EOFT 18/19

Chamonix, France. Here, steep and challenging descents await Victor de le Rue and Pierre Hourticq. Whether on a snowboard or skis, narrow crevasses, vast icefields, and wind speeds of up to 60 km/h might not sound inviting but actually the fun is just getting started! And because there is still time to build a kicker, a shovel is a necessary part of these guys' freeride equipment.

Axel Heiberg Island is Canada's seventh largest island and lies north of the Arctic Circle. In winter, it is cloaked in total darkness and completely blanketed by snow and ice. But when the sun rises again, the island flourishes, revealing its rocky landscape crisscrossed by mighty glaciers and offering the most spectacular mountain bike terrain. It’s no wonder Darren Berrecloth, Carson Storch, Cam Zink, and Tom van Steenbergen can't resist the endless descents.

There are times when a mountaineering expedition turns into an absolute nightmare—even if you reach the summit and sometimes because of it. Fortunately, our two stalwart mountaineers are unaware of what lies ahead of them on this tour. They wordlessly fight their way through snow and ice but never lose sight of their target, even through the thickest fog and falling rocks. Just as the summit photo op comes into view, their expedition takes an unexpected turn. Viacruxis is a thoughtfully animated stop-motion film about the obstacles one must face on the mountain— big and small.

'Mbuzi Dume' is Swahili and means 'strong goat'. It's the nickname given to Tom Belz on his Kilimanjaro climb by his African mountain guide. The difference is that this 'strong goat' has climbed the mountain not on four but on three legs; more precisely—on one leg and two crutches. Tom's left leg was amputated when he was just eight years old, and since then, he has perfected his technique on crutches. Nevertheless, until recently, he wouldn't have dreamed of travelling to Kilimanjaro and experiencing a sunrise at an altitude of 5895 metres, and he certainly would not have imagined that he'd be sharing this adventure with Dr. Klaus Siegler, the man who saved his life 23 years ago. For both men, climbing Kilimanjaro symbolises the challenges in life that everyone must surmount.

In July 2016, the paraglider Antoine Girard set off on a three-week hike-and-fly tour to explore the Karakorum mountains in Pakistan—alone. From the town of Skardu, he heads for the highest peaks of the Karakorum mountain range. The Frenchman has already twice failed in his attempts to climb the 8,051-meter-high Broad Peak and paraglide from the summit down into the valley. Now, his hope is that the upwinds will carry him and his chute to the summit—and possibly beyond. If he succeeds, he will set a new altitude record in paragliding, but the air is thin between the 8,000-meter peaks, and take-offs and landings are extremely tricky. Especially when you only have one person to rely on—yourself.

In 1988, Raimonds Dombrovskis began the longest training run of his biathlon career. Accompanied by his dog, Bucis, and a VW Bulli full of equipment, he set out to cover 6,700 kilometers on rollerskis, from Canada’s far north to the Mexican border. The gravel roads are bumpy, the leggings are skintight, and the outcome of the project is highly uncertain. But the winds of change are blowing—not only in the streets of North America but also in Raimonds’s Latvian homeland. He is convinced that the collapse of the Soviet Union is imminent. His dream is to compete for the Latvian (not the Soviet!) biathlon team at the next Olympic Winter Games... but first, he has to make it to Mexico.