Off the Edge (1976) - full transcript
(soft rock music)
- [Jeff] Well, it finally
came down to this.
We just had to
ski somewhere new.
Those worn out trails
and crowded slopes,
you never really feel the
presence of the mountains.
We wanted to rediscover
that dimension.
This was the experience
we were looking for.
Not just a physical sensation,
but the places these mountains
can take you in your mind.
We started out for the
mountains by driving,
but it just got a
little too rough,
so we hired some
horses from a farmer
and headed into the forest.
A subtropical rainforest.
Phew, was it damp in there.
300 hundred inches
of rain a year.
It was a little strange
to go skiing on horseback.
We'd never been skiing
in July, either,
but in New Zealand,
July is winter.
As we rode along, it
was hard to believe
the glacier lay only
a short distance away.
Then the air began to
get colder and heavier.
Like the glacier was
creepy towards us.
- Come on.
- It was eerie.
- [Blair] That a girl.
- [Jeff] We were
heading for Pioneer Hut.
A climber's shelter
about 8,000 feet up
in the mountain range.
(soft rock music)
We dreamed of what lay ahead.
The violent moods
of these mountains
suddenly felt close at hand.
(fire crackling)
(wind whistling)
We soon found that
camping out in the snow
was a bit different
from skiing it.
So we made an early start,
hoping to reach the
hut before nightfall.
(atmospheric guitar)
From now on, we knew
it was too steep,
even for the horses,
so we let 'em go in the meadow
where they'd have plenty to eat
and couldn't roam too far.
(horses clopping)
It's funny, just when you think
you finally got your pack
down to the bear necessities,
you throw it on your back
and you know you haven't.
After you've been
walking for a while,
you're ready to toss
almost anything out,
the clothes, the food, anything,
just to lighten the load.
(wind whistling)
Once we got into
the snow fields,
the skins really came in handy.
Sometimes zigzagging
across a slope
can trigger an avalanche,
but with the traction
from the skins,
we were able to pick out a
line and climb straight up.
(avalanche rumbling)
Wow, that was close enough.
That thing must have been the
size of a 10 story building.
It sure drove home
the farmer's warning
to stay in the middle of
the glacier on the way up.
(atmospheric keyboards)
Climbing is really monotonous.
My legs feel like rubber.
I could feel each breath.
Each heartbeat.
Gotta let my mind drift.
Just float up this hill.
The hut, at last.
What an adrenalin boost.
8,000 feet.
It looks like a
really narrow ridge.
God, what a place to put it.
It seems like a high wind
could just blow it away.
There could only be one reason
for this heavy double-door.
A hint of what might be coming.
(wind whistling)
Amazing how much snow it takes
to make enough water
to poach an egg.
The hut was kept up by
the National Park Service,
and they stocked with everything
a stranded climber might need,
including emergency
foot rations,
blankets, kerosene
lamps, cooking utensils,
medical supplies, a
shortwave radio, and a stove.
- [Blair] Too bad there
were no spare socks, Jeff.
You almost barbecued mine.
- [Jeff] Our first and our
last in the Pioneer Hut.
Should have asked the
farmer for the chicken.
(atmospheric music)
- [Blair] I wonder
if it'll slide?
Well if it does, we can
cut over to the rock bluff.
(soft rock music)
[Jeff] - Yeah, only
one way to find out.
Well, here it goes.
Come on, Blair, let's go!
A new challenge can
be a great teacher.
You can't find the sense
of freedom like this
until you meet
something entirely new,
and decide to do it based on
nothing but faith in yourself.
Before skiing down
that unmarked slope,
we weighed the consequences.
To make a choice like that,
you need to overcome your fear,
and when you do that,
huh, you're free.
- [Blair] Hang up there, Jeff!
- [Jeff] No way!
(snow crunching)
(atmospheric music)
Well it's true,
crowded trails were not for us.
- [Blair] Yeah, we
sure could have used
a ski lift after that run.
- [Jeff] Exhaustion's
a funny thing.
- [Blair] Well I'm glad
you think so, Jeff.
- [Jeff] You think you've
just about done yourself in.
- [Blair] Yeah, like then.
- [Jeff] But something
inside takes over,
and you go beyond that
and beyond that again.
- [Blair] Well, we'll see how
we feel about that tomorrow.
(wind whistling)
- [Jeff] Up here,
beyond the challenge
of getting down the
hill in one piece,
we never forgot the
presence of the mountain.
We were alone up here,
but not really.
The mountain was with us.
Sometimes friendly
and sometimes not.
So vast and unpredictable.
(atmospheric piano)
When I ski, I try
to reach a harmony
with my skies and the slope.
It's being on top
of the conditions
and anticipating
them just right.
And when I ski really well,
it can only be felt.
It's getting relaxed and
letting everything flow.
When I reach this state,
I'm more closely aware of
the changes in the mountain
than I am of my
skiing technique.
Just over the mountain
range lay the Tasman Sea.
Those ocean winds made for
some really cold mornings.
- [Blair] Oh, you said it.
Going to the John isn't like,
well, I guess I'll
stroll to the bathroom.
We had to walk out
around the hut,
and it's a sheer
drop on either side.
But it was a privilege doing it
in the highest outhouse
in New Zealand.
