The Podcast on alanarnette.com (Alan Arnette)

Everest used to take a minimum of two months home to home. In 2019 Roxxane Vogel did it in two weeks. So what's changed and what's a reasonable time today?  You can see the blog post with more details at https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2022/04/19/everest-2022-how-fast-can-you-climb-everest/  

Climb On

Alan

Memories are Everything

As I covered in a recent post, Everest 2021 is coming on soon. There are questions as to whether operators should run their programs at all. A few have canceled their Everest '21, but many, including Asian Trekking, are moving forward with confidence.  

Early reports suggest Nepal could issue well over 300 foreigner permits, high but under the record 382 in 2019. Also, it appears that COVD is slowing in Nepal, with over one-third of the population to be vaccinated by April.  

I discussed the situation with Dawa Steven Sherpa, Asian Trekking - CEO, which will run their EcoEverest expedition from the Nepal side this spring. We cover many topics from COVID in Nepal, Everest, trash, skydiving, and mountain biking plus K2.   

If you don't know who Asian Trekking is, let me give a brief intro. Established in 1982 by Ang Tshering Sherpa, his family had already been involved in mountain expeditions for many years. Ang Tshering's father, Konchok Chumbi Sherpa, was a friend of Sir Edmund Hillary and helped him prepare for Everest's ascent in 1953. Konchok Chumbi was also involved in the planning and supplied the porters and equipment for the 1963 American Everest Expedition. 

In 2007 Dawa Steven Sherpa, Ang Tshering's son took over the business deftly, leading the enterprise into the modern age of mountaineering. Dawa is no stranger to adventure with three Everest summits, plus summits on four other 8000ers. He completed the 3,000-mile Great Himalayan Trail in 99 days, is an avid skydiver, and recently rode his mountain bike from Kala Patar to Namche Bazaar! 

Dawa has overseen or personally led over 150 people to Everest's summit and championed massive trash cleanup operations throughout the Himalayas, especially Everest. He is also a climate change ambassador for WWF and patron of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Nepal. His mother is from Belgium. Dawa grew up in Nepal with an international influence, speaking five languages. 

Note, I will be covering all the action on Everest this spring on my Blog.

The summer season has begun in Pakistan's Karakoram range with climbers on K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I/II, and Nanga Parbat. The ropes have already reached C1 on K2 and climbers have slept at C1 on both Broad and GI. Due to some mixed signals from Pakistan authorities, many operators canceled their climbs this summer making for a relatively low number on the peaks a bit less than 200 across all five with K2 having the most at 88. 

 Climb On! 

Alan 

Memories are Everything 

 www.alanarnette.com

The number of climbing permits granted keeps increasing. 222 permits are now in Everest aspirants' hands and 389 for all Nepal peaks for all teams this spring. With hundreds of climbers and trekkers on the trails, the Khumbu is busy, but reports are coming in saying overall it feels quiet compared to previous years. The main difference is the absence of so many trekking teams. Some teams will arrive at base camp this weekend or early next week. Look for the first trips through the Icefall around April 15, a bit earlier than usual. I've also added a new short feature in the video the Gear Corner where I briefly talk about the gear used on Everest.

Garrett Madison, founder of Madison Mountaineering has now summited K2 three times. Only one other person has more. This is his sixth expedition to K2 making him the most experienced western operator to run regular trips to the Northern Terrorities of Pakistan. He was the leader for the 21 person team who submitted on July 28, 2018, at approximately 6:07 AM PKT (local time)

We discussed his team summit plus the latest on finding the bodies of the 3 missing winter climbers. And an update on the West Ridge effort - it's not over. 

In Garret's own words:  

"Yesterday our whole team stood atop the world’s 2nd highest peak, today we all reached base camp safely. We were very lucky with not even a breath of wind at the summit, clear views in all directions, and excellent route conditions. It was spectacular! . In a season where most teams canceled their K2 expedition plans due to Covid travel restrictions, we found a way to make it happen thanks to great partners, persistence, and a positive attitude. We had the mountain and route nearly all to ourselves compared to the last time I was here during a ‘normal’ season in 2019. . Things went so smoothly and ahead of schedule once we arrived in Pakistan just over a month ago that I was nervous something unanticipated would stop us dead in our tracks…or worse. But the mountain opened its arms and welcomed us to the top, granting us a 5-day weather window to make our summit bid. Our @madisonmtng Sherpa / Pakistani team worked tirelessly with the other Sherpa team here and got the route fixing done, a major component of our success on K2. . K2 is likely the world’s most deadly mountain with a ~25% death rate (deaths on attempt vs summits). K2 and Annapurna have traded places as the world’s most deadly peak in recent years…Currently, only I and 2 other climbers have reached the top of K2 three times (a Pakistani and a Nepalese Sherpa). I’ve never lost a client or staff member on K2, but I’ve seen others perish here. It’s a lot more rugged and dangerous than climbing Mount Everest, to say the least. We’ve had a few ‘near misses’ with rockfall and avalanches but all okay so far. I’m grateful we are all down safe from our climb on the ‘Savage Mountain’!" 

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

This is the late April Everest 2024 Weekend Update. The headlines are significantly more positive than last weekend: Permits are a bit higher, which is good for the local economy but not so good for the mountain. The fixed ropes, aka the route, are all the way to Camp 2, thus opening the path for Sherpas to establish the upper camps and for clients to begin acclimatizing. #everest2024 Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/04/21/everest-2024-weekend-update-april-21-route-to-c2-permits-catch-up/

As forecasted, the winds have let up, allowing the rope team to continue fixing it to the summit. This will open the mountain for scores for clients with one or more Sherpas in support. Look for a busy first wave of summits over the next few days.

The question is, how many people will be on their summit push this weekend? Almost every team has completed their acclimatization programs and is ready. The lack of fixed rope to the summit and high winds above Camp 3 has stalled everyone, frustrating some team leaders. Some forecasts have acceptable summit winds, under 30 mph/48 kph through May 20. If this pans out, there will be plenty of time for everyone to have their shot at the top. Thus, it becomes a question of how the team leaders will cooperate and coordinate their summit pushes.

Nepal issued 467 permits, and each foreigner, aka client or member, has at least one Sherpa climbing with them. Some have two or more. Last year’s final statistics showed 683 summits on the Nepal side broken down as 256 members and 415 Sherpas in support, yielding a ratio of 1: 1.62. By the way, for members, 75% of those who climbed above base camp made the summit.

According to the Himalayan Database, the top reasons for ending a climb once above base camp are:

• Exhaustion, frostbite, Weakness or Lack of Motivation
• Other Illnesses or Pain
• Bad Weather (storms, high winds, etc.)

In a typical year, around 25% of the clients abandon their expedition. Some get hurt, others are bored, and some figure out they are in over their head and wisely return home, hoping, perhaps, to learn from this experience and return one day better prepared. If that holds for 2023, we’ll see around 350 members instead fo 467, making the crowds more manageable.

Almost as a final kiss, high winds knocked down many tents at Camp 2 over the last few days. No one was injured, but some tents were lost. The best teams have spares, while others go begging for replacements. Just another normal day on Everest!

One fly in the summit ointment is that Camp 4 at the South Col has not been established. By this time in a normal season, Sherpas have stocked it with ample supplies like tents, stoves, fuel and oxygen. Some teams will skip this first wave until it’s established, while others will have the Sherpas do double work by supporting their client and carrying huge loads. This is an example of how Sherpas are so critical to climbing Everest for practically every client.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

Many of you have followed and know about Massachusetts native 19-year-old Ryan Mitchell, who summited Mt. Everest on May 23, 2024! In this extensive podcast, we discuss his experience from training to the summit and back home.
https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/06/07/everest-2024-podcast-ryan-mitchell-on-his-everest-summit-life-changing/

The final chapters of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, Part 15, drop today with chapters 49 and 56. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual.

Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months.

In Part 16, our protagonist, Harper wrapped her arms around Claudia, watching the helicopter disappear over the top lip of the Khumbu Icefall, Pablo gently swinging from a rope hanging from the belly of the chopper.

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/05/10/everest-2024-everyday-everest-podcast-part-16-home-and-the-end/

Activity is picking up with climbers getting closer to Everest Base Camp, plus many more have arrived in Kathmandu. The permits have increased as expected this past week but lag behind last year. Teams will arrive at EBC this upcoming week. We saw the first 8000er summits of the 2022 Spring season this past week.  The Khumbu has changed dramatically over the past couple of decades. The teahouses have improved over the ones with poorly ventilated, dark, and cold rooms. Today, the newer ones have large windows, big tables seating entire teams, and excellent food and service. The sleeping rooms are still tiny, cold, and dark, but after a long day of trekking, most people don't care.  

After an update on the Everest 2022 season and the recent, very fast summits on the 8000er Dhaulagiri, I'll describe the trek from Phakding to Tengboche. 

Climb On! 

Alan

Memories are Everything

#everest2022

This is the Weekend Update for Everest 2025. The season is about to get started in earnest. Climber after climber and team after team are leaving home. In many cases, scores of Sherpas are on their way to Everest Base Camp to begin the arduous process of establishing a home for over 1,000 people this spring season. The Icefall Doctors are already at work. #everest2025

Part 3 of Everyday Everest,  my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 8, 9 and 10. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual.

Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. 

In Part 3, our protagonist, Harper, sees Everest from the Everest View Hotel just above Namache Bazaar: "Harper stopped. They all stopped, quietly letting their eyes trace the Khumbu Triple Crown: Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse—two of the fourteen highest mountains on the planet. The signature white plume flowed off the summit of Everest like a bride's long wedding gown train. Mother Goddess of the Earth never looked more lovely. Tony spoke, "I have been dreaming of this since the sixth grade."

Climb On!

Alan Memories are Everything

#everest2024

Everest 2024: Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 3–The Trek Begins

Part 11 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 33, 34, 35 and 36. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual.

Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months.

In Part 11, our protagonist, Harper, gets excited as Guide John Paul tells the team, "Good news, everyone. The first commercial team summited last night. The storm held off, and they threaded the needle. 20 Japanese members with 22 Climbing Sherpas. Japan has very strong climbers.”

