Thanks to a posting from EverestER, I learned about a new set of guidelines on how to prevent and treat altitude related illnesses. High altitude is defined as above 2500m (8200 feet). I found it interesting reading and recommend it for anyone traveling to high altitude environments with the caveat that it is designed for health care professionals and should not be used as a substitute for a qualified physician. The free paper is published by the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS). In the abstract the goal and approach of the study was The Wilderness Medical Society convened an expert panel continue reading
It is that time of year for climbing to resume on the Himalayan 8000m peaks. Fall brings attention to the ‘other’ 8000m mountains near Everest: Makalu, Manaslu, Pumori and Ama Dablam in Nepal and Cho Oyu and Shishapangma in Tibet. And of course, Everest. Fall climbing in Nepal and Tibet is dramatically different than in the Spring. The season starts soon after the summer monsoons let up leaving the area clean, clear and crisp. It is an absolutely beautiful season for trekkers and some climbers. But each day is shorter and slightly colder – just the opposite from the spring. continue reading
Ang Tshering Sherpa is the Chairman and Founder of Asian Trekking, one of the oldest expedition companies in Nepal. He is perhaps the most influential Nepali in mountaineering. He sends a few letters out during the year with updates on the Himalayan climbing scene. His most recent letter has a few interesting tidbits sadly including the recent crash of an aircraft with trekkers heading to Luka for a trek to Everest Base Camp. Dear Mr. Alan Arnette, Namaste and warm greetings from Nepal. It is with a very heavy heart that I’m writing to you. As many of you may continue reading
Update: 8/23/2010 Hanesbrands did use their aerogel based SuperSuit on Everest in the spring of 2010. Now three months later they have released the results to the public. It is mixed as I read it. On the positives, climber Jamie Clark did use their product and did not suffer any ill effects which was no surprise. Of note he wore a traditionally ‘puffy’ down suit on his summit push. Jamie only wore the external Supersuit to camp 3 which is still in the limited protection of the Western Cwm and not subject to the harshest summit winds. I was under continue reading
Eric Larsen is not your average Polar explorer. Yes he has already made difficult and successful trips to both poles, yet he is not satisfied. Next up is what he calls the 3rd Pole, Mt. Everest. What is a lifetime goal for some, is a year-long one for Eric. I recently caught up with him at the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake to talk about his Fall, 2010 Everest expedition. What is driving this 39 year-old man from Minnesota? Eric has a long fascination of Polar travel and was seeing his beloved terrain slowly slip away. So he felt continue reading
What did you do on your summer vacation? Well 12 year old Matt Moniz is trying the extraordinary. He and his father, Mike are tagging the highest points in all U.S. 50 States in 50 days. They just completed number 49, Granite Peak in Montana. Next up they leaving for Hawaii to tackle Mauna Kea. If you are curious about your state’s highpoint, take a look at this link. As might be expected, the lowest is Florida’s Britton Hill at 345′ and the highest is Denali in Alaska at 20,320′. The organization, highpointers.org tracks those going for the high points and helps with information.
There are 54 ‘official’ Colorado 14ers mountains rising above 14,000 feet and at least 300′ from an adjacent saddle. An estimated 500,000 people climb on 53 of the 14ers each year without fees or permits, today. Now, the U.S. Forest Service (NFS) is investigating charging for other 14ers starting with four highly popular 14ers in Southern Colorado. The primary issue land managers are struggling with is that many of the 14ers are being climbed so much that the trails are getting overused, scattered with trash, toilet paper and poop and all the other problems that comes with a lot of use.
After watching all the spills in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, many climbers wondered about IOC’s 2007 decision to monitor climbing as the first step to full inclusion in the Olympics. In Vancouver, during a plenary session, it was announced that after provisional IOC recognition in 2007, the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) has passed the two-year “observation period”. This according to the Italian website Planet Mountain and The Adventure Blog. The IOC had already announced at their final meeting before the Vancouver Olympics they had granted “full recognition” to the IFSC as the governing body for sport climbing and continue reading
A brief update on the mid-winter climbing season. The Southern Hemisphere is in focus with Mts Kilimanjaro, Vinson and Aconcagua receiving the usual attention. Thus far it has been a safe season albeit with death. The commercial outfitters are in full swing with multiple expeditions to these three of the seven summits. Word has it they are sold out and doing well. The local outfitters are also doing well reporting good business. This is impressive given the world economy. Somehow climbers always find a way to climb. Aconcagua After a difficult start for many teams including an early season death, continue reading
Ever wonder who was first to summit K2 or how many women from India have made it to the top of Everest or some other nuance of climbing statistics? Well Eberhard Jurgalski has updated his website for 8000m climbs up to 2009. You can download a huge number of spreadsheets with summit, route, nationality, death and more records from all 14 8000m mountains including Everest. A great resource for research or just for interest. Thanks Eberhard, Alan
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