Sandakphu, India, 1993
Golden Hour
The first Mt. Everest Mountain Bike Rally, ridden in the last light of the Himalayas.
Prayer flags, thin air and a ridge with four of the world’s five highest peaks on the horizon. Patty Mooney and Mark Schulze rode in the very first mountain bike rally in the shadow of Everest.
National Geographic cinematographer Marco Eveslage filmed the climbs, the descents and the villages along the way. Patty’s poetic narration carries the film. Remastered with AI, the 21‑minute film won a National Gold Aurora Award.
- Directed by
- Patty Mooney and Mark Schulze
- Riders
- Patty Mooney and Mark Schulze
- Filmed by
- Marco Eveslage
- Narration
- Patty Mooney
- Running time
- 21 minutes
- Released
- 2022, remastered with AI
- Studio
- New & Unique Videos®
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About the film
Golden Hour takes you to the highlands of the Himalayas, where wind moves through prayer flags and the air feels charged. Mountain bikers Patty Mooney and Mark Schulze join an unprecedented cycling rally in the shadow of Mount Everest. They climb steep ridgelines, pass through remote villages and meet the raw beauty of the land.
Marco Eveslage, a National Geographic cinematographer, filmed the hard climbs and fast descents. He also caught the quiet hour when low golden light falls across the peaks.
Patty’s poetic narration follows the inner journey of endurance and wonder that runs alongside the ride. Remastered and enhanced with AI, the film now has new clarity.
It is a record of a historic event and a meditation on resilience, spiritual connection and the joy of going far beyond the familiar. Cyclists, adventurers and anyone who looks for beauty will find something here.
At the rally


Read Patty’s account of the trip: the first mountain bikers in Sikkim, India.
Darjeeling and Sikkim, 1993
On the same trip, Patty and Mark rode the trails of the tea country and spent time in the towns and temples of the hills.








Awards
- National Gold Aurora AwardAurora Awards
- Award winner, November 2022Dublin Film Festival
- Award winnerEdiplay Film Festival
Watch the full film
21 minutes in the Himalayas, from first light to golden hour.
