John Chilton

A young inductee into the military is given the task of looking after some chimpanzees used in the mysterious 'Project X'. Getting to know the chimps fairly well, he begins to suspect there is more to the secret project than he is being told.

The cinematography is breathtaking but the unifying theme is lifestyle, the common bond that unites climbers around the globe. It's a year in the life. What motivates these athletes to court danger? Higher Ground celebrates mountain culture through the eyes of world-class climbers. The film focuses on these climbers' drive to explore, their passion for the mountains and the climbing lifestyle. From big wall first ascents in Zion, Utah and winter alpine ascents in the Canadian Rockies to big wall ski descents in coastal British Columbia, Higher Ground spotlights some of the continent's most inaccessible terrain and the people who thrive there. A lens into their boundary-breaking passion illustrates what mountain culture is: an obsession. Featuring: Mike Anderson, John Chilton, Audrey Gariepy, Phil Gruber, Shawn Huisman, Sean Isaac, Lisa Korthals, Guy Lacelle, Rob Owens, Ines Papert, Rob Pizem, Andrew Querner, Scott Semple, and Josh Wharton.