Everest follows the true-life stories of three climbers, Rob Hall, Doug Hansen, and Beck Weathers as they attempt to summit Mount Everest in 1996. With the first page turn, we fly across and into the depths of Everest with the spirits of those who have lost their lives on its slopes. The crackling mountain, the prevailing wind, the power of nature abounds. Throughout the film we move between the climbers’ present realities on the mountain, that of their loved ones, and their pasts as they slip in and out of consciousness.

As the film begins, we meet Rob, the expedition leader who has just reached the summit – 30 minutes past the safe turnaround time. His client Doug is 40 feet below him. In a separate timeline, we meet Beck, semi-conscious on the South Col and hallucinating about his life back in Texas – in particular his daughter Meg who appears to him. Doug finally reaches the summit but is struggling to maintain consciousness – it will be up to Rob to get him safely back down the mountain. Meanwhile, a large storm hits below the summit, making their descent even more treacherous. Through Rob’s memories and an extraordinary phone call, we also meet Rob’s pregnant wife Jan Arnold in New Zealand. As the climbers struggle to reach safety through the storm, we experience with them the brutal realities of Everest and the power of human conviction.

At its emotional core, this is a story about the value of each breath and step we take. It goes beyond the physical feat of conquering Everest, to explore the enduring appeal of overcoming the limits of human ambition and the collective hope we derive from challenging ourselves in the world’s most unforgiving places.

Following the opera, we'll have a conversation and Q&A with local Mount Everest climbing veterans Kim Hess and Matt Tredway:

About Kim Hess | Kim Hess is an accomplished high-altitude mountaineer, having successfully climbed the Seven Summits—the tallest peak on each continent. With a passion for health and adventure, Kim has now brought her focus on recovery and well-being to the Steamboat community by opening Revolve, a new wellness and recovery studio. Revolve offers science-backed holistic services designed to help clients recover faster, move easier, and live better.

About Matt Tredway | Matt Tredway has spent much of his life outdoors.   A teacher, he spent early years instructing mountaineering and climbing at the National Outdoor Leadership School,  He and his wife , Dana, moved back to Steamboat in the late 1980s, where he taught in the public schools.   Matt has climbed rock or ice on 6 of the 7 continents. He founded the district's outdoor education program, Everything Outdoor Steamboat.  Matts  love of the outdoors flowed into the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports club, where he served as a board member for 16 years. His book, Essays of Mountain Cowboys, focused on his years as a range rider is set to be published later next month . 

Learn more about Opera Steamboat, the Yampa Valley's local nonprofit opera company.