We love outdoorsy movies and attend the Banff Mountain Film Festival and Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival every year. In addition, I’ll watch any outdoors adventure movie when I see it pop up on Youtube!
Did you know that you can watch Banff Mountain Film Festival movies online for free too? While I still highly recommend going to the festival (there’s loads of free stuff to be won at them and you can’t beat the atmosphere), if you’re looking for a great free adventure movie to watch tonight then check out this list of 120+ free adventure movies and movies about living in the wild.
Prefer to read? Check out my list of the best adventure books!
120+ of the best outdoorsy movies to watch online now
From climbing to surfing, cycling to kayaking and everything in between, these adventure movies about life in the mountains and outside will inspire you to get out there.
Best Outdoor Movies to watch on Netflix/Streaming Services
The Alpinist
Marc-André Leclerc climbs alone, far from the limelight. On remote alpine faces, the free-spirited 23-year-old Canadian makes some of the boldest solo ascents in history. Yet, he draws scant attention. With no cameras, no rope, and no margin for error, Leclerc’s approach is the essence of solo adventure.
14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible
14 Peaks is the story of fearless Nepali mountaineer Nimsdai Purja who embarks on a seemingly impossible quest to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter peaks in seven months.
Wild
One of the most well known and best backpacking movies out there, Wild documents the story of Cheryl Strayed and her attempt to hike the Appalachian Trial while overcoming personal demons.
Into the Wild
Another classic, this outdoorsy wilderness movie features the tale of Christopher McCandless as he chooses to give his savings to charity, rid himself of his possessions, and set out on a journey to the Alaskan wilderness. It’s another of those movies with beautiful scenery that you should definitely watch!
If you’re looking for movies similar to into the wild, check out these real-life adventure films below.
Free Solo
Most people will have watched Free Solo by now, perhaps it was the first outdoorsy movie you came across and now you’re hooked! In Free Solo, professional rock climber Alex Honnold attempts to conquer the first free solo climb of famed El Capitan’s 900-metre vertical rock face at Yosemite National Park.
The Dawn Wall
Legendary free climber Tommy Caldwell tries to get over heartbreak by scaling the Dawn Wall of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.
Climbing films to watch online for free
If you’re a climber who’s feeling the itch to get outside, live vicariously through these free online climbing movies.
Speak to me Softly (2019, 6 min)
Experience fear and emotion alongside climber Jenny Abegg as she ascends Moonlight Buttress while fighting the self-criticism and doubt from that little voice we all have in the back of our heads.
FORCE – The story of Mikey Schaefer, (2015, 18 min)
Patagonia presents a Duct Tape Then Beer film. Force is the collected footage from 10 years of Mikey Schaefer’s climbs, summits and misadventures in Patagonia woven together into a story of success, fear, joy and growth.
Archival and new footage tell the story of this climbing project.
Some climbers perceive speed climbing as a fringe activity, but its inclusion in the 2020 Olympics means it’s now being taken seriously. Film-maker Zachary Barr takes an in-depth look into the sport.
Climb Your Dreams, (2019, 2 min)
The rush of life in the city inspires a dream for an escape. The nature of reality is questioned by the contrast of what we do for a living.
The North Face: Alex Honnold – El Sendero Luminoso (2014, 6 min)
On January 15, 2014, Alex Honnold free-soloed El Sendero Luminoso (The Shining Path) in El Portrero Chico, Mexico in a little over 3 hours. The climb rises 2,500 feet to the summit of El Toro. It could be the most difficult rope-less climb in history.
Alex Honnold in Wales (2016, 6 min)
Alex Honnold goes to the Welsh slate quarries with climbers Hazel Findlay and Johnny Dawes.
The Imaginary Line, (2019, 10 min)
In an act of political solidarity, a team from Mexico and the U.S.A assemble with the sole purpose of establishing a slackline that crosses the border between them. In a world that is constantly tearing us apart, they come together to cross an imaginary line and tell a different story.
On the heels of a historic 5.15d ascent, we follow climber Adam Ondra from his home in the Czech Republic, across Europe to North America, as he innovates new training methods, establishes upper echelon first ascents, and attempts to be the first person to send 5.15 on the first try.
Part one | Part two | Part three
The Pathan Project (2020, 43 min)
An unexplored range in a remote valley of Pakistan, an unclimbed big wall, and a solid team of Belgian, French, and Argentinian climbers ready to combine exploration, music and humour.
Hazel Findlay enjoys an epic day of mountain running and solo climbing in the Welsh mountains of Snowdonia. Stunning shots combine with a considered soundtrack and introspection from one of the worlds best rock climbers.
ROTPUNKT | Alex Megos (2019, 50 min)
Through failure and success, Alex Megos strives to be the best climber in the world.
In 2016, Brette Harrington and the late Marc-Andre Leclerc established two new routes up Great Sail Peak on Baffin Island.
Founded on the belief that everyone is welcome, Memphis Rox opened a climbing gym to be at the centre of the city’s revitalization. Watch and if you are interested to learn more about Memphis Rox.
Engineer Kai Lin teams up with climber Craig DeMartino to design a badass prosthetic foot, which if they succeed won’t just level the playing field, but will dish up, if not superpowers, then a real sense of empowerment, which is almost the same thing.
Valley of the Moon, (2018, 21 min)
Valley of the Moon explores the importance of climbing as a way to cross-cultural barriers, build friendship and chase adventure in one of the most breathtaking regions of the earth.
What does it take to climb the world’s first 9c? Let’s find out in Silence, a movie by Bernardo Giménez. It shows what preceded the afternoon of 3rd September 2017 when Adam Ondra, a professional rock climber and currently one of the best climbers in the world, made a little piece of climbing history when he climbed his project in the spectacular Hanshelleren Cave in Norway.
The route, later named Silence, received a new grade of 9c and became the hardest route in the world.
Break on Through, (2017, 26 min)
Margo Hayes, a little-known 19-year-old from Boulder Colorado, has moved to Europe to train and climb with the goal of succeeding on two of the most iconic 5.15s in France and Spain. But by pushing her body and mind to the absolute limit, she risks injury and failure in her quest to be the first.
Brothers of Climbing, (2017, 7 min)
How can you be what you can’t see? Mikhail Martin, co-founder of Brothers of Climbing said, “I literally typed, ‘Are there black climbers?’ in Google … someone said, ‘black people don’t climb.’”
