"His body was never recovered. It's like an astronaut lost in space."

Have you heard about this new documentary on Netflix with Bozeman, Montana connections? A friend asked me that question recently. Since I don't watch too much TV I hadn't heard about it, but he says it is something you'll want to see.

The premiere for "Torn" took place in Bozeman back in November and featured director Max Lowe. The premiere was apparently sold out, according to the Bozeman Film Society.

On Oct. 5, 1999, legendary climber Alex Lowe was tragically lost alongside cameraman and fellow climber David Bridges in a deadly avalanche on the slopes of the Tibetan mountain, Shishapangma. Miraculously surviving the avalanche was Alex’s best friend and climbing partner, renowned mountaineer Conrad Anker.

National Geographic has more on the film here. Alex Lowe is a world famous climber from Bozeman, who was born in Missoula. There's even a peak named after him, as Outside Bozeman reported back in their Winter 2005-2006 edition:

On September 12, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) bestowed an honor upon a late Bozeman resident whom Outside magazine once crowned “World’s Best Climber.” “Alex Lowe Peak” is the new name for a mountain in the Gallatin National Forest formerly identified by its elevation: “Peak 10,031.”

The documentary tells the story of the Anker and Lowe families, with lots of Bozeman imagery. Here is an excerpt from a review by Daniel Fienberg with the Hollywood Reporter:

Yes, the photography is sometimes beautiful, including ample archival material from Alex’s various expeditions, but the documentary is as much at home in a warmly lit kitchen in Bozeman, Montana, as it is departing base camp at Mount Shishapangma. Though there might be one or two moments when you want to look away — Max seeing his father’s last videos is harrowing, to be sure — the highest peaks in Torn are peaks of intimacy.

Alex Lowe's body was eventually found in 2016.

Here's the trailer for Torn:

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.

 

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