(wind whistling)
- [Jeff] Today, we
set out for a slope
a couple of miles
north of the hut,
hoping for some nice and
easy figure-eighting.
The greatest challenge
in these mountains
was the inconsistency
of the snow.
(chuckling) I'd call
it the art of recovery.
The conditions were
always changing.
One moment we'd sail
along on powdered snow
and then we'd hit
breakable crust,
and just when we'd gotten
it together on that,
a drop in the slope would
send us to glacial ice.
Sometimes we'd come
across these changes
on our way up a slope,
but the terrain was so vast,
it was impossible to remember
them all on the ski down.
(snow crunching)
(atmospheric guitar)
- [Blair] Oh, whoa, Jeff,
do you remember this slope?
- [Jeff] Yeah, how
could I forget?
That had to be the
largest slope we ever saw.
Remember when you
were halfway down?
I could hardly see ya.
You would have to
ski it nonstop.
If I'd only known how long
that slop was gonna be,
I wouldn't have started
figure-eighting your tracks.
I didn't wanna blow
it by stopping.
- [Blair] What do you mean?
You didn't cross
the last turn, Jeff.
- [Jeff] Thanks, Blair.
They can see that.
Like the man said, when
you're hot, you're hot,
and when you're not, you're not.
I guess it wasn't
Blair's day either.
(upbeat rock music)
(Blair gasping)
(snow crunching)
(wind whistling)
Trusting in our topo map
and calling it a day,
we skied down to one of
New Zealand's hot springs.
It's just like turning
the corner in a dream.
From glacial ice to a
hot bath in a swamp.
(upbeat rock music)
(Jeff and Blair screaming)
Eh, almost nothing smells
worse than hot sulfur springs.
Just like rotten eggs,
(chuckling) but we had a
way over overcoming that.
- [Blair] (laughing)
How ya doing, Jeff?
- [Jeff] Well, we spent
the rest of the day
in that cozy spot,
and that night in our old camp.
(atmospheric guitar)
It was always hard for us
to judge the vast distances,
but climbing put them
right into perspective.
I found my thoughts drifting
to the ease of hang gliding.
We fell into the hut at dusk.
Blair found a strange
area on the map,
(chuckling) but I didn't
have the energy to look.
(wind whistling)
He found a part of the glacier
that was carved out
like a petrified forest.
The immense pressure of
the glacier's movement
made the crumpled ice
look like huge waves
that had frozen just
before cresting.
And as the glacier moved,
maybe a foot and a half a day,
it groaned and crackled.
Kinda talked to us.
In-between these
pinnacles of ice
were deep cracks or crevices.
When enough snow falls,
it forms a bridge
over the cracks,
so you can't see them.
It's on these surfaces
that we were skiing.
It was really deceptive.
Not always what
it appeared to be,
but who could resist
a closer look?
(atmospheric music)
(snow crunching)
Have you ever been
so drawn to place
that you start into it
without even thinking?
You're curious,
kind of hypnotized,
and the adrenaline is pumping.
Then all of a sudden, you
look around and wonder,
whoa, what the hell
am I doing here?
My self-confidence had
approached overconfidence.
- [Blair] That's how
we both felt seeing
that open crevice
in front of us.
- [Jeff] Hey, look down there.
(soft rock music)
- [Blair] Boy, sure could
have used some shock absorbers
on those drops.
- [Jeff] Either that
or a new set of knees.
The bottom end of the glacier
was running out of soft snow.
We were kind of relieved to
get out of that weird place.
- [Blair] Weird?
- [Jeff] The next part
of that glacier proved
we didn't even know the
meaning of the word.
Miles of ice caves tunnel
through the glacier before us.
No one had ever
been there before,
and we sure found out why.
(wind whistling)
(snow crunching)
Whoa!
(laughing)
The whole area underneath
was a long, twisting
corridor of ice,
formed by the shifting
of the glacier.
Boulders had been stripped
away from the mountainside
by the glacier as it chiseled
its way down the valley.
And below those rocks,
there remained
3,000 feet of ice.
(snow crunching)
(water running)
We could hear a stream running
on the floor of the crevice
beneath us somewhere.
We weren't sure where
it was safe to walk
because we didn't know
how thick the ice sheet
was over the main stream.
It was like treading
a false bottom.
- [Blair] We found an
opening to the ice caves,
and entered a world
we never knew existed.
(mysterious music)
(water dripping)
(water splashing)
(water dripping)
(water flowing)
(water dripping)
(wind whistling)
Hey, a wave's forming.
A lenticular cloud.
Hmm, high winds.
- One, eight, Fox,
one, eight, Fox.
This is one, six, Pioneer.
This is one, six, Pioneer.
Do you copy, over?
(radio static)
Come on in one, eight, Fox.
This is one, six, Pioneer.
Do you copy, over?
(radio static)
Since we had no way
to predict how long
the static was gonna last,
we decided not to wait
for radio contact.
- [Blair] The weather
didn't look all that great,
but we figured we
had at least a day
before it would pack in.
- [Jeff] We skied
over the high ridges
to the south of the hut.
The snow was in such
perfect condition,
it was like gliding over silk.
The smoothest skiing
we'd ever known.
