New York exhibition is talk of the town

‘Rivers of Ice’ - the exhibition in New York by David Breashears, 54, an American mountaineer, photographer and filmmaker - has attracted a lot of attention in Bangalore. It is the buzz among environmentalists, shutter- bugs and trekkingbuffs here. Many Bangalorebased blogs are showering accolades on Breashears.

An Asia Society project, it is about disappearing glaciers.

Breashears retraced the 1921 British Mount Everest Reconnaissance Expedition Team. He used photos taken by surveyor Major Edward O. Wheeler and photographer George L. Mallory, Returning to the same vantage points, Breashears has meticulously recreated their shots, pixel for pixel.

It is visual evidence to the effects of climate change.

Breashears is known for his work in films like Seven Years in Tibet, Cliffhanger and Red Flag of Tibet and the four Emmy awards he bagged for cinematography.

He grew up as one “ who couldn’t do a pull- up” but dreamt of the Everest, has made five successful expeditions to the summit.

Mountaineer and writer Jeff Long has called him one of the strongest climbers on earth and “ a high- altitude machine”. His fellow adventurer and former wife Veroniuqe Choa once told People magazine: " I always found David at his sexiest when climbing. He has an elegant, effortless style."