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Revivalist Goals

Celebrating the life of Woody Sayre
Woodrow Wilson Sayre passed 2 years ago September after 83 years on the cutting edge of nearly every activity he undertook. He was an inspiration for superalpinists and philosophy students alike, and also to many others. Somehow he managed to defy the odds, and become both an old and bold mountaineer. He is remembered fondly by all.

Bringing Sayre's book Four Against Everest back into print
Sayre's book, Four Against Everest, was published in 1964 by Prentice Hall. Approximately 30,000 books were printed and distributed. The book has been out of print and unavailable, except in rare book shops, since the middle 1960s. Although considered at the time by mountaineers and book sellers to be one of the top 100 mountaineering stories ever penned, it is unavailable at most public libraries nationwide.

We consider this situation a sad loss for the adventure-reading public, and anyone with a special interest in the history of mountaineering. It is a phenomenal read.

Screening and re-editing Sayre's 16mm film
Sayre's film is 31 minutes of classic documentary footage of a bygone era in mountaineering. This film was completed in 1964, and was shown to only a few small audiences in his effort to help sell his book.

The fact that Sayre carried 20 kilograms (45 lbs.) of film equipment over 300 kilometers to Everest's North Col was a significant feat. Despite all the hardships of the journey, he continued to film the progress of his team on his two 16mm Bolex cameras, all the way to their highpoint of 7800 meters (25,500 feet).

Sayre could not capture all the trials, tribulations, and raw beauty that he experienced. Marrying Sayre's footage to new location shots, and adding narration and music, will make this story come to life in this age of multimedia. This year for the first time ever, the availability of a small format, 2-kilogram high definition video camera will greatly facillitate the collection of new footage that will be compatible Sayre's 16 mm film. Sony's new 1080i camera, the HDR-FX1 (or its follow-on professional version), may revolutionize remote documentary work, and we hope to put it through the paces.

Two of the "New Four," with an eye to repeating the unrepeated Sayre route

Producing a festival-winning documentary and recreation adventure film
Woody can no longer promote his story, but he leaves his three climbing partners and a dedicated following among superalpinists to carry the torch. As a means to garner the most attention and publicity to Woody's accomplishments, a film documentary of his exploits will take advantage of his own 16mm film collection to bring his life back to life. In addition, an attempt to repeat his 1962 expedition, in all manner of detail still considered safe and with the strictest ethics and respect for our surroundings, will provide a storyline for a short adventure film produced for film festivals and high definition television worldwide. For more information on this effort, click here.

Woody's Story
A new book reflecting on the era in which Woody launched his many assaults on history, will weave together elements of the history of mountaineering, the invasion of Tibet, the Cold War, and the workings of John F. Kennedy's Camelot. We hold Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit as a stylistic model for the story we wish to tell, in a novel we are tentatively calling Sayre.

Contacts and Connections
Send e-mail to Rand McNeely or call him in the USA at 617-417-9020 or in Canada at 604-617-8624. You may also contact 1962 expedition team member Hans-Peter Duttle.