A new short film explores the powerful legacy of lost mountaineers.
When Jonathan Büchner and Chris Gulka disappeared in the Squamish backcountry in late May 2024, search and rescue operations continued for more than a month.
Along with a third companion (who has not been publicly identified) the mountaineers had departed for Atwell Peak—a challenging 2,655-metre summit in the Garibaldi massif—on the morning of May 31. They were caught in an avalanche later that day.
In July, after a search prolonged by terrain and weather, Squamish SAR recovered three bodies.
A GoFundMe page set up in their honour remembered them thus: “These young men embodied the spirit of adventure, resilience, and camaraderie that defines the mountain community in the Lower Mainland of BC. They were not just climbers. Their love of life and warm hearts touched many lives, both within the climbing and outdoor communities as well as in their work and personal lives.”
Two of Büchner’s friends—cinematographer Matt Sorensen and photographer Kieran Clarke—recently collaborated on a short film worthy of the people lost and the mountains they loved.
Shot in the Chilliwack region over several months, For the Thrill of Stopping Time shows Clarke mindfully traversing the landscape, his voiceover focusing on the outdoors as his therapeutic space. He credits Büchner with cementing his dedication to exploring these mountains.
“[Büchner and I] met up and did a hike together at Crossover Peak, our first one, and that’s really where our friendship grew. It was an awesome start to my more intense hiking journey, to be able to do my first big adventure with him,” Clarke told CTV News. “He just wanted to see me progress and do well. No matter what, he wanted to help everyone out.”
“What happened on Atwell Peak was really tragic, and I think it affected everyone in the outdoor community,” Matt Sorensen told CTV News. “But we wanted to show, through the film, that even though there is always going to be that inherent danger and risk that comes with being in the mountains, some of the best things in life can also come from them.”
Check the ML Podcast!
