Elia Saikaly is an award-winning adventure filmmaker whose global adventures inspire others to find their most meaningful life and spark positive change. With over 16 high-altitude expeditions under his belt, Elia has proven time and time again that he has the determination, stamina, skill, resourcefulness, and vision required to meet the greatest of challenges. Through his extraordinary presentations, Elia shows others how to find the courage and strength to live out their dreams, embrace the unknown and contribute to a better world in the process.

His incredible videos also have the power to take our breath away without actually having to deal with the thin air of extreme high altitudes. In his latest clip from Everest we get to see a time-lapse of this harsh yet stunning landscape. Here’s a bit of what Elia has to say about the video:

Experience the beauty of Mt. Everest at night in time-lapse. While most climbers slept, I attempted to capture some of the magic that the Himalayan skies have to offer while climbing to the top of the world.

These time lapse Images were captured as high as 6200m (camp 2) above sea level on Mt. Everest. We slept at 6000m for three consecutive nights on the summit of Mt. Lobuche East waiting for a glimpse of Everest from that vantage point. Around 11pm on the 2nd night, the skies opened up and the top of the world revealed herself in all of her glory.

No where else on the planet have I ever seen the Milky Way so clear, so vivid and so very much alive. It takes a great deal of discipline to stay up all night capturing the magic for the world to experience. Cameras freeze.Shutters freeze. Batteries freeze. Humans freeze. The high altitude environment is debilitating at best. Your body is taking a constant beating by the low levels of oxygen in the atmosphere. The higher you climb of course, the worse this becomes.

And yet… this is heaven on Earth for me. This is my comfort zone. This is where I feel alive. This is where the combination of my love for imagery, astrophotography, storytelling and connection with the mountains all intersect. I toss logic out the window on clear nights and run all of my cameras until all batteries are exhausted, CF cards are filled and the sun re-emerges for yet another beautiful day. It’s my oxygen. It fuels me. Energizes me. And keeps me in a flow state.

To watch click HERE.