A daring first snowboard descent of a Himalayan peak with a fearsome reputation.
“The peaks of Good and Evil.”
That’s how locals in northern India refer to Mount Papsura (Evil) and its slightly lower sibling, Mount Dharmsura (Good). In Lahaul culture, the summits are said to vary in height depending on the status of Good or Evil in the world.
Technically a more challenging climb than Dharmsura, Papsura was first summited in 1967 by Geoffrey Hill and Colin Pritchard. In 2017, Hilaree Nelson, Jim Morrison and Chris Figenshau made the first ski descent of Papsura.
Patagonia’s latest film—Papsura: Peak of Evil—follows pro snowboarders Nick Russell and Jerry Mark from California’s Sierra Nevada to this lesser-known corner of the Himalaya as they set their sights on the most dangerous/glorious line of their lives. Papsura’s face is split by a line so epic and savage that it tested the skills of even the world’s most skilled ski mountaineers.
Nick Russell sums up the challenge: “A line like this requires everything I’ve learned and worked for my whole life…. Getting into these untamed landscapes and doing these things that make us feel alive—you can’t put into words how gratifying that feeling is.”
Film Partner Bios:
Nick Russell – Snowboarder
Nick Russell is a Sierra Nevada-based big-mountain snowboarder who specializes in human-powered exploratory freeriding. Entranced by an uphill stride and downhill slide, Nick has dedicated his life to moving through the mountains. Utilizing the simplicity of his splitboard to reach seldom visited lines, his true appreciation lies within the process.
Nick is a Patagonia ambassador, a member of the Protect Our Winters Athlete Alliance and recently joined United Shapes Snowboarding to help develop high-performance splitboards.
“The vision for Papsura was inspired directly from the exploits of the late Hilaree Nelson. It was a years-long dream to acquire the necessary skills to organize and lead an expedition to northern India, culminating in the second descent and first snowboard descent of the 21,150-plus-foot peak.”
Morgan Shields – Filmmaker
Morgan Shields is a filmmaker with a passion for spending time in and telling stories about the outdoors. His love for action sports—and specifically skiing—began many years ago while ski racing down 300 feet of vertical in Minnesota. After learning film production in Los Angeles, California, he now blends his two most unwavering interests of filmmaking and snow sports in Jackson, Wyoming.
“I had been to the Himalaya once before in 2017. Tagging along for the Papsura expedition seemed like the perfect opportunity to return to the mountain range that had been on my mind ever since I left.”
Jerry Mark – Snowboarder
Jerry Mark was raised in the box canyon of Telluride, Colorado, and surrounded by ski culture from his earliest years. Despite the heavy ski influence of his hometown, Jerry opted for the path less traveled and began navigating his mountain pursuits on a snowboard, and by the age of 15 had started using a splitboard to explore the backcountry. Jerry currently lives in Verdi, Nevada, where he works as a registered nurse in an intensive care unit.
“Snowboarding in the Himalaya is the grandest dream that I have ever imagined, and Papsura is the most aesthetically beautiful mountain that I have ever seen. The mountain is remote and technical, and has a special place in the hearts of some of my fondest ski mountaineering idols, making it an extremely remarkable mountain.”
Blake Gordon – Cinematographer
Blake Gordon is a photographer and cinematographer who focuses on a deep connection to place. This was his third expedition to the Himalaya, and he finds the area’s mountain culture just as enriching as the terrain and mountaineering. He is also a FAA 107-certified drone pilot and lead pilot for the Mountain Rescue Aspen drone team.
“Papsura was a dream expedition and a dream line. There were challenges, but the conditions were a gift and we were able to put in the necessary hard work as a team day in and out to make it happen. Summiting and skiing with Nick and Jerry—all while shooting photos and video and not holding up the team—was one of the more demanding and rewarding days in the mountains I’ve had and the result of a career slowly refining those skills.”
Film partner bios provided by Patagonia.
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