WATCH ‘To the Hills & Back:’ A riveting tale of resilience after avalanche tragedy

"To the Hills and Back" is now available to view on YouTube. Photo: Sherpas Cinema

The Utah Avalanche Center said 'we are excited to share this powerful film with the community in hopes that it can help prevent tragic avalanche accidents,'

PARK CITY, Utah — Sherpas Cinema, in co-production with the Utah Avalanche Center (UAC), has announced the release of “To the Hills & Back,” A heart-wrenching documentary that delves into the lives of two backcountry skiers, Katie Combaluzier and Adam Campbell, who navigate through the aftermath of separate avalanche tragedies.

Despite never having met, Combaluzier and Campbell’s stories of resilience, unbreakable spirit, and iron will intersect in their shared passion for the alpine wilderness. This film is a testament to human endurance, and the transformative power of adversity.

“To the Hills & Back” is a film that not only teaches about the dangers of avalanches but also about the life-long impact of decisions that we make in and out of the mountains. Many of these stories share striking similarities to those we know about and hit very close to home. Unfortunate mistakes, common pitfalls, and decision points where things may have gone astray can all lead to unfortunate consequences.

The UAC emphasizes the enduring role of storytelling in avalanche education, tracing back to its first educational video in 1996, Winning the Avalanche Game.

The UAC says that collaborating with Sherpas Cinema proved to be instrumental in the creation of “To the Hills & Back.”

“Their expertise in finding powerful stories enabled us to uncover three deeply moving narratives that perfectly illustrate our message. We’re immensely grateful to Adam, Katie, Brad, and Ginny for sharing their stories with us, and we hope that everyone who watches this film is as profoundly affected by their narratives as we were. Our ultimate goal is for viewers to take away a lifelong lesson about mountain safety and the consequences of our decision,” said Chad Brackelsberg, executive director of the UAC.

The UAC said, “We are excited to share this powerful film with the community in hopes that it can help prevent tragic avalanche accidents.”