Documentary: The First Traverse of Everest
There have been a lot of climbing movies recently: Tenzing, The Last First: Winter K2, Everest: The Other Side and of course, long time favs like Everest, Touching the Void, North Face, Meru, Valley Uprising, The Summit (K2), The Alpinist, Free Solo, The Dawn Wall so I was suprised when writer, director Roger Mellem told me about his short documentary, 20 minutes, The First Traverse of Everest,.
Everest: The Other Side-a movie that will leave you sweating
I saw Everest: The Other Side in an IMAX theater this week with close friends. We were the only ones there for the 2:00 pm matinee.
It offered a solid human story of striking tragedies, perseverance, and courage. The family dynamics felt genuine rather than forced or artificial. Some risks and major decisions may prompt thoughtful discussions during the drive home.
Are We Actually Making Progress on Alzheimer’s? Here’s the Real Story
Many of you who have followed me for more than 20 years know the story of the day my mom, Ida, looked at me in a Perkins restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee, and said, “Now, who are you again?”
My world pivoted in that moment. #alzheimer’s
Podcast: Guy Cotter on Making Tenzing, and the Lessons of a Hard Year in the Mountains
If you follow mountaineering, you know Guy Cotter. He summited Everest as a guide with Rob Hall and Gary Ball in 1992, has run Adventure Consultants for thirty years, and has quietly helped bring mountains to the big screen since Vertical Limit. Tomorrow, October 16, Tenzing premieres on Apple TV. It’s Jennifer Peedom’s film about Tenzing Norgay, with Genden Phuntsok as Tenzing and Tom Hiddleston as Edmund Hillary, and Guy was the alpine production supervisor. He scouted locations in Nepal and New Zealand, then kept as many as 150 actors, stunt doubles, and crew safe on Aoraki Mt Cook and the Tasman Glacier in mid-winter, at temperatures down to -23C. #tenzingmovie #guycotter
Autumn Himalayan Climbing – Everest and More
Despite a brutal year in the high mountains—including 20 dead or presumed dead during Nepal’s autumn season and the 10 killed on Broad Peak in Pakistan in July—the 2026 autumn Himalayan climbing season continues. A small four-person Russian team is currently climbing on Everest, scouting a possible new route for a larger attempt next spring. A dispute over rope fixing, followed by worsening snow and wind conditions, ends attempts on Nepal’s final active 8,000er of the autumn season. #manaslu2026 #himlung2026 #everest2026 #dhaulagiri2026
Changing Mountains, Changing Risk: Is There Always Another Route?
A couple of months ago, I talked about the tragedy on Broad Peak. Many of you listened and left thoughtful comments. Thank you for that. Since then, it’s been a tough season in the mountains. A really hard year. I took some time to think deeply about a few key questions and how to move forward—not speaking for the industry or the climbing community, but from my own experience, observations and opinion. Today I want to step back and look at the bigger picture. Are the mountains becoming too dangerous? Or is the risk changing, and are we changing with it?
#broadpeak2026 #manaslu2026, #himlung2026 #langtangflood2026
Climbers missing after avalanche hits Himlung Base Camp—sixteen missing.
Climbers missing after avalanche hits Himlung Base Camp—fourteen people are missing. Himlung Himal (7,126 m), in Manang district, requires an additional permit for helicopter flights, adding to the difficulties of reaching the mountain.
Himlung has been heavily marketed since Nepal floated the idea of requiring a 7,000-meter climb in Nepal before applying for an Everest permit. The rule is going through Nepal’s governmental approval process but is not in place as of September 2026, and probably will not be in time for the Everest 2027 Spring season. #manaslu2026
Manaslu Over for Most—Finally!
It’s over on Manaslu. Even the rope-fixers are bailing as the typhoon is about to make landfall, bringing, perhaps, feet of snow to the higher elevations across the Himalaya. The Nepali weather experts are warning of potential flooding in Kathmandu and other areas. #manaslu2026
Manaslu Avalanche and Potential Heavy Snow at Month End? – Updated
With the recent heavy snows, it was inevitable that the upper slopes of Manaslu would see some avalanche activity. If that wasn’t enough, the signs of an impending typhoon hitting the area are increasing. It’s time for every climber and team to gather data and make responsible decisions. #manaslu2026
Manaslu Dominates Autumn Himalaya Season and One Death
With China closing Tibet to mountaineering this autumn and recent floods making travel to many areas in Nepal difficult, operators focused on Manaslu, and climbers came.
Nepali authorities have issued a record 451 climbing permits to foreign climbers on Manaslu (8,163 meters/26,781 feet), with a 1:1.5 member-to-support ratio, which could put 1,128 climbers on the mountain. Nepal received over $1.35 million in royalties. Sadly, there has been one death. #manaslu2026