Sky Documentaries has unveiled Savage Mountain, which chronicles Kristin Harila’s record-breaking “14 Peaks” climb and the controversy that followed.
Airing later this year, the doc is directed by Even Sigstad and produced by Filip Christensen of Field Productions, with support from the Norwegian Film Institute. It is a co-production between Field Productions and Full Story Films, Sky News’ premium long-form documentary unit.
Harila set out to ascend to the top of the 14 highest mountains in the world in 2023, doing it in a record 92 days alongside her climbing partner, the Nepalese Sherpa, Tenjen Lama. After footage surfaced of climbers stepping over an injured Pakistani porter, Mohammad Hassan, Harila faced a backlash, accused of putting her ambitions over the needs of a dying man.
“This climb changed my life in unforeseen ways, with consequences I’m still processing today—but it also led me to Lama, whose trust and friendship I will never forget,” Harila said. “While much has been said in the media, Savage Mountain gives space to the parts of the story that haven’t been heard. I hope audiences will come away with a deeper understanding of the full picture.”
Hayley Reynolds, head of documentary commissioning at Sky, said: “Savage Mountain goes beyond the headlines, combining intimate access with unseen footage to explore the story at the center of an extraordinary and complex climb, and the events that followed. We’re proud to work with Field Productions and Full Story Films to bring the story of Kristin and Lama’s record-breaking climb to Sky Documentaries.”