Kevin Jorgeson and Jacob Cook head to the Bugaboos to attempt the second ascent of the Tom Egan Memorial Route, which contains one of the hardest, most excruciating crack climbs in the world, renowned for reducing fingertips to shreds.
Of Choss and Lions (2017, 14 min)
Two of America’s boldest rock climbers and self-proclaimed fashionistas, Alex Honnold & Cedar Wright, travel to Kenya’s Mt. Poi. The guys dodge choss, wild animals and general debauchery to claim ascents of Africa’s biggest big wall. It’s, uh, character building.
Running and trail running movies
These movies about ultramarathons, runners and the love of the trails are everything you need to motivate you on your next long run!
The Mirnavator, (2017, 11 min)
Ultra-runners overcome obstacles on every trail. In this film, Force of Nature Mirna Valerio overcomes the negative voices that don’t believe she belongs in the sport.
Nicky Spinks is a beef farmer from Yorkshire and one of the UK’s best fell runners. This film looks at her record-breaking attempt of a double Bob Graham Round in the Lake District; a 212km route, with 16,500m of ascent, that only one person has completed in under 48 hours.
Every year, trail runners from around the world line up to test themselves at the gruelling Finlayson Arm 100km on Vancouver Island.
When Bob Luker decided to try his first distance run after turning forty, he got the running bug, and so did his wife Marion. Once they tried one, they couldn’t stop. Half a lifetime later, they’ve run more marathons and ultras than they can remember. Bob calculates he’s run the equivalent of twice around the world at the equator. “Christ! I’m 80 years old and I’m still out running. Beat that!”
Sacred Strides, (2018, 12 min)
Bears Ears National Monument is a public land under threat. In 2018, a group of Native American tribes put their differences aside and ran 1280 km to Bears Ears to send a message of unity.
How to Run 100 Miles, (2018, 28 min)
The odds were stacked against Jayson Sime early in life: poverty, homelessness, dyslexia, bullying. But he learned to fight. In 2017, he entered his first 100-mile mountain ultramarathon, betting on his lifelong resilience to carry him to the finish line.
Running the trails of the Lake District, (2017, 3 min)
Every month Alastair Humphreys visits the Lake District to spend a day running in the hills. It’s good for the body, good for the head, good for the soul. He films the run and chats to himself about whatever feels important that day. Then he edits it when he finds the time (only allowing himself a day to do the edit) and chucks it out into the world.
Kungsleden, the King’s Trail (2019, 14 min)
In 2018, Emelie Forsberg went back to her homeland to attempt a Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Kungsleden, a 450km hiking trail in Swedish Lapland that hikers usually cross in no less than 15 days. She completed the distance in 4 days and 21 hours, beating the current FKT, held since 2017.
Scotland’s epic ultra-running race winds through the beautiful lochs, glens and mountains of the Scottish Highlands.
Changing the course (2017, 8 min)
Clare Gallagher was headed toward medical school, until she realized the path everyone else wanted her to take wouldn’t make her happy. So she took one step back, 100 miles forward, and went in a new direction.
The Braford-Lefebrve family lives to run and runs to live. Without cell phones or any modern worry, the wolf pack roams the mountains around Silverton CO.
The world is filled with noise. Make room for silence. Runner Adam Campbell stars in a story without words.
Trials of Miles (2016, 52 min)
Beau Miles laces up for a different kind of world-first, running 650km of the Australian Alpine Walking Track.
Of Fells and Hills (2020, 7 min)
Writer, photographer and trail runner Rickey Gates heads to the UK to explore the history, culture and legends of the ancient practice of fell running.
A rising star in the trail running community, Mira Rai has exceeded all expectations. From being on the cover of Outside Magazine with Michelle Obama to winning the prestigious Mont-Blanc marathon to helping people in her local community, she has taken all of it in her stride.
Discover who Mira is, where she comes from and find out what drives her today in this short but powerful documentary about the Nepalese trail runner.
Where Dream Go To Die – Gary Robbins & The Barkley Marathons (2018, 76 mins)
Follow Canadian ultrarunner, Gary Robbins, during his two attempts at completing The Barkley Marathons – a 100+ mile event many consider the toughest endurance run on Earth. Spanning more than 2 years, this journey is emotional, powerful and truly inspirational. Find out what it takes to attempt the impossible and the demons that follow. Learn the sacrifices that come with dedicating one’s life to this endeavour.
Dark Peak Fell Runners, (2019, 17 min)
Another for the list of good outdoor movies is this outdoorsy movie!
The Dark Peak Fell Runners base themselves in Sheffield, but their playground is the Peak District National Park where they weave tracks through the fields, peat bogs and rocky outcrops to create a tapestry of eccentricity, endeavour and endurance.
A Long Day Out with Kilian Jornet (2019, 12 min)
The greatest adventure might be hidden in your own backyard. Just outside your door you can put your shoes on and start running, and come back home when you’re tired. Join Kilian Jornet on a journey around the summits of his Norwegian home.
In the small village of La Motte-d’Aveillans in southeastern France, Gaëtan Ugnon-Fleury and his dogs, Pépite and Jolyn, discover the beauty and happiness that can be found in the simplest of things — friendship.
Par For The Course, (2019, 4 min)
Mirna Valerio takes on her first-ever sky race at the 4th annual Broken Arrow Sky Race. Mirna navigated the rocky, exposed ridgelines, steep climbs and snow-filled descents of Squaw Valley with an attitude unlike any other.
Thabang Madiba somehow found his way into the world of trail running and in the last few years has become everyone’s favourite in the South African trail scene.
Run with Ghosts of Giants, (2020, 13 min)
As the last remaining old-growth forests of British Columbia are reduced to clear cuts and 2nd growth plantations, a group of trail runners and big tree activists come together to explore what it will take to save the endangered Eden Grove of Port Renfrew, British Columbia.
Runner and advocate Faith E. Briggs used to run through the streets of Brooklyn every morning. Now, she’s running 150 miles through three U.S. National Monuments that lay in the thick of the controversy around public lands.
Set in the streets of Bou Tharar and the wide, craggy valleys of the lower Atlas mountains, Aziza is the story of a young woman who has thrived in the world of ultra-running and how she has become a role model for other up-and-coming athletes in Morocco.
