that he... he wouldn't
do the Traverse, because like
the conditions are real,
real too bad.
And the...
and the conditions are scary.
So he doesn't say that...
that many times.
[Lardat speaks French]
[speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
Yes.
[Marie] When he told me that,
I realized that
how risky it would be.
He wants this so much.
It's just a bit scary sometimes
when I think about it.
[]
[man 5]
With Stephane,
it was just like fun
and happiness.
[]
[]
[Kilian]
[Marie]
Bastien never really talked
about the details
of this accident.
We don't really talk
about the risks.
That would make me
very scared and anxious.
I just try
to not think about it.
[Killian]
[]
[wind howling]
[Hadley]
The problem with skiing
in the mountains,
where it's not controlled
and there's risk of avalanche
is that even
when you make poor decisions,
a lot of the times,
the consequence
isn't negative.
You'll have a really good day.
You'll ski a really cool line.
And you start to do that
too much,
where you're
making these decisions
that are a little bit
on the line,
but getting away with it,
gives you this false confidence
that you're in control,
that you know the mountains
well enough that
you're making smart decisions.
I'm very aware of the risk
that's associated
with just a little bit of snow
coming off the mountain
It makes me question like,
"Am I going to kill
myself here?"
[rumbling in back]
[Jack] Holy shit.
[phone clicks]
[Hadley] There you go.
That has been what
we've been seeing all day.
[]
[Hadley]
I think saying no is important.
For me,
it's a game of longevity.
You can only prepare so much.
You can only take
so many avalanche classes.
You can only read the weather
so many times.
I don't think
I can control the risk
as much as I thought I could.
[]
[speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Marie speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[Marie speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
The conditions are not the best
as they imagined
because everything is melting.
[Lardat speaks French]
[Marie speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Marie speaks French]
Even his boxers.
[speaks French]
[laughing]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien] Yes.
[Lardat speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[chuckles]
[speaks French]
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[speaks French]
- Yeah, yeah.
- All right, go.
[]
[Hadley] After David passed, it
was very much about me hiding
and resetting.
Yet when I am in the mountains,
part of my motivation is him.
Should we go?
And it gives me a feeling
of comfort.
Because if I'm not climbing
or skiing stuff that I know
he would love doing,
I feel like
I'm not honoring him.
What's nice about Chamonix
is if the skiing isn't good,
there is still so much
climbing to do.
And the key to knowing
that I'm back as a skier
is being able to climb up
the mountain, get to the top.
And not be overwhelmed
by the fear or the flashbacks.
[]
Doing stuff
when it's still dark,
it feels like
you've stolen hours out of life.
Stars are out.
It's quite a beautiful morning.
[David] All is good, Hadley?
[Hadley] Yeah.
The mountain goat,
he doesn't like to stop.
It's going to be a day
where I'm going
to test my lung capacity.
Because that guy does
not like to be standing still.
[]
[David]
[Hadley] So cold.
[grunts]
[Hadley] So cold.
[David] It is.
[Hadley] Holy moly.
I don't know why,
but it feels good
to look at the same view
that David saw.
I feel like when I'm here,
in a way he's here with me.
I'm below.
Oh my God.
Hands.
Holy shit.
Mother.
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[panting]
[wind howling]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien] Okay.
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[grunts]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
Ooh.
[]
[David speaking indistinctly]
[Hadley] Okay.
[David] Okay?
[Hadley] Yeah.
Totally fine.
[panting]
[]
[panting]
[Hadley] Oh man.
[]
[Hadley] I'm losing my glove.
[David] Oh!
[Hadley] Holy shit.
Fuck.
Hands.
[]
- [Hadley] Oh.
- [David] Doing okay.
[sighing]
[Hadley] Fuck.
[panting]
[David] Good job.
Yeah.
[grunts]
- [Hadley] Holy shit.
- [David] Okay.
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[panting]
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[both sigh]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[speaks French]
Come on, let's go.
[Lardat] Woah!
[Bastien whistles, shouts]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[phone ringing]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien] You are so tired that,
it's really difficult
to keep calm.
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
[thuds]
[grunts]
[Lardat panting]
[]
[David] Once we're down
and then we're getting there.
[Hadley] It's hard to tell
how far you have gone
and how you have to go.
You just reach up,
feel something really nice
to pull up on.
[panting]
[Hadley] Oh, man!
Did you just use the rope
the whole way?
[David]
[Hadley] On this?
Okay.
There's always a moment
nearly every time I'm
in the mountains,
I'm outside of my comfort zone.
It's trusting that there will
always be something to grab.
[panting]
[Hadley] And the only option
is to keep going.
[David] Woah, woah, woah, woah.
[Hadley]
You think it's just
going to get colder?
[David]
[Hadley]
Well, let me just put
my jacket on then.
Oh man, that feels better.
[David]
[laughs]
[David]
[Hadley] Okay.
[David]
Ooh.
[]
[Hadley]
When I think of David,
what triggers me the most
is that he missed out
on so much.
He believed in me so much
and I want to make use
of that belief.
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien] When you're pushing so
hard so far from outside help,
small things
can turn into big things
and then you have a problem.
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[grunts]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[phone ringing, beeps]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Marie speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Marie speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[grunts]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[]
[]
[David]
[Hadley] Okay
[David] Okay?
[pants]
[]
[Hadley] We found a tree
Wow.
[Hadley grunts]
[David] Get in there.
Yay!
[grunting]
[cheers]
[mimics explosion]
[Hadley]
I don't think mountains
are there for me to conquer.
It's more of an internal fight.
And I feel like I have made
some really big steps forward.
[sighs]
[sniffles]
[]
When I said
I want to do something,
he was always super supportive,
because he knew
I'm like kind of stubborn
and like to set goals
that are probably too big
for my feet.
I would always have him
in my corner.
Whether, he's here or like not.
And that doesn't really go away
just because he's gone.
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[Marie grunts]
[speaks French]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Marie speaks French]
[laughing]
[Lardat speaks French]
[Bastien speaks French]
[laughs]
[indistinct chatter in French]
[speaks French]
[Marie speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[speaks French]
[laughing]
[indistinct chatter in French]
[Bastien] I'd like to try again.
To try to do it even faster.
Unfortunately, Mont Blanc
is changing so quickly.
It's likely going to be more
and more difficult
to do the traverse
in the future.
With the changes
in our environment,
it's going to be harder
to find the right time
and the right conditions.
Perhaps that means I don't get
another chance.
[]
[Hadley]
I feel this turning
of a corner where it's not just
about suffering and trying hard.
It's also about lightness
and having fun.
What I think Chamonix brought
out of me
is that
I actually really love my life.
And it is not worth it to me
to end it early.
These mountains have brought me
to a place in my life
where I want to continue to live
and continue to flourish.
And it's hard
to see them disappearing,
because it also means that
they're disappearing
for everybody else.
I've had these dreams of
this high white mountain to ski.
But while I didn't get
to prove that I'm ready,
knowing that I'm ready
is close enough.
I'm in a place
where I feel whole.
[]