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Everest 2019: Welcome to Everest 2019 Coverage

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Mar 012019
 
Everest 2019: Welcome to Everest 2019 Coverage

Welcome to the kick-off for my Everest 2019 coverage! I have already posted a few articles on 2019 and am actively covering the current K2 winter attempts so let me officially welcome you. This will be my 18th season of all-things Everest: 12 times providing coverage, another 4 seasons of actually climbing on Everest and two years attempting Lhotse. I did similar coverage for the 2004,  2005,  2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 seasons. I summited Everest on May 21, 2011, and have attempted Everest three other times – 2002, 2003, 2008 and Lhotse in 2015 and 2016. If you are one of my 3 million regular continue reading

Everest 2019: Update on Everest Rescue Scams and China “New” Rules

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Feb 112019
 
Everest 2019: Update on Everest Rescue Scams and China "New" Rules

With the spring Everest climbing season only six weeks away, the well-publicized insurance fraud in Nepal heats back up while China seems intent on taking more control of their side of the Big E. Insurance Fraud and Insurance Threats I covered in great depth last August in this post but the gist of it was mostly trekking guides, helicopter companies and even hospitals were accused of scamming the companies that provide rescue coverage with unnecessary, false and/or duplicate claims plus unnecessary medical practices. The lid was blown off when a thorough investigative report by AFP reporter Annabel Symington found systematic cooperation continue reading

Does Ecuador Replace Nepal for Best 20,000-foot Climbs?

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Feb 072019
 
Does Ecuador Replace Nepal for Best 20,000-foot Climbs?

I just returned from a rewarding trip to Ecuador to climb three of their volcanoes. I went with US-based, Mountain Madness. While this was my seventh trip to South America, it was my first to Ecuador and now I see what I’ve been missing! I’ve been climbing and going to Nepal 13 times since 1997. As anyone who has read my blogs knows, Nepal is close to my heart for many reasons. However, Ecuador was so impressive, Nepal may have to share the top spot. In evaluating the two countries for trekking and climbing, both have pros and cons and continue reading

2018/19 Winter Climbs: K2 Climbers en route, Nanga Climbers Climbing, New Everest Route?

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Jan 062019
 
2018/19 Winter Climbs: K2 Climbers en route, Nanga Climbers Climbing, New Everest Route?

The winter 8000-meter teams are well on their way to their respective peaks. On Nanga Parbat, the climbing has begun. K2: In Skardu K2: Kazakhstan, Russia and Kyrgyzstan Team – Arrival Pakistan  The seven member team from Kazakhstan, Russia and Kyrgyzstan are in Skardu after taking a bus on Karakoram Highway for 30 hours. It seems there was some construction and repairs along the way that delayed their progress but all is well now. Next up is the 8 to 10 hour drive in Toyota 4Runners to the end of the road in Askole where they will being the trek to K2 continue reading

How Much Does it Cost to Climb Mount Everest? – 2019 Edition

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Dec 172018
 
How Much Does it Cost to Climb Mount Everest? - 2019 Edition

This is my sixth year to blog “How much does it cost to climb Mount Everest?” and I firmly believe we are about to see the biggest changes in Everest, inc. that we have seen since Nepal went from one team permit per year to anything goes back in the early 1990s. The key drivers for changes include: China’s concern about reputation but more importantly to making as much money as possible with their side of Mt. Everest. Then Nepal’s Merry-go-Round of Ministers and lack of consistency in providing an understandable and predictable regulatory environment. Then there is the domination continue reading

China Clamps Down on Everest Climbs

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Dec 052018
 
China Clamps Down on Everest Climbs

Over the past few years, I’ve been predicting two things will change dramatically about climbing Everest: 1) It will get more expensive and 2) China will make it more difficult to climb from their side. A recent announcement by Chinese Mountaineering Association and Mountaineering Association of Tibet aka CTMA has shown both to be true. China has informed operators that effective January 1, 2019, several new rules will be put in place: “expedition formation, audit, reception, management, safety and environmental protection” for mountain expeditions on Cho Oyu, Shishapangma and, of course, Everest. If implemented and enforced, this is a big continue reading

Nepal Guide Fined and Climbers Sentenced to Jail for forged Everest Permits

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Sep 022018
 

News broke in July, 2018 that Sherpa owned and operated guide company, Seven Summits Treks (SST), had forged Everest climbing permits for two clients cheating the Government out of $22,000 in royalty fees. SST has been fined double the permit fees and the clients fined and sentenced to jail time. Caught When the Himalayan Times published the story SST Chairman and co- founder Mingma Sherpa responded on Facebook: We seven summit treks pay around more than 2 million dollars royalty fee every year to the government . Why would we make fake permit for $20000 . Look we paid money for all continue reading

Everest Rescue Scams Expose Corruption Across Nepal

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Aug 292018
 
Everest Rescue Scams Expose Corruption Across Nepal

A war has been brewing between the Everest rescue/insurance companies and the local operators for years now. This summer the battle hit the tipping point when a thorough investigative report by AFP reporter Annabel Symington found systematic cooperation amongst local guide companies, helicopter services and even some hospitals in Kathmandu to scam the rescue/insurance companies through fraudulent claims. An investigation by the Nepal government verified the charges. As usual, the Nepali government went into damage control but it remains to be seen if anything of substance changes. However trekkers and climbers going to Nepal, and even Pakistan, from now on continue reading

Update: 2018 Oxygen Failure on Everest – Regulator Recall

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Aug 262018
 
Update: 2018 Oxygen Failure on Everest - Regulator Recall

Followers of the Everest 2018 spring climbing season will recall that a few teams experienced a failure of their supplemental oxygen systems provided by the UK company, Summit Oxygen (SO). While alarming, to maintain a sense of perspective, it was 25 out of 500 to 1,000 that regulators failed, not a massive failure as some described. Neil Greenwood, the founder and Managing Director of SO, has sent me an update on what caused the problems the solution. He is recalling several batches of faulty regulators. Regulator Failures at 8,000-meters. First reported by Lucas Furtenbach’s north side Everest team, multiple teams continue reading

HBO Special on Everest: A Missed Opportunity

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Aug 202018
 
HBO Special on Everest: A Missed Opportunity

I’ve been an avid fan of HBO Real Sports for years, but when it comes to Everest, they seem to miss golden opportunities to tell the “Real” story. For Everest Haters, this segment will reenforce their beliefs. For Everest fans, they will immediately sees the holes in the reporting and for everyone else, they will wait for the next story on drugs in the NFL or illegal horse race gambling. Airing on Tuesday, August 21, 2018, a segment entitled “High Stakes at Mount Everest”, David Scott, a veteran television journalist, who has broken many important stories including the controversy surrounding continue reading

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