“True Adventure: Highest Africa,” a made-for-tv black and white travelogue film from 1962, chronicles the journey of retired American businessman, and legendary mountaineer John D. Graham as he attempts to climb the highest peaks in Africa. The film follows as Graham and the rest of his exhibition traverse the peaks of Mount Stanley, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Mount Kenya. The film highlights the change in nature from grassy plains to icy glaciers as well as the jagged rocks that the expedition group traverses in Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. The film is part of a TV documentary series titled “True Adventure” produced by the show’s host Bill Burrud’s production company.

Opening credits and graphics (0:10). Bill Burrud addresses viewers (0:44). Montage of footage to come: savannah and jungle, ice covered mountains, mountaineers (George Mallory) (1:07). Lioness hides in tall grass (2:06). Waterfall (2:13). Rhinos (2:20). Lion looks at the camera (2:26). Maasai people of Samburu villages in Kenya dance dressed in traditional jewelry, wrapped cloth clothing, holding sticks (2:30). Map of Africa featuring Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean highlights Eastern Africa: Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya (2:46). John D. Graham emerges from overgrown plants on Rwenzori National Parks Trail to Mount Stanley (3:01). Elephant (3:14). Climbing through streams, giant lobelia (3:22). Lake Bujuku (4:00). Base camp: porters unload and return to villages (4:12). Portraits of men on the expedition: John D. Graham, Felix Julen (4:13). Ascending Speke Glacier, snowstorm (4:41). Montage of peaks on Mount Stanley (5:30). Hike through tall grass from Lake Bujuku (5:46). Elena Hut cabin on mountain peak (6:35). Alexandra Peak during blizzard, hanging icicles (6:57). Group trekking through snow on Elena Glacier (7:44). Elena Peak (8:00). “Great Tooth” (8:04). Savoia Peak (8:05). Mount Elizabeth (8:11). Approach of Mount Phillip: snow-covered jagged rock (8:16). View from Mount Phillip (8:46). Group treks across Stanley Glacier (8:57). Climbing ice wall of Mount Alexandra (9:30). Icicles 10-20 ft long (10:09). Graham waves American Flag from Mount Margherita (11:37). Lion in the savannah of Tanzania (12:12). Maasai people greet the travelers (12:19). Group and porters carrying supplies trek towards Mount Kilimanjaro, Mawenzi Peak in the distance (12:47). Shadow moves across Mawenzi Peak at sunrise (13:12). Alpine climbing through snow (13:24). Kibo Peak in the background of climbers (13:44). Mawenzi’s snow-covered jagged peaks (14:05). Graham poses with register left by other expedition group Sierra Club of California (14:30). Crew leaves Mawenzi Shelter (14:40). Expedition team crosses Saddle of Kilimanjaro (14:51). View from Gilman’s Point: sun peaks through clouds (14:58). Graham holds plaque commemorating Gilman at rim of equator (15:16). Climbing around Gilman’s Point, partially flat and light snow (15:41). Walking along, snow and ice cliffs (16:08). Graham and Julen shake hands at Kaiser Wilhelm Spitze (Uhuru Peak) Summit of Kibo (16:36). Graham dances next to Sierra Club register (16:51). Thomson’s Falls (17:00). Maasai woman exits from mud-roof hut in a Samburu Village (17:05). Women dance for the men, topless, wearing stacks of necklaces (17:18). Settlement of Raymond Hook, preparing horses for climb (17:27). Expedition group on trail to Mount Kenya on horseback, danger from Mau Mau attacks (17:39). Horse feeds on grass and plants at over 13,000 ft (17:53). Two Tarn Hut (18:04). Ascending Twin Peaks: Batian and Nelion (18:21). Graham exits tent, fog covers Nelion Peak (18:37). Graham and Julen walk across Lewis Glacier (18:53). Men scale rocks on face of Nelion (18:59). Graham sits among rocks and signs register at top of Nelion (21:00). Surveying jagged cliffs to Batian (21:30). Graham repels down sharp ridge (21:30). Crossing Diamond Glacier (22:10). Graham holds American flag, first American to conquer Batian (22:41). Clips of the peaks (22:48). Mist and white water at Thomson’s Falls (22:54). Bill Burrud interviews Graham at TV studio (23:27). Closing credits (25:48).

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com