High Ground

High Ground is a 2012 documentary film about eleven veterans who set off to climb the tallest peak in the Himalayas to heal the physical and emotional wounds of war. The expedition is led by blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind man to summit Mount Everest, and a team of experienced mountain climbers who guide this team of wounded veterans up the summit. After an initial premiere at the Boulder International Film Festival, the film was selected for participation in the Newport Beach Film Festival, Sarasota Film Festival, and the Seattle International Film Festival. The domestic release was in August 2012; the DVD release was for Veteran's Day 2012. Forming the expedition In October 2010, ten years after blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayer made his historic ascent of Everest, the same team of mountain guides who assisted Erik reunited to lead a group of veterans on a climb that was all about shattering barriers and misperceptions. With the help of World T.E.A.M. Sports, a veterans support organization, they created an expedition to Nepal for 11 combat veterans suffering from physical and emotional injuries sustained during service in Iraq and Afghanistan. These soldiers, representing four branches of the United States military, set out to climb the 20,075ft peak of Lobuche East, just 8.7 miles from Mount Everest. The expedition is known as "Soldiers to the Summit".