Virtual Everest 2020: Exploring Kathmandu
With all the Mount Everest Guide climbers in Kathmandu for their spring 2020 Everest attempt, the process of getting to know one another begins. But first a tour of Kathmandu. Virtual Everest 2020 – Support the Climbing Sherpas is a joint project of Alan Arnette and several global guide companies. Our objective is to entertain […]
Virtual Everest 2020: Kathmandu
Our fictional climbers have arrived in Kathmandu for their spring 2020 Everest attempt. In the real world, conditions at Everest Base Camp on the Nepal side are pretty good. The temperature is 28F with an occasional snow shower. Virtual Everest 2020 – Support the Climbing Sherpas is a joint project of Alan Arnette and several […]
Virtual Everest 2020: Hello Kathmandu!
Arriving in Kathmandu for an Everest attempt is surreal, especially if it’s your first time there. You can be anxious about meeting your teammates, adjusting to a new culture that will be home for two months, the new food, and more. While this story is fictional, there are real people climbing Everest in 2020. A […]
Virtual Everest 2020: Weekend Video Update April 5
During this Virtual Everest 2020 – Support the Climbing Sherpas project, I’m adding a new aspect of my coverage, a video report on most Sundays. I will recap the week and preview what we can expect coming up. If you have a question or topic you want to be addressed, let me know. Virtual Everest […]
Virtual Everest 2020: Flying at the Summit of Everest
Our Everest 2020 climbers are on their way this early April. A few teams are already trekking the Khumbu to Everest Base Camp while those climbing from the Tibet side are on the road. Zhangmu, a 6-hour drive from Kathmandu, used to be the border crossing from Nepal into Tibet, but after the 2015 earthquake, […]
Virtual Everest 2020: Leaving Home
The end of March and beginning of April is an exciting time for Everest aspirants. Their duffle bags are packed, plane reservations confirmed, and training completed. All that’s left is to get to Kathmandu or Lhasa. Virtual Everest 2020 – Support the Climbing Sherpas is a joint project of Alan Arnette and several global guide companies. Our […]
Virtual Everest 2020 – Support the Climbing Sherpas
Welcome to the kick-off of Virtual Everest 2020 – Support the Climbing Sherpas. As regular readers of my blog know due to fears over the Coronavirus, aka COVID-19, Nepal closed all climbing, including Everest, for the spring 2020 season. China, through the Tibet Mountaineering Association, closed all their mountains to foreigners, Chinese nationals will be allowed […]
Climbers wait out the Virus – Denali now Closed
Follow Virtual Everest 2020 – Support the Climbing Sherpas starting April 2, 2020 The COVID-19 aka Coronavirus continues to spread across the globe with close to 200,000 confirmed cases, almost 8,000 deaths and, over 80,000 cases of recovery. So a question that feels a bit academic and perhaps even insensitive is where to go […]
Everest 2020: Was it Correct to Close Everest?
Follow Virtual Everest 2020 – Support the Climbing Sherpas starting April 2, 2020 Now that word is spreading that both Nepal and China have closed the 2020 Spring Everest (and other mountains) season let’s talk about if this was the correct decision. For me, the answer is clearly yes. Climbing is a sport, it’s optional […]
Everest 2020: Nepal Joins China and Closes Everest
Follow Virtual Everest 2020 – Support the Climbing Sherpas starting April 2, 2020 Nepal has joined China in closing the spring climbing season on all mountains, including on Everest citing Covid-19 aka the Coronavirus. Nepali officials also decided to temporarily stop issuing on-arrival tourist visas to all countries through the end of April. Previously it […]