Their slow start made me think this would be another documentary about compromises and overcoming adversity. Pleased to say the hike was about the trail first but with enough personal interaction to make it feel warm. Only misrepresentation is the hot springs--it is awesome after a long hiking day!! And the next day up to Wallace Junction is harder than they portrayed. They deserve credit for making it to the top of Whitney with the temptation to just head down from Trail Junction. Interesting they didnt talk about how difficult the 6000 foot down hill from top of Whitney after they had done so much.
5 Reviews
Beautiful Film!!
maveteto22 January 2019
If you have, are considering, or have interest in the High Sierra Trail, then this film is a must see! We were lucky enough to see it at the Switchback Showcase. The filming and narration are simply amazing, especially considering that Chris, the creator carried all the equipment on his back the entire trip, sacrificing a lot of food and many comforts!
Incredible!!!
christopherhweaver19 June 2018
I just finished watching this with my two kids who will be hiking the HST with me next week. It was wonderful to be able to watch a documentary about the trail we would be hiking. The best part was it actually held my two teenagers attention. They set down their phones about 5 minutes into it and didn't pick them back up. I loved the way the weaved in historical stories and information about the trail as they told the story of their hike. I wish there were more films like this about some of the trails I've hiked.
Informative but irritating!
skiesofblue5320 August 2023
Loving the Sierras the way that I do I ordered up this film after hearing about it. While I enjoyed the information and history that was shared I found the presentation mostly not to my liking. It's very fast paced, more like a short YouTube video, cramming in much information that is hard to catch. The type of music accompaning this and many contemporary films is very off-putting. The pounding rock music completely ruins the beauty and majesty of the scenery and has no connection for me to the feeling of being amongst those mountains. It actually frustrated me. Not what a film about this place should do.
Sadly director and hiker Chris Smead lived up to his stated reputation of being quite irritating.
I love the Sierras and have hiked many trails but unfortunately I did not like this film.
Sadly director and hiker Chris Smead lived up to his stated reputation of being quite irritating.
I love the Sierras and have hiked many trails but unfortunately I did not like this film.
Funny, Educational and Very Entertaining
EmmaMassick18 June 2018
I didn't know that I could learn so much and laugh so hard AT THE SAME TIME. Chris has a way with storytelling (although he may need to improve his gimble skills). I loved the way that this story was told. It was fun, energetic, and packed full of great information about the High Sierra Trail! Before watching this film, I had never heard of the High Sierra Trail before, and now I want to go hike it! This film is unique in its storytelling style, the personalities of Chris and John really shine through. I'll definitely be watching it again!
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
