Climber With No Arms Sets Sights On Everest

According to this story from the Cochrane Eagle, a climber who is missing both of his arms will attempt to climb Everest next year. Sudarshan Gautam will take on the world's tallest mountain in an effort to raise funds for the Sam Sullivan Disability Foundation in Vancouver.


The 29-year-old Nepalese man, who now lives in Canada, lost both of  his arms when he was just 13. He was flying a kite at the time, and when the kite became tangled in electrical wires, he attempted to free it by using a metal pole. The resulting electric shock severely damaged his limbs, which had to be amputated.

Since that time, he has learned to live his life without the use of arms or hands. He uses his feet for many of his daily tasks, such as writing, eating, or even steering a car. In 2005 he also climbed Yala Peak, a 5732 meter (18,805 ft.) mountain located along the border of Tibet and Nepal, using "his teeth, feet and a team of sherpas." Sudarshan calls that "training for Mount Everest."

The story doesn't go into much detail on what his climbing experience beyond Yala Peak is however. That mountain is a non-technical "walk-up" that is more than 10,000 feet shorter than Everest. I'm not sure hiking to the top of Yala, six years ago no less, constitutes good training for a far taller and more technical mountain like Everest.

Still, I wish Sudarshan luck. I'd admire his spirit and sense of adventure, plus his efforts are going to a good cause. He has other plans for further adventures as well. Upon his return from the Himalaya next year, he plans to drive across Canada using nothing but his feet, in a manual transmission now less.

The Wildest Dream Premieres Tonight On BBC2

Here's a quick heads-up for my friends across the pond. The Wildest Dream, the excellent docu-drama about Mallory and Irvine's ill-fated attempt to summit Everest back in 1924 will debut tonight on BBC2 at 9PM local time. The film is narrated by Liam Neeson and stars the voices of Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson, Hugh Dancy, and Alan Rickman. It also features Conrad Anker and Leo Houlding as the climbers themselves.

I caught the film on Netflix a few months back and really enjoyed it. It was a well done production that offers great insight into the climb, while also exploring the personal lives of these two men who are so much a part of Everest lore. Check-out the trailer for the film below to find out more.

Of course, I realize this is coming late in the day, so if you miss tonight's airing of the film, be sure to tune in on Sunday, the 21st, at 5:30PM. Definitely well worth a watch!



TWD 2min BBC2 from Atlantic Productions on Vimeo.

Colder, The Story of Eric Larsen's Save The Poles Expedition

Last Year, explorer Eric Larsen became the first person to visit the North and South Pole, as well as the summit of Everest, all in the same calendar year. He used his expedition to raise awareness of the challenges of climate change to our planet and the effect it is having on the "three poles." Now, a documentary of this "Save The Poles" expedition is in the works, and we have the trailer for it today as well.

According to this story on the Wend Blog, the film is called Colder and the full length version will be coming soon. You can get a sample of it in the video below, where you'll get just  a sample of what Eric went through on his expedition. Colder indeed!

Controversy Surrounds Everest Expedition To Search For Irvine And The Camera

More than 87 years after their deaths on Everest, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine continue to cast large shadows over the mountain. For decades, historians have wondered whether or not Mallory and Irvine reached the summit of the mountain 29 years before Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. Either way, the two men died on the descent, and created a mystery of epic proportions that still inspires climbers and explorers to this day.

The discovery of Mallory's body, high on the mountain, back in 1999 has done nothing to clear-up the mystery. As expected, Mallory was not carrying the expedition's camera when he died, as that duty would have fallen to his teammate Irvine. There are some who believe that that camera is still on Irvine's body, where ever that may be, and that it could still contain the photos that will prove that the two men went to the summit.

Now, a controversial new expedition is being planned to go in search of Irvine's remains and the elusive camera. According to this story from The Guardian, American Everest enthusiast Tom Holzel is organizing a team to go to the mountain this December to look for the missing climber's body. Holzel believes that he has located Irvine, and hopefully the camera, using high resolution satellite images, and he will direct a squad of mountaineers to that location in anticipation of the find. He also believes that if he is correct, the discovery will spark a media frenzy over the find.

