Podcast Series: Introducing The 7 Summits
Welcome to my new limited series on climbing the Seven Summits. Episode 1 is an introduction plus a brief update on the Autumn climbing activity in Nepal and Tibet. For the next eight weeks, I’ll drop a new episode discussing one of the 7 Summits in detail.
The Seven Summits, aka 7S, represent the highest point on each of the seven continents. However, as with most things in mountaineering, there is controversy. From a geological viewpoint, there are only six continents on Earth: Africa, Antarctica, Australia, Eurasia, South America, and North America. Europe is considered a peninsula of the Eurasia continental platform and is not an actual physical continent. However, from a political perspective, Europe is regarded as a continent; thus, Elbrus (18,513’/5642m), located on the border with Asia in southern Russia, represents Europe and not Mont Blanc (15,771’/4807m), which lies in the Alps on the border of France and Italy.
The 7 Summits idea was hatched and first accomplished by American Dick Bass. He started with six summits in 1983: Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Denali, Vinson and Kosciuszko. Then, with guide David Breashears, he became the oldest person, 55 at the time, to summit Everest in 1985. Canadian Patrick Morrow became the first to summit all seven with Carstensz in addition to Kosciuszko in 1986. Italy mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner summited all the peaks without supplemental oxygen, a first, and completed the task in 1986. #7summits
Episodes will drop each week:
September 15: Introduction
September 22: Mt. Kosciuszko, Australia – 7,310/2228m
September 29: Mt. Blanc, France/Italy – 15,771’/4807m
October 6: Vinson, Antarctica – 16,067/4897m
October 13: Carstensz Pyramid (Puncak Jaya), New Guinea – 16,023/4884m
October 20: Elbrus, Russia – 18,513/5642m
October 27: Kilimanjaro, Africa – 19,340/5896m
November 3: Denali, Alaska – 20,320/6194m
November 10: Aconcagua, Argentina – 22,902/6960m
November 17: Everest, Nepal/Tibet – 29,035/8850m
Autumn 2024: Himalayan Roundup
The 2024 autumn climbing season is underway, with most of the attention on Nepal’s Manaslu, oft acknowledged as one of the more “attainable” 8000ers. But there are climbers on other 8000ers like Dhaulagiri and Makalu. China reopened Tibet for climbing on Shishapangma and Cho Oyu. #manaslu2024
Guest Post by Steve House: How to Train for Mount Everest
Long-time followers know I seldom accept guest posts, but recently, through Summit Coach, my consultation service, I partnered with Uphill Athlete to broaden our offerings. I recently did a Podcast with Steve House, Uphill’s founder and owner, and he offered to write this essay on training for Everest. #everest
K2 2024 Coverage: A Few More Summits
The weather window held for another wave of summits on Monday morning, July 29, 2024. The body of a Pakistani porter was recovered. #K2024
K2 2024 Coverage: Summits and Deaths
Several teams banded together to summit K2 on the morning of July 28, 2024, while on the other side of the mountain, two Japanese climbers apparently died in a fall. There were also many summits on nearby Broad Peak. Of note this season was the large number of Pakistanis who summited or served as High-Altitude Workers (HAW) for the commercial teams.
Most teams noted the number of clients with support who summited while others did not. I’ll try to update this post when we get more information. #k2024
This summer has been Karakorum’s most variable weather season, with mostly high winds delaying or stopping many summit efforts and, in some cases, even acclimatization rotations. However, as become the custom these days, teams will band together at the last possible moment to follow the rope team, hoping to summit and descend before the winds return. It’s always a gamble. #k2024
K2 2024 Coverage: Summit Pushes Underway
Summit pushes are underway for K2 based on hope than science. The weather has been fairly unstable this season. Meanwhile, the nearby 8000ers have already seen a few summits.
