Year: 2023

Climbing News, Everest, Everest 2024 Coverage, Everest News, Everest Popular Posts, Interview, K2, K2 2023 Coverage

Everest 2024 Podcast: Ryan Mitchell on how a 19-year-old can afford to climb Everest

Ryan Mitchell

How a 19-year-old can afford to climb Everest? Well, Ryan Mitchell, 19, living in central Massachusetts, explains how in this podcast.

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 there were many companies who 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 been working together for the past twelve months.

In this podcast, Ryan explains how he is funding his climbs, his training approach, and critically, is his “why”

#everest2024

Climbing News

Autumn 2023 Himalayan Roundup: Death, Rescue and Cancellations

The Autumn season moves on with climbs on Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri and the very popular Ama Dablam. However, there were more tragedies in the 8000-meter mountains, with a death on Dhaulagiri. Nepal continues to monetize its mountains, issuing 881 climbing permits across forty-two mountains, generating $450,000 in revenue. China and France represent the two largest countries climbing this Autumn.

Climbing News, Everest, K2

The Best Guides for an 8000-Meter Mountain

We continue to see preventable deaths on the 8000-meter mountains. In this article, I’ll explore how they can be safely climbed, minimizing but never eliminating the risk of injury or death. To be clear, mountain climbing is dangerous whether you climb alone, with friends, are a sponsored professional or a client on a commercial team. If you don’t think you could die, you shouldn’t go.

It comes down to five basic principles: experience, leadership, judgment, risk management and personal responsibility. Let’s break them down.

Adrian Ballinger, Climbing News, Everest, Everest News, Everest Popular Posts, Interview, K2, K2 2023 Coverage

Podcast with Adrian Ballinger, Alpenglow: Records, Rescues, Deaths and More

The past few months have been difficult in the mountaineering world. We have seen climbs on many 800ers that turned out tragically: Mohammed Hassan on K2, Anna Gutu, Migmar Sherpa, American Gina Marie Rzucidlo and Tenjen Lama Sherpa on Shishapangma. A few dramatic rescues and a neverending quest for records.

I turned to long-time alpinist Adrian Ballinger, co-founder of Alpenglow, to try and make sense of what’s going on, what can be done to prevent these seemingly preventable deaths and if the pursuit of records is worth the risks. We also discuss his return to Everest planned for 2024 after missing the last four seasons, due to China’s closure of their side of Everest.

Climbing News, Manaslu 2023 Coverage

Autumn 2023 Himalayan Season: Deaths on Shishapangma

After what was a safe and busy season with scores of heavily supported clients summiting Manaslu, the odds caught up with climbers on Shishapangma, the only 8000er fully in Tibet. American Anna Gutu with Migmar Sherpa are confirmed dead. Reported missing are American, Gina Marie Rzucidlo and Tenjen Lama Sherpa. Lama was Kristin Harila’s partner in summiting all the 800ers in ninety-two days earlier this year. Both Americans were seeking the record to become the first female to summit all fourteen 8000 meter peaks. #manaslu2023

Everest, Everest 2021 Coverage, Everest News, Everest Popular Posts

Podcast with Jost Kobusch’s Winter 2023/24 Everest West Ridge Attempt

I caught up with German Alpinist Jost Kobusch, who now lives in Chamonix, France, to discuss his upcoming 2023/24 winter, no O’s, solo attempt of Everest’s West Ridge. No climber has reached the summit using this route and precise style. He will begin climbing on December 22, 2023, the beginning of the astronomical calendar winter. He will complete his climb no later than February 28, 2024. #everest2023 #everest2024

Climbing News, Interview, K2, K2 2023 Coverage

Podcast Interview with Kristin Harila

Norwegian Kristin Harila, 37, Tenjen (Lama) Sherpa summited all fourteen 8000ers in three months and 1 day (92 days.) The first was Shishapangma on April 26, 2023, and the last K2 on July 27, 2023. In 2022, Harila summited twelve of the fourteen, but China refused them entry into Tibet to attempt Shishapangma and Cho Oyu thus, she returned this year to complete her project.

Harila’s journey was not with controversy. They included switching teams and Sherpas from 2022 to 2023, using helicopters to fly Sherpas to Camp 2 on Manaslu, and the one that caught global attention when a High Altitude Porter, Muhammad Hassan, not climbing with her team died on K2. Her team gave aid, but he died. A video taken hours later showed other climbers, not Harila’s team stepping over the dead body on the way to the summit. Harila was widely criticized for his death, yet her team did everything to save his life.

The Pakistani government investigated the incident and posted a detailed report clearing Harila’s team of any wrongdoing and gave her photographer, Gabriel Tarso, an “appreciation letter” for his effort to save a life that night. We explore all of these controversies in detail in this podcast. #k2023

Climbing News, K2, K2 2023 Coverage

K2 2023 Coverage: Harila and Tenjen Cleared on Muhammad Hassan’s Death

The Pakistani government has issued an exhaustive report on the July 27, 2023, death of Pakistani High Altitude Porter, Mr. Muhammad Hassan. While no one team or individual was found culpable, it exposed deep issues across the mountaineering industry that must be fixed.

It is sad and interesting reading that didn’t find any one person or team solely responsible for his death but haphazard coordination among the operators, ignoring long-established Pakistani climbing rules, and a lack of training and resources. All complicated by a sudden storm at the steepest and most dangerous terrain of the mountain. #k2023

Everest, Everest News, Everest Popular Posts

Nepal Increases Fees to Climb Everest

Everest April 6 2015

The long-rumored Everest permit fee increase will now happen for the 2025 season. The permit fee for a foreigner will increase from USD $ 11,000 to $15,000. For a Nepali citizen, it will be $568. The increase is still in the proposal phase but appears to be pre-approved. As always, wait to see as Nepal will often float news rules or fees, measure the reaction, and then pull back or never implement the idea if there is bad publicity that may hurt tourism revenue. #everest2024