Watch: The 1,600 Foot Fall by Ian McIntosh

Backpackers.com — This one is a bit of a cringe. We don’t usually highlight anything that shows people getting hurt, but this one is something you really have to see. And he doesn’t get hurt … so, no worries, right?

Ian McIntosh and “Paradise Waits”

The ski community ranges from toddlers on the bunny slopes, noses pricked with cold, to the ultra-insane die-hards that leap off sheer faces for the adrenaline. Marveling at the wonder of such daring and skill — in the latter case — is pretty universal. “Whoa!” “No way!” “They can’t … oh my god.”

People do this for fun, for a living, and for film. “Paradise Waits” is a flick that combines all three. Filmed by Teton Gravity Research, this dramatic film is really about some epic skiing and snowboarding. The crew made “Almost Ablaze” in 2014, and bills “Paradise Waits” as:

“As the days turn into weeks and the weeks roll into months, it’s the moments when everything seems to come together in perfect harmony that resonate the loudest. For those who anticipate winter’s arrival with frothing mouths and the dreams of what may come,this past year came with an unfamiliar set of struggles as these perfect moments became more and more elusive. But for the TGR team, this only hardened their pursuit of winter’s rewards. Through the highs and lows of a curious season, they come to find that the moments found on the other side of adversity are the greatest moments of all.”

You’re wondering where the intense falling clip is. It’s here, don’t worry. While filming this movie of madness, Ian McIntosh, one of the actors and veteran professional skier, took a fall. Because the crew was filming it as a scene, he was wearing a mic, and the fall was captured in stunning HD. It’s kind of the most intense thing you’ll see all day. Watch below.

This occurred while the crew was filming in the Neacola mountain range in Alaska. McIntosh said of the fall,

“…[M]y slough took over and their was no way to stop, I pulled my airbag to help prevent against any possible trauma injuries as I tumbled to the bottom.”

It’s amazing he wasn’t hurt. If this sort of thing whets your appetite, consider watching “Paradise Waits.” Watch the trailer below.

Screenshots courtesy Teton Gravity Research

This post is sponsored in part by Outdooren.

Editor