Then we crossed a
valley that separated us
from the mountain
we planned to ski.
(ominous music)
We should have taken a hint
of how careless we'd been
when we first noticed those
clouds spilling over the peaks.
We had a lot to learn
about mountain weather
on this small island.
(wind howling)
The wind kept gathering force
at an unbelievable rate.
Later we learned that
the funnel systems
roll off the Tasman Sea
with astounding speed.
By the time the winds
reach the mountain peaks,
their velocity can gust
to 200 miles an hour.
(wind howling)
At first I thought
those were clouds
hanging over the
mountains but they aren't,
that's tons of snow being lifted
off the peaks by the winds.
(wind howling)
Our choices had suddenly
narrowed to just one,
try to get back to the hut
before we were blown
off that mountain.
(wind howling)
(door clacking)
(wind howling)
Man, that was dumb move we made.
We should have taken a hint
from old Mother Nature.
That wind cloud was sure
trying to tell us something.
Well we were about to find out
just how strong those
steel beams and cables were
that latched the
hut to the rock.
(wind howling)
Marooned.
Our challenges went from
the physical to the mental.
From the mountain to ourselves.
It was hard to
focus on the game.
Inside, all we wanted was out.
That storm forced us to
deal with our thoughts
and to take stock of
our inner resources.
(wind howling)
(wind whistling)
(latch clacking)
(water splashing)
The storm clouds were still
hovering over the mountains,
but the winds died down to
a low moan after a week.
(scraper scraping)
- [Blair] Everything
was iced up.
Even the outhouse.
I couldn't get the door open.
Huh, forced me to
make other plans.
(Jeff screaming)
He's cracked.
Cabin fever's got him.
(Jeff screaming)
(Jeff and Blair laughing)
(Blair screaming)
(Jeff screaming)
(Blair screaming)
(soft rock music)
- [Jeff] We came across a cliff.
There seemed to be
no way around it.
We didn't wanna jump off it.
We wanted to ski down it.
So Blair checked to see
if the corners
were stable enough
to go right off the edge
without taking it with us.
(soft rock music)
Well, Blair managed
to leave it behind,
but I thought the whole thing
was coming down with me.
Blair was still
sure it was stable,
so we decided to try it again.
(upbeat rock music)
Are you ready?
- Yeah.
- [Jeff] Let's go.
- [Blair] Ya-hoo!
(atmospheric guitar)
- [Jeff] It was time
to get into the air.
We were leaving a few tracks
along that ridge
overlooking the Tasman Sea.
Tracks that will soon
be covered by snow.
It was for the moment,
except for the
changes in ourselves.
It was like we were never there.
Despite the weeks of
high meadow grazing,
we found the horses
in pretty good shape,
and set off for the farm
where we'd left our van
and the hang gliders.
We couldn't wait for the chance
to get into a whole
new dimension,
and no longer be bound by
the rules of the slope,
and hang gliding
makes it possible.
You detach yourself from
the anchor of the Earth.
When you're skiing,
it's hard to forget
about your body,
but gliding suspends
all your ground senses,
and you're as much like a
bird as you're ever gonna be.
- [Blair] Yeah, but
we're not birds.
Those wind changes can smash
us up against the mountainside.
And it's a calculated
risk to fly over
the same places we've skied.
- [Jeff] Yeah, but
we checked it out,
and we were gonna do it.
(soft rock music)
We found a gentle slope in the
foothills of the mountains.
Ideal for getting used
to the gliders again.
(wind whistling)
Hey, are we gonna
get off or not?
- [Blair] I don't know,
I never thought about
waxing for flying before.
- [Jeff] Blair, Blair,
nose down a little bit.
I think you're
catching too much air.
(atmospheric piano)
Because you can't see the air,
you constantly
anticipate its currents,
and you learn to adjust to it,
reading the signs from
the terrain around you.
The temptation on that
first glide was to go high.
Let it all out,
but we haven't
flown for some time,
so all we were really after
was to get our
feet off the ground
and get reacquainted
with the wind.
Basically, hang gliding
is weight shit control.
Shifting your body
around with the bar
to change direction.
It becomes instinctive
after a while.
But you should never take
anything for granted.
No place is as
unforgiving as the air.
(atmospheric piano)
(bird chirping)
(glider rustling)
(chuckling) Looking at Blair
trying to put his
glider up again,
reminded me of when we were
first learning how to fly.
(soft rock music)
Anticipation and
quiet excitement,
that's the atmosphere
around a hang gliding spot.
Especially when there
are lot of beginners.
There's plenty to do
and lots to learn,
and each one goes about
it in his own way,
and doing his own thing
as it gets closer
to take off time.
As in every sport,
you develop a kinship
with your equipment.
It's based not only on the need
to make sure your glider
is safely put together,
but also on the respect
you develop for it.
And besides, it's part
of your enjoyment.
- [Blair] Oh, sure,
but you always seem
to hassle with the harness.
See if the cables are tight.
Make sure the wind is right.
Check if the wings are level.
Clear your takeoff spot.
Try to keep your
nose into the wind.
Talk it over with the
person helping you.
There's so many other things.
- [Jeff] Yeah, but
it all pays off
when you finally
get it together.
