The Wasatch Range offers a majestic mountainscape beloved by hikers, skiers and mountain bikers alike. Nestled into its foothills, Summit Creek offers year-round access to this awe-inspiring wilderness playground. If you’re looking for a tried-and-true way to spark your wanderlust, these mountain-centric documentaries will inspire you to explore the incredible mountain setting in your own backyard.

Meru

Situated 21,000 feet above the Ganges River in Northern India, Mount Meru is one of the world’s toughest—and most irresistible—mountains to climb. In 2008, a trio of world-class alpinists embarked on what turned out to be a nearly three-week-long ill-fated excursion that brought them within 100 meters of the elusive peak. In 2011, they returned to India in a heart-pounding attempt to become the first climbers in the world to summit the mountain. Brimming with danger and determination, Meru will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. 

180 Degrees South

This 2010 documentary follows adventurer Jeff Johnson on his pilgrimage from Ventura, California to Patagonia, Chile as he retraces a 1968 trip that Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and North Face founder Doug Tompkins took. Johnson sailed, surfed and climbed his way to Chile, where he attempted to climb the Corcovado Volcano before turning back 200 feet from the summit due to safety concerns.

Free Solo

Alex Honnold has long been one of the best rock climbers in the world, but in 2017 he cemented his status as an international icon by becoming the first person to free solo climb El Capitan, a 3,200-foot vertical rock façade in Yosemite National Park. Free Solo, a suspenseful film that won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2019, gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at Alex’s daring journey to climb the rock formation without any ropes. His successful summit was ultimately hailed as one of the greatest athletic achievements of all time.