Netflix is a treasure trove of awesome outdoor films, some of which we never knew existed. We found five of the best you can stream right now.
Virunga
In the forested depths of eastern Congo lies Virunga National Park, one of the most bio-diverse places in the world and home to the last of the mountain gorillas. Virunga is rich in culture, history, and valuable minerals. The film follows a Belgian conservationist as he and a small group of rangers protect the UNESCO heritage site from poachers, militia rebels, and mineral-hungry corporations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wu-vjWd7Tb8
Deep Water
An inexperienced sailor takes off on a global yacht race in the documentary Deep Water. Made in 2006, this film retells an attempt to circumnavigate the world alone, as completed in the 1969 yacht race. Watch as the protagonist, Donald Crowhurst battles against competitors, isolation, and near-ignorance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC007qozN-g
Chasing Ice
Equal parts adventure as it is environmentalism, Chasing Ice follows one filmmaker’s attempt to document climate change. Filmed over multiple years, James Balog captures the fast and slow moments of a glacier’s life. From descending crevasses to capturing frozen waterfalls, Balog does whatever it takes to portray the changing ice.
Touching The Void
One of the most harrowing, true tales of peril and survival on the mountain, Touching The Void recounts the story of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates. In 1985, the pair summited Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes. But on the descent, a series of disasters left the two separated and on the brink of death. Without aid or each other, the two faced unimaginable odds and impossible decisions in their attempts to survive.
The Summit
K2 is commonly known as the “savage mountain,” and rightfully so; it has a reputation for being one of the deadliest. The Summit explores a period in August, 2008 when 11 climbers perished in a 48-hour period. The Summit is a seamless pastiche of the climbers’ firsthand footage, after-the-fact interviews, and reenactments in an effort to piece together what happened.
