Ultimate Expedition (9/10)

by Tony Medley

Runtime 8 30 minute episodes

PG

Ultimate Expedition is YouTube Red’s newest adventure competition series. This one shows eight celebrities, none of whom had any climbing experience signing up to climb to the top of Mount Tocllaraju in Peru.

In addition to spectacular scenery and production values (the quality of the visuals is outstanding), each participant talks about how he or she feels at various times throughout the experience. They voice their enthusiasm for the project upon arrival, but also their trepidations and hardships throughout.

The expedition consists of eight people, three women and five men of varying ages and backgrounds. The only constants among them are that they are successful in other fields and they have no experience in climbing a mountain.

I love mountain climbing movies and this is one of the best. And one reason for that is that it’s not scripted. These are real people, not actors. To make it even more dramatic they are all like you and me, none had ever attempted mountain climbing or any other type of climbing for that matter. They are pure novices.

The Expedition leader warns them at the outset that this is a dangerous undertaking, revealing that eight people had already died this year attempting to scale the mountain.

Watching how they challenge and push themselves up to and beyond the limits of their endurances is fascinating. This is TV at its best. Currently playing on You Tube Red.