Into Thick Air

The Seven Summits are a legendary accomplishment for alpinists. So how did a motley crew of Midwesterners achieve them — and over a weekend, no less? They redefined the summits, making them the highest points of seven Midwestern U.S. states. These men don’t need climbing rope or crampons — a passenger van and a designated driver is the key to them bagging their goal. Directed by David Story and featuring his identical twin brother, Telluride local Rob Story, Into Thick Air chronicles a group of adventurers who live up to the moniker that the legendary Yvon Chouinard once applied to himself and his brethren: Conquerors of the Useless.