Filmmakers Brendan Madden and Dave Kellogg, living in Beijing, meet longtime friend and mountain climber Paco Monedero from Spain to climb McKinley in Alaska. The three individuals find it difficult to overcome their own shortcomings and come together as a team as they face one of the largest mountains in the world. Along the way they meet three interconnected characters that parallel their own journey to the summit: Vern Tejas (one of the foremost mountain climbers in the world) Marty Raney (Vern's longtime friend and one of the great guides of McKinley) and Brian Young (a close friend of Marty who ultimately dies on the mountain). This is a simple story that serves as both a celebration of, and sober reflection upon, America's great massif.—Anonymous