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

It was a busy week in the Himalayas with summits on multiple 8000ers, including Everest. On the Nepal side of the mountain, Kami Rita Sherpa led the rope team to the summit and at the same time extended his summit record to 26. Sadly, there were two more deaths of the season, one on Kangchenchunga and another on Everest. Still, thus far 2022 is a low-drama season. With the good weather emerging, the summit trolls will now allow everyone to make their attempts.  Big Picture  2022 is turning out to be an unusual season but in a good way. On Thursday, I did a podcast with three world-class meteorologists, Michael Fagen of Everest Weather, Chris Tomer of Tomer Weather Solutions, and Marc De Keyser of Weather4expeditions , about what we are seeing and can expect these last few weeks of the season. They all agreed that it is warmer than usual, drier than usual, and with less wind than usual. The culprit is the Jet Stream is not sitting on top of Everest like it usually does.  They even suggested that we may see another year like in 2018 when we had 11 consecutive days of low winds that allowed a record year for Everest summits with 802 summits on both sides. The Nepal side saw a total of 562 summits made up of 266 foreigners (aka members) and 296 High Altitude Workers (aka Sherpas). We won't see anything like that number of summits in 2022, perhaps around 400, including support.  A wild card was a potential typhoon brewing in the Bay of Bengal but now it appears that  "ASANI" will track away from making landfall. Again, there are currently NO typhoon warnings issued by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.  Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything

The Manaslu 2022 season is moving nicely, with the first client summits for the season on Thursday, September 22, 2022. There are a record number of people there, with 400 foreigners with permits and an equal or greater r number of support climbers, so it's crowded. This means there is an opportunity for more trash, crowds, and poor practices.

In this podcast, I talk about my 2013 experience on Manaslu plus how we can take better care of our mountains.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

It looks like ten people summited Everest in the leading part of the first wave. Scores, if not over a hundred, are staged at Camp 2, waiting for the South Col camps to be fully stocked. The weather continues to hold with good conditions and winds under the 30 mph threshold through May 20. Many teams are eyeing Wednesday, May 17th for their summit day. Look for summits each day this week.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

Part 7 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 22, 23 and 24. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual.

Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months.

In Part 7, our protagonist, Harper, and the team climb through the Icefall and into the Western Cwm. The team's oldest member, Jim, is struggling. “Any advice?” He asked their guide, John Paul, who had been close by his side all morning. “Slow, steady, and make sure you are always clipped in. No need to rush. We are making good time.” Jim appreciated the positive spin.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

The headlines for last week are COVID and record permits. Four people have been evacuated either from Everest Base Camp or very close with symptoms of COVID-19. Once in Kathmandu, they tested positive for the virus. It's a similar story for a few Sherpas. Look for the ropes to reach the summit this next week.

Without a doubt, the virus is in the Khumbu and spreading. The open question will be if it can be contained at EBC. Complicating the situation is Nepal's limitless issuance of permits, now topping 400, blasting through the 2019 record year of 382. Meanwhile, there are 40 people on the Chinese side that include 21 climbers.

How can a 19-year-old can afford to climb Everest? Well, Ryan Mitchell, 19, living in central Massachusetts, explains how in this podcast.

Ryan, a Summit Coach client, contacted me about a year ago, wanting advice and coaching on how to climb Everest in the Spring of 2022. He had little to no experience, so while I told him there were many companies who would take his money and have him on Everest, the best approach would be to wait at least a year and gain the skills and experience it would take to make a safe attempt on the world's highest peak. He agreed, and we've been working together for the past twelve months.

In this podcast, Ryan explains how he is funding his climbs, his training approach, and critically, is his "why"

You can follow him on YouTube at

• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIDQSqdVuNwtfRMKqfX-o7g
• https://www.youtube.com/@RyanMitchellYT

I know you will enjoy this.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

This has been a ‘lay-low’ week with storms hitting the higher elevations of Pakistan’s 8000ers. Yet, there were thwarted attempts. Many teams are finalizing preparations for their summit pushes beginning soon in what could be very short weather windows, but the predicted conflict with so many people has begun. 

Big Picture – The Summit Rush 

With this odd statement, “We are not ready for summit push but we will give our best as always.” teams are leaving base camp for their summit pushes at least a week, if not two, earlier than in previous seasons. The leaders must think the gamble is justified. 

 I’m estimating that around 125 people who had K2 permits are no longer going to the summit, and most have already given up. So that leaves 250-350 people left to attempt. I hear of serious disagreements among the teams led by egos pushing to go and some pushing to wait, or just jostling for a slot that they feel is less crowded and gives their team a better chance. 

 As I said before, with so many people, it will take communication, cooperation, and comprise to avoid, or at least minimize, tragedy this season. Currently, it appears none of those three are in play.  

Climb On! 

Alan 

Memories are Everything

If it's April, it must be time for Everest. The Icefall Doctors are hard at work. Climbers and trekkers are making their way through the Khumbu or driving from Lhasa. Shepars and base camp crews are building tent platforms and preparing their spots for the teams. Yaks and mules are meandering ever higher, loaded with supplies. Katmandu is filled with tourists and visitors, boosting the local economy. Hang on, everyone. It's time. #everest2024
https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/03/31/everest-2024-weekend-update-april-1-season-underway-lost-legends/

Climb On!!

Alan

Memories are Everything

The Everest 2021 season is well underway with many teams on their way to Everest Base Camp expecting to arrive around April 15. As of April 3, 138 Everest permits had been issued to foreigners. Around 300 are still expected making this a busy, but not a record season like 2019.

As I’ve noted, the vast majority of the climbing will be on the Nepal side as China has closed Tibet to all foreigners and only a couple of Chinese national teams are anticipated to climb from that side in 2021. We’ll see if they open up for autumn climbs.

Every person who climbs Everest is unique. So, of course, that person feels special, but some stand out. Take Kuntal Joisher, for example. He has summited Everest from the Tibet and Nepal sides, plus Lhotse, and completed many other amazing adventures like the Northern Icecap in Chile. But what makes Kuntal stand out is his dedication to a vegan lifestyle that goes all the way to shunning any item that uses animal products - including using a full synthetic climbing suit.

We discuss how he got to this point, his outstanding photography skills, and what it's like being an ambassador for "Save the Ducks." We also discuss his next climbing project his passion for bodybuilding and photography. Finally, we share a common family situation with my mom, Ida, and his father, both dying from forms of Dementia, Lewy Body syndrome, and Alzheimer's.

You can read more about him on his website and social media channels, Facebook and Instagram.

In this episode I close out the summer climbing season in Pakistan's Karakorum area. Also I discuss what we can expect in the world of mountaineering over the next several months.

The summer Karakorum season is over, well, I think so. There are always a few surprises. The 48 summits on K2 were close but not a record. 2018 saw a record with 62 total summits, followed by 2004 with an estimated 51. This season saw two deaths, one on a new route on K2 and one on Broad Peak. Overall there were around 100 summits in the Karakorum.

With COVID lurking, the climbing season in the Karakoram was not as large as everyone hoped. Permits issued this summer were for 75 support climbers with 128 foreigners. Many BP climbers were also on K2, so there are duplicates; thus, the total is less than 203, probably around 185. permits for the various peaks, including the four 8000ers: K2, Broad Peak, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum I, and Gasherbrum II. Overall there were around 90 to 100 total summits across all the 8000ers, with none on Nanga.

As usual in the Karakorum, the weather played a role this summer. Conditions began well, but soon a steady mix of snow and wind halted progress allowing only a few sporadic days where teams tried to thread the needle. It wasn’t until late July that a long enough window emerged that allowed climber to ascend and descend K2 safely.

A new factor this season was the new 4G cell tower recently installed in Concordia. Even with sporadic outages due to weather and power, teams were able to send updates to social media and home, plus I was able to do live Zoom interviews directly from Base Camp! Now on to who did what.

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

It was an honor to do this video interview with three of the nine members, seven male, and two female, of the Full Circle Everest team. They hope to make history as the first Black climbing team to attempt to summit Everest. As of late 2021, there have been 10,184 summits but only eight Black climbers have stood on the top.

According to the Himalayan Database, South African Sibusiso Vilane became the first Black to summit on May 26, 2003, and returned in 2005 to summit from the Tibet side, both times with UK operator with Jagged Globe. American Sophia Danenberg became the first Black female to summit on May 19, 2006, with IMG. However, they were with standard commercial teams as there has never been an all-Black only team. 

The team is quite diverse with several members holding a Ph.D. One, Abby Dione, is an AMGA certified climber and runs a climbing gym. The leader, Phil Henderson is a longtime NOLS leader and attempted Everest in 2012 with Conrad Anker reaching Camp 3. Two are North Face-sponsored athletes, Frederick Campbell and Manoah Ainuu. Rosemary Saal is a NOLS instructor who led the first all-Black American team to the summit of Africa’s Kilimanjaro in 2018. Demond “Dom” Mullins is is a combat veteran of the Iraq War,  where he served as an Armor Crewman. After service Demond became a National Spokesman for Iraq  Veterans Against the War (IVAW) and worked as a United  States Senate staffer on veterans health and education issues.  See the entire team at their site,

I spoke today with Phil, Rosemary, and Dom about the expedition. We discussed their "why", who they are trying to reach and of course, all things Everest including their acclimatization and training efforts.

The Full Circle Everest team is asking for financial help at their GoFundMe site. They've reached $21,368 of their $50,0000 goal as of this podcast, September 21, 2021. Any amount will help. I donated.

You can follow their progress on their site at Full Circle Everest and on Instagram

Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything

Everest teams are doing the usual acclimatization rotations but are seeing heavy attrition that will ease crowding concerns. There's a new level of base camp luxuries that might be beyond the pale for some purists.  Heavy snow is forecasted on Dhaulagiri, stalling movement there. Overall, it's been a low-drama year, thankfully.

In this episode, I explore controversy on Shishapangma, exploding luxuries at Everest base Camp, and a narrative about the Western Cwm between Camps 1 and 2 on Everest.

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

This was a week of highs and lows across the Himalayas. On Everest, three Sherpas lost their lives in the Icefall. The season's first 8000 meters summits occurred on Saturday, April 16, on Annapurna. Everest Base Camp is filling up as permits top 300. And a description of the first days at base camp and the puja.

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

The rope fixing team made the summit on Friday, May 7, 2021, opening the route to the over 300 climbers left at base camp. The weather remains good, for Everest, so look for many teams to jump on this window. Meanwhile, it appears that the virus spread has stalled for the moment with no new cases reported at EBC for over a week. It’s unknown if this is real or more coverups.

