What would you do to never be a burden?
A Documentary Film
Pete McAfee
Pete was born without a leg. He grew up around people who worried about what he could not do.
He answered by becoming the strongest person in the room and refusing to need help.
On Denali, he intends to carry his share and ski the mountain on his own terms.
Vasu Sojitra
Vasu is also a one-legged skier. He treats disability as a fact of his life and speaks about it without apology.
He has spent years challenging stories that turn disabled athletes into symbols.
Before Alaska, he tells Erich the film may be "inspiration porn." The accusation reaches Denali before the team does.
Denali
The team has no porters. Each climber carries food, shelter, equipment, and the systems that keep his body moving.
Cold stiffens the prosthetics Pete and Vasu depend on. Fatigue changes the meaning of pace, risk, and help.
A private argument about identity becomes a decision the whole rope team must survive.
On the Rope
He believes extra weight proves he belongs. The people tied to him see the cost before he does.
Accepting help would protect the team. It would also threaten the rule Pete has followed since childhood: never become a burden.
Hold My Leg
Feature Documentary / In Post-Production
The Team
Pete and Vasu are the film's central characters. Erich directs from inside the expedition, with Yair producing. Jimmy and Conrad serve as executive producers. Conrad also narrates the film. The expedition and post-production crews complete the team.
Main Character
Pete grew up in Odessa, Texas. His right leg was amputated when he was a young child. He began skiing at 27 and soon turned toward ski mountaineering. His Warren Miller appearances include Winter Starts Now and Daymaker. Away from expeditions, Pete works as an X-ray technologist and teaches adaptive skiing at Mount Ashland. In the film, his refusal to be treated as a burden drives the expedition's conflict.
Main Character and Producer
Vasu is a professional skier, mountaineer, filmmaker, and Disability Access Strategist based in Bozeman. He and Pete completed the first disabled ski descent of Denali in 2022. Vasu advises The North Face on universal design and co-founded the Inclusive Outdoors Project. His work presses outdoor organizations to improve access and opportunity. In the film, his challenge to the filmmakers changes the course of the story.
Director and Cinematographer
Erich is a director and cinematographer who works in remote, high-altitude environments. He directed Hold My Leg after filming Pete and Vasu on Denali. His credits include Life Below Zero, Trango, and National Geographic's Photographer. Erich served on the high-altitude cinematography team for Everest: The Other Side and reached Everest's summit with the film crew in 2025.
Producer
Yair spent 17 years at Sony Pictures, where he became Vice Chairman and President of Sony Pictures Digital. He formed Sony Pictures Digital and helped establish Sony Pictures Animation. His producing credits include Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank. On Hold My Leg, he advises the team through post-production and distribution.
Executive Producer
Jimmy is an Academy Award-winning director, a three-time Primetime Emmy winner, a National Geographic photographer, and a New York Times bestselling author. His films have brought climbing, exploration, and survival stories to audiences around the world. In the mountains, he completed the first American ski descent from Everest's summit and the first ascent of Meru's Shark's Fin. Jimmy has been a mentor to Erich since their work on Everest: The Other Side.
Executive Producer, Narrator, and Character
Conrad is one of America's leading alpinists, with major first ascents across the Himalaya and Antarctica. His 2011 ascent of Meru's Shark's Fin with Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk became the documentary Meru. Conrad has mentored Vasu since 2015 and introduced him to The North Face. He also backs Vasu's work for disability access across outdoor sports. In Hold My Leg, Conrad narrates and appears as a character.
Expedition Cinematographer
Stein is an adventure filmmaker, director, and expedition media specialist. He filmed Pete and Vasu's 2021 Denali descent while working as a cinematographer and digital imaging technician. His field record includes 38-plus film and ski expeditions across the Arctic and Antarctic.
Producer, Photographer, and Expedition Cinematographer
Ted is a filmmaker, adventure photographer, and multimedia producer. On Denali, he photographed and filmed the six-person expedition. His images have appeared in National Geographic, Outside, The Wall Street Journal, and Climbing. He originated and executive-produced the Netflix documentary Skyrunners.
Expedition Cinematography
Ben is a mountain guide, filmmaker, and photographer based in Salt Lake City. He joined Pete and Vasu's six-person Denali team and helped document their 2021 ski descent. His guiding work spans Denali, Nepal, Chamonix, the Peruvian Andes, and the Canadian Rockies.
Editor and Post Producer
Jake is a filmmaker and the Post-Production Manager at Little Monster Films. They manage media, VFX, screenings, and assistant editorial work across several documentaries. Their credits include Love+War, Lost in the Jungle, and Endurance. Jake also co-wrote, directed, produced, and edited Mechanical Bulls.
Editor and Post Producer
Brett is a documentary editor whose work spans music, climate, and social-issue films. He edited The Go-Go's and co-edited Before the Flood and Willie Nelson & Family. His recent credits include Taking Back the Groove and The Merchants of Joy.
Director of Photography, Interviews
Chris is a Filipino American director, producer, and cinematographer. He produced and served as a director of photography on National Geographic's Torn. His camera credits include Pretty Sweet, Waiting for Lightning, and America the Wild. He also directed and produced Depth Perception. For Hold My Leg, Chris photographed the interviews.
Additional Cinematography
Jayce is a documentary cinematographer and camera operator whose credits include National Geographic's Life Below Zero. His camera work on the series shared a 2025 Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program. For Hold My Leg, he supported the Pete McAfee interview unit and contributed additional cinematography.
With Their Support
The National Ability Center is the film's adaptive sports partner. The production filmed its Park City epilogue at the NAC.
Visit National Ability Center
The North Face is a primary sponsor of Hold My Leg. Vasu Sojitra is a North Face athlete. The company's support helped make the Denali production possible.
Visit The North FaceProduction Notes
Read project updates or join the email list for news from the film.
Read Film News
