Broad Peak Plot Synopsis
Broad Peak is based on the life of Maciej Berbeka, a Polish mountaineer and guide who became known for his extraordinary climbing feats and near-death experiences on Broad Peak, one of the world’s highest mountains. Beloved as one of Poland’s most adventurous climbers, Maciej makes headlines around the world when he nearly dies attempting to climb Broad Peak. In the aftermath of his near-death experience, Maciej is hailed a national hero and his story becomes mainstream news. However, there is one problem: Maciej never actually climbed Broad Peak. ..
25 years later, Maciej still struggles to summit the mountain. He was 17 meters from the summit when he decided to try again. Determined to “finish what he started,” Maciej decides to brave the mountain once more.
What happens the first time Maciej tries to climb Broad Peak?
Maciej and Alek decide to scale Broad Peak mountain in the midst of a blizzard. The weather is deteriorating rapidly, with ominous storm clouds looming on the mountain’s peak. Alek begins to have second thoughts, but Maciej insists on continuing. In the end, they make it to the top safely - but only after enduring a harrowing experience. ..
Maciej makes it to the summit alone, but Alek is further down the mountain. The weather is grim; ice-cold winds whip around Maciej’s face and he’s told to descend before it’s too late. Maciej believes he’s beaten the 8000 meter boundary in winter in Karakoram. In reality, he’s 17 meters from the summit. ..
Does Maciej survive his descent?
At 11pm, Maciej is forced to dig a hole to hold tight partway down the mountain. In the morning, the storm is still raging. Maciej’s legs are frozen at this point and he has no choice but to descend. Climbers are coming up to try and grab him but it’ll take 2 days to reach him. 2 days that he doesn’t have. Maciek must make it down otherwise he’s going to die. Thankfully, Maciej claws his way down with Alek, who’s waiting partway down the mountain. He’s airlifted away from camp and heads back home with his family. ..
Why does Maciej return to Broad Peak?
Maciej’s expedition was not actually complete and he was not able to reach the peak. The team kept it a secret from him as they were worried they’d lose him on the mountain. If Maciej had continued to climb that night, he would have almost certainly died on the way back down, regardless of the fact he “only” needed an extra hour or so. The “summit” that Maciej reached was actually the “Rocky Summit” which is the fore-summit of Broad Peak.
This part of the mountain requires you to hike down again to go up, hence the illusion that Maciej mistakenly thought was the top he’d reached.
25 years after their first attempt, Maciej is encouraged by Krzysztof Wielicki to go back and conquer the mountain again, finishing what they started alongside a whole bunch of young climbers. ..
Does Maciej make it to the summit?
Krzysztof is concerned that they’re setting off 3 hours too late. As they press on, it soon becomes clear that they’re 2 hours behind schedule.
The group makes it to the Rocky Summit but the day is dragging on and going further would mean they need to descend in the dark. Maciej refuses to listen to these concerns and continues on all the same.
The film then abruptly throws up some expository text, midway up the mountain, to let us know that these Polish mountaineers were the first to ascend Broad Peak in winter. Adam reached the summit at 5.20pm. Artur seized the summit 30 minutes later. Tomasz made it at 6pm. As for Maciej, he makes it to the top as well some time after, although we don’t get an exact time. Unfortunately, he died alongside Tomasz on their descent. This final point, however, happens off-screen.
What did the film miss from its ending?
Ewa is conspicuously absent from the newsroom after Maciej and Tomasz lose their lives in the snow.
“We are deeply saddened by the news of the death of Maciej and Tomasz. Our thoughts are with their families and friends at this difficult time. We will continue to do all we can to find out what happened to them.” A party was sent out to try and find two mountaineers who had not been seen in two days, but their bodies were never found. At the time, Kryzsztof (the leader of the Polish Mountaineering Association) released a statement saying: ..
Mountain climbing is a dangerous and difficult activity that can lead to tragedy. The storm clouds early in the movie foreshadowed a potential tragedy for Maciej, as he achieved his goals but also tragically lost his own life.
Broad Peak is a new movie released in 2017 that tells the story of a group of climbers who attempt to climb the mountain in order to make it to the top. The climbers are faced with many challenges on their way up, including weather conditions, difficult terrain, and dangerous cliffs.
