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Meru

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description Meru Overview

Meru is a 2015 documentary directed by climbers and filmmakers Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi. It chronicles repeated attempts by Chin, Conrad Anker, and Renan Ozturk to complete the Shark's Fin route on Meru Peak in the Indian Himalaya, a climb combining high-altitude mountaineering, big-wall technique, and alpine climbing. The film also examines injury, mentorship, risk, and the personal consequences of returning after an unsuccessful expedition.

help Meru FAQ

What mountain is climbed in the documentary "Meru"?

The film centers around the climbers' attempts to summit the Shark's Fin route on Mount Meru, a towering 21,000-foot peak in the Indian Himalayas. The Shark's Fin is widely considered one of the most difficult and dangerous alpine big-wall climbs in the world.

Who are the main climbers featured in the film?

The documentary follows renowned alpinists Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Renan Ozturk. Jimmy Chin, who co-directed the film with his wife Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, was also one of the main climbers attempting the perilous ascent.

What makes the Shark's Fin route on Meru so difficult?

The Shark's Fin requires a grueling mix of ice climbing, overhanging rock climbing, and extreme altitude endurance, forcing climbers to haul hundreds of pounds of gear. The sheer, featureless face offers virtually no ledges to sleep on, meaning the team had to hang in portaledges suspended from the rock.

Did the climbers successfully reach the summit of Meru?

Yes, after a devastating, failed attempt in 2008 that left them battered, the team returned in 2011. Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Renan Ozturk successfully reached the summit, becoming the first climbers to ever complete the Shark's Fin route.

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