The Nepal government announced plans to assist climbers in leaving Nepal and another ban on any negative news saying “as it could terrorise the mountaineers as well as their family members.” I think someone climbing Everest can handle the truth.

Activity is strong at Everest Base Camp, with more still on the trek. The permits increased as expected this past week and will top out fairly soon. They still lag behind last year by over 100 for Everest. The fixed lines are now to Camp 2 in the Western Cwm, ready for more teams to arrive at EBC this week. We saw the first 8000er deaths of the 2022 Spring season this past week. #everest2022 

 Big Picture  As of April 15, 2022, the Ministry of Tourism has issued 738 total climbing permits thus far, with 262 for Everest, with 56 female climbers. The United States represents the largest country on Everest this year with 58 climbers, a spot recently ceded to India and China, with only 21 and 9 climbers, respectively. The UK comes in at 33, with Canada at 14 and Australia at ten thus far. Russia has 16 climbers on Everest this season.  Everest Base Camp is rapidly filling up with most teams reviewing basic skills and preparing for their first walk into the Icefall, a big day ahead. See the tracking table for the latest team locations.  Climbers on Dhaulagiri and Annapurna are climbing with summit pushes expected soon. Also, climbing will soon begin on Kachchenunga and Makalu.  

Puja at EBC 

 I pick up where I left off from last week's Weekend Update with the trek to Base Camp, arriving and then the Puja, alone of the most meaningful moments climbing wth Sherpas for me.  

Climb On! 

Alan 

Memories are Everything

It's not often I get to interview a former NFL player and an NFL Head Coach. In this sprawling interview with Mark Pattison and Jim Moro, we cover Mark's upcoming climb of Everest.   

Mark spent five years as an NFL player at the wide receiver position with the then, Los Angeles Raiders, LA Rams, and New Orleans Saints before becoming a very successful business person after football. Growing up in the Pacifica Northwest, he was surrounded by mountaineering legends like Whitaker and Viesturs so as he pondered a big, ambitious project, he focused on the Seven Summits. Now, with six of the seven completed, he will attempt Everest then Lhotse with Madison Mountaineering this spring. Mark has a very successful Podcast and raises money for many charities including Higher Ground on behalf of his daughter, Emilia, who has epilepsy.  

Jim Mora and Mark met in High School and have been close friends ever since. Jim is currently a college football analyst for Sports Illustrated and Fox Sports. For 25 years, he was a coach in the college ranks, including at UCLA, plus the NFL including stints as the Head Coach of the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks. Jim is helping his friend train for Everest from their respective homes in Idaho.

Everest 2024 might be remembered for summits, politics, deaths, ignored rules, near misses and disturbing allegations of sexual misconduct. It's difficult to put all this in a headline, but I believe the Everest guiding industry is at a Rubicon - a point of no return.

Not to be lost in this mix is the joy and satisfaction felt by hundreds of summiteers. They worked and trained diligently to celebrate standing on the top of the world for only a few minutes. It's funny how you can work so long for a goal, and the moment is over in a blink, but the memory lasts a lifetime—well done to all who summited, to those who showed up.

Once again, the Sherpas proved they dominated the mountain with impressive altitude performance. The Himalayan Database shows that between 1950 and 2023, 6,097 Sherpas have summited Everest compared to 5,899 members, and that gap is growing each year. However, more foreigners have died than Sherpas, 197 compared to 118. #everest2024

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/06/05/everest-2024-season-summary-everest-at-a-rubicon/

The Khumbu is starting to fill up with climbers. With now over 138 Everest permits issued, they have left Kathmandu and most flew to Lukla, the traditional start of the week-long walk to Everest Base Camp. For some, the flight to Lukla will be a highlight of their trip.

Welcome to Alan Arnette's first Everest 2022 Podcast. I introduce the season with an overview of how many people might be climbing this year, the impact of COVID and the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the number of foreign climbers, and more. I hope you enjoy it. #everest2022  

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

Early data suggest Everest will see a record year, primarily driven by Chinese and Indian clients. I won’t be surprised to see over 1,000 total summits from both sides. The Icefall Doctors are already at work. Sherpas are setting up Base Camp, which is starting to look like a small city.

The Himalayan winter was warm and dry, causing the snow line on Everest to move higher and increasing the chances of rockfall. Climbers need to be very aware and stay safe this season. #everest2025

Now that we are solidly into May, about mid-season for spring Everest, let's pause for a moment and take inventory of the situation. At the risk of giving readers whiplash, the bottom line for me is that things are looking better ... considering.

Without a doubt, this may be the most challenging season in the history of Everest, perhaps topped only by the earthquake in 2015 and the extreme loss of life in 1996 and 2014. The overall situation has changed a bit in the last ten days with regards to the virus. Most teams are making excellent progress. I say this with all respect and acknowledgment to the tens of thousands suffering in nearby India and, of course, Nepal.

I, along with other people reporting on this season, have focused on the virus because, well, because it was the main storyline. And it's real, and it's devastating. As some of my regular readers know, I had the virus and had family spend weeks in the hospital. It's real, it's deadly, and having it at altitude is no joke. However, some teams remain unscathed through excellent discipline, well-thought-out protocols, and perhaps good luck. Others have not been so lucky.

Once it became clear that COVID was spreading throughout base camp, teams took action and slowed it a bit. I'm not trying to sugarcoat the situation, but in speaking directly to climbers and guides at base camp, the overall condition appears to be improving. Now hopefully, they can complete their climbs and return safely home given the deadly situation throughout Nepal.

Climber, author, and journalist Billi Bierling is well-known in the mountaineering world for her work with the Himalayan Database. We get to know Billi in this podcast, discuss the commercialization of mountaineering, her new book and the future of the HDB Remember to visit my blog for frequent updates on all things mountaineering. https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/

Welcome to the first Podcast for the Everest 2023 season. 

In this podcast, I talk about what we can expdct this year, now with the Tibet side closed again.  

I expect 2023 to be a big year for Everest-Nepal. With the COVID-19 pandemic letting up, Nepal is open. It expects many foreigners attracted by Nepali operators marketing low prices and requiring minimal climbing experience but providing tons of Sherpa support. I expect almost 1,000 total summits broken out by 400-450 foreigners from the Nepal side supported by 450-500 Sherpas. We can anticipate three to six deaths on the Nepal side.  Nepal reportedly still requires a COVID vaccination to enter the country. I strongly advise checking with your country’s embassy in Nepal for the latest COVID regulations, even though they seem to have loosened them substantially.  

Best of luck to all for a safe and rewarding season.

Climb On!

Alan 

Memories are Everything

The first summiteers on Everest marked the beginning of the climbing rush. The rope fixers summited a few days ago, and over thirty-five climbers summited today.  Two climbers added to their summit collections to extend their records. Teams arrived at up base camp on the Tibet side, while a respected Sherpa sadly lost his life on Makalu. We're now entering the summit phase of the spring climbing season.

As I sat down to write a recap of the 2021 spring season on Everest, these words came to mind: COVID, coverup, lies, misdirection, personal attacks, denials. Oh, and cyclones, wind, waiting, risk, and yes, summits. But, oh my, at what a cost? If 2019 was the year Everest broke, 2021 was the year Nepal broke Everest.

With 2020 lost to the global pandemic, Nepal was desperate to rebuild its tourism industry. Last autumn, a few teams returned, but spring was the key. Everest served as a light to a swarm of eager climbers. The Ministry of Tourism, MoT, knew this and successfully lobbied; well, it’s unclear who they lobbied, but they removed any barriers that would discourage visitors.

Sigh, Everest has become what everyone hoped it wouldn’t and knew it would. Nepal’s government has met every stereotype of why the governments can’t be trusted. Sadly, some climbers continue to serve as Exhibit A for those who criticize them for inexperience and dependency. Some operators gave further evidence as to why they appear to only care about being paid, and not their client’s safety. Some guide’s actions suggest that their primary interest appears to further their own reputation even at the risk of other’s well-being.

Meanwhile, there were operators and guides who made bold, courageous decisions at the risk of their own business interests. We saw individual climbers chose their future or their present. And, yes, there were some in government and Nepal climbing community who tried to call out the wrong but were ignored. As one person told me, “In Nepal, it is better to build trust and work from the inside than to shout from the outside.”

Over 500 people summited Everest this spring. Each person will return home changed. It’s up to each person to determine how they use those changes. Congratulations to all and may the lessons presented today be heeded by tomorrow’s climbers.

While we watch summit after summit on Everest 2022, I reached out to my long-time friend, mentor, and climbing partner, Jim Davidson, to take a trip down memory lane and talk about our Everest experiences.

We talk training, preparation, and being on Everest during the tragic 2015 earthquake, and of course, my summit in 2011 and Jim's in 2017. It's a fun, fast-paced conversation that I know you will enjoy.

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

I caught up with German Alpinist Jost Kobusch, who now lives in Chamonix, France to discuss his upcoming winter, no O's, solo attempt of Everest's West Ridge. This exact style and the route had never been attempted or accomplished.

In 2019, Jost tagged his high point at 7,329-meters/23,750-feet. He said before starting the expedition, he would be pleased to tag 8,000-meters so he got close. This time he is again targeting 8,000-meters and I hope he reaches the summit.

We cover a range of topics from how he got into climbing, what he learned from his 2019 attempt, what he's doing differently this time, his style of solo, no O's and more. I think you'll enjoy meeting this 29-year-old climber.

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

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.

The week started well, but when the winds picked up, as forecasted, teams took risky chances that turned deadly. Now, with a better forecast, hundreds of climbers are positioned to summit over the next few days. Tibet-side teams are in place and looking at summit plans.

This podcast has the weekend update plus a short narrative on the route between the Balcony and Everest's South Summit. #everest2024

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/05/18/everest-2024-weekend-update-may-18-windy-summits-and-death/

As we aproach the Everest 2021 season, a bit of a change of pace for today's interview. I speak with Utah resident and Chicago born David Roskelly.

We talk about the Volcanic Seven Summits and the High Point on the Moon in a Tesla with Dave Roskelley is the only American to have climbed the Seven Summits (Messner list) AND the Volcanic Seven Summits, one of only 23 for the V7S and five for both versions of the 7S. We talk about the why, when, where, and how plus his next big project - to take a Tesla to the high point on the Moon!!!

I'll talk about the last few days of this Everest 2021 season.

