Robin Tunney was also an enthusiastic student. "We were trained by these incredibly famous climbers. I can't believe the things I've done. I'm proud of myself."
"The only climbing I had ever done before this movie was a three-foot step ladder," jokes Scott Glenn. "I was told ahead of time that all the actors had to be fit and not afraid of heights, and that we would be training with some of the best climbers in the world. That was exciting. This was the most fun I ever had on a movie.
Glenn became passionate about ice climbing and devoted much of his spare time to new ice challenges. "Ice climbing is a glorious, transcendental experience. It completely erases the past and the future because, when you're climbing, all you can think about is the present. It was really exciting to go climbing with these incredible, world-class ice climbers. I was like a kid in a candy store."
The climbers also served as a valuable resource for the actors, who were eager to hear about their real-life adventures. The experts gave the actors an opportunity to study their personalities, question their attitudes and ideas and find out first-hand what kind of person becomes a successful mountain climber.
Ed Viesturs, who has summited Everest five times and K2 once, says it's hard to define why people do it. "For me, it's a challenging, difficult goal, something I can train for and look forward to. For some people it's a trophy, an egotistical thing. For some it s the arrogance of conquering the mountain. But mostly, it's the sheer beauty of being in this wonderful environment and challenging yourself physically and mentally."
Chris O'Donnell says it was helpful to observe the climbers and absorb their personalities. "Spending a lot of time around them gives you a feel for what their lives are about. As actors, it's helpful to observe the people that you're playing.
"It was nice to have Barry and the guys on the set because you can ask, 'if we were at 20,000 feet, what would it be like breathing here?'," continues O'Donnell. "It has been very interesting."
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