American ski mountaineer Jim Morrison made history earlier this month when he became the first person to drop into a harrowing ski descent of the Hornbein Couloir, an infamously steep, narrow chute on Mount Everest, via the Super Direct route. Now, the first footage of the 50-year-old’s novel attempt has been released.
After five years of logistical planning and three expedition attempts, National Geographic described in a press release the 9,000-foot vertical line descent from Everest’s summit as representing “the most significant achievement in ski mountaineering history.” Morrison can be seen as he jump-turns down the steep, rocky terrain. His entire ski line is considered a no-fall zone—skiing’s equivalent of free soloing—where one mistake or slip can result in an uncontrolled fall and certain death.
The video, courtesy of National Geographic Documentary Films’ “Everest North,” shows Morrison ascending, summiting, and making history as he descends the most challenging route on the biggest face of the tallest mountain in the world. Long coveted by elite skiers, the route is a notoriously dangerous, technically challenging line with a climb that begins at 20,000 feet and ends at 29,032 feet. Anything over 26,000 feet is considered the “Death Zone” in mountaineering because of the low levels of atmospheric oxygen.
“Surviving in this zone is extremely difficult, with climbers typically recommended to spend no more than 16 to 20 hours there due to severe physical deterioration, impaired cognitive function, and increased risks of stroke, edema, and heart failure,” writes National Geographic in a statement sent to Outside.
Morrison’s descent wasn’t just to achieve a world first, either. He was also there to say a final goodbye to his late partner, Hilaree Nelson, the famed ski mountaineer who died on Mount Manaslu in 2022. Atop the highest mountain in the world, Morrison spread her ashes, then fastened on his skis.
Skiing the Hornbein wasn’t the only record-setting that took place during the 2025 expedition. Only five other climbers had completed the route Morrison followed on the ascent, the Super Direct, the last of which was made in 1991. Certain points of the climb are completely vertical.
Morrison was joined by 11 other climbers, including Jimmy Chin and Erich Roepke.
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