This summer has been Karakorum’s most variable weather season, with mostly high winds delaying or stopping many summit efforts and, in some cases, even acclimatization rotations. However, as become the custom these days, teams will band together at the last possible moment to follow the rope team, hoping to summit and descend before the winds return. It’s always a gamble. #k2024
K2 2024 Coverage: Weather Delays, Increased Risks
Bad weather is damping activity in Pakistan, but for some, it’s the worst case with access to limited Internet! Climbing team updates are sparse. Most are doing the time-honored Base Camp Wait, while others demonstrate the classic “summit fever” mistake by going on their summit push in marginal weather. #k2024
K2 2024 Coverage: Climbing Begins
Climbing across the Karakorum is underway with the first summits of this 2024 summer season on Nanga Parbat. Ropes are nearing the high camps on K2.
The Pakistani Newspaper Dawn reports that the Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism Department has issued over 1,700 permits to foreign climbers, of which 175 permits have been issued to scale K2.
A notable person in the Karakorum this season is Sajid Ali Sadpara, the son of Mohammad Ali Sadpara, who perished on K2 a few years ago and will attempt a no Os climb of K2 in addition to Broad Peak. #k2024
Everest 2024 Podcast: Ryan Mitchell on his Everest Summit–”Life Changing”
Massachusetts native 19-year-old Ryan Mitchell summited Mt. Everest on May 23, 2024! This extensive podcast discusses his experience from training to the summit and back home.
Ryan, a Summit Coach client, contacted me about a year ago, wanting advice and coaching on how to climb Everest in the Spring of 2022. He had little to no experience, so while I told him many companies would take his money and have him on Everest, the best approach would be to wait at least a year and gain the skills and experience it would take to make a safe attempt on the world’s highest peak. He agreed, and we’ve worked together for the past year.
In this podcast, Ryan explains how he funds his climbs, training approach, and “why.” We cover a lot of topics, including:
1:22 – Was it hard? Was it fun?
2:50 – How did you train to get the required experience?
8:33 – What part of your training meant the most once on Everest?
11:35 – You created a YouTube series documenting each day of the expedition.
12:13 – What cameras did you use, and how did you keep the batteries warm?
18:50 – What other gear did well for you, like the down suit from Himali and your La Sportiva 8000-meter boots?
20:11 – Discuss the trek from Lukla to Everest Base Camp
21:32 – Did video logging distract you from the overall experience?
23:12 – Describe arriving at EBC and meeting the Sherpas for the first time.
26:10 – How was climbing through the Icefall?
31:41 – How hot was the Western Cwm?
33:00 – Did you ever get sick?
34:45 – What were the climbing conditions on the Lhotse Face?
40:10 – Did you experience severe crowding on Everest?
41:42 – Describe the good and bad at the South Col.
48:50 – Walk us through the Summit push.
53:46 – Sunrise from Everest
56:07 – How was the Hillary Step?
59:10 – Seeing dead bodies
1:01:25 – What emotions did you feel on the summit?
1:06:36 – You had a fast climb back to C2. Why so fast?
1:09:30 – Were you happy when you finished your last trip through the icefall?
1:13:03 – How did it feel to arrive back home?
1:15:55 – What are one or two words or phrases describing your Everest journey?
1:17:30 – What’s next?
I know you will enjoy this.
#everest2024
#everest2024
Everest 2024: Season Summary – Everest at a Rubicon
Everest 2024 might be remembered for summits, politics, deaths, ignored rules, near misses and disturbing allegations of sexual misconduct. It’s difficult to put all this in a headline, but I believe the Everest guiding industry is at a Rubicon – a point of no return.
Not to be lost in this mix is the joy and satisfaction felt by hundreds of summiteers. They worked and trained diligently to celebrate standing on the top of the world for only a few minutes. It’s funny how you can work so long for a goal, and the moment is over in a blink, but the memory lasts a lifetime—well done to all who summited, to those who showed up.
Once again, the Sherpas proved they dominated the mountain with impressive altitude performance. The Himalayan Database shows that between 1950 and 2023, 6,097 Sherpas have summited Everest compared to 5,899 members, and that gap is growing each year. However, more foreigners have died than Sherpas, 197 compared to 118. #everest2024