As a rancher growing up in the rugged northeast corner of the Navajo Nation with no electricity or running water, Eli Neztsosie learned through years of work what it meant to rely on discipline and endurance. Now he relies on these same skills, running long distances— striving every day, in his words, to be better than he was the day before.
The Running Pastor, (2019, 8 min)
Sverri is a local Pastor and avid runner who uses his time on the trails to work through not only his own personal conflicts but the conflicts of others he often is burdened with.
For the Love of Mary, (2018, 6 min)
When 97-year-old runner George Etzweiler dons his lucky ancient green running shorts, he’s not just running to the summit of Mt Washington, he carries something special with him: the memory of his late wife of 68 years.
Cycling adventure movies & bikepacking movies
Adventure on two wheels with these cycling (but not mountain biking) movies. These free online cycling movies will inspire you to grease up that bike and get out there and they make great outdoor family movies to watch too.
Three friends set off on a 400km bike packing and packraft expedition through the heart of the sacred headwaters in northwestern British Columbia, the birthplace of three critical salmon rivers, and home to the Tahltan people.
In the wake of the devastating Mount Polley Mine disaster, the team’s goal is to understand what is at stake, as a wave of new mines is developed across this remote corner of the province.
Janapar: Love on a Bike (78 min)
When twenty-three-year-old Tom Allen and his friends set off from their English village to cycle around the world, they were expecting physical hardship, extreme conditions and a serious case of culture shock. But the hours spent poring over maps could never have prepared them for the experience of life on the road: the petty squabbles, the extreme hospitality, the unexpected joys and dangers.
And then Tom meets Tenny, a feisty Iranian-Armenian girl with dreams of her own, and hits a crossroad. Should he give up his grand plan for the girl he loves, or cycle off and risk missing out on the greatest adventure of them all?
The Wolf’s Lair (2019, 11 min)
‘The Wolf’s Lair’ is a 400 km bikepacking route that winds through medieval castles, alpine scenarios and ancient Italian villages in the Apennines mountains. The Montanus duo traced that route in 2016 after they felt the need to explore deeper Abruzzo region to learn more about their culture and origins. Giorgio and Francesco are back on The Wolf’s Lair to film the experience and show the hidden beauties that fascinated them three years before.
A pair of Italian bike packers, who usually film their exploits in remote regions like Patagonia, turn their cycling and filming skills to their home mountains.
The Disease That Took Down a World Champion | Emil Johansson’s Story (2019, 25min)
At the end of 2017, rookie Slopestyle MTB rider Emil Johansson was on top of the world. In his first full season, he was crowned FMB World Tour champion as a teenager only for his world to crumble around him with a mystery illness.
Having eventually been diagnosed with Epstein Barr virus and Hashimoto’s disease, he has battled his way back to the top of the sport and lines up for Crankworx Innsbruck this week to compete with fellow rider’s Brett Rheeder, Nicholi Rogatkin, Matt Jones and more!
JaBig, a Montreal-based DJ, buys a bike on a whim and decides to attempt to beat the record for the longest continuous bike ride in a single country. What’s more, he’ll ride a single-speed, fixed-gear bicycle and finish in the winter, approaching the Arctic Ocean by way of Canada’s northernmost continental hamlet, Tuktoyaktuk in the Northwest Territories.
Wild Horses — The Silk Road Mountain Race (2019, 28 min)
A look at the first year of the Silk Road Mountain Race, a brutal, long-distance, self-supported bike packing race that follows the original trading route of the Silk Road.
King of the Ride (2019, 12 min)
The Rift launched their inaugural event last year in Hvolsöller, Iceland. Bringing the likes of cycling legend Tinker Juarez, long-time World Tour pro Christian Meier, Dirty Kanza champ Colin Strickland, stalwart motor Neil Shirley, and Ingvar Ómarsson, this first race was epic.
The Road from Karakol (2012, 25min)
In summer 2011, Outdoor Research athlete Kyle Dempster took off on his bike across Kyrgyzstan with a couple of mostly-accurate maps, a trailer full of climbing gear, and a vocabulary of 10 Kyrgyz words. He spent two months pedalling and pushing the bike more than 1200 km on roads of variable states of neglect, wading through wild rivers, dealing with corrupt military checkpoint staff, and soloing a handful of unclimbed alpine rock and mixed routes. He recorded the journey, his camera his only partner, friend, and sometimes the only receiving end of his conversations for days at a time.
Every year we get a little older. How you choose to celebrate is up to you. Take the birthday challenge. Writer Brendan Leonard delivers a dedication to the joys — both big and small — of the climbing life. What are your 35?
The Al Hajar Traverse (2017, 13 min)
The plan was to bikepack across the Al Hajar Mountains in northern Oman. Things didn’t go as planned.
Highs and Lows on the Colorado Trail – A Bikepacking Story (2017, 33 min)
A thru-ride of the Colorado Trail which is a brutal experience not to be undertaken lightly.
The Frozen Road, (2018, 25 min)
Looking for the best wilderness movies? Check out this one.
Self-shot and edited whilst cycling around the world, this short film charts my winter journey into the Canadian Arctic as I completed my bike ride up the American continent. Compelled by Jack London’s assertion, that ‘any man who is a man can travel alone’, I sought an adventure of perfect solitude. Yet, as I came to realise, the harsh truths of travelling in such a formidable environment were a long way from the romantic images I’d held of this land.
The Frozen Road is an honest reflection on my solo trip; of the wonder, terror and frustration I experienced when riding through the unforgiving emptiness of one of the world’s ‘last great wildernesses’.
Rebecca Rusch’s search for connection. In this award-winning film, Rebecca Rusche cycles 1,930km along the Ho Chi Minh Trail through the jungles of Vietnam. The goal is to reach the site where her father, a US Air Force pilot, was shot down in Laos more than 40 years ago.
Cyclist Payson McElveen attempts to break the current fastest known time on the gruelling 160 km White Rim Road in Canyonlands National Park.
The Legend of Rafael, (2019, 7 min)
A beautiful story about the power of two wheels and a community built through bicycling. After a devastating breakup, Rafael finds solitude and restoration on the open road, pedalling his way to emotional health from Mexico City to northern Colorado.
With just $500 to his name, he spearheads a revolution to help the underprivileged members of his new neighbourhood the best way he knows how – repairing their bicycles.
Skiing & snowboarding movies online for free
These snowsports movies are all available online for the cost of $0! They feature crazy ski stunts, amazing landscapes and more.
