Must Watch Movies & Shows For All Outdoor Junkies

Embark on thrilling journeys without leaving your couch! Dive into our curated list of must-watch outdoor and adventure movies and shows. These selections will transport you to breathtaking landscapes, challenge your limits, and ignite your passion for exploration. Get ready to be inspired by epic tales of survival, adventure, and the indomitable human spirit.

14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible

Nepalese climber, Nims Purja, the ‘Usain Bolt of 8,000 metre peaks’, as he attempts to become the fastest person to summit all 14 of the world’s highest mountains. The record to beat? 7 years. His target? 7 months. 

As well as following this incredible quest, the film also shines a light on the mistreatment of Sherpa climbers within Nepal in recent mountaineering history. Why, asks Nims, do Western mountaineers often neglect to even afford their fellow Nepalese climbers the dignity of being identified by their name in post-expedition reports? 

Lorena, Light-Footed Woman

This here is a cracking documentary about a long-distance runner called Lorena Ramírez, a young woman of the Rarámuri, a group of indigenous American people living in Chihuahua, Mexico. Amongst other things, the Rarámuri are well-known for their long-distance running abilities, something Lorena happens to excel at.

Directed by Juan Carlos Rulfo, the film follows Lorena’s daily life in the Sierra Tarahumara mountain range, along with her near-innate training rituals, and the ultramarathons she enters around the world. Aside from winning three of these marathons by the age of 22 – and, well, being astonishingly good at running – Lorena also happens to accomplish all of this in sandals. Yep. That’s right.

If you’re looking for motivation for a career in alpine sprinting or fell-running – this might be your sign.

Broad Peak

Broad Peak is based on the extraordinary life of Polish mountaineer and guide, Maciej Berbeka. Having accomplished – what he thought was – the first winter ascent of Broad Peak (8047m) in 1988, Maciej later learns he was 17 metres lower than the true summit. 25 years later, he returns to finish what he started.

With stunning cinematography and an all-immersive sound experience, this one’s pretty good at sticking to the facts while still continuing to keep you gripped. Though incredibly tense and harrowing in parts, there’s also tender moments littered throughout, and a nice bit of insight into Maciej himself.

The River Runner

This tale follows legendary kayaker Scott Lindgren as he sets out to become the first person ever to paddle four rivers that flow from Tibet’s Mount Kailash, the biggest rivers in the Himalayas. Though jaw-dropping in many points, The River Runner is also a deeply intimate portrait of Scott as he battles his inner demons, past traumas and struggles with his health.

No-doubt an unbelievably tough whitewater expedition; like a river, there are many unexpected twists and turns to this journey.

Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa

Lhakpa Sherpa’s life straddles two wildly disparate worlds. A dishwasher at a Whole Foods in Connecticut, she is also the first Nepali woman to climb Mount Everest and survive. Once forced to conceal her gender to pursue the sport she loves, Lhakpa and the current stages of her remarkable journey are chronicled in this film as she prepares for a tenth Everest summit, a new record for female mountaineers. In her low-altitude life in the United States, Lhakpa faces a gamut of challenges as an immigrant, a single mother of two teenage daughters and a survivor of spousal abuse. Throughout this inspiring and uplifting narrative, Lhakpa’s determination and indomitable spirit shine through. Hers is a true heroine’s story.

Everest

On the morning of May 10, 1996, climbers (Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin) from two expeditions start their final ascent toward the summit of Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. With little warning, a violent storm strikes the mountain, engulfing the adventurers in one of the fiercest blizzards ever encountered by man. Challenged by the harshest conditions imaginable, the teams must endure blistering winds and freezing temperatures in an epic battle to survive against nearly impossible odds.