A reported 16 people (6 members with 10 Sherpas) took a gamble and summited on Monday, May 31 at 7:00 am. They evaluated the risky avalanche conditions after feet on fresh snow and used their powerful Sherpa resources to break the trail for their clients to the top. Well done by all and congratulations on dodging the ball.  More details on the C3 situation re: avalanches. By my count: 167 members with 284 Sheras thus far, for a total of 451 summits.  In addition to the 16 people from Elite Exped who summited Monday morning, these from Pioneer Adventures (4 members, 8 Sherpas):

The Everest 2021 season is about a month away and operators are busy buying, packing, and preparing for a safe season. This year, only the Nepal side will be climbed since China closed their side due to COVID.  I reached out to Lukas Furtenbach, of Austrian-based Furtenbach Adventures to discuss the season. We covered a lot of topics but dug deeply into his impressive use of technology to keep his clients safe. We covered:  Preparing for the upcoming season Status climbing in Tibet this spring and autumn Furtenbach's COVID safety plans for EBC and high camps How you are using advanced technology altitude tents for pre-acclimatization oxygen delivery Biometric tracking You can follow their climb on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I will be covering Lukas and all the action on Everest this spring on my Blog.

The number of permits continues to rise for Everest. Now at 290 spread across 30 teams, it appears Everest will be crowded again for this spring of 2021. Reports are coming in of low snow amounts this past winter so rockfall may be an issue, especially with so many people climbing together. We saw this same objective danger on K2 this past winter.

Base Camp is filling up as more teams continue to end their trek. They are taking a few days to rest and brush up on skills before making their first rotation to Camps 1 and 2 in the Western Cwm. Internet service at EBC appears to be spotty according to many reports I'm getting. Climbers are having to do "walkabouts" to find a signal. This happens all the time with Ncell, the mobile phone provider, but for EverestLink, it's usually more reliable and available. I'm sure they will improve it.

There appears the be the usual profiles on the peak Many who had permits for last year, jumped at the chance to go this year.  Also, there are the "repeat" customers who have tried before and not made it for a variety of reasons and, also, as usual, there are those who are seeking to make a name by a "first." Let's drill down on a few.

Well, the K2 climbers pulled it off. Congratulations to the 150++ who summited and especially to the Sherpas who fixed the lines to the summit. The weather cooperated, and there were limited problems, albeit with one death and one K2 climber is currently missing. We are approaching 200 K2 summits.  

Big Picture Summits Continue, Missing K2 Climber  

Several media outlets report that Canadian Richard Cartier, 61, is missing while descending from a rotation to lower Camp 4. He was last seen between C2 and C1 by teammates. A search is underway. They had mentioned using the Cesen route but were on the Abruzzi when he disappeared.  At least 10 more K2 summits brought the total ever closer to 200. Summit Karakorum reports that Abid Asad Sadpara, the nephew of the late Ali Sadpara, who died on K2 last year, made the top with no O’s. Also, Paul Etherdge, Peter ? and Muhammad Hussain Pakista. Makalu Extreme team reports summits from French alpinists Pascal Claude France and Christophe Jean France with Pasang Lama and Pasang Dorjee Sherpa.  This has been a great year across all the 8000ers for female climbers. Adding to the K2 list is Spanish (Andalusian) climber Lina Quesada. She is joined by these female summiteers this season: Andorian Stefi Troguet, Taiwanese Grace Tseng, Chinese He Jing, Pakistanis Naila Kiani and Samina Baig, plus Iranian Afsaneh Hesamifard and UAE’s Saeed Almemari. 

 Climb On! 

Alan 

Memories are Everything

I caught up with Garrett Madison, founder of Madison Mountaineering from Nepal's Namache Bazaar while on his way to Everest Base Camp. He describes #Everest2022 as looking more like a normal season. He has 12 members with three guides plus two private parties of a guide with their client. We also talk about climbing the so-called Second Seven Summits.

As I covered in a recent post, Everest 2021 is coming on soon. There are questions as to whether operators should run their programs at all. Many are moving forward but a few are not.  I discuss the situation with Adrian Ballinger, founder of Alpenglow Expeditions who has canceled his expedition from the Tibet side this spring. We also talk about the historic K2 Winter summit.

With climbers enjoying excellent weather while in the Western Cwm, meteorologists are seeing a strange phenomenon - a missing jet stream. These high winds aloft are the key for summiting Everest in particular. When the jet is off the summit, the winds drop below 30 mph, the maximum most guides will let their clients climb in. When on top of the peak, which is almost all year long, the summit is too dangerous. Climbers have been known to be blown off mountain tops.

This could foretell good luck for the crowded mountain. In 2018 there were 11 consecutive days of low winds that allowed crowds to spread out. Of course, the nightmare scenario occurred in 2019 when there were only three suitable days of low winds thus hundreds of climbers were squeezed into those few days creating massive lines high on the peak.

I spoke with meteorologist Chris Tomer about the Jet Stream and other elements of mountain weather and forecasting for Everest climbers. Chris forecasts the weather for KDVR FOX-31 and KWGN Channel 2 in Denver. He also provides weather forecasts for climbers throughout the world.

With both sides of Everest seeing significant activity, let's pause and talk to three world-class weather experts about the current situation and what they see in store for May. Also, I ask them to predict the first day for a member to summit Everest. 

 The historical weather pattern on Everest has been a calm April, a rough beginning of May before calming again starting around May 15 for about two weeks. In this Podcast with Michael Fagen of Everest Weather, Chris Tomer of Tomer Weather Solutions, and Marc DeKeyser of weather4expeditions.com, they are seeing something very different this year. The case of the missing Jet Stream!  

Climb On! 

Alan 

Memories are Everything

The 2023 Everest spring season is over, with some records to take pride in and others to be avoided. If there were one word to summarize the season, it would be chaotic or perhaps deadly. This spring was the deadliest season in history on Everest.

Nepal issued a record 478 climbing permits to foreigners. Add in one and a half Sherpa supporting each foreigner; over 1,200 people pursued the summit this spring. Fears were rampant of a 2019 repeat with long lines and deaths. The lines never developed, thanks in part to colder weather that sent a higher number of climbers home in mid-season, many with a persistent virus. However, the deaths developed, but not because of the record permits or climate change. These are red herrings to abdicate responsibility.

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

Weekend Update

While teams are as high as Camp 2 on Everest, most of the attention was on Annapurna, where one climber died, and two other climbers were miraculously rescued. Heavy snow hit Everest, but climbing continued. Everest Base Camp is filling up as permits topped 400, a record for the Nepal side. The fixed rope was set to the South Col. I expect it reach the summit late next week.

I cover a few topics in this update:

- Noel Hanna death on Annapurna

- Annapurna Anurag Maloo miracle rescue

- Baljeet Kaur rescue

- Record Everest permits

- First steps in the Khumbu Icefall

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

The number of climbing permits granted keeps increasing. 167 permits are in Everest aspirants' hands and 303 for all the Nepals peaks with teams this spring. With hundreds of climbers and trekkers on the trails, the Khumbu is busy, but reports are coming in saying overall it feels quiet compared to previous years. Let's take a look at the first steps in the Khumbu

Welcome to my new limited series on climbing the Seven Summits. Episode 1 is an introduction plus a brief update on the Autumn climbing activity in Nepal and Tibet. For the next eight weeks, I'll drop a new episode discussing one of the Seven Summits in detail. Today is episode 3, Mt. Blanc.

OK, I know what you are thinking, "Alan, Mont Blanc is not one of the Seven Summits!" Yeah, I know, but hear me out. On the border between France and Italy, Mt. Blanc stands at 15,771 feet or 4807 meters high, putting it between Kościuszko and Carstensz Pyramid on the "list(s)."

Month Blanc is a vast massif with three primary subpeaks: Mont Maudit, Mont Blanc du Tacul, and Aiguille du Midi.  Most people find Mont Blanc a serious climb given the objective dangers, such as crevasses, rockfall and avalanches, but it is also a cold and windy peak. While it is usually climbed in one day, it's a long day of ten to fifteen hours, gaining up to 5,413 feet or 1,650 meters on most routes. Summer is the most popular time to climb, but as in 2022, it can be brutally hot. If you climb in winter, you must be a highly experienced mountaineer.

The 7 Summits idea was hatched and first accomplished by American Dick Bass. He started with six summits in 1983: Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Denali, Vinson and Kosciuszko. Then, with guide David Breashears, he became the oldest person, 55 at the time, to summit Everest in 1985. Canadian Patrick Morrow became the first to summit all seven with Carstensz in addition to Kosciuszko in 1986. Italy mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner summited all the peaks without supplemental oxygen, a first, and completed the task in 1986. #7summmits

Episodes will drop each week:

September 15: Introduction

September 22: Mt. Kosciuszko, Australia - 7,310/2228m

September 29: Mt. Blanc, France/Italy - 15,771'/4807m

October 6: Vinson, Antarctica - 16,067/4897m

October 13: Carstensz Pyramid (Puncak Jaya), New Guinea - 16,023/4884m

October 20: Elbrus, Russia - 18,513/5642m

October 27: Kilimanjaro, Africa - 19,340/5896m

November 3: Denali, Alaska - 20,320/6194m

November 10: Aconcagua, Argentina - 22,902/6960m

November 17: Everest, Nepal/Tibet - 29,035/8850m

In this Podcast I cover the recent events in Pakistan's Northern Territories on K2, Broad Peak and Gasherbrum I & II. Heavy snowfall and high winds have delayed progress on K2 but there have been summits on Gasherbrum II and Broad Peak along with the death of Mr. Kim Hong-Bin, 57. The bodies of winter K2 climbers Pakistani Ali Sadpara, Icelander John Snorri, and Chilean Juan Pablo Mohr Prieto who went missing were found between the Bottleneck and High Camp.

Over 50 climbers are expected to summit K2, barring any major problems over the next two days, July 27 and 28. I discuss all of this and more.

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

Climbers in the Western Cwm are extending their stays to avoid EBC with the current spat of COVID evacuations. Good weather is allowing climbers to tag Camp 3 at almost 7,000-meters. The rope fixing teams reached the South Col. I expect the summit in a few days.

It's been a dramatic week in the Pakistani mountains. We saw summits on a couple of 8000ers, climbers in trouble, and tragically two deaths. The weather is currently keeping the K2 teams at base camp but look for a rush starting later this next week—all in all, a normal season thus far, despite the record number of climbers.

Big Picture - Will 2022 K2 be like Everest 2019?

