Climbers missing after avalanche hits Himlung Base Camp—sixteen missing.
Climbers missing after avalanche hits Himlung Base Camp—fourteen people are missing. Himlung Himal (7,126 m), in Manang district, requires an additional permit for helicopter flights, adding to the difficulties of reaching the mountain.
Himlung has been heavily marketed since Nepal floated the idea of requiring a 7,000-meter climb in Nepal before applying for an Everest permit. The rule is going through Nepal’s governmental approval process but is not in place as of September 2026, and probably will not be in time for the Everest 2027 Spring season. #manaslu2026
Manaslu Over for Most—Finally!
It’s over on Manaslu. Even the rope-fixers are bailing as the typhoon is about to make landfall, bringing, perhaps, feet of snow to the higher elevations across the Himalaya. The Nepali weather experts are warning of potential flooding in Kathmandu and other areas. #manaslu2026
Manaslu Avalanche and Potential Heavy Snow at Month End? – Updated
With the recent heavy snows, it was inevitable that the upper slopes of Manaslu would see some avalanche activity. If that wasn’t enough, the signs of an impending typhoon hitting the area are increasing. It’s time for every climber and team to gather data and make responsible decisions. #manaslu2026
Manaslu Dominates Autumn Himalaya Season and One Death
With China closing Tibet to mountaineering this autumn and recent floods making travel to many areas in Nepal difficult, operators focused on Manaslu, and climbers came.
Nepali authorities have issued a record 451 climbing permits to foreign climbers on Manaslu (8,163 meters/26,781 feet), with a 1:1.5 member-to-support ratio, which could put 1,128 climbers on the mountain. Nepal received over $1.35 million in royalties. Sadly, there has been one death. #manaslu2026
Ten Years of Summit Coach—and a Special Offer for Climbers
September 2026 marks ten years since I founded Summit Coach, LLC. Since then, I’ve worked with hundreds of clients and interacted with thousands more. Today, I have dozens of climbers under contract—each with a different background, schedule, and definition of success. For my anniversary, I’m excited to make a special offer to new and current clients. #summitcoach #alanarnette
Himalaya Autumn Season Begins
As summer ends, the Autumn Himalayan climbing season begins. Manaslu is the favorite climb, given that China has inexplicably closed Tibet to climbing. We can expect record summits on Manaslu this season, despite the catastrophic floods in Nepal; climbers are still climbing. Many teams switched from trekking to using a helicopter to reach base camps, but road closures and bridges out after the flood made that difficult. #manaslu2026
Podcast with Ryan Mitchell & Justin Sackett: No O’s Everest Update and Plans
Ryan Mitchell, a Summit Coach client, planned to climb two 8000-meter peaks without supplemental oxygen with his friend and professional mountain guide, Justin Sackett, but not everything went as planned. In this podcast, we discuss the expedition, its risks, decision-making and emotions. Both climbers wanted to climb without supplemental oxygen. #everest2026
K2 2026: Summits on other 8000ers, Wind Stall K2 Summit Bids
The Karakorum continues to be quiet as we approach the end of July. There have been summits only on Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak and Gasherbrum II. High winds have hampered attempts on K2, while other issues have emerged on GI and Broad Peak.
K2 2026: Weather Delays Small Teams across Karakorum
In a quiet season, with poor weather stalling progress, there is climbing across the Karakorum. While the first summits of this 2026 summer season on Nanga Parbat feel like a long time ago, a few teams have reached several of Pakistan’s five 8,000-meter peaks and are on their summit bids.
What’s different about this season is the lack of huge (50+ clients with 50+ Sherpas); instead, small, even solo professional climbers, many climbing without oxygen or Sherpa support – in other words, low-cost base–camp only services from budget Pakistani operators. Kind of feels like the good old days, ten to fifteen years ago. #k2026
K2 2026: Coverage Begins & First Summits
In a quiet season, climbing across the Karakorum is underway, with the first summits of this 2026 summer season on Nanga Parbat. A few teams reached several of Pakistan’s five 8,000-meter peaks. #k2026