You just can't wait to soar
and stay up there,
and not have to carry your kite
back up the hill all the time.
I wonder how many are
aware of those few,
preferably forgettable moments
that a lot of us go through
before ever getting
into the air.
(drum roll)
- [Man] Oh, oh!
(cymbals crashing)
(upbeat piano)
- [Man] Uh!
- [Man] Ah!
- [Man] Oh!
(women screaming)
- [Man] Oh!
- [Man] No, ooh!
(wind whistling)
- [Jeff] Well,
Blair, this is it.
- [Blair] (chuckling)
You said it.
No crashing or falling
off of this mountain.
- [Jeff] 10,000 feet.
- [Blair] What a rush.
- [Blair] I guess
there's only one way
to get our gliders up there.
(helicopter whirring)
- [Blair] Touch down!
- Thanks!
- [Blair] Yeah,
thanks, I mean it!
- [Jeff] All right,
a breath of wind.
I don't believe we're
really gonna do this.
Okay, let's see.
Untangle wires first.
God, my heart's beating fast.
Gotta calm down.
Breathe deep.
I wonder if Blair's
feeling like this?
Geez, I can't wait to
get off this mountain.
Can't rush it, though.
Easy does it.
God darn these king posts.
Wires are always tangled up.
Oh, we're wasting time.
I gotta check things out.
Get 'em right.
Like pecking a chute.
Gotta get it right.
No second chances on this.
First time around is it.
My hands are so cold.
Great, still no wind.
It sure makes it easier
to get this act together.
Yeah, wings come out real easy.
No problems.
Hope the flight
goes as smoothly.
Now the tag.
Come on fingers, move.
Okay, bolts in.
God, darn, the holes
are all swollen.
Now, almost there.
Finished.
240 square feet of sail
in a 30 foot wingspan.
It sure isn't much
use on the ground.
(wind whistling)
Our landing mark was a
lake about six miles away.
Now it was just a
question of getting there.
(soft rock music)
* Riding across
a mountain high *
* To a city, cowboys
reaching for the sky *
* Can't quite believe
the things they see *
* They cross the island moon
* Just being free
* As day comes rocking
'round the bend *
* One man is turning
saying to his friend *
* Say man, you're
moving way too fast *
* Just take it easy
* We'll make it last
* 5,000 feet, we're out at sea
* Glowing, this thing
has got the best of me *
* Can't quite control
the way I go *
* Once more, I'll keep high
* To catch the sun
* I am free to the sky
* Watch me sail
* Watch me fly
* And I think
* As I run
* And fly
* Watch a real bird fly
* Watch a real bird fly
* Do you see my old
friend over there *
* Watch as the wind goes
rushing through his hair *
* Watch as the light
shines in his eyes *
* My mind is traveling
* Reach up, we'll fly
* I am free
* Through the sky
* Watch me sail
* Watch me fly
* And I think
* As I run
* And fly
* Watch a real bird fly
* Watch a real bird fly
* Da, da, da, la, da, do
* La, la, da, da,
da, da, da, da *
* La, la, la, da, da, da
- [Blair] Get to the point.
- Blair.
- Hang left.
Look down there, animals.
- [Jeff] Yeah, those
are cool, aren't they?
Hey, let's follow them.
(soft rock music)
- [Blair] Let's move on.
I think we're scaring 'em.
- [Jeff] Once in the air,
my confidence came back.
The elation of
gliding, it's hypnotic.
Gotta be careful, though.
This free sensation
can be dangerous.
You become one with the glider
and sometimes
through this harmony,
you take too much for granted,
you forget where you really are,
and you drift.
It's like Icarus.
He got a little too close
to the sun drifting.
(wings flapping)
We were coming closer
to one of the most spectacular
glaciers of this whole area.
It was an magnificent ice fall
that appeared as if it were
cascading down the mountain.
Moving at a rate of
almost 12 feet a day,
it was broken up into
huge seracs and crevices
that gave it an awesome,
almost threatening look.
Although it was
obvious that stalling
or catching a wingtip
in a place like this
could be our last mistake,
we couldn't resist
flying over it.
(ominous music)
Almost as soon as we
entered the canyon,
we felt that
something was wrong.
It seemed as if we
had lost our lift,
and the gliders
were becoming mushy
and difficult to operate.
It wasn't long
before we realized
we were in a down draft,
which was pushing us lower,
much lower than we had
anticipated or cared to be.
I looked up at Blair,
and he was having
the same problem.
(ominous music)
We tried to fly
our way out of it,
but the down draft hung over us
like a giant umbrella.
We were desperate for anything.
A gust of wind, turbulence,
anything that might
lift us out of there.
(dramatic music)
We kept losing altitude
at an alarming rate.
We were getting closer to
the surface of the ice fall.
We could almost hear it
shifting and cracking.
(avalanche rumbling)
(suspenseful music)
(atmospheric music)
Yahoo!
- All is fine!
No way!
No way!
- [Jeff] Yahoo!
As we crossed that ridge,
the relief was incredible.
We were out and the
lake lay just ahead.
We will never
forget that flight.
The sensation of
sailing over places
where no one had ever been,
and our power of flight
coming only from the wind.
We were seeing that land
just as the birds see it.
Scoping it all out.
Just riding the wind.
