Hero’s last climb to be broadcast across US

The documentary on the expedition up the world’s second highest mountain, which claimed the life of Limerick’s Ger McDonnell has won a major distribution deal in the US.

In Aug 2008, Kilcornan mountaineer Mr McDonnell (right) became the first Irishman to scale the world’s most challenging mountain, K2.

But he died the next day after turning back to try save the lives of three Korean climbers who had got into trouble.

The Summit is an Irish film, directed by Nick Ryan and it was screened at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday.

It was premiered in London last year and is in the running for the best documentary award at Sundance. The results will be announced next weekend.

The documentary includes previously unscreened footage on the calamitous run of events on K2 which ended with the deaths of 11 climbers.

The distribution deal with Sundance Selects, an offshoot of IFC films, will see the documentary screened across America in cinemas and on cable.

Managing director of Image Now Films, Darrell Kavanagh, warmly welcomed the deal.

“To be selected for competition at Sundance is one of the highest levels of recognition for any film,” he said.