Everest Filmmakers Rappel Down West Hollywood Billboard

Chin and Morrison climbed to the top of a building on West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip and rappelled down an advertisement for their National Geographic documentary. Morrison carried skis on his back during the descent. The film opened at 551 theaters, including IMAX locations, on October 30.

The documentary follows Morrison’s effort to ski down Everest’s North Face, a dangerous route he completed in four hours. The project originally centered on a plan involving Morrison and his life partner, ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson. Nelson died in an avalanche in Nepal in September 2022 while skiing during a climbing trip with Morrison.

After her death, Morrison experienced depression before deciding to continue toward the goal they had shared. Chin said he stayed in contact with Morrison as he grieved. Director Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi described the filmmakers’ challenge as finding a way to honor Nelson while supporting Morrison through the undertaking.

Morrison said the billboard rappel brought back memories of being on steep terrain with Chin, who had filmed him on Everest. He described the actual ski descent as demanding intense concentration, with a mistake potentially fatal. He said completing the journey also allowed the team to honor Nelson and keep her story alive.

Chin said he was drawn to the project because it combines an intimate human story with a chance to show audiences Everest in a new way. The documentary premiered at the Venice Film Festival and also screened at Telluride and Toronto before its theatrical release.