(majestic music)
(soft rock music)
- [Jeff] Well, it finally
came down to this.
We just had to
ski somewhere new.
Those worn out trails
and crowded slopes,
you never really feel the
presence of the mountains.
We wanted to rediscover
that dimension.
This was the experience
we were looking for.
Not just a physical sensation,
but the places these mountains
can take you in your mind.
We started out for the
mountains by driving,
but it just got a
little too rough,
so we hired some
horses from a farmer
and headed into the forest.
A subtropical rainforest.
Phew, was it damp in there.
300 hundred inches
of rain a year.
It was a little strange
to go skiing on horseback.
We'd never been skiing
in July, either,
but in New Zealand,
July is winter.
As we rode along, it
was hard to believe
the glacier lay only
a short distance away.
Then the air began to
get colder and heavier.
Like the glacier was
creepy towards us.
- Come on.
- It was eerie.
- [Blair] That a girl.
- [Jeff] We were
heading for Pioneer Hut.
A climber's shelter
about 8,000 feet up
in the mountain range.
(soft rock music)
We dreamed of what lay ahead.
The violent moods
of these mountains
suddenly felt close at hand.
(fire crackling)
(wind whistling)
We soon found that
camping out in the snow
was a bit different
from skiing it.
So we made an early start,
hoping to reach the
hut before nightfall.
(atmospheric guitar)
From now on, we knew
it was too steep,
even for the horses,
so we let 'em go in the meadow
where they'd have plenty to eat
and couldn't roam too far.
(horses clopping)
It's funny, just when you think
you finally got your pack
down to the bear necessities,
you throw it on your back
and you know you haven't.
After you've been
walking for a while,
you're ready to toss
almost anything out,
the clothes, the food, anything,
just to lighten the load.
(wind whistling)
Once we got into
the snow fields,
the skins really came in handy.
Sometimes zigzagging
across a slope
can trigger an avalanche,
but with the traction
from the skins,
we were able to pick out a
line and climb straight up.
(avalanche rumbling)
Wow, that was close enough.
That thing must have been the
size of a 10 story building.
It sure drove home
the farmer's warning
to stay in the middle of
the glacier on the way up.
(atmospheric keyboards)
Climbing is really monotonous.
My legs feel like rubber.
I could feel each breath.
Each heartbeat.
Gotta let my mind drift.
Just float up this hill.
The hut, at last.
What an adrenalin boost.
8,000 feet.
It looks like a
really narrow ridge.
God, what a place to put it.
It seems like a high wind
could just blow it away.
There could only be one reason
for this heavy double-door.
A hint of what might be coming.
(wind whistling)
Amazing how much snow it takes
to make enough water
to poach an egg.
The hut was kept up by
the National Park Service,
and they stocked with everything
a stranded climber might need,
including emergency
foot rations,
blankets, kerosene
lamps, cooking utensils,
medical supplies, a
shortwave radio, and a stove.
- [Blair] Too bad there
were no spare socks, Jeff.
You almost barbecued mine.
- [Jeff] Our first and our
last in the Pioneer Hut.
Should have asked the
farmer for the chicken.
(atmospheric music)
- [Blair] I wonder
if it'll slide?
Well if it does, we can
cut over to the rock bluff.
(soft rock music)
[Jeff] - Yeah, only
one way to find out.
Well, here it goes.
Come on, Blair, let's go!
A new challenge can
be a great teacher.
You can't find the sense
of freedom like this
until you meet
something entirely new,
and decide to do it based on
nothing but faith in yourself.
Before skiing down
that unmarked slope,
we weighed the consequences.
To make a choice like that,
you need to overcome your fear,
and when you do that,
huh, you're free.
- [Blair] Hang up there, Jeff!
- [Jeff] No way!
(snow crunching)
(atmospheric music)
Well it's true,
crowded trails were not for us.
- [Blair] Yeah, we
sure could have used
a ski lift after that run.
- [Jeff] Exhaustion's
a funny thing.
- [Blair] Well I'm glad
you think so, Jeff.
- [Jeff] You think you've
just about done yourself in.
- [Blair] Yeah, like then.
- [Jeff] But something
inside takes over,
and you go beyond that
and beyond that again.
- [Blair] Well, we'll see how
we feel about that tomorrow.
(wind whistling)
- [Jeff] Up here,
beyond the challenge
of getting down the
hill in one piece,
we never forgot the
presence of the mountain.
We were alone up here,
but not really.
The mountain was with us.
Sometimes friendly
and sometimes not.
So vast and unpredictable.
(atmospheric piano)
When I ski, I try
to reach a harmony
with my skies and the slope.
It's being on top
of the conditions
and anticipating
them just right.
And when I ski really well,
it can only be felt.
It's getting relaxed and
letting everything flow.
When I reach this state,
I'm more closely aware of
the changes in the mountain
than I am of my
skiing technique.
Just over the mountain
range lay the Tasman Sea.
Those ocean winds made for
some really cold mornings.
- [Blair] Oh, you said it.
Going to the John isn't like,
well, I guess I'll
stroll to the bathroom.
We had to walk out
around the hut,
and it's a sheer
drop on either side.
But it was a privilege doing it
in the highest outhouse
in New Zealand.
