I wanted to put some time between myself and my reaction to The Dark Wizard, the documentary series about Dean Potter.
Before the series was released, renowned climbing author Andrew Kirkpatrick—best known for his hilarious and deeply personal book Psychovvertical—was criticized for expressing concern that the film would portray Potter as an unquestioned climbing hero. In hindsight, that criticism seems misplaced. The series presents a far more nuanced and complicated portrait of Potter than many expected.
One scene in the documentary discusses Dean and his wife, Steph Davis, traveling from Moab to Yosemite. What the film doesn’t mention is a stop they made along the way at the Red Rock Rendezvous, where I was serving as the event’s technical director.
Dean took the stage and gave a speech that was unusual, introspective, and difficult to watch. Even then, it was apparent that something was wrong. There was a sense of personal turmoil beneath the surface. Steph wasn’t there at the time—she would arrive later—but the way Dean spoke suggested a man struggling with forces he couldn’t fully articulate.
That memory came back to me while watching the series, but not for the reasons you might expect.
I think many people are drawn to adventure sports because they function as a form of self-imposed therapy. We see this throughout outdoor literature. In Wild, Cheryl Strayed eloquently describes using the Pacific Crest Trail to work through grief, loss, and personal demons. Readers watch her transform through hardship, focus, pain, and persistence.
The same pattern appears again and again in stories of mountaineering, climbing, skiing, and long-distance hiking. People seek out difficult objectives that demand commitment, fitness, suffering, and concentration. The challenge becomes a vehicle for healing.
In many ways, I don’t think Dean Potter was doing anything fundamentally different. Like so many adventurers, he seemed to be searching for meaning, peace, or resolution through movement in wild places.
The tragedy is that it didn’t work.
For many people, adventure can be restorative. It can provide clarity, purpose, and a path forward. But mountains, cliffs, and deserts are not a cure for deeper struggles. Sometimes the demons come along for the journey.
That’s one of the saddest lessons in Dean Potter’s story. Not that he pushed boundaries or lived boldly, but that despite all of his extraordinary achievements, the freedom he sought may have remained just out of reach.