Ski Photographer, (2018, 9 min)
Drawn to the mountains in search of the ski bum lifestyle, Oskar Enander had no intention of ever becoming a photographer. Is his affinity for cold stark places driven by his colour blindness? Or is it place that has formed his aesthetic?
Closing lifts and the setting sun mark the end of the action for most skiers. But not for Max Kroneck and Jochen Mesle. While ski towns fall asleep they head into the mountains to see them in a new light.
The Last Hill (until the next one), (2017, 15 min)
Searching for an honest adventure right out their backdoor, a group of skiers and snowboarders travel south from Reno, Nevada on bicycles loaded down with ski and camp gear. Their sights on Mt. Whitney and the endless backcountry ski terrain along the way, these off-the-couch bikers hilariously struggle to keep both wheels moving along the iconic Highway 395 from a new angle: the Sierra saddle vista.
The Poor Man’s Heli (2013, 6 min)
Antoine Boisselier has stared across at the Belledonne Mountains his whole life. He’s always dreamed of laying ski tracks on their difficult-to-access slopes. Two years ago, he and a group of close friends launched their paragliders from across the valley and took a chance.
Leave the ground beneath your feet,
Rise up, your inner legend greet.
A body in motion –
Twisting, turning, churning, yearning –
Apex found, heaven bound.
But remember, what goes up must come down.
Kai Jones – Far Out, (2018, 6 min)
Eleven-year-old Kai Jones isn’t old enough to go to the movies alone or order a sandwich at the pub, but in the mountains, age doesn’t matter. He is following in his family’s ski tracks…right into backflips and tricks off of cliffs.
A party of French skiers tackle radical backcountry lines in Alaska.
This tallest vertical rock face in Europe was never skied before Kilian Jornet gave it a go in 2018.
In the snow-capped peaks overlooking Bariloche, Argentina, Refugio Frey is the only protection from the ravaging winds, drawing wanderers of all sorts to its doors. When a dog named Conga arrives and leads skier Santiago Guzman into the hills with her infectious energy, the windswept landscape becomes a backdrop for the pure joy of two mountain souls sharing a day in the wild.
The Great Siberian Traverse (2018, 27 min)
The Great Siberian Traverse documents a 6,000-mile ski journey through Russia, along the Trans-Siberian Railway. The documentary, created by Sherpas Cinema in collaboration with Powder Magazine and The North Face, showcases a fringe backcountry skiing community, deep Siberian powder, and skiing’s ancient origins. Team skiers Ingrid Backstrom, Callum Pettit, and Nick Martini share their insights along the adventure.
The only thing greater than this group of skier’s desire to claim a first ski descent on Greenland’s second highest peak is the size of their carbon footprint to get there. Loaded with guilt, they decide to bring along renowned glaciologist, Alun Hubbard, who’s scientific hypothesis, if proven, could rewrite popular projections of global sea-level rise. However, the entire expedition is put in question when they arrive in Greenland and discover their objective is beyond the range of all available aircraft. Shot on location in Greenland
Every day, skier Richard Permin falls into his mundane morning routine. Right after getting out of bed, he clicks on his skis and rides down the snow-covered rooftops of Avoriaz.
The path of progression is paved with acts of defiance. Leanne Pelosi, Jake Blauvelt, and Victor de Le Rue take the stage in British Columbia in a showcase of shred.
Brotherhood of Skiing (2018, 10 min)
Since 1973, the National Brotherhood of Skiers has overcome barriers by bringing soul, smiles and a party to the mountain.
Witness the joys and wonders of nature through the eyes of Snowflake, an eccentric Swiss skier with a life philosophy just as beautiful and perfectly unique as his namesake.
Every Mystery I’ve Lived, (2019, 24 min)
At the end of 2017, rookie slopestyle MTB rider Emil Johansson was on top of the world. In his first full season, he was crowned FMB World Tour champion as a teenager only for his world to crumble around him with a mystery illness.
Photographer Reuben Krabbe is someone captivated by the solar eclipse, and so in March 2015, he set out to take a photo of a skier during this infrequent occurrence in the northern archipelago of Svalbard, Norway. The story of this demanding expedition was documented by Salomon in partnership with Switchback Entertainment and won Best Film: Snow Sports at the Banff Mountain Film Festival.
Four top freeskiers and a world champion drone pilot are dropped at Chatter Creek, BC for one week. Their instructions: charge as hard as you can every day.
Together with his old friend Pierre Hourticq, snowboarder Victor de le Rue tries to write a new story in the iconic mountains near Chamonix. Frozen Mind is not just a freeride film, it is a story of friendship and a journey of discovery as the two men take unique paths in order to conquer the same objectives.
The 7 Stages of Blank, (2019, 42 min)
Blank Collective films take you on a journey through The 7 Stages of Blank, a light-hearted look into the bond that develops around the sport of skiing.
Circle of the Sun, (2019, 5 min)
Steep mountains, the ocean, the sun, and the aurora borealis. One rotation of the sun high in the Arctic on skis equals one day of magic.
Katie is tired of working behind a desk. She ventures out for a day in the life, with mountain professionals to find her calling in the ski industry.
A skier’s tribute to the shortest day of the year when the sun arcs low over the horizon and the ice crystals linger in the air.
In the midst of Kosovo, an area that’s been haunted by war and ethical conflicts, Elias Elhardt discovers the small ski resort Brezovica. Snowboard enthusiast Hamdi is one of the locals that now wants to breathe new life into this special place. He guides Elias through this forgotten world and reflects on the question, how a future can be built if the past still weighs so heavily.
Over Time – Sammy C, (2019, 7 min)
Filmed purely in the heart of the BC backcountry, Over Time – Sammy C features the best shots from a full winter with pro skier Sammy Carlson.
Follow Ebbie Hansen, a Montana cowgirl, as she chases her third National Skijoring Championship.
The Pehuenche people of present-day Chile speak Mapudungun: ‘the language of the land.’ This land, their universe, is known as Wallmapu. Two skiers enter, into a breathtaking creation of ancient Araucaria trees, looming volcanoes, and windblown snow.
The documentary follows skiers Jochen Mesle and Max Kroneck on their most ambitious ski tour yet. A 100% self-powered adventure from southern Germany all the way to the mediterranean sea.
Big Mountain rider Jeremy Jones dissects his lifelong passion for the simple sacred feeling he calls “The Glide.”
