Extreme Ascents

Adventure filmmaker Elia Saikaly shares his incredible journey of 20 years on Everest, delving into the mindset of those drawn to dangerous pursuits and the immense mental fortitude required to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Elia has survived two avalanches on Mt. Everest, broken his back paragliding, investigated deaths on the world’s tallest peaks, and assisted in recovering bodies from altitudes above 8000m, including K2 — all while capturing these experiences through the lens and leading his own transformative initiatives. Through these extreme adventures, Elia discovered that they serve as mirrors to the true mountains we climb within ourselves.
As a storyteller and mountaineer, Elia documented the 2014, 2015, and 2019 disasters on Everest, and his imagery has been licensed by major networks including National Geographic, Discovery, ESPN, Netflix, and BBC. In 2016, he co-starred in Discovery Channel’s Unclimbed – Reaching the Summit alongside Pasang Kaji Sherpa.

Drawing on footage and firsthand accounts from the front lines, Elia will reveal how his work with schoolchildren and virtual learning expeditions evolved into investigative storytelling as he bore witness to tragedy after tragedy on the mountain. He explores how the industry has transformed over two decades, the critical moment it faces today, the stakes at risk, and how these experiences have profoundly reshaped his life.