Through the ‘Falling Mountains’ film, my aim was to show the impact the change in the climate is having on the landscape and people’s lives in the European Alps, while sharing these spectacular mountains at the same time. People who live and work here are very aware of the changes taking place, and are being forced to adapt how they live and work – to accommodate the effects of glacial recession, and cope with more regular, intense heatwaves and constant rockfall in the mountains.

Climbing in the Mont Blanc range ©Jake Holland

Aerial glacier view, Mer de Glace ©Hensli Sage

Mont Blanc towers over the surrounding alpine valley and the impact of the changing climate on the mountains around the town of Chamonix is increasingly evident. Huge rockfalls are a daily occurrence, with many mountain routes lost to melting permafrost. Lifts and mountain huts are becoming unsafe as the ground underneath them shifts their foundations. Discover the realities of this unstable landscape with a mountain community forced to make big changes in order to continue earning a living, in a region at the forefront of the climate crisis.

Descending from the Aiguille du Midi ©Katie Moore

Glacier du Tour, 1860 and today ©Katie Moore

“Will it even be possible to climb this route in 20 years time?”

Visiting the ice cave in the Mer de Glace ©Katie Moore

Climbing the Cosmiques Arête ©Katie Moore

We head into the mountains with mountain guide Jon Bracey and professional athlete Liv Sansoz to climb one of the classic Chamonix routes. Rapid changes are forcing mountain professionals to change how they live and work in the mountains on a daily basis. Hillary Gerardi and Luc Moreau, experts on glacial development and the local ecosystem, share insights into their work and what the changes they are documenting may mean for the future.

Luc Moreau, glaciologist, above the Mer de Glace ©Katie Moore

Jon Bracey & Liv Sansoz discussing changes in the mountains ©Jake Holland

Hillary Gerardi, trail runner & climate expert ©Jake Holland

The film had its’ European premier during Kendal Mountain Festival last November, and has been selected for several festivals over the next few months, including Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF) that took place online in February. The film was produced with all filming, services, cast & crew within a 20km radius and has obtained the Albert Sustainable Production Certification.

You can learn more about the film here.

Falling Mountains_trailer from Katie Moore on Vimeo.

Katie left her home town of Slough, UK to work in the Alps and never went back! She is a mountain addict and visual storyteller with 20 years experience in creative roles, and specialist knowledge of the outdoor industry. She has a number of award-winning commercial & documentary production and writing credits and is constantly on the lookout for an untold story.