Everest 2021: Interview with the UK’s Kenton Cool
Kenton Cool is one of the premier climbers from the United Kingdom. Among his many accomplishments, he skied the 8000er Cho Oyu, made the first, and thus far only, climb of Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse in seven days in 2013. And he has summited Everest 14 times. He’s currently on Everest with a client attempting his 15th which would tie American Dave Hahn for the most non-Sherpa summits of Everest.
I caught up with Kenton while he was in Namache Bazzar recovering from his acclimatization rotations in prep for the summit bid. We discussed the allure of Everest, a bit of history, his own long-time interaction with the mountain, and the conditions this year.
It’s a fun, fascinating interview I hope you enjoy.
Interview with Ed Viesturs and David Schaeffer of Himali gear company
Ed Viesturs has joined David Scheffer’s Himali gear company. I interview the pair about how they met, Ed’s contribution to an updated product line, and Ed’s project with Inspiration4 – the first civilian space flight in history.
Annapurna 2021: Interview with Tracee Metcalfe
A record 68 people summited the world’s 10th highest peak at 8,091 m (26,545 ft), Annapurna, on April 16, 2021, including 14 women, six of whom are Nepali. One of those female summiteers was, Coloradoan Tracee Metcalfe, who spoke with me from Pokura, Nepal just before she was leaving for Dhaulagiri. “Harder than Everest or Makalu”
Annapurna 2021: Summits! – Update 4
After running out of rope the night before, it appears Annapurna saw 68 summits the night of April 16, 2021. By any measure, it was a record night for the deadliest 8000er. The deadliest metric will drop dramatically assuming everyone descends safely.
The weather continues to be a concern, not current but previous with a dry winter of little snowfall making the Lhotse Face rock hard blue ice. We are seeing this on Annapurna with a summit bid underway. Unexpected hard ice above Camp 4 caused the Sherpas to use more rope than they carried and they ran out. More was helicoptered in from Kathmandu, a first to my knowedge.