As I've mentioned multiple times, Pakistan has taken a page out of Nepal's tourism book and issued permits to anyone and everyone this season. Some reports say 1,400, others closer to 1,000, but there are at least twice the number of tourists in the Northern Terorities than ever before.

Among these drivers of these crowds is pent-up demand from COVID and aggressive marketing from five Nepali operators: 8K Expeditions, Elite Expeditions, Imaging Nepal, Pioneer Adventures, and Seven Summits Treks. Combined, these account for 253 people - clients and support of mostly Sherpas from Nepal. However, the western operators are also cashing in with Maddison Mountaineering and Furtenbach Adventures, accounting for 54 spots on the mountains.

Now, is this too many people spread across five 8000-meter peaks? The answer is it depends. Taking Everest as an example, these days, we see 300, 500, or even 700 people climbing from the Nepal side each spring season. This year, 2022 (click to read my analysis), I estimate 325 clients supported by 500 Sherpas were on the Nepal side and 640 summited Everest with no serious crowding issues. These are huge mountains that can accommodate lots of people - spread out.

The problem occurs when there are only a few suitable weather days to summit, i.e., winds under 30 mph. In 2019 (click to read my analysis,) we saw a nightmare situation with only three good days for 600 people; thus, long lines from the South Summit to the Summit resulted in 660 summits and nine deaths. Note that in my judgment, four of the eleven were 'crowd-related' deaths and an additional seven with 'low-cost' operators.

So just looking at K2 because it is the steepest of Pakastani's 8000ers with the smallest spots for tents at the traditional camps, will the estimated 250 to 350 climbers experience an Everest 2019 scenario, especially at the traditional crowded spots like House's Chimney, and the Bottleneck? Well, if K2 behaves like it traditionally has with short weather windows between strong wind and snow storms, yes. But, if teams can coordinate summit pushes and tent space, things might go smoother than expected. I've been told teams are communicating well and sharing tents thus far. If this turns out to be true, look for many leaders to jump in front of the summit parade and claim it as their own.

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

We are getting closer to #Everest2024, and there are some new rules Nepal is proposing. In this interview with Garrett Maddison, founder of Madison Mountaineering, we meet Garrett and how he started his company.

We also discuss his recent “Aconcagua Ambush,” where he and his client summited the highest peak in South America, spending only one night on the mountain and using an experimental oxygen system that has promised other high peaks.

Also, his thoughts on Nepal’s plan to require all climbers to use WAG bags to remove solid human waste from Everest high camps, the use of helicopters on Everest, and a limit on luxuries at base camp.https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/02/19/everest-2024-interview-with-garrett-madison-on-his-aconcagua-ambush-and-the-upcoming-everest-season/

You can follow Maddison on their website, Facebook, and IG. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything

With Everest 2021 well underway, we are seeing the first commercial clients summit after the ropes reached the summit by the Sherpa team on Friday, May 7, 2021. Now over 150 people have summited just as the weather turns bad. it looks like only a few more summits until after May 20. There are a bout 350 more people left to attempt the summit, including Sherpas. I discuss the season thus far plus the COVID outbreak in Nepal and the oxygen crisis.

K2 had a record year this 2022 summer. Most of the summits were by Sherpas or Pakistani climbers helping their paying clients, but a handful were the rare type: no supplemental oxygen, no Sherpa support, and no commercial team.

Danish climber Andreas Ritzau Frydensberg with American Eric Gilbertson summited Broad Peak on July 18th and K2 on July 28th. On his website, Country Highpoints, Eric describes their Broad Peak, and K2 climbs in detail. They climbed unsupported, using Pakastani Alpine Adventure Guides for base camp services. So they climbed with no on-mountain support - no Sherpas to set up tents, cook food, or break trail. They also didn't use supplemental oxygen.

Before getting to their story, I admit that 2022 caused me to lose some hope in the sport I admire. Too many inexperienced climbers, too much talk of records, most important only to the individual seeking it, and teams with too many clients supported but too many Sherpas. It just felt out of control. I'm thankful we had a relatively small number of deaths, but as I learn more, I see many rescues and near misses, so this was a season of luck.

In looking at what Eric and Andreas did, they gave me hope. I am excited to see younger climbers demonstrate creativity, excellent judgment, and impressive results, all in good style. It gave me hope for our sport, and I'm proud of them and several others who climbed similarly. Now, onto the interview.

This relaxed-paced interview with Eric and Andreas only days after they returned home to Seattle and Denmark, respectively.

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

Leaving home to climb Mt. Everest is no simple task. It’s not a business trip; it’s not a vacation; it’s something entirely different. While it may be your dream, for those left behind, it can be something altogether different. As we approach the end of March, scores of climbers are going through this process for Everest 2021. It's time for "nothing left unsaid."

Teams continue to arrive in Kathmandu from afar. Many are proudly posting pictures of receiving their Everest climbing permits, but as of today, the pace is way off what we saw only a few years ago or even last year. In this post, I talk about the first time I thought about climbing Everest, back in 2002.

Big Picture

By early April 2021 Nepal had issued 222 permits for 23 teams, but this year that number is 138 on 16 teams.  It looks like Everest will get somewhat of a respite this season with less than 300 foreign climbers. And that is good news for the mountain but bad news for Nepal tourism.  We are seeing a lot of pictures of the trek, most feature Ama Dablam - perhaps one of the most recognizable mountains on earth since almost every climber and trekker takes a few hundred each year - not kidding! I have hundreds myself!! But Ama is a special peak for me as it was on her summit that I first considered climbing Everest.

Climb On! 

Alan 

Memories are Everything

This summer K2 will see a rare event, an attempt on the fully unclimbed West Ridge. Canadian Ian Welsted and American Graham Zimmerman will make an alpine attempt with no oxygen. While the route has been partially climbed three times, the final few hundred meters have never been completed for various reasons. They leave for Pakistan on June 17. After an extensive acclimatization program which may include climbing the 8000er Broad Peak, they hope to summit near the end of July. 

Ian and Graham have a long impressive history of difficult technical climbs. Graham has climbed the 7000-meters peaks including:

• Southwest Ridge of K6 West (7040m), Pakistani Karakoram
• North ridge of Changi tower (6500m), Pakistani Karakoram
• Northeast buttress of Mt. Laurens, Alaska
• Southeast Face of Link Sar (7041m), Pakistani Karakoram.

He told me:

The Karakoram is the mountain range that I find most inspiring. It is where I have seen some of my biggest success as an alpinist, and it is where I have learned some of my most important lessons.There is one peak in the Karakoram that literally stands above the rest, a peak that I have seen on the horizon from several different summits and has always attracted my attention, the majestic and steep 8611m Chogori, or K2.

From the Canadian Alpine Club on Ian:

Ian is best known in climbing circles as one of only two Canadians to be awarded the Piolets D'or, for his first ascent of K6 West (7000m) in Pakistan. Born and raised in Brandon Manitoba Ian moved to Chamonix France at the age of 17. From this year in the mountains he returned to Canada to attend Ottawa University and McGill University where he studied economics and philosophy.
In his youth, Ian ski raced but was exposed to the full gamut of mountain pursuits in Chamonix. From skiing and snowboarding the backcountry powder of Nelson and Rogers Pass he moved to Canmore in 2005. Quickly integrating into the climbing community, he pursued waterfall ice climbing with 100 day winters before turning his attention to alpine first ascents. With this experience he began casting further afield and undertook expeditions to the Coast Range, Patagonia, Denali, to the Khumbu area of Nepal, and 3 trips to the Pakistani Karakoram. In 2016 Ian began the process of gaining ACMG certification so that he can share his experience gained over 25 years, and his love of the mountains.

I was able to get Graham for an extensive interview on the climb. We cover a lot of topics including:

• His and Ian's history (both Piolet d’Or winners)
• The style of climbing
• The route
• And their plans on how to return from the summit
• and more

Best of luck to Ian and Graham. Let's chat when you get back.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

With the Everest 2022 season just around the corner, it appears the Tibet side will be closed and continued uncertainty about the wisdom of climbing on the Nepal side. There are questions as to whether operators should run their programs at all. Many are moving forward but a few are not.

I discuss the situation with Adrian Ballinger, founder of Alpenglow Expeditions who has canceled his expedition from the Tibet side this spring. We also talk about his plans for a no O's, ski descent on Makalu.

As we near the end of winter, most of the efforts across the Himalayas from Everest to K2 to Manaslu are stalled fighting heavy snow and high winds. Note, I will be covering all the action on Everest this spring on my Blog

Welcome to the kick-off of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series during the Everest 2024 climbing season. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, I'll read an updated version of the story a couple of times a week for the next two months. Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home, trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push. The story's protagonist, Harper, sets the tone for the story when she tells her husband, Marc, "Honey, I'm going to climb Everest." #everest2024

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/04/08/everest-2024-everyday-everest-podcast-series-welcome-and-part-1/

With masses of climbers on Everest, today we saw over 100 more summits bringing the season total to over 166 and the sixth death of the season. There were many "records" set as well, some in the beholder's eye. Several hundred remain to attempt the summit.

Narrative on climbing to the summit

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

The remanence of Cyclone Tauktae is playing cat and mouse with the aggressive teams. Madison Mountaineering hoped to get a jump on everyone and went to C3 only to find high winds. Four Sherpas from IMG made it to the South Col and also reported high winds. So the summit plans are off by a day with Madison now targeting May 22.

Big Picture

Teams are scattered from base camp to the South Col. Most appear to be targeting May 21 through the 24 for their summit. Sherpas stocked the Col over a week ago with supplies needed for the summit, however, some tents are reported to been blown away by the winds from Cyclone TC01A aka Tauktae.

As I posted yesterday due to warm temps this season, the Icefall Doc saying the route will be closed on Saturday, May 29. Complicating matters is another cyclone brewing in the Bay of Bengal that might, might, impact Everest around May 27/28/29. But given the Icefall closure, teams need to be off the upper mountain by then anyway. So that leaves us with low-wind days between May 23rd through May 26th.

As for crowds, well it depends. First on the number of summit days, second on how many members are really left, and third on the willingness of the guides to thread this tiny eye of the needle. Obviously, the more days of low winds, the less chance of crowds. Hopefully, we’ll see a lot this weekend to clear off the mountain for those leaving base camp now. As for how many members are left, it’s hard to get a reading on that given the cover-ups, lack of transparency, and gag orders from both the government and the operators. But it’s their choice as to how much to share, my job to ferret it out 🙂 At this point, It’s safe to say that there are fewer than we thought a month ago. Finally as for the eye of the needle, well this is why people hire guides – for their experience, connections, and judgment. I wish them all well.

