Two years ago, a team of elite runners trekked a trail many consider among the toughest in the world in record time. With 11 mountain passes, most above 16,000 feet, this trail is a crusher. Now, their story is coming to the big screen.
The Snowman Trek is a grueling 189-mile trek through the Himalayas in Bhutan. Most trekkers tackle the trail, which gains more than 48,000 feet of elevation, over the course of a month or more.
But in 2016, athletes Ben Clark, Timothy Olson, Anna Frost, and Chris Ord – and a team of six guides/cooks and 21 horses – crushed the trail in just 15 days and 9 hours. The film also features support team members Wang Chuk, Narayan Kumar, Moktan Suk, Bhadur Lama, Pema Dorji Moktan, Choney Norbu, Migmar, and Wang Ayel.
FKT in Bhutan
The adventurous fastest known time attempt pushed the bounds of ultrarunning in a new, potentially risky direction. They evacuated one runner, Ord, from the course due to pulmonary edema, a potentially fatal infliction caused by high altitude.
Guides questioned whether the team could do the route so quickly.
Drama permeated the days as the runners battled snowy trails, high altitude, and constant negotiations with local guides and residents.
Enough drama, it turns out, that Hollywood took an interest.
Next month, the tale will play out on big screens at more than 400 theaters across America. The movie achieved broad distribution thanks to working with Blue Fox Entertainment, a somewhat unique model for the outdoors industry. Check out the trailer below.
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We spoke with Ben Clark, who directed the forthcoming film, to learn more about the movie and trekking through Bhutan.