Challenge - Never Go Near Him

Television (Full Length Episode) – 1976

In 1975 a Kiwi expedition attempted to summit the north face of Jannu (aka Mount Kumbhakarna), a sacred Himalayan mountain with a forbidding reputation. This documentary follows the 12-strong team from their arrival in Kathmandu — and an abysmal haka attempt which dates the film — to the final push for the top. The party was led by British born climber Peter Farrell and included renowned mountaineer Graeme Dingle, who changes his mind about the safety of the climb. On 20 October, Dingle watches on as Farrell and Brian Pooley's summit attempt faces major challenges in sub-zero temperatures.

Jannu lies in eastern Nepal in the Kanchenjunga Himal along the Indian border. When asked what he thought about the mountain, Chomolungma (Everest) first ascensionist Tenzing Norgay replied, "That is not a mountain, it is a ferocious giant."
– Excerpt from Alpinist Magazine, Alpinist website, 4 April 2019