I caught up with Garrett Madison, founder of Madison Mountaineering from Everest Base Camp. He describes #Everest2021 thus far as they prepare for a 2:00 am departure back to Camps 1 and 2 in the Western Cwm. This will be their last rotation before the summit push in a couple of weeks. I asked him how his team, Madison Mountaineering, was doing with the COVID outbreak at EBC.

I talk in the beginning about the virus situation at EBC and the possible scenarios that could unfold over the next few weeks. Garrett's section begins at 7:45 in this short interview.

The Everest 2021 season is right on track with teams pouring into base camp. However, this year remains different with few trekking teams on the trails resulting in almost empty teahouses and some closed, perhaps forever. Remember that the Tibet side is closed to foreigners and I don't expect updates from the Chinese team or two that might climb this spring.

A new trend in 8000-meter climbing is how many you can get in one trip and how fast. Norweigan Kristin Harila is on track to smash long-time records this year. Thus far, she has eleven of the fourteen, all with climbing Sherpas, Pasdawa Sherpa, and Dawa Ongju Sherpa, of 8K Expeditions. I had the opportunity to record this interview with her during a short respite back home in Norway.

The current record is 189 days between April 23 and October 29, 2019, by Nirmal Purja Pun Magar and is recognized by Guinness World Records. However, a study posted online notes it took Nirmal five years, four months, and 25 days to complete all 14, primarily due to their conclusion that he didn't reach Manaslu's true summit during his 2019 campaign and only did in the autumn of 2021. Kristin's first summit of the project was Annapurna on April 28, 2022. She will need to finish by November 3, 2022, to get the speed record.

She is no stranger to mountaineering. In 2019, she became the fastest woman to climb Everest and Lhotse in a record 12 hours. The 36-year-old is from Vadso/Norway and is a former cross-country skier. Today, she claims her profession is as a mountaineer, runner, and skier.

Next up for the trio are Nepal's Manaslu true summit, before trying Cho Oyu and Shishapangma. She prefers climbing both from the Tibet side, but as we know, the Chinese have closed Tibet for climbing due to COVID since 2000. They will have to get an exception to enter the country for their attempt. She tells me she will attempt Cho from Nepal if she cannot enter Tibet.

Pemba Sherpa, the founder of 8K Expeditions, tells me:

I have never seen such a strong woman in mountaineering. If China gives the chance to climb Shixapangma and Cho-oyu, she will definitely complete the project in expected time along with Pasdawa and Dawa Ongju.

This is a fun, fast-paced interview where we cover many topics, including:

• Kristin and her Sherpa team
• Her background growing up in Norway and as a professional skier
• Women climbing 8000-meter peaks
• Children
• The trash and experience epidemic on the 8000ers this year
• A brief rundown of her climbs thus far
• A look at what's ahead for the three

Best of luck to Kristin, Pasdawa, and 'Uncle Dawa.' She leaves next week for the final phase of the "Bremont 14 Peaks" project. You can follow Kristin on Instagram, Facebook, or her website and 8K Expeditions.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

Part 4 of Everyday Everest,  my new Podcast series, covers chapters 11, 12 and 13. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual.
Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months.
In Part 4, our protagonist, Harper, visits a Monastery and observes the monks during their daily prayers, "Without a cue, the drumbeat began. One of the senior Monks started his chant – actually a prayer. Others joined in. They created an unbelievable resonance that built as it bounced off the artfully painted walls. Harper closed her eyes to take this moment in without the filter of sight. It was spiritual and sensory.#everest2024
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/04/13/everest-2024-everyday-everest-podcast-series-part-4-blessing-in-the-khumbu/

Welcome to my new limited series on climbing the Seven Summits. For the next eight weeks, I'll drop a new episode discussing one of the 7 Summits in detail. Today is Episode 5, Carstensz Pyramid Of all the Seven Summits, Carstensz Pyramid, aka Puncak Jaya, in New Guinea is undoubtedly the most exotic and technical to climb. It's also part of the "list" discussion. Are there seven or eight "Seven Summits?" But just getting there can be the real challenge. The Freeport Mining company controls the area and employs 12,000 people. They often close roads, detain climbers trespassing on their land, and labor strikes can bring the entire area to a halt. Kosciuszko and Carstensz Pyramid vie, for which is the seventh of the Seven Summits. Most people who want to climb all seven climb all eight! Carstensz Pyramid (Puncak Jaya), New Guinea, is 16,023 feet/4884 meters high. The mountain is in the Sudirman Range of the highlands of Mimika Regency, Central Papua, Indonesia. It's expensive, in the mid-$20,000 range for the 2024 season. The 7 Summits idea was hatched and first accomplished by American Dick Bass. He started with six summits in 1983: Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Denali, Vinson and Kosciuszko. Then, with guide David Breashears, he became the oldest person, 55 at the time, to summit Everest in 1985. Canadian Patrick Morrow became the first to summit all seven with Carstensz in addition to Kosciuszko in 1986. Italy mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner summited all the peaks without supplemental oxygen, a first, and completed the task in 1986. #7summits Episodes will drop each week: September 15: Introduction September 22: Mt. Kosciuszko, Australia - 7,310/2228m September 29: Mt. Blanc, France/Italy - 15,771'/4807m October 6: Vinson, Antarctica - 16,067/4897m October 13: Carstensz Pyramid (Puncak Jaya), New Guinea - 16,023/4884m October 20: Elbrus, Russia - 18,513/5642m October 27: Kilimanjaro, Africa - 19,340/5896m November 3: Denali, Alaska - 20,320/6194m November 10: Aconcagua, Argentina - 22,902/6960m November 17: Everest, Nepal/Tibet - 29,035/8850m

Lukas Furtenbach, of Austrian-based Furtenbach Adventures, made global headlines after he canceled his spring 2021 Everest expedition on the Nepal side last Friday. This follows the Chinese decision to cancel their only team on the Tibet side. Meanwhile, the officials responsible for the safety of guests climbing in Nepal deny climbers have COVID at Everest Base Camp. I interviewed Lukas from Everest Base Camp and we covered a lot of other topics including:  

Planning knowing COVID was a possibility at base camp Furtenbach Adventure COVID protocol from vaccines (members and Sherpas) to time in Kathmandu, Everest Base Camp, and the High Camps 

-Quarantining members and Sherpas 

-COVID Testing 

-Other teams at EBC

 -Final events leading to the cancellation decision 

-Getting members and support back home with the airport closed 

-Donating Furtenbach's oxygen and bottles to hospitals in Nepal 

-Pakistan climbing plans (also canceled) 

-What could have been done differently? 

-Any regrets?  

Background:  Furtenbach told his entire team that he was canceling their expedition due to an "out of control situation at Everest Base Camp." Furtenbach was one of the few operators who imposed stringent controls over his base camp to minimize the impact of COVID-19. He brought thousands of test kits, hired a team doctor, and limited any exposure with anyone outside his team, including his Sherpas, cooks, and other base camp staff. Yet, he still felt the risks were too high for his 20 customers, 4 mountain guides, and 27 Sherpas. His entire team had completed their acclimatization and were waiting for the winds to recede for their summit attempt. 

Part 12 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 37, 38, and 38. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual.

Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a FICTIONAL team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months.

In Part 12, our protagonist, Harper was confident and ready to get going. Sitting around base camp, even with the occasional hike to Pumori or Gorak Shep, was getting old. The conversation around the dining table was also getting old. It was time.

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

I caught up with British climber, Rebecca 'Becks' Ferry to discuss her amazing 2021 where she climbed on six 8000-meter mountains. This British mother of five children ages 12 to 18, had limited high altitude experience before with summits of Island Peak and Ama Dablam, but deep inside she wanted to try the hard ones. Along with British Professional Mountain Guide, Jon Gupta, they started with Everest and Lhotse as a "warm-up' for K2 but overall climbed on six peaks reaching the main summits of three.

• Everest (Summit) at 19:50
• Lhotse (Summit) at 22:00
• Makalu (reached 7500m)
• K2 (Summit) at 25:05
• Manaslu (Fore Summit ~8160m) at 40:00
• Dhaulagiri (reached 7817m) at 36.09

We cover a range of topics from how she got into climbing, to all the climbs in this fast-paced interview. I think you'll enjoy meeting Becks, hearing about her family and why she climbs and, of course, what's next!

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

Deaths on Carstensz Pyramid, one of the Seven Summits, are rare, but two women tragically lost their lives on March 1 while descending during a storm. The 4,884-meter (16,024-foot) peak poses challenging logistics and is the most technical of the seven, requiring basic rock climbing skills for primarily 5th-class terrain on fixed ropes.