This expedition is expected to cost roughly $250,000 and will be filmed by the BBC. The plan is to go during the winter, when few teams are on the mountain, and locate the body without anyone else around.  If they're successful, and they do find the camera, it could potentially bring an end to one of the biggest mountaineering mysteries of the 20th Century.

But not everyone thinks that that Holzel is handling the search in the best possible way. British climbing legend Chris Bonington has been critical of the expedition calling it "unsavory." He feels that the plan is trying to capitalize on the find and commercialize the search, with the hopes of making a profit off of the photos. He also feels that the mystery is best left alone and allowed to live as a legend in our minds.

Either way, it seems that the expedition will forge ahead later this year. Climbing Everest in December doesn't sound like it'll be the conditions for being on the mountain, and if Irvine's remains are located high up, they may never get close to him due to the weather conditions. Still, it seems there will be a clandestine team on Everest, looking to solve the mystery of Mallory, Irvine, and the Camera.

There are a lot of obstacles to their success however, and climbing the mountain is just one of them. They may get there and find that the body isn't even Irvine's at all. There is the chance that it isn't even a body, since they are using satellite imagery after all. And even if it is Irvine, he may or may not have the camera. And even if the camera is there, it could be broken, destroying the film inside.

Perhaps the mystery will live on, as it should.

Nepal To Re-Measure Everest To End Dispute With China

The government in Nepal has requested that the height of Mt. Everest be re-measured in an attempt to gain a more accurate reading of its true height and to end a brewing dispute with China. For years, the official height of the mountain, as recognized by Nepali officials, has been 8848 meters (29,029 ft), but that measurement includes 4 meters of snow on top of the peak. China insists that the mountain should be measured sans snow, and they list the height as 8844 meters (29,015 ft).

Everest falls along the border between Nepal and Chinese controlled Tibet. Apparently, last year the two countries agreed to use the 8848 meter height while discussing border disputes between the nations, but the Chinese continued to use the lower height. In order to settle the dispute once and for all, Nepal has begun the task of re-measuring the mountain using sophisticated GPS devices. Measurements of the height will be taken at three different locations, and the entire process could take up to two years to complete.

It should also be noted that in 1999 an American team measured the height of Everest, using GPS equipment, at 8850 meters (29,035 feet). That is the same number that National Geographic uses in its publications and representations of the mountain. The new survey will be the first official measurement since that time, and since technology has increased in sensitivity and accuracy, it is likely that this will be the most accurate measure of the height of the mountain to date.

It should be interesting to discover what the survey teams find when they compile their data. Maybe we should start a pool now as to what the height will be.

Everest 2011 Stats

The 2011 spring climbing season on Everest may be long over, but there are still some interesting facts about the various climbs on the mountain that are coming to light. This article, from The Economic Times, shares some of the numbers from this past spring as passed along to them from Ang Tshering Sherpa, the outgoing president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.

According to the article, there were 156 climbers who went to the summit from the South Side of the mountain this past spring. Of those, 39 were Americans, the most of any single country. The U.K. came in second with 27 summitteers, and India was third with 19. Those climbers were spread out over 92 separate expeditions, which was down from the 100 teams that received permits last year. We had heard that Base Camp was quieter this year, and those numbers seem to confirm it. All told, there were 506 ascents of the mountain, with 375 coming from the Nepal side and a further 131 from Tibet's North Side. The article also gives a tip of the hat to Apa Sherpa, who we all know summitted for a record 21st time.

The Economic Times is an Indian newspaper, and as a result they also share the accomplishments of their countrymen, which were quite impressive this spring. For instance, Haryana, Bikash Kaushik and Sushma Kaushik are a husband and wife team who summitted together, becaming the youngest couple in the world to accomplish that feat. They are 24 and 27 respectively. The Indian military reached a milestone as well when Flight-Lieutenant Nivedita Chaudhary became the first female Air Force officer to summit. She was joined on top by Anshu Jamsenpa, described as a "housewife," who became the first Indian woman to summit Everest twice in a single year.

