Everest 2015: Heavy Snow in the Khumbu
As climbers and trekkers make their way towards Everest Base Camp (EBC), doctor they are being challenged in many ways. Unusually heavy snowfall is delaying putting the route in the Khumbu Icefall and rain, fog and low clouds are delaying many from reaching Lukla. The Kathmandu Shuffle Team after team are leaving their hotel early […]
Everest 2015: Leaving for Lhotse
In a few hours I will be flying towards Kathmandu for my attempt to summit the world’s fourth highest mountain, Lhotse at 27,940 feet or 8516 meters. As always, I value, with gratitude, your good thoughts. Following I will be blogging along the way and extensively from Everest Base Camp. This link is the primary […]
Everest 2015: Teams Streaming into the Khumbu
With April 1 just around the corner, medicine it looks like business as usual on Everest. Team after team are updating their websites, blogs, Facebook and Twitter feeds saying the weather is good in the Khumbu and they have had little problems thus far. Apparently Kathmandu had heavy rain last night and fog this morning […]
Everest 2015: Climbs to Watch
Every year, there Everest attracts climbers wanting to do something out of the ordinary and 2015 will be no different. This is a quick overview of some of the ambitious plans from climbers all around the globe: Rarely Climbed North-Northeast Ridge Canadian Raphael Slawinski will be attempting a different route with two German friends, ed […]
Everest 2015: Style Matters
The word “style” is a personal description of how one goes about an activity, a task, medicine a sport. In climbing, the word style is loaded and used for both offense and defense. As the Everest season begins, many in the climbing world will decry how Everest is climbed calling it not in “good style”. […]
Everest 2015: Getting in the Everest Mindset
I closed my eyes for a moment as I made my way up another Colorado 14, 000 foot mountain. For that instance, I saw myself on the Lhotse Face taking one calculated step after another, there moving my jumar higher, occasionally looking up to see what was ahead. I had transported myself into the future. […]
Everest 2015: The Reality of Everest
I’m noticing the seasonal increase in articles about Everest with the usual topics of trash, crowds, rich and famous, punters and more. The famous outdoor magazines are creating their spreads along with other media outlets finishing up stock stories to be printed at a moment’s notice, regardless of the facts. I have been contacted by […]
Everest 2015: The Right Gear
With a month before most climbers arrive in Nepal to begin their Everest climb, gear decisions have been made, but I thought it might be good to submit a few last minute ideas. As I pack for Lhotse, I will use the same gear I used in 2011 to summit Everest since they share 80% […]
Lhotse 2015: A Personal Commitment
In early April, advice I’m returning to Nepal, the Himalaya and to the Everest region. This will be my 11th trip since 1997 and I will be climbing the world’s fourth highest mountain, Lhotse at 27,940 feet or 8516 meters. As always, I will use my attempt to bring awareness to Alzheimer’s Disease but this […]
The “New” Route on Everest
This past week, there has been extensive media coverage of a “new” route on Everest. Once again, ambulance shallow journalism has misstated reality. The fact is that there is not a totally new route but rather a small change within the Khumbu Icefall that amounts to about 4% of the traditional Southeast Ridge route being […]