Join two riders from Japan as they dive into the cultural history of the dolomites clattering up Via Ferratas and shredding down couloirs along the way.
2018 Olympic Bronze Medalist skier racer, Victor Muffat-Jeandet, faces off against 2x World Drone Racing Champion, Jordan Temkin, in a dual GS race to see who is the fastest down the mountain.
The Faction Collective Presents: La Grave, (2018, 17 min)
Sam Anthamatten and Johnny Collinson travel to La Grave to push the limits of steep skiing and discover what makes La Grave so unique – a mythic freeride location where time stops.
Children of the Columbia: A Skier’s Odyssey, (2018, 20 min)
A cultural ski journey up the historically-charged waters of the Columbia River in interior British Columbia.
The Sky Piercer, (2018, 44 min)
Snow athletes Sam Smoothy, Xavier De Le Rue, Nadine Wallner and Fraser McDougall take on the challenge of skiing down New Zealand’s highest mountain, the notorious Mount Cook (Aoraki). Will extreme weather and icy conditions defeat them?
Kayaking adventure movies and other water sports
Watersports sometimes seem left out when it comes to adventure movies, but not this time! From swimming to kayaking, sailing to surfing these free adventure movies offer something a bit different.
In 1974, my 20-year-old parents and uncle Andy built their own canoes, launched them into the Pacific, and became some of the first people in modern history to canoe from Washington to Alaska up the Inside Passage.
My brother and I grew up paddling those wooden canoes in the Virginia rivers and the 1974 adventure became a legend in our family – shaping who we’ve become, how we view our parents, and how our parents view themselves. In the summer of 2017, we renovated those canoes and with our ageing parents completed their 1974 journey. The Passage is a story about growing up, growing old, and the wild places that define us.
Across Labrador by Canoe (2020, 47 min)
The first episode in a series by Justin Barbour about his attempted (and ultimately unsuccessful) 1,700km canoe journey across Labrador.
The River’s Call (2019, 8 min)
The River’s Call follows seven kayakers through the deep canyons and challenging whitewater of the Rio Apurimac, the farthest source of the Amazon in the heart of the Andes.
Dean goes surfing (2018, 4 min)
Dean is a teenage boy who loves breakfast, Rihanna, and finding freedom in a wave.
Holy (un)Holy River (2015, 60 min)
Travelling from 5,500 meters atop the Gangotri Glacier, a team of three journeys 2,400 kilometres down The Ganges, the most sacred of all of India’s rivers.
The Ladakh Project, (2019, 13 min)
Seven days, three rivers, one woman. This is the story of Nouria Newman’s solo kayak adventure in the Indian Himalaya.
Kayak the Kwanza (2016, 51 min)
In 2016, a two-man team completed the first-ever source-to-mouth expedition along the Kwanza River in Angola, using a folding Klepper kayak that they paddled and carried along the 1,300km journey.
Camel Finds Water, (2019, 8 min)
Trevor found the hull of an abandoned fishing boat in a field. He brought it home and built it back to a sea-worthy state over the course of a summer. Then, he took it on its maiden voyage to British Columbia in search of waves.
Drainage ditch kayaking (2014, 3 min)
“This is sketch. I don’t like this at all.” Rush Sturges and Ben Marr decide to kayak a drainage ditch in Lions Bay, British Columbia. It’s a 800+ meter descent, with top speeds of 72 km/hr (45mph).
As parents, how do we teach our kids that there is a world beyond social media, standardized tests and soccer practice? In April, Eddie Bauer athlete David Morton and his seven-year-old son Thorne embarked on a week-long stand-up-paddleboard journey down the Karnali and Bheri Rivers in Western Nepal.
David makes his living guiding some of the world’s most incredible peaks and Nepal is like a second home. He wanted to deepen Thorne’s understanding of the world beyond their Seattle neighbourhood. Engaging with this world helps us grow. “There’s a basic paradox to parenting,” says David. “ You have to keep your kids safe, but you have to teach them to take risks and follow curiosity. Life is undeniably richer with a little bit of daring.”
Africa By Kayak — 2,000Km Around the Southern Tip of Africa (2016, 48 min)
In 2007, Beau Miles attempted to paddle the 4,000km from one side of Africa to the other. Starting in Mozambique and continuing along the South African coast, he allowed five months to complete the voyage. His companion, crippled with sickness, eventually left the expedition. Beau paddled alone for six weeks, experiencing a nomadic, solo existence for the first time in his life. Battling huge surf, he completed 2,000km of his original plan.
Chasing the Sublime, (2018, 6 min)
Why do we put ourselves into the path of discomfort and risk? What drives us to get too cold and too tired, to battle with fear, in the name of adventure? Follow the originators of The Outdoor Swimming Society, ‘swim twins’ Kate Rew and Kari Furre, in this hauntingly beautiful glimpse at the physicality of UK cold water swimming, as two friends set out to chase the sublime.
One Breath Around the World (2019, 13min)
Inside the Indus – A Pakistani Odyssey, (2017, 27 min)
An international team of kayakers heads to Pakistan to attempt a descent of the fabled Rondu Gorge, on the Indus river. Hidden behind a wall of political and security factors meant it had been eight years since the last expedition had ventured into the gorge.
In a photographic niche defined by familiar angles, Ben Thouard is driven by his desire to create something original in surf photography.
Herbert Nitsch, The Deepest Man On Earth (2017, 6 min)
Austrian Herbert Nitsch is the current freediving world record holder and is a.k.a. “the deepest man on earth.” Watch and see what happens when you push yourself to the limit and Climb On.
The rivers that flow into the eastern shores of James Bay in Northern Quebec are massive. Three paddlers kayak the final 120 km of the Broadback River during spring flows on this seven-day wilderness expedition.
Lessons from Jeju (2020, 13 min)
Seven months pregnant and apprehensive of the effect motherhood would have on her career as a professional freediver, Kimi Werner took a trip to the island of Jeju in South Korea to meet her heroes, the haenyeo – a group of freediving and fishing women often regarded as Korea’s first working mother’s whose culture dates back centuries.
Free mountain biking movies online
These mountain biking movies to watch online include stunning landscapes, incredible stunts and stories about mountain bikers and their lives.
Inspired by a Dr Seuss narrative, this mountain bike film is sure to take you places like no other.
Watch Dreamride 1 & Dreamride 2 free online too.
