180° South

I watched an excellent documentary today entitled 180° South. Inspired by a 1968 trip taken by outdoorsman Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to the Patagonia region of Chile, a group of filmmakers and adventurers set out on a modern day version of the South American surfing/climbing expedition. The group encounters set backs along the way and the journey teaches them both about themselves and the world around them (standard documentary story line). I enjoyed the free-flowing spirit of the men willing to take a 6 month adventure as well as the breathtaking cinematography and Patagonia landscapes.

Yvon Chouinard, who founded the outdoor company Patagonia in the wake of his 1968 trip, had a quote in the film that I think will stick with me. He commented, "It's not an adventure until something goes wrong." As someone who doesn't like surprises and whose brain naturally forms contingency plans for every foreseeable outcome, I can learn a lot from Chouinard's take on adventure.

Check out the trailer below. The documentary is conveniently available for streaming on Netflix. I believe it came out in 2009 or 2010, but I just now got around to watching it.

- Joel