Freeze Frame is a South African documentary series (and book) produced (and written) by cameraman and adventurer Sean Wisedale, which documents his achievements in becoming the first South African to scale the "Seven Summits", a unique mountaineering prize consisting of the highest mountain on each of the seven continents.
The series originally aired on South African television on SABC3 from 29 July to 16 September, 2006, on Saturdays at 16h00. There are eight hour-long episodes in the series.
A rebroadcast of Freeze Frame premiered on SABC3 on Sunday 10 August 2008, at 17h00.
Synopsis
Sean Wisedale is the first South African to achieve the "Seven Summits", a unique mountaineering prize consisting of the highest mountain on each of the seven continents.
In 1998, Sean went to Mount Vinson in Antarctica, and reached the summit of the highest mountain on that continent.
In January 2002 Sean reached the summit of Mount Aconcagua, the highest in South America at 6959m. Then in June he reached the summit of Mount McKinley in Alaska, the highest mountain in North America at 6194m.
On the 30th May 2003, Sean reached the summit of the highest of all mountains, Mount Everest - at 8850m. It was a hugely emotional and celebratory moment.
The team had struggled for two months against the worst weather seen on the mountain for decades and finally succumbed to defeat. Sean's last-minute decision to take advantage of a very late weather window (and try once more) paid off and he got to the top.
Preparation, perseverance, determination and a will to succeed at making a series of films of the Seven Summits had become Sean's trademark.
Sean then went on to summit Mount Elbrus, the highest in Europe; Carstensz Pyramid, the highest in Australasia; and the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps. He has climbed to the summit of Mt Kenya and also Mt Kilimanjaro four times.