On October 15th, mountaineer Jim Morrison didn’t just climb the world’s highest peak—he redefined what’s possible on it. Morrison made history by becoming the first person to successfully ski down the North Face of Mount Everest, completing a four-hour descent described as the “most merciless ski run on Earth.”
Morrison’s feat took him down a terrifying 9,000-foot drop of snow, ice, and rock via the Hornbein Couloir—a line long considered the holy grail of extreme skiing. This monumental achievement, however, was about more than just breaking records; it was a deeply personal journey.
The entire adventure was planned with his late partner, the legendary ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson, to whom he dedicated the climb and descent after her tragic death in 2022 on nearby Manaslu. The emotional significance of the run—the culmination of a shared dream and a final tribute to his love—adds a profound layer of meaning to an already impossible-sounding accomplishment. At the summit, Morrison even paused to spread Hilaree’s ashes before clipping into his skis and making the historic drop.
Fortunately for us, this incredible, high-stakes climb and ski descent was captured by a film crew led by Oscar-winning directors Jimmy Chin and Chai Vasarhelyi (of Free Solo fame) for an upcoming National Geographic documentary.
A “First Look” teaser has just been released, and it is a truly visceral experience. It’s raw, unpolished, and underproduced—which works perfectly, allowing the sheer magnitude of Jim’s feat and the mountain’s terrifying scale to shine through. While details about the full film are scarce, the early footage confirms that this documentary will be an unforgettable look at one of the most audacious ski runs in human history.
Stay tuned for more updates on the National Geographic documentary chronicling this remarkable moment of loss, love, and living life on the steepest edge of Earth.
