Before I start my rant, I do want to say this is a good watch and for any experienced mountaineers, adventurers and those alike will really enjoy it. The whole idea of what they set out to do was really interesting, but extremely stupid, too. At times, I found this to be a hard watch because of how infuriating the whole thing became. It was obvious from the start they were doomed and all comes down to their leader, Brian Thompson.
Here's the gist of the doc. Brian Thompson wants to recreate a mountain climbing adventure taken by 2 people, Don and Phillis Munday and 4 other friends. Not only does Brian want to take the same path, he also wants to use the same kind of equipment and food eaten by the 6 adventurers. Brian assembles a team of 5 other people to come along on the trek. All are pretty experienced mountaineers, but it quickly becomes apparent Brian was thinking more about recreating the adventure than the reality of recreating the adventure. Using the same kind of equipment and food becomes problematic early on. Not only that, no one really thought about the differences in being a 1920's mountaineer and 21st century mountaineer. People from the 1920's are experienced with the equipment from their time period. Having years of experience using the tools, and everything else. The lack of knowledge and understanding how this equipment was going to be like on the trip for 21st century mountaineers is extremely annoying to watch. It should have been tested out first on a small expedition. That way they would know what they would be getting themselves into and be prepared for the reality of the equipment.
Secondly, no one really thought about what it would be like to be someone from the 21st century and knowing things could be easier for them if they were using 21st century tools and food. Don and Phillis knew nothing else, but 1920's. There wasn't an easier way to do things for them. Them also having better knowledge of 1920's equipment already meant it would have been an easier trek for them compared to people just learning how to use it. Hand a 40 year old person a phone from 1990 and it would be second nature to them. Hand the same phone to a 15 year old and tell them they can only use it for the next month. It's a familiar object, yet completely foreign to them. The reality of being limited by older technology is frustrating and how technology has change the landscape becomes very obvious. Where as for the 40 year old, that reality is something they lived and can adapt to far easier than the 15 year old. It's the same thing for these 6 people. They know what is to be a mountaineer, but not a 1920's mountaineer. And don't get me started on making their equipment from pictures and not schematics. Talk about stupidity. Yes, lets go on a 30 day trek using pictures of the Munday groups equipment to make our equipment. It just goes to show how much Brian was more concerned on re-creation than how things were going to be for them. He spends so much time trying to recreate some parts, but guess on others, okay? Let's see how that goes. On wait...
At some point during the trip, Brian's lack of leadership, lack of flexibility and lack of planning and having his head in the clouds hinders the group. The farther along they go, the worse everything gets and Brian is solely to blame. At a time when he needs to be adaptable, he's not. When he needs to listen to others, he doesn't. When he needs to relinquish control, he won't. His head is in the clouds and reality only seems to matter when trying to make his trip work how he wants it to. They lose their 2 best men very early on into the trek. Brian and the other 3 continue on without them. 2 of the members do their best to make things work and don't seem too bothered with Brian's lack of leadership, but for Joe it takes a toll on his mental heath. No one will listen to his ideas even though he's the best mountaineer left in the group. Even after displaying his abilities for weeks with the group, his ideas go in one ear and out the other. Weeks of doing things the hardest way possible eats away at him. Joe is thinking about the reality of the situation and has no choice otherwise because of Brian. Joe should have become the leader of the group at some point. It probably would have been a much happier trip for Joe if some of his ideas were used and respected, but Brian wanted things his way.
The whole thing kinda feels like one big joke. For awhile there I thought I was watching a comedy and in some ways it is. You can't take this too seriously and enjoy it for the comedy of errors it truly is.
Here's the gist of the doc. Brian Thompson wants to recreate a mountain climbing adventure taken by 2 people, Don and Phillis Munday and 4 other friends. Not only does Brian want to take the same path, he also wants to use the same kind of equipment and food eaten by the 6 adventurers. Brian assembles a team of 5 other people to come along on the trek. All are pretty experienced mountaineers, but it quickly becomes apparent Brian was thinking more about recreating the adventure than the reality of recreating the adventure. Using the same kind of equipment and food becomes problematic early on. Not only that, no one really thought about the differences in being a 1920's mountaineer and 21st century mountaineer. People from the 1920's are experienced with the equipment from their time period. Having years of experience using the tools, and everything else. The lack of knowledge and understanding how this equipment was going to be like on the trip for 21st century mountaineers is extremely annoying to watch. It should have been tested out first on a small expedition. That way they would know what they would be getting themselves into and be prepared for the reality of the equipment.
Secondly, no one really thought about what it would be like to be someone from the 21st century and knowing things could be easier for them if they were using 21st century tools and food. Don and Phillis knew nothing else, but 1920's. There wasn't an easier way to do things for them. Them also having better knowledge of 1920's equipment already meant it would have been an easier trek for them compared to people just learning how to use it. Hand a 40 year old person a phone from 1990 and it would be second nature to them. Hand the same phone to a 15 year old and tell them they can only use it for the next month. It's a familiar object, yet completely foreign to them. The reality of being limited by older technology is frustrating and how technology has change the landscape becomes very obvious. Where as for the 40 year old, that reality is something they lived and can adapt to far easier than the 15 year old. It's the same thing for these 6 people. They know what is to be a mountaineer, but not a 1920's mountaineer. And don't get me started on making their equipment from pictures and not schematics. Talk about stupidity. Yes, lets go on a 30 day trek using pictures of the Munday groups equipment to make our equipment. It just goes to show how much Brian was more concerned on re-creation than how things were going to be for them. He spends so much time trying to recreate some parts, but guess on others, okay? Let's see how that goes. On wait...
At some point during the trip, Brian's lack of leadership, lack of flexibility and lack of planning and having his head in the clouds hinders the group. The farther along they go, the worse everything gets and Brian is solely to blame. At a time when he needs to be adaptable, he's not. When he needs to listen to others, he doesn't. When he needs to relinquish control, he won't. His head is in the clouds and reality only seems to matter when trying to make his trip work how he wants it to. They lose their 2 best men very early on into the trek. Brian and the other 3 continue on without them. 2 of the members do their best to make things work and don't seem too bothered with Brian's lack of leadership, but for Joe it takes a toll on his mental heath. No one will listen to his ideas even though he's the best mountaineer left in the group. Even after displaying his abilities for weeks with the group, his ideas go in one ear and out the other. Weeks of doing things the hardest way possible eats away at him. Joe is thinking about the reality of the situation and has no choice otherwise because of Brian. Joe should have become the leader of the group at some point. It probably would have been a much happier trip for Joe if some of his ideas were used and respected, but Brian wanted things his way.
The whole thing kinda feels like one big joke. For awhile there I thought I was watching a comedy and in some ways it is. You can't take this too seriously and enjoy it for the comedy of errors it truly is.
