Experience What it’s Like to Soar Through the Himalayas at 20,000 Feet in Ultra-HD

image via vimeo screen capture

There are plenty of things that might prevent someone from ever climbing a Himalayan mountain peak: lack of funds, lack of athletic ability, or—in the case of Mt. Everest—an aversion to increasingly poop-covered slopes. Whatever the reason, though, the Himalayas remain one of the most awe-inspiring sights on Earth that few people actually have the good fortune of seeing themselves. Fortunately, for those of us who will likely never experience the grandeur of some of our planet’s highest points in person, there’s this: the first ultra-HD look at some of the Himalayas’ most notable features, filmed at nearly 25,000 feet in the air.

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As the video’s description explains, this astonishing footage was captured:

[...] with the GSS C520 system, the most advanced gyro-stabilized camera system in the world. Filmed from a helicopter with a crew flying from Kathmandu at 4,600 ft. up to 24,000 ft. on supplemental oxygen, these are some of the most stable, crisp, clear aerial shots of these mountains ever released, which include Mt. Everest, Ama Dablam, and Lhotse.

I’ve long since made peace with my decision not to take up extreme mountain climbing in favor of hobbies that don’t risk life and limb and bank accounts. But, thanks to this footage, that decision is made a just a little more bittersweet; Now, more than ever, I have a sense of what it is I’m actually missing out on.

[h/t @AdamMinter]