New Everest Climber and Guide Requirements
Nepal’s Ministry of Tourism announced proposed changes for guiding and climbing Everest at a press conference held in Kathmandu today, August 14, 2019. They still must be approved by the Parliament before going into effect according to ChannelNewsAsia‘s website but are targeted for the 2020 spring season. Highlights from the 59 page report included: […]
Autumn 2019 Himalayan Season: Coverage Begins – Updated
With the Himalayan spring and summer season completed, the autumn season is about to begin with more climbs in the Nepal, Tibet, perhaps Pakistan and around the world. For a change Everest and Lhotse will see a lot of activity this autumn but there are rumors that China may make it difficult to climb in […]
K2 2019 Summer Season Coverage – Successful End to K2 Season
The K2 season started out doubtful, got worse but ended on a happy note … for those who stayed. Thanks to an unusual spate of good weather, it appears that over 30 people made the summit, including at least seven not using supplemental oxygen. While impressive total summits, this is about a 30% summit rate […]
K2 2019 Summer Season Coverage – Successful Summits!
Against many unfavorable conditions, Nirmal Purja‘s Project Possible team plus two Sherpas from Seven Summits treks successfully summited K2 at local time 7:50 am Wednesday, July 24, 2019. Also Adrian Ballinger and Carla Perez summited a few hours later at 11:45 am not using supplemental oxygen. Both climbers have now summited both Everest and K2 with no […]
Bolivia 2019: Poor Weather in Bolivia, But Got a Summit!
As we left Copacabanna for the trailhead for our attempt of Pequeño Alpamayo, or Little Alpamayo Condoriri Group in La Coordillera Blanca, I was a bit apprehensive. I had felt good on our acclimatization hikes but we were now going over 17,000 feet and then on to almost 20 and then over 21,000. The drive […]
Bolivia 2019: Acclimatizing in Bolivia
We are well into our Bolivian climbs and I want to announce a change for the Alzheimer’s fundraising. Thus far I’m very impressed with the mountains of Bolivia. Our Mountain Madness team of eight with two guides spent the first week in Bolivia touring the city of La Paz before moving to the lakeside city of […]
K2 2019 Summer Season Coverage – Summit Push Underway Update 2
I’ll use this page to track the current 2019 summit push on K2. Latest Headlines 05:30 July 24 K2 Time Update 2 Dawa Sherpa posted that the SST rope fixer are 200 meter below K2’s summit meaning they are past the avalanche prone area/ Update 1 Dawa Sherpa told me that their Sherpa team reached C4 2:30pm on […]
K2 2019 Summer Season Coverage – One Last Effort to Summit K2
One by one the major commercial expeditions stating that the conditions on K2 were too dangerous announced the end of their 2019 expeditions. Meanwhile, a few ambitious independent teams have banded together, as expected, to give it one final push as this summer season winds down. Adrian Ballinger tells me “7 of us left on […]
K2 2019 Summer Season Coverage – Avi on K2 Stalls Ropes, No Injuries. More Broad Peak Summits
A small avalanche on K2 has delayed the rope fixing team by a couple of day but no injuries were reported. he Broad Peak summit list from Kobler was released. Look for K2 summits to slip to Friday though the weekend f the weather holds. Big Picture A small avalanche occurred near the Bottleneck that […]
K2 2019 Summer Season Coverage – More Broad Peak Summits, K2 Climbers enroute to Summit
We have more summits on Broad Peak and the Gasherbrum as the excellent weather continues. Many of the K2 teams have left Base Camp hoping to summit starting mid week. Big Picture The summit for K2 should begin early Wednesday, July 17, 2019, on both routes, the Česen and Abruzzi. Ropes are set to the respective […]