Descent Movies

On September 28th, 1903, the Urban Mountaineering Expedition, headed by Frank Ormiston-Smith, left Zermatt to attempt the conquest of the Matterhorn....

Four roped men descend through the seracs of the Mer de Glace. One of them falls and has to be hoisted. The shot belongs to a collection of scenes...

An official training film from the War department. In April 1942, a detail of five enlisted men and two officers, Capt. Paul Lafferty and Lt. John...

1904, cinematography by Frank Ormiston-Smith.

Shot in 1941, this black-and-white instructional film (featuring actor Alan Ladd) serves as a veritable time capsule on the history of the sport,...

1904, cinematography by Frank Ormiston-Smith.

Four experienced mountaineers climb the three floors of the Eiffel Tower through the pillars of the building. A police officer, overwhelmed by the...

A rock climbing in the Bavarian Allgäu Alps in Germany. The camera follows two mountaineers on a climb. We see all stages of the ascent, from...

Released in July of 1902. Produced by William Nicholas Selig.

An ascent of 'The Tooth' via the South-east Face. The film was made by Burge Bickford and Lyman Boyer. It features Jim Crooks leading Fred Beckey on...

A friend-arranged Valentines day party turns to chaos when the line between violence and romance blurs.

A film on mountain-climbing in Grand Teton National Park, Wyo. Glenn Exum, Virginia Garner, and Paul Petzoldt demonstrate mountaineering techniques...

Swiss documentary on the ascent of the Eiger by the Mitellegi ridge. After spending the night in the hut located 625 meters below the summit, two...