Pedal Through invites us into the world of director-lead Analise Cleopatra as she discovers the healing and joy of mountain biking. Analise had never camped or ridden a bike off the pavement when she decided to plan a week-long mountain biking adventure with an all-Black female team: her best friend and fellow newcomer to the sport, DeJuanae Toliver, and professional mountain biker Brooklyn Bell.
Together, they traverse the Oregon backcountry on an adventure full of exploration, curiosity, waterfalls, old-growth forest, sparkling starscapes, and deep healing. With raw authenticity, Analise shares all the intimate foibles, fear, fun, and beauty of discovering her place in the outdoors. The landscape opens to greet her as she learns to lean into uncertainty, accept support and trust herself on this wild ride.
Kids and bikes; wherever you are in the world, they go together. The chaotic streets of Kathmandu may not seem like a typical breeding ground for world-class mountain bikers, but then again nothing is typical about Rajesh (RJ) Magar.
Since learning to ride on a beat-up clunker, to becoming the four-time National Champion at age 21, RJ’s story is one of boundless childhood dreaming and unstoppable determination, forged from junkyard scraps and tested on the rugged trails of the mighty Himalaya.
A film about inclusion, identity and hand-drawn heroes. If you can’t find a hero, create your own; for mountain biker, skier and artist Brooklyn Bell, that hand-drawn hero was a comic character named Ruby J. Using Ruby as a role model, Brooklyn set out to “live like her, breathe like her, be unapologetically black like her,” finding her own identity in a mix of dirt, snow, art and inclusion.
Join Danny MacAskill on an insane journey across the rooftops of Gran Canaria. Mixing vertigo-inducing lines and killer POV-footage, “Cascadia” delivers some incredible riding.
BAWLI BOOCH – Downhill Biking India. (2017, 5 min)
4Play is India’s first adventure film company. A fun short film with a catchy song that will make you smile. Downhill Mountain Biking in Manali (India), Himalayan cultural nuances and a catchy Bollywood song that will make your foot tap and keep your eyes glued to the screen.
Life of Pie | Pizza and Bikes Can Fix Anything, (2019, 11 min)
In 2002, mountain bikers and entrepreneurs Jen Zeuner and Anne Keller moved to Fruita, Colorado, in search of cheap rent, world-class single track, and free time to ride. Over 15 years later, the two unconventional women have helped reshape one of the state’s most conservative towns, uniting the community through advocacy, inclusivity, and damn good pizza.
Bill McLane is a trail builder. What started as a hobby between forest firefighting seasons became a career which has helped shape the mountain bike scene on Vancouver Island. Billder takes a closer look at the craft and dedication behind the trails we sometimes take for granted. It shows that when people pursue their passion, we’re all better for it.
Beautiful Idiot, (2018, 15 min)
Beautiful Idiot takes you on a ride through the mindset and motivations of those who feel driven to pursue greatness, how it can feel to fall short, and the consequences of reaching a lofty goal when the struggle to get there has defined you for so long. Featuring professional freeride mountain bike rider Brett Rheeder.
Perspectives | India, (2018, 5 min)
Professional mountain bike athlete and artist Micayla Gatto adventures to the Indian Himalayas to experience the culture with her unique artistic perception.
Danny Macaskill: Danny Daycare, (2019, 4 min)
In his latest film, Danny Macaskill takes on some child care the only way he knows how… by taking them for a wee bike ride around Scotland!
Patagonia Films presents “Dirt Magic,” a @tetongravity and @freehubmag film documenting Downieville, CA’s journey from dying mining town to mountain-bike mecca. Inspired by a desire to save their home trails, shaped by a grassroots organisation’s unintentional stewardship, and fueled by the sport’s rowdiest festival, Downieville’s newest dirt miners are using that reputation to create a model community for struggling mountain towns across the globe—and it all started with a van, a chainsaw, and a few maxed-out credit cards.
BMX street is one of the most frequently evolving sports in the world and, in Nigeria, a group of local riders are reinventing riding at a grassroots level.
In the backwoods of British Columbia, three small but dedicated crews of adventure seekers were quietly changing the course of a sport and carving their paths in history. The Moment captures the birth and success of the original freeride mountain bike movement.
Ride of the Dead, (2017, 12 min)
Enter into the world of Oaxacan mountain bike culture during Mexico’s famous annual celebration known as Dia De Los Muertos.
Mountaineering movies
Climb the peaks of some of the world’s most impressive mountains with these mountaineering movies to watch free online.
Loved By All: The Story of Apa Sherpa, (2018, 14 min)
Every spring the summit of Mount Everest drew people from around the world. But in its shadow live the Sherpa, a resilient, religious people, who, despite the riches surrounding the highest peak on earth, are still quite poor and uneducated. A child of the Khumbu, Apa Sherpa climbed Everest 21 times. Pulled away at the age of 12 to work as a high altitude porter, like so many others, he would leave his family for months, risking his life on the mountain. Through his work at the Apa Sherpa Foundation, he aims to create a different future for his people.
Cody Townsend has set out on an audacious goal to climb and ski all 50 lines chronicled in the book, The Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America.
Ascending Afghanistan, (2016, 44 min) *graphic content
Follow the first female Afghan mountaineering team as they navigate their first expedition and fight for recognition as athletes amongst their country, culture, and families.
Carving Landscapes, (2018, 6 min)
Through the inspiring legacy of Mary Vaux we will venture onto the Illecillewaet Glacier, reenacting her research and her mountain travel in the restriction of Victorian dresses.
Climbing Everest at 22 (2017, 31 min)
Ever since he was a child, Teodor Glomnes Johansen of Norway dreamed of reaching the top of Mount Everest. At 22 years old, he set out to achieve that dream.
In 2018, Hilaree Nelson and Jim Morrison completed the first ski descent of the 27,940-foot Lhotse, the fourth-highest mountain in the world. This is their story.
It is the year 2013, and immediately after their success of Torre Egger in the West, another project takes shape in the minds of Matteo Della Bordella and Luca Schiera: open a new route on Uli Biaho, an elegant 6,109m rock monolith in front of the famous Trango Towers, in the Karakorum. The narration comes directly from the protagonists, without voice-overs or external interviews.