Interview with Garrett Madison from CP

Welcome to my limited series on climbing the Seven Summits. For eight weeks, I'll drop a new episode discussing one of the 7 Summits in detail. Today is Episode 7, Kilimanjaro. #7summits
Of all the Seven Summits, Kilimanjaro offers a two-for kind of "climb." Well, to be accurate, it's more of a trek to 20,000 feet and a safari for those wanting more Africa. The experiences are a cultural treat made special by everyone you meet in restaurants and hotels, not to mention the guides, porters and safari leaders. It is a must-do for anyone seeking adventure and global education.
Overview
Kili is among the world's highest volcanoes at 19,340 feet / 5894 meters. The highest is Ojos del Salado, at 22,615 feet/ 6893 meters on the Argentina/Chile border. German Hans Meyer first summited Kili in 1889. The volcano has three peaks: Kibo, Shira and Mawenzi, with Kibo being the summit.
Many climbers consider it a walk-up, but it still represents a deadly threat when climbers go too fast or ignore challenging weather. The local park officials maintain strict rules and require local guides to accompany each team. The climb takes four to seven days, with seven being the suggested minimum time, with eight or nine even better, to allow for proper acclimatization. Tent camping is the standard on all routes. Porters carry most of the group gear, so climbers usually just manage a small day pack, weighing 10 and 15 pounds.
Of note, the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP) encourages climbers and visitors to support the Kili porters by donating clothes, but more importantly, it monitors operators regarding the fair treatment of all porters, including pay, health, insurance and gear.
Kilimanjaro is the closest of the seven to the equator, so January, February and July through October will offer the best weather. March, April, and November are the rainy months.
The second highest mountain in Africa is Mt. Kenya in Kenya, at 17,057'/5199m, 250 miles north of Kilimanjaro.
The 7 Summits idea was hatched and first accomplished by American Dick Bass. He started with six summits in 1983: #Aconcagua, #Kilimanjaro, #Elbrus, #Denali, #Vinson and #Kosciuszko. Then, with guide David Breashears, he became the oldest person, 55 at the time, to summit #Everest in 1985. Canadian Patrick Morrow became the first to summit all seven with Carstensz in addition to Kosciuszko in 1986. Italy mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner summited all the peaks without supplemental oxygen, a first, and completed the task in 1986. #7summits
Episodes will drop each week:
September 15: Introduction
September 22: Mt. Kosciuszko, Australia - 7,310/2228m
September 29: Mt. Blanc, France/Italy - 15,771'/4807m
October 6: Vinson, Antarctica - 16,067/4897m
October 13: Carstensz Pyramid (Puncak Jaya), New Guinea - 16,023/4884m
October 20: Elbrus, Russia - 18,513/5642m
October 27: Kilimanjaro, Africa - 19,340/5896m
November 3: Denali, Alaska - 20,320/6194m
November 10: Aconcagua, Argentina - 22,902/6960m
November 17: Everest, Nepal/Tibet - 29,035/8850m

It was a tough week in the Himalayas. We saw summits on two 8000ers, two Sherpas died, and the Icefall Doctors finally got the route to Camp 1 through the Khumbu Icefall. Also, it feels like the early predictions of a record and crowded Nepal side are coming true, with more permits issued at this time than last year. #everest2025

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2025/04/13/everest-2025-weekend-update-april-13-icefall-in-summits-and-deaths/

Despite ominous weather and route conditions, various media reports have at least four climbers summiting Annapurna on Sunday, April 6, 2025. Early reports of disturbing conditions on Annapurna seem to be mirrored on Everest. The Kumbu is buzzing with activity, and the Icefall Doctors are struggling again this year to get the route through the Icefall. In other words, busy as usual in the mid-2020s. #everest2025

https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2025/04/06/everest-2025-weekend-update-april-6-1st-8000er-summits/

Welcome to the Everest 2024 Weekend Update in mid-April. This week's headlines are a bit concerning.

The fixed line that should already be at Camp 2 is only halfway through the Icefall. I'm not sure this is bad news for climbers, but Everest permits lag significantly from 2023, down 34%.

However, we saw the first 8000er summits this past week, with many more to come. Base Camp at Everest is filling up. Trekkers are on the move, and mountains are seeing summits. Hello, spring 2024. #everest2024

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

The #Everest2021 scene is quiet now with the jet stream on top of the summit. On the Tibet side, China canceled the only expedition there.  I’m getting a few reports of high winds at C3 from the last rotation, and it’s worse now. That said, look for teams to begin their summit bids aiming for May 19-23. If for next week they will leave EBC on Monday, May 17th, or perhaps this weekend.  Sadly death on Everest occurs almost every year. Since 1953, only 1965, 1971, and 1985 saw no deaths when people climbed that year. In 2021, we have seen two deaths already. In this episode, I examine deaths on Everest, the reasons, and perhaps how to avoid it.  As always, visit my blog at alanarnette.com for more details. I usually do a YouTube and podcast for each post but not always.

We sometimes hear about a climber who has to make a tough decision as we follow mountaineering each season. Usually, it involves weather moving in that might jeopardize the team's safety or rescuing a teammate. Well, this spring, my long-time friend, Wilco van Rooijen, 55, faced a difficult decision, but it involved staying true to his style.

The Dutch mountaineer cheated death in 2008 on K2, but we both lost a dear friend, Ger McDonnell, that year. Wilco, who always climbs without supplemental oxygen or Sherpa support, had summited K2, Everest, plus many technical climbs in the Alps. He had a sold attempt in 2018 on Kanchenjunga, the 3rd highest mountain at 8,586 m (28,169 ft), with his best friend and climbing partner, Cas van de Gevel.

This 2022 spring, they returned to Kanch for another try in their style. They had perfect weather day after day and had acclimatized on Meru Peak before arriving at Kanch's base camp. They made one attempt but were going too slow behind a large group, and it was getting late in the day, so they returned to base camp. It was then that their expedition began to experience problems. The operator they had paid to provide base camp logistics told them they only had three days left as they were going. Cas developed health problems. Soon Wilco found himself high on Kanch with a climber he didn't know and a very young and inexperienced Sherpa. Wilco faced a decision that would test his character and test his commitment to the style head sworn to honor.

It's a fascinating interview where we talk about our Broad Peak experience, Wilco and Ger on K2 in 2008, and Wilco and Cas this year on Kanch. I take the opportunity to ask Wiclo his views on the changes we are seeing in the world of mountaineering of excessive use of oxygen, inexperienced clients with unqualified guides, helicopters, and more.

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

Welcome to Everest 2021 Podcast coverage. This is Alan Arnette and I'll be posting updates throughout the season and on each weekend with a summary of what's happened and what to look for. The fast paced podcasts are a great way of keeping up with the action if you can't get to my blog at https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

The world's fifth-highest at 27,765 feet (8,463 meters), Makalu saw multiple successes this season. Still, on Monday, May 9, 2022, Adrian Ballinger, co-founder of Alpenglow, texted me, "I summited today with Dorji Sonam and Pasang Sona(Alpenglow Sherpa). We fixed to the summit from where rope fixing ended by French couloir. And….I skied Makalu!!!!!! I just got back to ABC. First on top for the season. Alpenglow pride"

He walks through the climb, discussing how the Sherpas fixed the summit ropes, poor weather at times, or narrow windows of opportunity. I asked him to discuss his "ski technique" for those listeners who are avid skiers. As he was making his way down 8,000 feet of snow and ice, plus a rock gulley or two, he passed climbers going up—what fun.

Finally, we wrap up with a short discussion about how high-altitude mountaineering is changing, especially on those 'other' 8000ers like Kanchnugua, Dhaulagiri, Makalu, and Annapurna. Climb On! 

Alan 

Memories are Everything

Several strong Sherpas from various Nepali operators fixed the ropes on Nanga Parbat over the past few days thus facilitating a handful of clients to reach the summit. In total, there were 18 summits consisting of six members supported by 12 Sherpas, a 1:2 ratio of support. Pakistan issued 100 (member with support) permits this season; thus, look for more activity on Nanga.

Big Picture

The 2022 summer season is moving along with few, if any, issues reported by the teams. Most are talking about getting the fixed ropes put in by their super-strong Sherpas to the low-medium altitude camps while on Nanga, we are using a few summits. A shortage of porters and general support due to the record number of permits issued have delayed some teams from reaching their base camps.

As usual in Pakistan, the weather is variable with great, then tough days. Nothing out of the ordinary. Most of the commercial teams are taking the usual trade routes. A few independent climbers are taking less-traveled routes, but overall, this summer, climbing in Pakistan looks a lot like climbing in Nepal. Not a huge surprise since most of the teams are led by large Nepali operators using their proven formula of high oxygen rates with strong Sherpa support.

As for summits on the most-watched K2, don't expect them for another couple of weeks at the earliest. Most K2 summits occur between July 25 and August 1.

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

Part 9 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 28, 29 and 30. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual.

Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months.

In Part 9, our protagonist, Harper, and the team discuss what day they should target for their Everest summit, "Claudia smiled in admiration, "So, May 19th, it is!" Aaron dropped his head, deep in concentration. Dutch took center stage, "Today is May 2nd, so that's 17 days from now. We have to get back up to C2 then overnight at C3, and back here." Michael leaned in, "I think we need four days for the C3 rotation and at least six days for the summit push and return. That's ten days on the mountain, meaning we have seven days for rest and weather delays. Pretty tight."

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

It's May Day on Everest and some teams are having a party, while others are focused on their acclimatization schedule, and some now eying the summit. But everyone needs to wait for the fixed ropes. The upper mountain may have some moderate winds that may delay the rope team. We saw summits on a few 8000ers but the conditions remain iffy. Still, thus far 2022 is a low-drama season.   

Big Picture  With so many climbers high on Everest, the news is scarce due to a lack of comms. Teams are doing their rotations on Everest to Camp 2 and sometimes a bit higher to Camp 3, few if any thus far are following the traditional model of sleeping at Camp 3, nearly 7,000-meters. Those who won't be using Os will need to go to 8,000-meters before their summit attempt. But for now, several teams declared good enough and are settling in to wait for the summit weather window. It will be at least two weeks or so until the forecast shows a few days with the summit winds under 30mph/50kph. Some teams are now doing the fashionable "touch grass" down valley, ready to return at a moment's notice for the summit push. 

 Climb On! 

Alan

 Memories are Everything

German Alpinist Jost Kobusch is back home after accomplishing his objective of a winter, solo, no-O’s climb to tag over 7500 meters on Everest’s West Ridge. In this podcast, we go into deep detail on his climb. If you are a climber, explorer or sour on the entire Everest scene, this is for you. #everest2025

Welcome to my new limited series on climbing the Seven Summits. Episode 1 was an introduction plus a brief update on the Autumn climbing activity in Nepal and Tibet. For the next eight weeks, I'll drop a new episode discussing one of the 7 Summits in detail.

Today is eposide 2 Mt. Kościuszko.Australia's Kościuszko (7,310'/2228m), located in the Snowy Mountains, is the lowest of the 7 Summits but is perhaps the most controversial. First, there is the pronunciation, then there is the debate about how it compares to other high peaks in Oceania (is New Zealand continent?) ), and last is the relative ease of this "hill" located next to a ski resort. In any event, today, it's considered one of the seven on the Bass list, so most people seeking the 7 Summits will tick the box. The first summit was in 1840 by the Polish explorer Paul Strzelecki. I assume the First Peoples or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples or the Morano had a crack centuries earlier, but I could be wrong, as many Indigenous people treat mountains as sacred and not to be climbed.

