Climb Mount Everest through virtual reality

Posted by Anita Froneman on 6 March 2020

Summiting Mount Everest is no easy feat, and many experienced climbers have died trying. One adventure photographer has made it possible for those who won’t get around to climbing the highest mountain in the world, but want to experience its majesty up-close and personal.

Renowned cameraman Jonathan Griffith created a documentary specifically for virtual reality headsets. Everest VR: Journey to the Top of the World was made possible by following a Nepalese climber attempting a no-bottled-oxygen ascent of the mountain, according to Metro.uk.

View this post on Instagram

Two years ago I came up with the crazy idea to Live Stream and shoot a 3D Virtual Reality Film of Ueli Steck climbing the Mt Everest – Mt Lhotse traverse. It’s been without a doubt the most ambitious production I have ever tried to put together, but I’m excited to be shooting Ueli’s climbing partner Sherpa Tenji attempt to finish off what Ueli had started, and in his style. For me it’s about honouring the memory of one of my closest friends and bringing the Nepalese climbing community to the main stage. You can follow us on National Geographic channels @natgeoadventure as well as right here as we share you images, 360 content, and a Live Stream of the entire traverse. Wish us luck and good weather!

A post shared by Jonathan Griffith (@jongriffithphotography) on

The series consists of three episodes and was made with the assistance of Oculus, a Facebook-owned virtual-reality (VR) company.

‘I’ve taken cameras to places that humans have never stepped foot on before and brought back images and stories from some of the harshest locations on this planet,’ Griffith says on his website. ‘We’ve only just scratched the surface when it comes to VR and its huge potential —  it’s something that I am working passionately on with various clients across different business sectors to create new and compelling VR stories and documentaries.’

Watch a snippet of the series here:

You will, of course, need a VR headset to watch the series. If you do have one, find the series here.

Image: Instagram

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