Point of No Return

Point of No Return

An interview with Sender Films producers Nick Rosen and Peter Mortimer


I just got back from the Banff Mountain Film Festival. Held every year in November at the Banff Center in Alberta, Canada this celebration of alpine culture marks the end of one adventure season and the beginning of the next. After putting in time at the MountainFilm Festival Telluride and few other events throughout the year I’ve had the chance to see a lot of movies about athletes and explorers pushing the boundaries of the human experience. But one film in particular hits really close home. Called Point of No Return this movie for television produced by Sender Films depicts of lives of guys I once knew who died tragically in the pursuit of a dream.

Jonny Copp

Micah Dash

Wade Johnson

Climbers Jonny Copp and Micah Dash with cameraman Wade Johnson were killed in the making of this film. While making their retreat from a failed attempt to climb Mount Edgar in western China, a devastating avalanche swept through the region to claim their lives.  With footage recovered with their bodies the movie Point of No Return is a tribute to three men who paid the ultimate price to follow their passion for adventure. I had the opportunity to talk to producers Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen to discuss both the risks and the consequences of a lifestyle that is often fraught with danger. Is it worth it living life on the edge?

Point of No Return – First Ascent from Mountainfilm in Telluride on Vimeo.
The film Point of No Return is part of the First Ascent Series produced by Sender Films in Cooperation with National Geographic. You get The Six Episode DVD Box Set on line at www.Senderfilms.com

Music this week by Jake Shimabukuro

The Joy Trip Project is made possible thanks the generous support of sponsor Patagonia. Check out their latest new media  projects and conservation initiatives at their blog www.thecleanestline.com.