The stakes in big wall climbing are huge, and the "Shark's Fin" in Mount Meru could be the big prize. Located 21,000 feet above the sacred Ganges River in northern India, the mountain's perversely placed obstacles make it both a nightmare and an irresistible target for some of the world's most serious climbers.
In October 2008, the popular mountaineers Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk arrived in India to "tackle" Meru. Their planned 7-day trip quickly turned into a 20-day odyssey in freezing temperatures with dwindling food supplies. Within 100 metres of the elusive peak - as with all previous attempts - the three failed to reach their goal.
Heartbroken and defeated, the trio return to their daily lives where the song of Meru's siren continues to draw them in. By September 2011. Anker manages to convince his team to reunite and try once more to capture "The Shark's Fin," under even more unusual circumstances.
MERU is the story of that journey, an expedition amidst the harshest conditions of nature and the complex inner demons of each of the three, and ultimately a journey to impossible new heights.
Photographer: Jimmy Chin