The article also puts into perspective exactly what the spring climbing season means to Nepal, as it states that the government there earned $2.38 million in revenue from the permits and taxes that come along with climbing in that country. It is also estimated that the climbing season had an economic benefit of $9 million for the country as a whole as well.

Richard Parks Completes 737 Challenge

I've mentioned Richard Parks and his 737 Challenge in the past, but wanted to do a follow-up to report that he has completed the expedition, which had the ambitious goal of climbing the Seven Summits and visiting the Three Poles, in just seven months time.

According to this story, from Wales Online, Parks finished his journey last week by reaching the summit of Mt. Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe. You would think that after he knocked off Everest in the spring, that Elbrus, which stands 5642 meters (18,510 ft) in height, would be a relatively easy climb, but according to the story, Richard struggled to the top as his strength and energy waned. Then again, getting so close to his final goal, and having traveled and climbed a lot in the past six+ months, I guess it should be expected that he would be a bit tired.

While standing on the summit, Parks said that his accomplishment hadn't set in yet, but a blog post that came a few days later allowed him to share some thoughts on the journey. He was back home in the U.K. at that point, and has a lot of media appearances on his agenda, and it sounds like he's still struggling to come to grips with his accomplishment.

The expedition website says that the official time to complete the 737 Challenge was six months, 11 days, 7 hours, and 53 minutes. In that time frame, Richard managed to climb the seven highest peaks on each of the seven continents, while also visiting the "three poles." That would be the North and South Pole of course, and the summit of Everest, which is sometimes referred to as the "third pole." While his polar journeys were last-degree ski expeditions, this is still one very impressive accomplishment. The travel time alone would be enough to wear a lot of people out, let alone climbing mountains and skiing through frozen wastelands.

It should also be noted that Parks undertook this journey to raise funds and awareness of the Marie Curie Cancer Care organization, a great cause that has inspired a number of adventurous Brits.

Congratulations Richard, well done!

ESPN Profiles World Tri-Athlete Charlie Wittmack

Remember Charlie Wittmack? He was the guy we were following since last summer when he set out on his World Tri, an expedition that included a swim across the English Channel, a bike-ride across Europe and Asia, and a climb to the summit of Everest. I wrote about his progress a few times along the way, but after he was struck by a car in Kazakhstan, and returned home for a bit, it was difficult to get updates on his progress. The last I had heard, he had returned to Nepal and was on his way to Everest, but dispatches were few and far between after that.

Now, more than a year after he set out on his World Tri, Charlie is getting mainstream coverage in the form of a major article on ESPN.com. The article they've posted there is quite extensive, and seamlessly meshes both video and text to tell Charlie's story, and what a story it is. As you can imagine, it gets into far more detail than we were able to find before, and Charlie openly discusses his obsession with completing his epic "triathlon." The story also talks about the severe ups and downs he suffered while on the road as well, missing his family, suffering injuries, and eventually going home for awhile due to severe health problems.

The story isn't just about Charlie's drive to complete his expedition. On the contrary, it's also about love, family, and chasing your dreams, no matter where they take you. The journey was not an easy one for Charlie, or his wife Cate, but in the end, he came out a different person, with a changed perspective on what is important in life. It's a great story and definitely worth the read.

It is always great to see the mainstream press pick up a story like this and ESPN does a good job of getting to the heart of it. Read the whole story by clicking here.

Communicating From The Far Corners Of The World

We are living in an amazing age. Technology continues to evolve at an astounding rate, and our methods of communications, even from remote places, has turned the planet into one giant global neighborhood. The ability to share our adventures, even while in the field, has changed our perception of exploration, as we are now able to stay in constant contact with explorers that are pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible. Now days, it seems strange when an expedition sets off without having some form of communications back to the world, which is what makes a blog like this one possible.

Yesterday, Explorers Web posted a story written by Seth Wolpin, a climber who recently summited Everest. In the article, Seth discusses the various communications tools that are now available to mountaineers on their expedition and gives some great information on what he used during his climb.

