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10 Best Outdoor Endurance Films

Sometimes trail prep means mental prep, too! Queue up these outdoor endurance films while you get ready to hike your next trail. 

1. A Walk in the Woods

Most great films are based on a book, and this one is no different. Join Robert Redford and Nick Nolte on the oldest thru hike in the United States, the Appalachian Trail, as they tell a story of life and friendship. This comedy will have you booking a plane ticket before the credits roll!

2. Wild 

Wild is the true story of Cheryl Strayed’s trek on the northbound PCT. This heartwarming film is a tale of the grit and motivation long distance trails require. Follow along as you heal with Strayed in the beautiful scenery of the American West. This is a story of true outdoor endurance.

3. Tracks

Now this trek gets points for creativity. The tracks in mention? Camel! This Australian drama is the adaptation of Robyn Davidson’s memoir by the same name. It is a telling of her 2.700-kilometer journey across the Australian outback with four dromedary camels in tow, and the story of a woman’s journey to forge her own path.

4. Into the Wild

We’ll start by saying that no one will ever be able to beat the protagonist’s trail name, Super Tramp, and that’s okay. This is the true story of Christopher McCandless and his hike across North America into the Alaskan wilderness. He ventured out in search of a great escape from society. Get inspired to go off the grid (safely) and connect with yourself along the way.

5. Forrest Gump

We don’t want to give away the ending, but the line “run, Forrest, run,” may have something to do with it. This cult-classic tells the tale of Forrest Gump, a man living in the state of Alabama who finds his calling in endurance running.

6. 127 Hours

Talk about the king of outdoor endurance films! Break out your chalk bag because this film is sure to make you sweat. Based on the biography by Aron Ralston, this survival drama will remind you to pack your first-aid kit for even the smallest day hike.

7. Everest

This star-studded survival film retells the events of the 1966 Mount Everest Disaster. It is a harrowing tale of several commercial expeditions’ attempts to summit the famous peak and the tragedy that befalls them. A crucial event in the history of mountaineering, every outdoor adventurer must see it.

8. The Way Back

Loosely based on the memoir The Long Walk written by Sławomir Rawicz in 1956, this drama shares the story of a prisoner who claimed to have walked 6.400 kilometers from a Siberian soviet gulag to the Indian Himalaya. Follow along as he picks up unlikely companions and makes his way to freedom.

9. Meru

Meru is a documentary that chronicles the first ascent of the Shark’s Fin route on Meru Peak in the Indian Himalayas. Join Conrad Anker, Renan Ozturk, and Jimmy Chin on their summit of the 1200-meter wall. Guaranteed to push you to the edge of your seat!

10. The Way

Buen Camino! This movie is cited as one of the leading motivations for North American pilgrims to walk the Camino de Santiago aside from religion. Starring Martin Sheen, the film speaks to the healing nature of long-distance hiking.

 

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