Young Carl Fredricksen idolizes famous explorer Charles F. Muntz. When accused of fabricating the skeleton of a giant bird he brought back from Paradise Falls in South America, Muntz leaves, and vows not to return until he has captured one alive. Carl meets a girl named Ellie, also a Muntz fan, who confides her desire to move her "clubhouse"—an abandoned house in the neighborhood—to a cliff overlooking Paradise Falls. The two later marry and live in the restored house, and Carl works as a balloon salesman. Suffering a miscarriage and unable to have children, they decide to save up to go to Paradise Falls, but are constantly forced to spend their savings on more urgent needs. Now elderly, Carl finally arranges for the trip, but Ellie falls ill and dies. Years later, Carl, now retired, stubbornly holds out in the house while the neighborhood around him is replaced by skyscrapers. When Carl accidentally strikes a construction worker during a mishap, the court deems him a public menace and force him to move to a resting house. However, Carl resolves to keep his promise to Ellie to go to Paradise Falls, turning his house into a makeshift airship using thousands of helium balloons and flying away. Russell, a young "Wilderness Explorer" who visits Carl in an effort to earn his final merit badge for assisting the elderly, becomes an accidental stowaway. Before Carl can land and send Russell home, they encounter a storm which drives them all the way to South America. The house lands on a tepui opposite Paradise Falls. Carl and Russell harness themselves to the still-buoyant house and begin to walk it across the mesa, ho