Climbing the World to End Alzheimer's
Summiting Everest in 2011 and K2 in 2014 at age 58 — becoming the oldest American at the time — Alan Arnette has spent almost three decades as both a high-altitude climber and one of the most trusted independent voices in mountaineering journalism,
I always hesitate to post about climbing accidents too early, as there is a tremendous amount of misinformation in the mainstream media and especially on social media; thus, this is a preliminary post with as much information as I can confirm as of midday, July 31, 2026.
Apparently, around 9:30 am local time on July 30, at 6,600m, a massive avalanche on Broad Peak, 8,047 meters / 26,401 feet, affected at least 10 climbers, including Elite Expeditions co-founder Nirmal Purja. This is the first official information published:
The Karakorum continues to be quiet as we approach the end of July. There have been summits only on Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak and Gasherbrum II. High winds have hampered attempts on K2, while other issues have emerged on GI and Broad Peak.
In a quiet season, with poor weather stalling progress, there is climbing across the Karakorum. While the first summits of this 2026 summer season on Nanga Parbat feel like a long time ago, a few teams have reached several of Pakistan’s five 8,000-meter peaks and are on their summit bids.
What’s different about this season is the lack of huge (50+ clients with 50+ Sherpas); instead, small, even solo professional climbers, many climbing without oxygen or Sherpa support – in other words, low-cost base–camp only services from budget Pakistani operators. Kind of feels like the good old days, ten to fifteen years ago. #k2026
In a quiet season, climbing across the Karakorum is underway, with the first summits of this 2026 summer season on Nanga Parbat. A few teams reached several of Pakistan’s five 8,000-meter peaks. #k2026
Over the past two years, Nepal’s government and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation have been working on a sweeping Tourism Bill that includes new rules for casinos, hospitality, and mountaineering. The key proposed rule for Everest mountaineers is the requirement to have summited a 7,000-meter-or-higher peak in Nepal before receiving an Everest permit. #everest2027
In 1996, three Indian climbers died on the Tibetan side of Everest. One became known as “Green Boots” and was macabrely used as a route marker for 30 years. That’s about to come to an end.
Romanian Madalin (Cris) Cristea, 34, didn’t just “summit” Everest on May 20; he summited after walking 1,125 kilometers (approx. 700 miles), starting on March 4th, 2026, from the village of Digha, India, on the Indian Ocean. Oh, then he walked back, covering 2,000 km (1,242 miles) over more than 100 days. In this Podcast, we discuss his journey and the two other seas to summit to sea climbs and his plans.
If you would like to be notified when my memoir, “Hard or Impossible? Summiting K2 for Ida is available – I’m still looking for an agent. Complete the form at the bottom of this introduction page: https://www.alanarnette.com/memoir
The Denali 2026 season is well underway, with a dated climber report as of June 1, 2026, of 513 climbers, mainly on the West Buttress route. 97 climbers have completed their trips, and 381 are left to check in and begin their climbs. One team that did summit was one from American Alpine Institute and Summit Coach client, John Bartlic
John, a Southwest Airlines pilot living in Dallas, Texas, is relatively new to mountaineering, with a Rainier summit last year and a Pico de Orizaba summit a few months ago. His next includes Kilimanjaro and Everest. We discussed everything from motivation, training, gear, clothing and weather to logistics and had a special remembrance of Mayor Stubbs of Talkeetna, Alaska, who died in 2017. I met Stubbs in 2007 on a climb. #Denali2026
If you would like to be notified when my memoir, “Hard or Impossible? Summiting K2 for Ida is available – I’m still looking for an agent. Complete the form at the bottom of this introduction page: https://www.alanarnette.com/memoir