EOFT 19/20

If you ask Adam Rolston and Ron Rutland, Mongolia is the most adventurous golf course on earth. Together the pair sets out to hit a golf ball across the Mongolian plains. What sounds like a modern version of Sisyphus, proves to be a real test for the two men, who could hardly be more different. But then they are joined by a stray dog – could he be the missing link between them?

There is a thin line between life and death. Ski mountaineers Hilaree Nelson and Jim Morrison have often experienced this firsthand. Despite this, they're thinking about pursuing another summit, the 8516-meter-high Lhotse, and the descent of their lives. Never before has it been possible to ski the eight-thousand-meter Lhotse Couloir, 50-degree slope and an absolute dream line. There is very little snow on some aspects of the Lhotse and the weather has to cooperate, so these two Americans don't have much time. They must set out to fulfil their dream at high speed and with minimal equipment.

No rope, no protection. Nina Williams puts everything on the line when it comes to highball bouldering. But at heights of almost 15 meters, even her heart skips a few beats. She has chosen Too Big to Flail, a route that definitely cannot be considered ‚climbing at jump height‘. The holds are so small that, from a distance, the rock actually looks like it has been polished. This is why Nina Williams is fascinated by the route that Alex ‚Free Solo‘ Honnold established here in the Buttermilks (California) seven years ago. It hadn‘t yet been repeated by a woman. With Ambrosia and Evilution Direct, Nina Williams already achieved two outstanding successes in highball bouldering. Who or what could stop her with Too Big to Flail?

The French adventurer Eliott Schonfeld crosses the Himalayas from west to east. Far off the beaten track, his path leads him through the wide valleys of Ladakh and over barren passes and glaciers to Nepal. Seven-thousand-meter peaks are always within view, but people and villages are a rare sighting. Eliott's only companion on this lonely trek is his horse, Robert. While the snow-covered and icy passages become a serious challenge for his four-legged friend, Eliott himself acutely feels, during the bitterly cold nights, that he may have spared too much on his equipment. Still, the minimalist adventurer explores his limits along the way and eventually renounces the last amenities of civilization: tent, sleeping bag, and lighter. How little is just enough?

The modern world has made us more and more disconnected and distracted from the things that really matter. Living in the moment typically isn't part of the conversation when talking about mountain biking, but these uncomplicated two-wheeled machines can help us get back to a simpler life. In RETURN TO EARTH, Brett Rheeder, Casey Brown, Matt Hunter, Joey Schusler and many more transport viewers to a feeling of flow and illustrate the many ways riding a bike can immerse you in the present moment.

As a professional snowboarder, Elias Elhardt has achieved what many others only dream of. He's aware that snowboarding for a living is a privilege, but he wonders how much longer he can reconcile the sport with his environmental conscience. Snowboarding is undoubtedly his dream job, and Elias has become a role model in the industry. As such, he must consider these questions: At what point does our passion for the mountains become ecologically destructive? How can we protect what we love? CONTRADDICTION is both a thoughtful film about the dichotomy inherent in pursuing one's passion and an ode to life in the mountains.

Rwanda's capital, Kigali, is not a hotspot for roller skaters—at least not yet. There are no halfpipes and no graffiti artists here, and because the sport is still completely unknown, roller skater Abdul Karim Habyarimana is also a very rare sight, especially during his acrobatic skates when he casually overtakes cars on the open road. Karim lives on eight wheels, an approach to life that he wants to bring to the next generation of skaters.

If you go freeriding via a Zeppelin, one thing you don't have to worry about is traffic. You should, however, make sure that you don't have a fear of heights! Luckily, Stefan Ager, Andreas Gumpenberger, and Fabian Lentsch do not because they have to abseil a good 50 meters down from the safety of the airship's gondola onto a snowy summit. The three freeriders discover new routes, not just their first-ever approach but also on the descent they have been eagerly anticipating.