Three climbing teams are racing against time, the elements, and each other to become the first humans to stand atop K2 in winter. The Last First: Winter K2, a new documentary from Amir Bar-Lev, follows the COVID-driven push to conquer the world’s second-highest mountain during the coldest season, when even the hardiest mountaineers avoid it.
The film tracks three distinct groups. One trio of friends — Icelander John Snorri Sigurjónsson and the Pakistani father-son team of Ali and Sajid Sadpara — sets out together. Another arrives led by Nirmal Purja, a brash Red Bull-sponsored celebrity and his band of Nepali Sherpas. A third group, larger and far less prepared, paid a company to get them to the top. All are drawn there by the same practical pressure: in 2021, lockdown mandates left climbers with little to climb but the walls, and Pakistan had just opened its borders.
Why K2 in Winter Matters
K2 has never been summited in winter. The feat would mark a new chapter in extreme mountaineering, a field where the easy peaks have mostly fallen. Everest, once synonymous with the impossible, is now a high-priced tourist attraction. Many major mountains remain unsummited out of respect for the religions and cultures of those living around them, leaving extreme climbers pushing their goal posts ever deeper into danger.
The documentary captures that intersection of human striving, late capitalism, and the films that toe the line between recording and exploiting these adventurers. It is a tight, compelling account of people chasing a record that has never been broken.
The Three Teams
Bar-Lev’s documentary locks three interlacing narrative ropes into its tight carabiner. Each team has its own story, and each brings its own set of stakes to the mountain.
- The Friends: John Snorri Sigurjónsson, Ali Sadpara, and Sajid Sadpara form a bonded trio. Their friendship is the glue holding their attempt together.
- The Sherpas: Nirmal Purja leads a group of Nepali Sherpas, sponsored by Red Bull, in a bid to break through.
- The Novices: A large group of ill-prepared climbers paid a company to get them to the top. They arrive with little experience and a price tag attached.
All three teams converge on the mountain for the same reason: the practicalities of the era. In 2021, adrenaline junkies had little to climb but the walls due to lockdown mandates, and Pakistan had just thrown open its borders.
What Makes This Hard
Winter climbing is a different beast entirely. The temperature drops, the snow becomes harder, and the margin for error shrinks. K2, the world’s second-highest peak, demands a level of skill and endurance that few possess. The documentary shows the climbers facing these conditions head-on, racing against time and the elements.
The film also captures the tension between these groups. They are competing for the same summit, and the documentary does not shy away from showing the friction that develops when three teams share a mountain.
The Documentary’s Approach
Bar-Lev’s approach is to let the story unfold naturally. He does not stage the drama; he records it. The result is a documentary that feels immediate, urgent, and harrowing. If you were thrilled to get sweaty palms throughout Free Solo, The Last First: Winter K2 will make your blood run cold.
The film runs on tension. It builds slowly, layering the stories of the three teams until they collide. When they finally meet on the mountain, the competition is fierce.
A Harrowing Watch
The documentary is not for the faint of heart. It is a tense, dramatic look at people pushing themselves to the edge of what is possible. The stakes are real, and the film does not flinch from showing the cost of failure.
The Last First: Winter K2 is a compelling watch for anyone who has ever wondered what drives people to risk everything for a summit. It is a story about ambition, friendship, and the limits of human endurance.
The Verdict
The Last First: Winter K2 succeeds because it refuses to romanticize its subjects. These are real people doing dangerous work under enormous pressure. The film captures their fear, their determination, and their occasional cruelty toward one another. It is a portrait of a moment in mountaineering history, told with honesty and urgency.
The documentary is a reminder that the highest peaks are still full of mystery. Even in an age where satellite imagery has cleared the magical uncertainty from the obscure corners of the globe, there are still firsts to be won. K2 in winter remains unachieved, and the film makes a strong case that this is the last frontier for extreme mountaineering.
The three teams in The Last First: Winter K2 are racing against time, the elements, and each other for the glory of a summit that has never been reached. The film captures that race with intensity, and it is a compelling watch for anyone who loves adventure stories.
The Last First: Winter K2 is a powerful documentary about ambition, friendship, and the limits of human endurance. It is a story that will make your blood run cold.
See the video the story is built around at The A.V. Club.
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