Award Winning Hiking Documentary – The Range of Light – 400+ Miles in 35 Days
The Range of Light is an intimate look into the lives of three hikers as they tackle the high routes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, covering over 400 miles in around 35 days. The film looks at the addictive nature of long-distance hiking, the creation of high routes, and the threats these wild places face.
The Range of Light was shot by Paul Ingram in 2019 and edited through covid times. With the support of the film’s sponsors mentioned below, funding was raised to gather together a post-production team, some US based, some in the UK, and some in Pauls’s adopted home country in Finland. Upon completion, the film ran in the adventure film festival circuit, being viewed at 6 different festivals around the globe and winning the award of best cinematography at the Lyons International Film Festival. In the spring of 2023, The Range of Light had its Finnish premiere, where industry professionals, friends, and family could watch the film together before its online release on YouTube.
With the success of his first film Paul received funding and production support from Kendal Film Festival in the UK and RAB to produce a second film. Seasons Lost is currently in production in 2023 and will enter the film festival circuit at the end of the year.
Chapters:
0:00 – Intro
9:49 – Kings Canyon High Basin Route (KCHBR)
39:01- The High Sierra Trail
45:17 – The Southern Sierra High Route
1:00:53 – The Sierra High Route
The Range of Light was produced in association with:
Gossamer Gear
Bearvault
Enlightened Equipment
Altitude
Key Themes:
– The 400+ mile hike through the Sierra Nevada over 35ish days
– The addictive nature of long-distance hiking and the stories of our hikers
– How High Routes are created (centring on the Kings’ Canyon High Basin Route, Sierra High Route, and Southern Sierra High Route)
– Threats the Sierra Nevada and other wild places face (overuse, climate change, land management)
– Elitism in the outdoor community
Key Characters and Interviewees:
Hikers:
1. Josh “Cheesebeard” Tippett – Triple Crowner, Photographer, Baker
Struggle/Story – Moving to Finland, figuring out what to do with his life, excited to fly fish in the Sierra, and to see areas of the Sierra most people don’t.
2. Danielle “Sonic” Vilaplana – Long-distance multi-sport lizard based out of a Ford Ranger in Utah and Wyoming
Struggle/Story – She attempts the hike a few months after breaking and dislocating her leg in a skiing accident. Living in her truck to fund the lifestyle. Motivated to hike the high routes in the Sierra and avoid the elitism on the triple crown trails.
3. Paul “Pie” Ingram – English guy living in Finland and hiking all over the world
Struggle/Story – Starting his own small business and film-making career. Being away from his fiancee. Motivated to push his limits by hiking cross-country routes through the Sierra and creating a documentary.
Massive thanks to all of the interviewees featured in The Range of Light:
Andrew Skurka – National Geographic Adventurer of the year, ultra-long distance hiker, and creator of the Kings’ Canyon High Basin Route in the Sierra
“Adventure” Alan Dixon – Lightweight Backpacking pioneer, founder of BackpackingLight.com, and Creator of the Southern Sierra High Route
Kurt Wedberg – Owner of Sierra Mountain Guides in Bishop CA, has Multiple ascents of Everest and has completed the Seven Summits
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About:
I am Paul “Pie” Ingram. I am a hiker and filmmaker from the UK that’s living in Finland and hiking all over the world. Pieonthetrail is all about sharing my hiking films, reviewing gear, and sharing tips and tricks. In 2015 I Thru-Hiked the 2189-mile Appalachian Trail; in 2017, I finished the 2700-mile Continental Divide Trail (CDT). I’ve also hiked:
– The Annapurna Circuit in Nepal
– 400+ miles on the high routes in California’s Sierra Nevada
– 400+ miles crossing Iceland from NW to S
– My current project, “seasonslostfilm,” has me hiking the East Highland Way in Scotland in January and again in June.
#hiking #hikingadventures #documentary
KEYWORDS
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21 Comments
Chapters:
0:00 – Intro
9:49 – Kings Canyon High Basin Route (KCHBR)
39:01– The High Sierra Trail
45:17 – The Southern Sierra High Route
01:00:53 – The Sierra High Route
If you mute this its pretty good.
Do these guys eat food or bird food?
Lovely photography, but too many "like" s in the narrative.
We don’t need anymore come here movies….
Would have been excellent without the tedious commentary so watched no sound 😊
Does Sonic have the best fit in hiking? That’s a hard yes.
Lol just my opinion they talk about not being hiking snobs, while sounds so snobby
I enjoyed your documentary and I'm sure that you were in terrific physical shape when deciding to bail out because of inclement weather. However, I think what this really shows is that the typical "ultralight" equipment that you were using is totally inadequate and even dangerous for anything but calm sunny hikes on trails. Tarps and trekking pole "tents" don't survive in high winds and storms, the mesh inner tent does not keep you warm and lets condensation drip on sleeping bags, running shoes instead of hiking boots are too wet in the snow and slippery on steep rock. You need warmer clothes as well. Basically, much of the fashionable "ultralight" stuff was invented for hiking nice trails like the PCT in the summer and NOT for off-trail mountaineering, unless you are planning to trigger your satellite signal and rely on others to rescue you.
I also wonder if people like Andrew Skurka ever reflect on the harm that they do with guide books and organized groups. Get a real job Andrew and shut up about the few bits of wilderness that remain.
lol… I'm doing the headwaters section of the shr this year. I watched til the end to see you didn't do it. 😅😅😅
I don't care about the stories of the hikers. I want to know about the hike.
I'm old enough to remember when people could complete a sentence without using the word "like" a hundred times.
Entertaining, informational, motivational, philosophical…Congrats on your first film – thank you. Cheeseboard, you can be a baker and a photographer. Sonic, you are an inspiration, bigger than life,
Very interesting but I couldn’t believe the amount of whining on the trail. THERE IS NO CRYING IN HIKING. Having said that I suppose you wouldn’t have a much of a documentary without drama, but I could never hike with you guys.😂
At this point in my life, I understand how this can seem full of contradictions, ego, privilege, poor language etc.
But watching thru eyes of my younger self, it makes sense. It’s all a learning experience.
I know how hard the Sierra are even on established trails. If I caught my inner monologue on film while out there, it would be nothing but complaining! I guess many people don’t understand this kind of suffering?!
Nice footage, and well put together.
But do perhaps learn how to not use “like” so much😉 it is super annoying in an otherwise entertaining doc.👍🏽
Absolutely incredible. Thank you for sharing.
Inspiring, outstanding film. The footage and your narration is super helpful in understanding the variety of conditions, terrain and routes you experienced. Thank you. I grew up here in spent time in the high Sierra from year zero, but also haven't really been up there all that much. Aiming for 2-3 weeks this year. This really helps! Beautifully done.
This is just on and on and on and on complaining 🥱🙄🫠
great video. how is your videodeography doing?
Well done! I first traversed the Sierra from Tahoe to Whitney in 1990. It sure has changed since then in terms of visitation. What hasn't changed? I've hiked every major mountain range in the lower 48 and Canada. The Sierra is the Range of Light and uniquely pure. The Canadian Rockies can't be beat for grandeur and wild, but the Sierra win for weather and granite!
Why do hikers and climbers always overdramatize their non-earthshattering exploits?
You are not curing brain cancer… ive learned this living and climbing mountains my whole life. Quit whining… and quit thinking your hard… its just more of the same.