Conrad Anker & Kris Erickson: Always above us

Always above us. This film title title refers to Winter Dance, the icefall located high up in Montana's Highlight Canyon, first climbed in 1998 by the Americans Alex Lowe and Jim Earl and at the time considered one of the hardest routes in the world. Even today Winter Dance is the hardest, biggest and most imposing icefall in the Highlight Canyon, splendidly suspended as an unforgettable testament to Lowe's skill. A year after this first ascent Lowe was tragically killed by an avalanche on Shishapangma in Tibet together with filmmaker (and double national paragliding champion) David Bridges during an attempt to make the first American ski descent of an 8000m peak. The enormous avalanche that swept down the South Face also hit Conrad Anker who, miraculously, survived. This tragic turn of events understandably left its mark on the close-knit group of family and friends and last winter Anker and another team member and great friend of Lowe, Kris Erickson, made the first ascent of Nutcracker, a variation to Lowe's beautiful icefall in the Highlight Canyon. The route proved difficult but was above all a way of telling about and remembering this life of climbs and sacrifices, pleasure but also pain.