(wind whistling)
- [Jeff] Today, we
set out for a slope
a couple of miles
north of the hut,
hoping for some nice and
easy figure-eighting.
The greatest challenge
in these mountains
was the inconsistency
of the snow.
(chuckling) I'd call
it the art of recovery.
The conditions were
always changing.
One moment we'd sail
along on powdered snow
and then we'd hit
breakable crust,
and just when we'd gotten
it together on that,
a drop in the slope would
send us to glacial ice.
Sometimes we'd come
across these changes
on our way up a slope,
but the terrain was so vast,
it was impossible to remember
them all on the ski down.
(snow crunching)
(atmospheric guitar)
- [Blair] Oh, whoa, Jeff,
do you remember this slope?
- [Jeff] Yeah, how
could I forget?
That had to be the
largest slope we ever saw.
Remember when you
were halfway down?
I could hardly see ya.
You would have to
ski it nonstop.
If I'd only known how long
that slop was gonna be,
I wouldn't have started
figure-eighting your tracks.
I didn't wanna blow
it by stopping.
- [Blair] What do you mean?
You didn't cross
the last turn, Jeff.
- [Jeff] Thanks, Blair.
They can see that.
Like the man said, when
you're hot, you're hot,
and when you're not, you're not.
I guess it wasn't
Blair's day either.
(upbeat rock music)
(Blair gasping)
(snow crunching)
(wind whistling)
Trusting in our topo map
and calling it a day,
we skied down to one of
New Zealand's hot springs.
It's just like turning
the corner in a dream.
From glacial ice to a
hot bath in a swamp.
(upbeat rock music)
(Jeff and Blair screaming)
Eh, almost nothing smells
worse than hot sulfur springs.
Just like rotten eggs,
(chuckling) but we had a
way over overcoming that.
- [Blair] (laughing)
How ya doing, Jeff?
- [Jeff] Well, we spent
the rest of the day
in that cozy spot,
and that night in our old camp.
(atmospheric guitar)
It was always hard for us
to judge the vast distances,
but climbing put them
right into perspective.
I found my thoughts drifting
to the ease of hang gliding.
We fell into the hut at dusk.
Blair found a strange
area on the map,
(chuckling) but I didn't
have the energy to look.
(wind whistling)
He found a part of the glacier
that was carved out
like a petrified forest.
The immense pressure of
the glacier's movement
made the crumpled ice
look like huge waves
that had frozen just
before cresting.
And as the glacier moved,
maybe a foot and a half a day,
it groaned and crackled.
Kinda talked to us.
In-between these
pinnacles of ice
were deep cracks or crevices.
When enough snow falls,
it forms a bridge
over the cracks,
so you can't see them.
It's on these surfaces
that we were skiing.
It was really deceptive.
Not always what
it appeared to be,
but who could resist
a closer look?
(atmospheric music)
(snow crunching)
Have you ever been
so drawn to place
that you start into it
without even thinking?
You're curious,
kind of hypnotized,
and the adrenaline is pumping.
Then all of a sudden, you
look around and wonder,
whoa, what the hell
am I doing here?
My self-confidence had
approached overconfidence.
- [Blair] That's how
we both felt seeing
that open crevice
in front of us.
- [Jeff] Hey, look down there.
(soft rock music)
- [Blair] Boy, sure could
have used some shock absorbers
on those drops.
- [Jeff] Either that
or a new set of knees.
The bottom end of the glacier
was running out of soft snow.
We were kind of relieved to
get out of that weird place.
- [Blair] Weird?
- [Jeff] The next part
of that glacier proved
we didn't even know the
meaning of the word.
Miles of ice caves tunnel
through the glacier before us.
No one had ever
been there before,
and we sure found out why.
(wind whistling)
(snow crunching)
Whoa!
(laughing)
The whole area underneath
was a long, twisting
corridor of ice,
formed by the shifting
of the glacier.
Boulders had been stripped
away from the mountainside
by the glacier as it chiseled
its way down the valley.
And below those rocks,
there remained
3,000 feet of ice.
(snow crunching)
(water running)
We could hear a stream running
on the floor of the crevice
beneath us somewhere.
We weren't sure where
it was safe to walk
because we didn't know
how thick the ice sheet
was over the main stream.
It was like treading
a false bottom.
- [Blair] We found an
opening to the ice caves,
and entered a world
we never knew existed.
(mysterious music)
(water dripping)
(water splashing)
(water dripping)
(water flowing)
(water dripping)
(wind whistling)
Hey, a wave's forming.
A lenticular cloud.
Hmm, high winds.
- One, eight, Fox,
one, eight, Fox.
This is one, six, Pioneer.
This is one, six, Pioneer.
Do you copy, over?
(radio static)
Come on in one, eight, Fox.
This is one, six, Pioneer.
Do you copy, over?
(radio static)
Since we had no way
to predict how long
the static was gonna last,
we decided not to wait
for radio contact.
- [Blair] The weather
didn't look all that great,
but we figured we
had at least a day
before it would pack in.
- [Jeff] We skied
over the high ridges
to the south of the hut.
The snow was in such
perfect condition,
it was like gliding over silk.
The smoothest skiing
we'd ever known.
Then we crossed a
valley that separated us
from the mountain
we planned to ski.
