Accidental Climber tells the story of Jim Geiger, a retired forest-worker, and amateur mountaineer from Sacramento, CA who at 68 years old, attempts to become the oldest American and first great grandfather to summit Mt. Everest. The film follows Jim as he embarks on a journey to transform from a weekend hiker to attempting one of the most extreme and physically demanding feats known to man. Driven by a desire to prove that age is just a number, Jim pushes his body to the limits, in a record-breaking quest to summit the world's tallest mountain. What ensued, however, was the worst disaster in mountaineering history, leaving sixteen climbers dead in a tragic avalanche and forever changing Jim's life.
Accidental Climber is currently available on Amazon Prime.
To hear my conversation with Steve Oritt (director), Jim Geiger (subject), and Greg Vernovage (expedition leader) press play on the embedded player below