Last week I ran a little contest in which I was giving away a couple of copies of the excellent climbing film North Face on BluRay. Over the weekend I randomly selected two winners and I wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate Desiree Smith of Edgewater, MD and Benjamin Ho of Madison, WI for winning the DVD's. I'll be shipping those out today or tomorrow, so look for them soon.

I also want to thank everyone who entered the contest and for all of the incredibly nice notes many of you wrote when emailed your entries. I appreciate your participation in the contest and the fact that you carve a little time out of your day to come read this blog. I wish I had a copy of the film for each and everyone of you!

Those of you who didn't win, North Face is available now on BluRay everywhere and if you haven't seen it, I can't recommend it enough. It is a gripping, harrowing true story about an early attempt on the North Face of the Eiger in Switzerland. I think anyone who enjoys a good adventure film will enjoy this one as well and if you're into climbing on any level, you'll really appreciate it.

Thanks to Music Box Films for sharing the BluRay discs. Without them I wouldn't have had copies of the film to give away.

Just a quick reminder that there is still time to enter the contest I'm currently running to win one of two copies of the film North Face on BluRay disc. The 2010 film was just released in high-def on Tuesday but if you're lucky, you can score a cope courtesy of the Adventure Blog.

In my opinion, the movie is one of the finest climbing films to come out in some time. It tells the true story of German climbers Toni Kurz and Andi Hinterstoisser, who attempted to make the first ascent of the North Face of the Eiger in Switzerland. Along the way they find themselves in a competition with a pair of Austrian climber, only to find themselves joining forces as they struggle to survive just to get off the mountain alive. It is a great film with fantastic landscapes, excellent cinematography and solid acting. Chances are if you're reading this blog, you're going to really like it.

To enter the contest all you have to do is drop me an email at kungfujedi@gmail.com with a subject of "North Face." Then, in the body of the email, tell me what mountain the men in the film are climbing. That's it! Do that, and you'll be entered to win. On Friday afternoon I'll pick two winner and get these DVD's shipped out as soon as possible.

Good luck! Oh! And here's the movie's official trailer to give you a better idea of what it's about.

North Face, one of the finest climbing films of the past decade – if not of all time – comes out on BluRay disc today. If you're a climber, actual or armchair, you'll probably love this film, especially if you have a sense of history for mountaineering. The movie chronicles an attempt to climb the North Face of the Eiger back in 1936 with two teams – one German, the other Austrian – in a race to become the first to complete that feat for their respective motherlands. As is often the case in these tales, these things don't necessarily go quite as planned.

I caught the film when it was originally released back in 2010 and I've had the opportunity to watch it now on BluRay and I can honestly say that it is one of the more intense and gripping films that you could ever hope to see. The acting is fantastic, the cinematography is outstanding and the attention to detail is wonderful, particularly in vintage gear that is on display. This is a top notch film in every way and should not be confused with the likes of Cliffhanger or K2.

As I mentioned yesterday, I have two copies of North Face to give away to readers. If you own a BluRay player and would like to win a copy, simply send me an email at kungfujedi@gmail.com with a subject that reads "North Face" and in the body of the message, tell me the name of the mountain the teams in the film are attempting to climb. That's all there is to it. I'll take entries all week long and pick winners late in the day on Friday. Good luck! I know that you'll enjoy this film!

In 2010 an amazing German climbing film called North Face saw a limited release here in the U.S. It chronicled the true story of an early attempt to scale the North Face of the Eiger in Switzerland in back in1936 when it was a matter of national pride as to who would claim a first ascent. The movie follows two mountaineers, Toni Kurz and Andi Hinterstoisser, who set out to scale the Eiger in the name of German pride. The two men get into a bit of a competition with two Austrian climbers to see who will be able to claim the summit first. Before too long the two teams have to join forces as they end up battling for their lives on one of the most brutal and unforgiving mountains in all of Europe.

You can read my thoughts on the film from when I originally saw it back in 2010 here. In brief, I thought that it was excellent and was amazed at the acting and action, not to mention the attention to detail in the gear that the men used in the climb. In 1936 their equipment might have been state of the art, but you'll find it down right primitive. That adds to the level of tension throughout this film. Since I first saw it three years ago, I have caught the film a couple of more times and I've actually come to believe it is one of the best climbing movies ever made. If you haven't seen it, I'd urge you to do so. I think you'll find it is every bit as gripping and intense as I do.

On Tuesday of this week (June 25) North Face gets released on BluRay for the first time and I've been lucky enough to see it before its hits stores. As you would expect, the visuals look amazing in high definition and the sound is fantastic as well. The scenes on the mountain are simply stunning and the picture quality is pristine. Watching it alone this past weekend I found myself drawn into the story once again as the disc really enhances the experience.

If you would like to add a copy of North Face to your library, I have two BlueRay discs to have away. To win a copy for yourself, all you have to do is send me an email to kungfujedi@gmail.com with a subject line of "North Face". In the body of the email, just tell me the name of the mountain they are climbing in the film. That's it! I'll take entries all week long and late in the day on Friday I'll pick two names to receive the BlueRay disc. That time frame is a bit shorter than when I've run some contests in the past, but I'm heading out of the country next week and I want to be sure I get these discs sent out to the winners before I go.

Good luck to everyone! I'll be posting some reminders throughout the week.

So what's a world class climber to do after having his Everest dreams crushed? Return home, rest up and then go play in the alps apparently.

After Ueli Steck left the Himalaya following his much publicized showdown with the Sherpas this spring, he went on radio silence. He, Simone Moro and Jonathan Griffin were threatened, beaten and generally harassed on Everest, forcing them to abandon their attempt at a new route. Once the situation calmed down, he and Griffin left Nepal and returned home to Europe, where Ueli has been careful with his comments on the delicate situation.

But as with all climbers, the mountains make everything better and it looks like he had the opportunity to stretch his legs a bit in the Alps this week. Jonathan joined him for a little speed-run up the Mönch, a 4107 meter (13,747 ft) peak that sits between the famous Jungfrau and the Eiger.

Jonathan writes in a blog post on Ueli's website that the Mönch isn't a particularly tough climb, but it is a long route. During their busy day in the Alps, the covered 3460 meters (11,351 ft) of vertical ascent and 18 km (11 miles) total distance. Best of all, they captured some great photos along the way, showing the Swiss Machine completely in his element. You can take a peek at them here.

It is good to see these two men get back to climbing. Lets hope we see them back in the Himalaya in the future as well.