Northern Vermont University to Screen The Sanctity of Space January 26

Q&A with Co-director Freddie Wilkinson, renowned climber and NVU OELT adjunct faculty

Northern Vermont University’s Lyndon campus will host a special screening of The Sanctity of Space, an epic film about three climbers’ daring attempt to cross the Moose’s Tooth Traverse in Alaska, a climb which had never been completed before. The film was co-directed by climbers Renan Ozturk and Freddie Wilkinson, and Wilkinson will be on hand to introduce the film and answer audience questions. The screening will take place on Thursday, January 26 at 7 p.m. in the Alexander Twilight Theatre at Lyndon, free of charge.

“Freddie Wilkinson is one of the most renowned American alpinists of our time,” said Associate Professor Ben Mirkin with NVU’s Outdoor Education, Leadership, and Tourism (OELT) program. “The goal is to bring the community together to share in this amazing film and story, and we’re thrilled that Freddie will be part of the experience at Lyndon.”

The film, years in the making, takes the viewer through the process of attempting a climb inspired by viewing a black-and-white image of this Alaska range taken 75 years earlier by the great aerial mountain photographer Brad Washburn. The film follows the repeated attempts by Ozturk, Wilkinson, and climber Zach Smith, including repeated failures at the mercy of the harsh environment and difficult terrain.

Wilkinson, who received the prestigious Piolet d’Or in 2012 for making the first ascent of Saser Kangri II, the second highest unclimbed mountain in the world at the time, is also co-instructor for Advanced Ice Climbing at NVU-Lyndon with Mirkin. When not on climbing expeditions, Wilkinson is a climbing guide in Conway, NH; he also writes for National Geographic.

The screening is funded through a grant from NVU-Lyndon’s Literature and the Arts Fund. A 50/50 raffle will be held at the show, with the proceeds to be contributed to a scholarship fund which helps support student participation in Outdoor Education, Leadership, and Tourism outdoor expeditions. To learn more about NVU’s program at the Lyndon campus, see NorthernVermont.edu/OELT.