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 never-ending 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 on their side of Everest.
Please note that Adriaan was using a satellite connection, and there were several dropouts. I tried to edit them out, but my apologies for the sudden changes from time to time.
I know you will enjoy this.
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
The Podcast on alanarnette.com
Interview with Adrian Ballinger, Alpenglow Expeditions
You can listen on Spotify, Apple, Google, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Anchor, and more. Search for “alan arnette” on your favorite podcast platform.
Summit Coach
If you dream of climbing mountains but are unsure how to start or reach your next level, from a Colorado 14er to Rainier, Everest, or even K2, we can help. Summit Coach is a consulting service that helps aspiring climbers worldwide achieve their goals through a personalized set of consulting services based on Alan Arnette’s 25 years of high-altitude mountain experience, including summits of Everest, K2, and Manaslu, and 30 years as a business executive.