(ominous music)
We should have taken a hint
of how careless we'd been
when we first noticed those
clouds spilling over the peaks.
We had a lot to learn
about mountain weather
on this small island.
(wind howling)
The wind kept gathering force
at an unbelievable rate.
Later we learned that
the funnel systems
roll off the Tasman Sea
with astounding speed.
By the time the winds
reach the mountain peaks,
their velocity can gust
to 200 miles an hour.
(wind howling)
At first I thought
those were clouds
hanging over the
mountains but they aren't,
that's tons of snow being lifted
off the peaks by the winds.
(wind howling)
Our choices had suddenly
narrowed to just one,
try to get back to the hut
before we were blown
off that mountain.
(wind howling)
(door clacking)
(wind howling)
Man, that was dumb move we made.
We should have taken a hint
from old Mother Nature.
That wind cloud was sure
trying to tell us something.
Well we were about to find out
just how strong those
steel beams and cables were
that latched the
hut to the rock.
(wind howling)
Marooned.
Our challenges went from
the physical to the mental.
From the mountain to ourselves.
It was hard to
focus on the game.
Inside, all we wanted was out.
That storm forced us to
deal with our thoughts
and to take stock of
our inner resources.
(wind howling)
(wind whistling)
(latch clacking)
(water splashing)
The storm clouds were still
hovering over the mountains,
but the winds died down to
a low moan after a week.
(scraper scraping)
- [Blair] Everything
was iced up.
Even the outhouse.
I couldn't get the door open.
Huh, forced me to
make other plans.
(Jeff screaming)
He's cracked.
Cabin fever's got him.
(Jeff screaming)
(Jeff and Blair laughing)
(Blair screaming)
(Jeff screaming)
(Blair screaming)
(soft rock music)
- [Jeff] We came across a cliff.
There seemed to be
no way around it.
We didn't wanna jump off it.
We wanted to ski down it.
So Blair checked to see
if the corners
were stable enough
to go right off the edge
without taking it with us.
(soft rock music)
Well, Blair managed
to leave it behind,
but I thought the whole thing
was coming down with me.
Blair was still
sure it was stable,
so we decided to try it again.
(upbeat rock music)
Are you ready?
- Yeah.
- [Jeff] Let's go.
- [Blair] Ya-hoo!
(atmospheric guitar)
- [Jeff] It was time
to get into the air.
We were leaving a few tracks
along that ridge
overlooking the Tasman Sea.
Tracks that will soon
be covered by snow.
It was for the moment,
except for the
changes in ourselves.
It was like we were never there.
Despite the weeks of
high meadow grazing,
we found the horses
in pretty good shape,
and set off for the farm
where we'd left our van
and the hang gliders.
We couldn't wait for the chance
to get into a whole
new dimension,
and no longer be bound by
the rules of the slope,
and hang gliding
makes it possible.
You detach yourself from
the anchor of the Earth.
When you're skiing,
it's hard to forget
about your body,
but gliding suspends
all your ground senses,
and you're as much like a
bird as you're ever gonna be.
- [Blair] Yeah, but
we're not birds.
Those wind changes can smash
us up against the mountainside.
And it's a calculated
risk to fly over
the same places we've skied.
- [Jeff] Yeah, but
we checked it out,
and we were gonna do it.
(soft rock music)
We found a gentle slope in the
foothills of the mountains.
Ideal for getting used
to the gliders again.
(wind whistling)
Hey, are we gonna
get off or not?
- [Blair] I don't know,
I never thought about
waxing for flying before.
- [Jeff] Blair, Blair,
nose down a little bit.
I think you're
catching too much air.
(atmospheric piano)
Because you can't see the air,
you constantly
anticipate its currents,
and you learn to adjust to it,
reading the signs from
the terrain around you.
The temptation on that
first glide was to go high.
Let it all out,
but we haven't
flown for some time,
so all we were really after
was to get our
feet off the ground
and get reacquainted
with the wind.
Basically, hang gliding
is weight shit control.
Shifting your body
around with the bar
to change direction.
It becomes instinctive
after a while.
But you should never take
anything for granted.
No place is as
unforgiving as the air.
(atmospheric piano)
(bird chirping)
(glider rustling)
(chuckling) Looking at Blair
trying to put his
glider up again,
reminded me of when we were
first learning how to fly.
(soft rock music)
Anticipation and
quiet excitement,
that's the atmosphere
around a hang gliding spot.
Especially when there
are lot of beginners.
There's plenty to do
and lots to learn,
and each one goes about
it in his own way,
and doing his own thing
as it gets closer
to take off time.
As in every sport,
you develop a kinship
with your equipment.
It's based not only on the need
to make sure your glider
is safely put together,
but also on the respect
you develop for it.
And besides, it's part
of your enjoyment.
- [Blair] Oh, sure,
but you always seem
to hassle with the harness.
See if the cables are tight.
Make sure the wind is right.
Check if the wings are level.
Clear your takeoff spot.
Try to keep your
nose into the wind.
Talk it over with the
person helping you.
There's so many other things.
- [Jeff] Yeah, but
it all pays off
when you finally
get it together.
You just can't wait to soar
and stay up there,
and not have to carry your kite
back up the hill all the time.