Kye Petersen and crew explore one of British Columbia’s most sought after mountain ranges while the ravens watch from the heavens. The gnarly but beautiful Tantalus Range is so close to Whistler’s Sea-to-Sky Highway yet so, so far away. Thankfully we get a bird’s-eye view in this short film by Dendrite Studios.
Hervé Barmasse opens a new route climbing the Matterhorn with his father. English subtitles
Liv Along the Way, (2018, 23 min)
Since she first summited Mont Blanc as a teen, Liv Sansoz knew she would make her life in the mountains. She was twice crowned World Champion in sport climbing, and eventually expanded her professional horizons to mixed climbing, ski mountaineering, and base jumping.
In 2017, at 40 years old, Liv set out from her base in Chamonix, France to attempt to climb all 82 4000m peaks in the European Alps in a single year. As she’s learned several times throughout her life, things don’t always go as planned.
An intimate story of longing and belonging in India’s sacred mountains. Spirit explores what it takes to make a home in a remote community in the thralls of change.
Record-breaking mountain endurance athlete Greg Hill has never shied away from a goal. Through his time spent in the mountains, he’s seen the effects of climate change first-hand and came to realize the way he was approaching the mountains was only making the problem worse. Two years ago he changed his approach and set out to climb 100 peaks without burning any fossil fuels. But the question is: will it make a difference?
Other Outdoors Movies
For something a bit different but still related to the outdoors and a community’s love for it, these free adventure movies and soul searching movies provide a little bit of escapism.
Travelling with a baby is an interesting thing. They add all sorts of challenges to any trip you do. Long flights, strollers, nap schedules, and car seats all seem to pile up and complicate what is supposed to be a relaxing vacation. Sometimes, you may even find yourself wondering…is all this effort worth it for a baby who won’t even remember the trip? All these experiences and memories will eventually disappear, like a fading dream. So is it worth it?
Boys from the back of beyond (2018, 13 min)
In what is commonly regarded as sport for the elite, the O’Donovan Brothers’ story explains other routes into Rowing; as well as shedding light on one of the Europe’s most successful and unique rowing clubs you’ve never heard of.
Artifishal – The Fight to Save Wild Salmon (2019, 80 min)
Artifishal is a film about people, rivers, and the fight for the future of wild fish and the environment that supports them. It explores wild salmon’s slide toward extinction, threats posed by fish hatcheries and fish farms, and our continued loss of faith in nature.
The Last Ice Merchant (2013, 14 min)
For over 50 years Baltazar Ushca has harvested the glacial ice of Ecuador’s Mount Chimborazo. His brothers, both raised as ice merchants, have long since retired from the mountain. This is a story of cultural change and how three brothers have adapted to it.
The balloon highline (2014, 4 min)
You won’t get much closer to Skylining than this! We left winter behind and headed to the sun to try and turn our latest dream into reality. we put up a line between 2 hot air balloons to try our first completely movable highline.
The Balkan Peninsula is home to the last wild rivers in Europe. However, a deluge of more than 3,000 proposed hydropower developments threaten to destroy the culture and ecology of this forgotten region.
Blue Heart documents the battle for the largest undammed river in Europe, Albania’s Vjosa, the effort to save the endangered Balkan lynx in Macedonia, and the women of Kruščica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are spearheading a months-long, 24/7 protest to protect their community’s only source of drinking water.
We all have dreams. Paul’s dream was to hike the Appalachian Trail.
Last year, Paul passed away before he could make his dream reality. But that’s not the end of this story – it’s the beginning. He left behind three pairs of polished hiking boots and a backpack packed for his dream hike: the 2,189-mile Appalachian Trail. Paul’s wife, M’Lynn, had an idea for a final gift for her husband. “How good would it be,” she asked, “for his boots to make the journey even if Paul could not?”
M’Lynn’s simple plea launched an incredible journey. The hiking community responded and carried the boots the entire length of the Appalachian Trail. Paul’s Boots follows the boots and tells the stories of the people who carried them. This is the story of how we all help each other achieve dreams.
In 2008, I walked through China – 1 year, 4500km. I let my hair and my beard grow. This is the resulting video.
Jeb Corliss Flies Through Tianmen Cave (2013, 11 min)
Well-known adrenaline junkie Corliss whizzes through a small crack in a cliff in China.
For over a century, a small network of alpine huts have operated in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Run by off-the-grid teams called “croo”, they span 50 miles of the Appalachian Trail and serve up home cooked meals each day to the many guests. Its hard to make food without ingredients, though, so Mack Brewer and her team at the Lake of the Clouds Hut hike in 70 pounds of supplies a few times a week because they know a full belly can also feed the soul.
Chasing Monsters (2019, 5 min)
Ever considered trying to photograph a storm with over 200kph winds? Nick Moir tracks America’s wildest tornadoes to capture the images of nightmares.
When we were knights (2016, 12 min)
How can you express everything that you want to somebody you love, knowing that if you don’t, that might be the last opportunity that you have? That is a reality that we all face, but for BASE jumpers, the risk of death sometimes results in something amazing and unexpected – love
Børge Ousland: Breaking Records in the Arctic (2013, 27 mins)
The polar traveller, Borge Ousland, shares his adventures exploring the North Pole by ski and circumnavigating the Arctic Ocean by sailboat in this talk for National Geographic Live.
The Terrifying art of Free Solo Slacklining (2019, 30 min)
Another type of free soloing, perhaps even more terrifying than the firs.t
Through a cinematic exploration of three extraordinary tree communities, Treeline brings forests alive on screen, illuminating the reciprocal bond between humanity and nature – a relationship we can’t survive without – and asks what responsibility we have to protect the exceptional forests that remain.
Only the Essential: Pacific Crest Trail Documentary (2015, 4o min)
The story of a 4,294km thru-hike on America’s premier long-distance footpath, the Pacific Crest Trail.
Grizzly Country, (2018, 12 min)
After serving in the Vietnam War, author and eco-warrior Doug Peacock spent years alone in the Wyoming and Montana wilderness observing grizzly bears. This time in the wild changed the course of his life. With the protection of Yellowstone grizzlies now under threat, Peacock reflects on the importance of habitat and why he continues to fight for wild causes.
Life has a way of putting us where we need to be. For Vala, that’s in both Greenland – where she works at her family’s fishing lodge – and Reykjavík, where she teaches her daughter how to do it all on her own, too.
