F205-S21-ChildoftheWind - "A Child of the Wind"

While many mountaineers sought friendship and camaraderie in clubs and on group outings, others sought the solitude of mountains.

John Clarke was one of those mountaineers. Unexperienced as he joined his first ski expedition, John became a skilled mountaineer who would spend weeks at a time on his own, trekking through valleys and over peaks.

Hooked on the “dream state” of “floating in the landscape” after leaving city life behind, John claimed more than eight hundred first recorded ascents.

After witnessing the death of a friend in an avalanche, John hung up his boots and instead focused on educating youth on our fragile landscape.

• Hiking
• Climbing

Excerpt from the film, "A Child of the Wind" (1995) used in Climbing to the Clouds, virtual museum exhibit, 2010.

Read the Video Transcript Here