Team Everest: A Himalayan Journey

Directed in high spirits (and high places) by Andy Cockrum, Team Everest: A Himalayan Journey tracks a unique team of 15 motivated people with disabilities (five men in wheelchairs and 10 others representing a range of conditions, including deafness, amputation, and bipolar disorder) on a 21-day expedition to the base camp of Mount Everest, located at an elevation of 17,500 feet and accessible only through an exhausting trek over rocky and frequently dangerous Himalayan terrain. With a Nepali support team recruited to push, pull, and lift the wheelchair users, while other “Team Everest” trekkers struggle with their own limitations, the expedition follows ancient trading routes from the Sherpa village of Lukla to the colorful Namche Bazaar, before heading into the Himalayan range toward Everest base camp. Along the way, expedition leader Gary Guller (a left-arm amputee) provides daily cheerleading and spirited motivation, even as inevitable setbacks force some team members to turn back before reaching their ultimate goal. Cockrum's emphasis on upbeat inspiration can be a little sappy at times, but Team Everest definitely serves as a revealing litmus test for every viewer's individual perception and awareness of what it means to be disabled. Team Everest is a beautiful film featuring memorable people, including siblings Gene and Robert Rogers, estranged brothers who forge a new and lasting bond in the course of their most unlikely adventure together. DVD extras include deleted scenes and additional interviews. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (J. Shannon)