Surviving the Outback, (2018, 57 min)
Could you survive alone across hundreds of kilometres of remote outback for a whole month, trekking and sailing on a makeshift raft, with nothing but a time capsule of antique stuff from 1932? Mike wasn’t sure he could pull it off either!
After the fall of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan, a former Soviet Socialist Republic, plunged into a devastating civil war. A famine struck the mountainous region of the Pamir where Raïmberdi, a passionate and ingenious botanist, built his own hydroelectric station to help his family survive through the crisis.
Mountain Bikes & Bothy Nights, (2015, 8 min)
An imaginary journey round Scotland, linking together wild bothies and landscapes.
Filmmaker Aaron Hitchins turns his camera on the person who has motivated him to lead a life connected to the outdoors: his mother, Maureen. He wishes he were half as active as she is, and her commitment to rediscovering herself is inspirational.
Amo; in the native Rapa Nui Language means, to carry on one’s shoulders. Easter Island is a place known the world across in myth and legend, but the people who call it home and the unique culture that they embody is often overlooked as the most valuable piece of the islands estranged story.
In this short film, Heu Rapa Haoa, native-born Rapa Nui and one of 800 remaining people left in the world who speak his native tongue fluently, tells his story of the island, the stone heads that brought Easter Island renowned, and in what he sees for his future and in that the future of his people the culture that defines them.
The Last Honey Hunter, (2017, 36 min)
In the steep mountain jungles of Nepal’s Hongu river valley, members of the isolated Kulung culture have risked their lives for generations scaling dangerous cliffs to collect wild and toxic honey. Deep and dark, the film glides through a misty world of forest spirits, dreams, and woodsmoke to share the story of the leader of the harvest and his final journey.
Shepherdess of The Glaciers, (2016, 74 min)
A beautiful cultural film that will sweep you away to an exotic faraway location. Way up in Ladakh—at 16,500 feet, somewhere in the Gya-Miru Valley—lives a shepherdess with a flock of 250 sheep and pashmina goats on a huge deserted rock-strewn mountain. They are her only companions, except for the troubling presence of wolves and a snow leopard; her only link with the outside world is a little transistor…
The Shepherdess, (2018, 6 min)
A brutal drought is gripping the Southwest and the Navajo reservation especially hard, threatening traditional shepherds and a way of life going back generations.
Five hundred miles off the Chilean coast, there’s a small island surrounded by thriving seas and powerful surf. When Ramón Navarro, Léa Brassy and Kohl Christensen travelled there recently, they learned how the island’s residents are working to protect their wild waters and wild fisheries—and why, on the remote Isla Alejandro Selkirk, the word for outsiders is plásticos.
Okpilik – Inuit Nunangat Taimaannganit, (2019, 4 min)
Mary Kudlak talks about fishing in Okpilik lake near Ulukhaktok as part of the Inuit Nunangat Taimannganit video project.
Chasing a Trace, (2019, 21 min)
This is a love story between a badass woman scientist and one of the most elusive wild animals on earth set in the snowy high mountains of Western Canada.
The Redstone Pack, (2018, 5 min)
What began as an impromptu leap into the world of dog sledding, Aaron Natoniewski’s methodical approach to the sport and understanding of his dogs has inspired a team of sled hounds unlike any other.
We Are Abel features the story of a Gwich’in father who is standing against reckless plans to industrialize the Arctic Refuge and not only fight for his culture’s existence, but also for his son’s ability to know that culture fully.
French skydiver Remi Angeli must face his fears in order to explore new expressions of movement while BASE jumping in Mexico. On the other side of his fear, he discovers life in its purest form.
Engaging The Curve (2017, 12 min)
Graham and Shannon have been dating for 5 years and currently live together in Bend, OR. They’ve each had professional athletic careers in two very different sports: Ultimate Frisbee and Alpine Climbing. This is the story of how they share their respective sports with each other, and how the idea of learning to mountain bike was inspired by their community and environment.
Beneath the Ice, (2019, 16 min)
Canadian Will Gadd uses his unparalleled ice climbing skills and knowledge to lead a scientific exploration into uncharted territory inside of the Greenland ice sheet.
A Nordic Skater, (2018, 5 min)
A Nordic Skater is the very first film about this little known sport. It features Per Sollerman, a photographer who has been skating on frozen lakes and fjords for the past 10 years. During 6 captivating minutes, the viewer is transported to the region of Oslo to have a peek at a story of a man who uses every sense he has to travel on thin ice.
Fly Above the ancient sands of the Moroccan coastline. Let your spirit soar with lightness and the feeling of Hourya.
While dealing with one of the darkest times of her life, processing family trauma and recovering from injury, Azzah overhears a conversation around the question, “what do you want to do before you die?” Inspired and energized, she rushes home and begins her bucket list. Although she has never seen herself as much of an adventurer, she realizes she’s capable of more than she ever imagined.
FAST HORSE follows the return of the Blackfoot bareback horse-racing tradition in a new form: the Indian Relay. Siksika horseman Allison Red Crow struggles to build a team with second-hand horses and a new jockey, Cody Big Tobacco, to take on the best riders in the Blackfoot Confederacy at the Calgary Stampede.
Into the Empty Quarter, 2016, 52 min)
Alastair Humphreys and Leon McCarron set out on an expedition inspired by Wilfred Thesiger’s great journeys through the Empty Quarter desert on the Arabian peninsula.
The Lorax Project, (2018, 35 min)
Six friends embark on a determined quest to climb and then BASE jump ‘The Lorax’, a formidable climb in remote western Tasmania. Surrounded by some of the most pristine wilderness in all of Australia, they contend with extreme weather and rugged terrain, relying on each other’s skills and a bit of humour to reach their goal.
Jacques is an 82-year-old badass athlete, but the real story is how he inspires us with his contagious love of life, epic tales of survival and his ability to counter ageing through laughter.
Last Updated on July 25, 2023 by Hannah
Hannah started That Adventurer after graduating back in 2013 and has documented all of her adventures since then. From backpacking South America to city breaks in Europe, a 3 month road trip across the USA in a self-converted van and 6 years living in Canada, you’ll find posts on all of this.
Hannah specialises in active travel and on That Adventurer you’ll find hiking, walking, biking, skiing and all sorts of active travel guides to allow you to see a destination in an adventurous way.
Now back in Europe, you’ll find new guides as Hannah and her husband spend the next year ‘digital nomading’ from Norway to Portugal, Switzerland to Scotland and places in between.
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