For decades, Mount Everest has been known for its elusive ways and prominent danger presented at every curve. Over the years, many Aspenites have worked to summit this daunting mountain. One of these brave men is local mountain man and AHS parent, Neal Beidleman. He is a first hand observer of how fickle Mount Everest is and has been witness to some of the tragedies it has caused.

One of the most devastating events in this mountain’s history has been captured in the new movie Everest, which depicts the 1996 disaster on Mount Everest, and was recently screened at Aspen Film Fest. This tragedy occurred when 2 expedition groups were stranded near the top of Everest in the middle of a blizzard. For the many hours that followed, eight people including three guides, three sherpas and two clients (people who pay to be assisted up the mountain), died of exposure and other related injuries. During this expedition, Beidleman worked as a guide for Scott Fisher’s group, Mountain Madness. Scott Fisher was a mountaineer and guide who was known for climbing some of the world’s highest mountains. Although Beidleman plays a smaller role in the movie due to its focus on the other climbing team, Adventure Consultants, his work that day was instrumental in leading clients down the mountain and ultimately saving many lives. When the storm began, he was put in charge of Fisher’s team, working to get as many people down safely as possible.

In the end, mostly due to Beidleman’s efforts, there was only one death from the Mountain Madness team: the leader, Scott Fisher. Beidleman was also able to assist many people from the other expedition teams down to the South Col, a sharp edged notch near the top of Everest.

After that traumatic experience he resisted the many offers to go back and climb Everest again. Eventually in April of 2011, he was given the opportunity to climb with a group of old friends, and decided to return to the mountain.

“I just didn’t want the last thing that Everest kinda spoke to me to be such a disaster.” he explained. “It’s a beautiful mountain, it’s a great place, and having the opportunity to go back and to do it better and correctly was very important and a powerful experience,”

This year he revisited his experience when a movie detailing the 1996 events on Everest premiered recently. Released by Universal Pictures, Everest stars Keira Knightley, Josh Brolin, and Jake Gyllenhaal. For Beidleman, seeing the movie was an unusual experience, but he felt that it wasn’t completely accurate.

“It’s definitely a hollywood movie and it’s based on the facts but it is not a documentary for sure.” Beidleman said

His daughter, senior Nina Beidleman felt the same way.

“I know the whole storyline and plot so when I went to go watch the Everest movie the other night I was not very impressed, so to speak,” Nina said. “The film was done really well but the storyline was super spotty, and they showcased some of the characters as not so great.”

Freshman Reed Beidleman had a different view on the movie and his father’s role in it.

“I think seeing him in the movie was very interesting but I felt a little awkward because it was such a sad time in his life and I didn’t want to remind him of the experience,” Reed said.

Although Neal’s character was not the main focal point, Neal still felt it was strange to see someone else play him in a movie.

“I had no idea what to expect from somebody actually playing me,” Beidleman said. He never actually got to meet the actor playing him, (Tom Goodman-Hill) so that part of the movie was a complete surprise. Sadly, the rest of the movie was all too familiar.

“The story, you know, it’s a tough story it doesn’t have a happy ending so it’s hard to get really excited about it in the sense that wow someone is playing you in a movie,” Beidleman said. “The reason they are playing me in a movie is because you know all these people ended up dying so you have to keep that in perspective and I always feel when I see or talk about or hear the story the ending is always the same and it’s always sad.”