Sandro Gromen Hayes

In 2019, Nepalese mountain climber Nirmal “Nims” Purja set out to do the unthinkable by climbing the world’s fourteen highest summits in less than seven months. (The previous record was eight years). He called the effort “Project Possible 14/7” and saw it as a way to inspire others to strive for greater heights in any pursuit. The film follows his team as they seek to defy naysayers and push the limits of human endurance.

Kristin Harila stunned the climbing community in 2023 when she set out to become the fastest person to summit the world’s 14 highest peaks. Alongside her climbing partner, Tenjen Lama Sherpa, she achieved what many believed impossible, summiting all 14 in just 92 days and halving the record held by Nims Purja. But, what should have been her greatest triumph became a reckoning. During the final ascent, Harila was accused of stepping over a dying porter, triggering a global backlash and fierce debate about ambition, ethics and who controls the narrative. Drawing on never‑before‑seen footage from K2, Savage Mountain unpacks the story behind the controversy.