Jimmy Chin and Jim Morrison Rappel Down West Hollywood Building to Promote Everest: The Other Side

Ski mountaineers Jimmy Chin and Jim Morrison took an unconventional approach to promote their National Geographic documentary, Everest: The Other Side, by rappelling down the side of a 12-story building on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, on Friday evening. The stunt, which drew attention from passersby and media, was designed to generate buzz for the film that explores a new route on the world's highest peak. Chin and Morrison, both renowned in the adventure sports world, scaled the building before descending with ropes, showcasing the same nerve and technical skill that define their high-altitude expeditions. The event underscores the lengths to which filmmakers and athletes will go to capture public interest in an era of crowded media landscapes. For National Geographic, the spectacle serves as a reminder that Everest remains a powerful draw, even as the mountain's challenges are well-documented. The documentary, which premiered earlier this year, follows a team attempting a first ascent via the West Ridge from the Tibetan side—a feat that has eluded climbers for decades. By bringing a slice of that adventure to the streets of Los Angeles, Chin and Morrison hope to inspire audiences to see Everest not just as a summit, but as a story of human ambition and resilience. The rappel, though far from the death zone, was a fitting metaphor for the controlled risk that defines modern alpinism.