I wonder how many are
aware of those few,
preferably forgettable moments
that a lot of us go through
before ever getting
into the air.
(drum roll)
- [Man] Oh, oh!
(cymbals crashing)
(upbeat piano)
- [Man] Uh!
- [Man] Ah!
- [Man] Oh!
(women screaming)
- [Man] Oh!
- [Man] No, ooh!
(wind whistling)
- [Jeff] Well,
Blair, this is it.
- [Blair] (chuckling)
You said it.
No crashing or falling
off of this mountain.
- [Jeff] 10,000 feet.
- [Blair] What a rush.
- [Blair] I guess
there's only one way
to get our gliders up there.
(helicopter whirring)
- [Blair] Touch down!
- Thanks!
- [Blair] Yeah,
thanks, I mean it!
- [Jeff] All right,
a breath of wind.
I don't believe we're
really gonna do this.
Okay, let's see.
Untangle wires first.
God, my heart's beating fast.
Gotta calm down.
Breathe deep.
I wonder if Blair's
feeling like this?
Geez, I can't wait to
get off this mountain.
Can't rush it, though.
Easy does it.
God darn these king posts.
Wires are always tangled up.
Oh, we're wasting time.
I gotta check things out.
Get 'em right.
Like pecking a chute.
Gotta get it right.
No second chances on this.
First time around is it.
My hands are so cold.
Great, still no wind.
It sure makes it easier
to get this act together.
Yeah, wings come out real easy.
No problems.
Hope the flight
goes as smoothly.
Now the tag.
Come on fingers, move.
Okay, bolts in.
God, darn, the holes
are all swollen.
Now, almost there.
Finished.
240 square feet of sail
in a 30 foot wingspan.
It sure isn't much
use on the ground.
(wind whistling)
Our landing mark was a
lake about six miles away.
Now it was just a
question of getting there.
(soft rock music)
* Riding across
a mountain high *
* To a city, cowboys
reaching for the sky *
* Can't quite believe
the things they see *
* They cross the island moon
* Just being free
* As day comes rocking
'round the bend *
* One man is turning
saying to his friend *
* Say man, you're
moving way too fast *
* Just take it easy
* We'll make it last
* 5,000 feet, we're out at sea
* Glowing, this thing
has got the best of me *
* Can't quite control
the way I go *
* Once more, I'll keep high
* To catch the sun
* I am free to the sky
* Watch me sail
* Watch me fly
* And I think
* As I run
* And fly
* Watch a real bird fly
* Watch a real bird fly
* Do you see my old
friend over there *
* Watch as the wind goes
rushing through his hair *
* Watch as the light
shines in his eyes *
* My mind is traveling
* Reach up, we'll fly
* I am free
* Through the sky
* Watch me sail
* Watch me fly
* And I think
* As I run
* And fly
* Watch a real bird fly
* Watch a real bird fly
* Da, da, da, la, da, do
* La, la, da, da,
da, da, da, da *
* La, la, la, da, da, da
- [Blair] Get to the point.
- Blair.
- Hang left.
Look down there, animals.
- [Jeff] Yeah, those
are cool, aren't they?
Hey, let's follow them.
(soft rock music)
- [Blair] Let's move on.
I think we're scaring 'em.
- [Jeff] Once in the air,
my confidence came back.
The elation of
gliding, it's hypnotic.
Gotta be careful, though.
This free sensation
can be dangerous.
You become one with the glider
and sometimes
through this harmony,
you take too much for granted,
you forget where you really are,
and you drift.
It's like Icarus.
He got a little too close
to the sun drifting.
(wings flapping)
We were coming closer
to one of the most spectacular
glaciers of this whole area.
It was an magnificent ice fall
that appeared as if it were
cascading down the mountain.
Moving at a rate of
almost 12 feet a day,
it was broken up into
huge seracs and crevices
that gave it an awesome,
almost threatening look.
Although it was
obvious that stalling
or catching a wingtip
in a place like this
could be our last mistake,
we couldn't resist
flying over it.
(ominous music)
Almost as soon as we
entered the canyon,
we felt that
something was wrong.
It seemed as if we
had lost our lift,
and the gliders
were becoming mushy
and difficult to operate.
It wasn't long
before we realized
we were in a down draft,
which was pushing us lower,
much lower than we had
anticipated or cared to be.
I looked up at Blair,
and he was having
the same problem.
(ominous music)
We tried to fly
our way out of it,
but the down draft hung over us
like a giant umbrella.
We were desperate for anything.
A gust of wind, turbulence,
anything that might
lift us out of there.
(dramatic music)
We kept losing altitude
at an alarming rate.
We were getting closer to
the surface of the ice fall.
We could almost hear it
shifting and cracking.
(avalanche rumbling)
(suspenseful music)
(atmospheric music)
Yahoo!
- All is fine!
No way!
No way!
- [Jeff] Yahoo!
As we crossed that ridge,
the relief was incredible.
We were out and the
lake lay just ahead.
We will never
forget that flight.
The sensation of
sailing over places
where no one had ever been,
and our power of flight
coming only from the wind.
We were seeing that land
just as the birds see it.
Scoping it all out.
Just riding the wind.
(majestic music)
(soft rock music)