Episodes will drop each week:

• September 15: Introduction
• September 22: Mt. Kosciuszko, Australia - 7,310/2228m
• September 29: Mt. Blanc, France/Italy - 15,771'/4807m
• October 6: Vinson, Antarctica - 16,067/4897mOctober 13: Carstensz Pyramid (Puncak Jaya), New Guinea - 16,023/4884m
• October 20: Elbrus, Russia - 18,513/5642m
• October 27: Kilimanjaro, Africa - 19,340/5896m
• November 3: Denali, Alaska - 20,320/6194m
• November 10: Aconcagua, Argentina - 22,902/6960m
• November 17: Everest, Nepal/Tibet - 29,035/8850m
  

This is a special Podcast and YouTube interview with Tim Bogdanov, 37, who was rescued from Annapurna last month. He tells a chilling tale of getting lost and multiple mistakes he made during his no Os climb.

Tim has summits of Manaslu and Dhaulagiri plus over 30 6,000-meters peaks around the world. His style is to climb alone and without supplemental oxygen.

He summited Annapurna on April 28 alongside an Indian team that was climbing independently. Also on the summit, that day was Italian Alpinist Giampaolo Corona, who was climbing in a similar independent style.

They both got into serious trouble once descending, albeit separately. The rest of the story is in the video.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

Part 8 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 25, 26 and 27. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual.

Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months.

In Part 8, our protagonist, Harper, and the team arrive at Camp 2 to continue acclimatization. The Mt. Everest Guides lead, John Paul, begins to explain how acclimatization works: "'Acclimatization' is a strange word that evokes many emotions. Fundamentally it means adapting the human body to an altitude where it was not designed to survive. Even though the percentage of oxygen in the air on Everest's summit is the same as on a beach in Rio, there are fewer molecules available to inhale. That's because there is less atmospheric pressure; thus, the oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide molecules spread out. It's the opposite of what a diver experiences with the pressure increasing as a diver goes deeper. Harper feels more weight, more pressure, whereas a climber has less available oxygen. That's why it's called 'thin air.’"

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

Everest's summit is slammed by hurricane-force winds, causing most teams to hunker down or pause rotations for a few days. However, the fixed ropes have reached the South Col. China confirms it will open the Nepal border on May 7th.

This season will go down as all dressed up and nowhere to go - on both sides.

First, on the Nepal side, as of the end of April, many teams have historically completed their rotations and are going into wait mode for the ropes to reach the summit. However, it appears that only a few have completed a meaningful amount of time this year at Camp 2. A few have tagged Camp 3, but almost no team spent the night at 7000 meters. To be fair, in recent years, many teams have dropped this difficult acclimatization at C3 in favor of using copious amounts of supplemental oxygen starting lower at Camp 2.

Many teams have wrapped up their climbs on Mera, Island or Lobuche as an acclimatization activity instead of going through the Icefall one more time. These teams are returning to EBC and will make only one rotation to C2 before calling it good. Those in a rush—Flash/Speed/Rapid/Quick/Speed/Rabbit—whatever—will only go through the Icefall once on their summit push.

Sherpas from Seven Summits Treks have the fixed ropes to the South Col. With the ten-day delay in fixing the Icefall; the Nepal government approved a plan to use helicopters to fly more gear to Camp 2 to fix the route to the summit. This is not unprecedented. On April 23, 2016, summit rope fixing gear (rope, anchors, oxygen for the Sherpas above the South Col) was long-lined to Camp 1 by helicopters - all approved by the Government.  It took six trips by helicopter plus a spotter in a separate helicopter to deliver the gear. No climbers or Sherpas were transported. This saved 87 Sherpa loads and potentially lives if there were another serac release or other natural disaster in the Icefall. This was a good move then, as it is today.

So, while it feels slower than usual, the teams are making the best of it. So, if the ropes reach the summit by May 10, as advertised, we can expect the usual flood of summit waves to follow quickly. First will be the super large teams like the 100s from Seven Summits Treks and many other Nepali-run teams. The Western teams will patiently wait at EBC for them to kick in steps, clear out and then take their turn. Finally, we'll see the uber–patient teams make their summit push, targeting May 19–22. Again, all of this depends on the weather.

Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow says, "Just FYI, we got our Tibet invites and official word of the May 7 border opening. Locked and loaded!" They will cross the border along with climbers with Climbalaya and Furtenbach.

However, another commercial team has given up on climbing Everest from the Tibetan side. Makalu Extreme joined Adventure Peaks, Kobler & Partner, and Arnold Coster to switch to the Nepal side. Makalu Extreme  posted this update revealing their frustration:

Not much news from the Everest 2024 climb from the Makalu Extreme team. Today our guide Dorchy and our member Pavel are in Goraksher. Work on setting up the Base Camp will begin tomorrow. I would like to remind you that our team and two tons of expedition cargo urgently left Kathmandu on April 26. The expedition was urgently shifted to Nepal due to the negligence of the Chinese authorities.

EverestEr reports in with their treatment Talley:

As of April 29, Nepal has issued 390 climbing permits for Everest to 37 teams representing 60 countries. The United States has the most climbers, with 70, followed by China with 65.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

Part 14 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 43, 44, and 45. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual.

Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months.

In Part 14, our protagonist, Harper, is on her summit push with Mingma, her personal Sherpa. Dawa checks in on them. "Mingma heard the radio crackle, "Mingma, where are you?" It was Dawa monitoring the team from the South Col with three other Climbing Sherpas. "On the Ridge above the Balcony," Mingma told the Sidar."

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

The first few climbers have made rotations to Camp 1 while the rest of the teams at Everest Base camp are preparing to enter the Khumbu Icefall for the first time this season. The permits for Everest continue to grow, now 321 on 34 teams approaching the 219 record of 382. Lhotse has an astounding 83 on 9 teams. Look for over 700 people on the routes this spring.  

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 knowledge.  

The climb times for the trip from EBC to Camp 1 were about 8 hours for some of the first climbers, about normal for the first rotation. However, this does suggest the Icefall is fixed pretty much the same as in previous years, in other words, not straighter, flatter, or faster.  In any event, the first trip through the Icefall is always eye-opening, even if it's only halfway up

Lukas Furtenbach, a major mountaineering expedition guide company and is now a top supplier of supplemental oxygen systems to all teams climbing Everest.  He partnered with Neil Greenwood of Summit Oxygen to create Everest Oxygen focusing on supplying supplemental oxygen to the mountaineering industry.

His Austrian-based Furtenbach Adventures offer global climbs, including most of the 8000-meter mountains, the Seven Summits, the Volcanic Seven Summits, and Ski Mountaineering. However, they have made a name for themselves with their "Flash Expeditions," which takes only three weeks to climb Everest, compared to the classic style, which takes six to eight weeks.

One of his secrets is using an altitude tent, aka a hypoxia chamber, that acclimatizes his clients to 7,00 meters (23,000 feet) at home. This reduces the number of rotations required before the summit push and reduces the overall time spent at base camp.  It's not really a secret as anyone can rent or buy a tent, and other companies like Alpenglow out of Lake Tahoe, California, also specialize in rapid expeditions. However, Furtenback's team out of Innsabruk closely monitors their client's progress over the eight weeks they sleep in the tent, making daily changes to optimize the process.

Lukas is also investing in advanced technology to remotely monitor his customer's health while climbing and evolving the oxygen regulator, the brains of the system that manages flow rates, to allow for an unprecedented eight liters per minute (lpm) flow. He only uses this high flow rate for short sections, for example, on the Hillary Step, to allow the climber to move faster. Otherwise, they run at today's traditional two, four and six lpm rate.

In this Podcast, we explore the evolution of using supplemental oxygen, Lukas's approach and several other Everest topics. We cover:

•  2:24 - The Chinese closure of Everest for the past four years, and will they open in Autumn for 8000ers?
•  4:45  - Will COVID be a factor for Everest 2023?
•  5:55 - Furtenbach Adventures Carbon Neutral approach to mountaineering
• 10:02 - Climbing Everest in three weeks vs. six to eight weeks
• 11:35 - Pre-acclimatizing at home using altitude tents
• 22:13 - The history of altitude tents (In France in the late 1970s)
• 25:52 - Is using supplemental oxygen cheating?
• 29:54 - Everest Oxygen supplies systems to other teams
• 30:04 -  Understanding the Oxygen Delivery System
• 47:22 - Types of Delivery Systems
• 52:14 - Remote Monitoring of a Climber's Health
• 56:17 - Everest 2023 Predictions

They will update their ⁠social media, ⁠Facebook⁠, Twitter, and  ⁠Instagram⁠, throughout the expedition.

Climb On!

Alan

Memories are Everything

Garrett Madison, founder of Madison Mountaineering is one of the few people on the planet to have summited K2 twice. He's hoping to get his third this 2021 summer. This is his sixth expedition to K2 making him the most experienced western operator to run regular trips to the Northern Terrorities of Pakistan.

With the new 4G Cell tower in Concordia, Garret took the hour walk from K2 Base Camp to Broad Peak Base Camp to talk with me over Zoom about his expedition. We discussed their rotations to Camp 1 and 2, the snow conditions on the mountain, what happens when he finds bodies on the mountain and more. 

I think you'll enjoy getting this first-hand information directly from Northern Pakistan.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

This Everest season is like a runny nose that won't stop. You blow hard, wipe it clean, and all of a sudden, there it goes again. Just as I thought base camp was empty, as well as the other 8000ers, people keep showing up at the South Col and summiting. I guess with winds so calm (relatively - there are still those moments) that leaders are demonstrating great patience and trust in the weather forecasters to let the route clear out before taking their peeps higher. And that's how it's supposed to be done.   

Big Picture

  The ropes got to the top on May 7, and now two weeks later, there are hundreds of summits. Usually, on May 22, the Southeast Ridge route is crammed up with Sherpas and members trying to beat the summer monsoons. There's at least one typhoon spinning like a crazy top in the Bay of Bengal. And tragically, several members have died during their summit push. But not in 2022. Just like a Tesla production line, climber after climber, fueled with oxygen and massive support, reaches the summit before dawn in many cases, celebrates, and returns home to tell the world. I estimate there have been 562 Nepal summits by 220 members supported by 343 Sherpas, a 1: 1.5 support ratio.

Climb On! 

Alan 

Memories are Everything

Everest Base Camp is quickly filling up. Sherpas are busy establishing and stocking Camps 1 and 2. Thus far the fixed ropes have been set to the Yellow Band around 24,000-feet. As previously noted, there are few trekkers this spring so the teahouses and trails feel empty to those I’ve spoken with. Internet at EBC is sketchy at best. There is one 40-person Chinese national team on the Tibet side, otherwise, it’s closed to foreigners. They established their base camp this past week.