As we all know, Everest received a major upgrade this year with the inclusion of 3G cell service that, when working, actually reached all the way to the summit. The cell tower for the service was built in Gorak Shep, and powered by solar panels, and when early season clouds covered the region, the tower wasn't functional for much of the time. Thankfully, good old semi-reliable satellite phone service still operated when necessary.

Seth's article is both practical and functional as he lays out the tools that he used on his expedition. He discusses options for both voice and data, and applies it to use in cell phones, sat phones, laptops, and more. He shares tips on pre-paid services, texting, sending e-mail, and setting up a data connection on a computer. If you're a tech oriented person, a lot of this will likely seem like old hat, but if you're not as technologically adept, you'll probably learn quite a bit, and much of this can be applied to your next adventure in the field as well.

In the future, I suspect data connections will continue to get faster and more reliable, and we'll probably see those connections become the primary method of communications from Everest Base Camp and beyond. Who would have thought even a few year ago that a device like the SPOT Connect would allow us to use our smartphones to send texts and other data from just about anywhere on the planet. Expedition communications gear is really evolving quickly, and it is changing the nature of extreme adventures along with it.

Himalaya 2011: Alan Arnette Shares His Everest Experience

The 2011 Spring Climbing Season may be over, but we're continuing to get information about the events that unfolded in the mountains over the past few months. Take for example a pair of recent blog posts from Everest summitteer Alan Arnette, who completed the third leg of his Seven Summits for Alzheimer's project when he stood on top of the world's tallest peak.

The first blog post, published a couple of days back, is an excellent recap of the gear that Alan used on his Everest expedition, beginning with the trek to Base Camp and continuing all the way to the summit. He talks about the items he used while living in BC for weeks at a time and on his various acclimatization rotations as well. For some of you, this will probably be old hat, but for those who aren't aware of all the items that are used on this type of climb, it is a very revealing read. Definitely recommended for those who like their gear!

For an even better read however, you'll want to take a look at Alan's final expedition report, during which he talks about the climb in much more detail. You will find an introductory blog post, published just this morning, and a link to a PDF document that actually contains the report itself. As you would expect from Alan, the document is very well written and detailed, with plenty of information for those interested in an Everest climb in general and Alan's story specifically.

With Mt. Vinson, Aconcagua, and now Everest under his belt, Alan will next turn to Denali in his quest to complete the Seven Summits. Expect regular dispatches from that expedition as well, as he sets his sights on the highest peak in North America, a mountain he is also quite familiar with.

Great work on these reports Alan. Good luck in Alaska!

Himalaya 2011: Spring Season By The Numbers

Earlier today, ExWeb posted an excellent re-cap of the 2011 Spring Himalaya climbing season, breaking down all the stats and records, while putting it all into perspective for us. They have the scoop on the highs (pun intended!) and lows of another very busy spring in the mountains.

Amongst the stats that may be of interest is the fact that there were, according to ExWeb's count, roughly 680 summits in the Himalaya this year. Of those, about 500 took place on Everest alone. Remember, this is in a year that was said to be quieter than normal. That is a much higher number than what I had been led to believe, but the folks over at Explorers Web are bit more tapped in on those kinds of numbers, so I'm inclined to believe them. The remaining 180 summits were spread out across a variety of peaks, but of the 8000 meter mountains, nine saw successful summits, including Everest, Kangchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Annapurna, and Shisha Pangma.

Most of the post is made up of a list of "firsts," which include the first summits on a variety of peaks by climbers from specific nationalities, as well as age records for the youngest and oldest to scale some of these mountains as well.

Finally, the post wraps things up on a solemn note with a run down of the climbers who lost their lives in the Himalaya this spring. That list is always too long, no matter the number on it, and is a sobering reminder of the dangers we all face when going to high altitude.

Himalaya 2011: Edurne Pasaban Shares Details On Lhotse Rescue

In the numerous Himalaya climbing updates I've posted over the past few months, I've made mention a couple of times of the rescue of some Spanish climbers on Lhotse following a harrowing descent of that mountain. One of the climbers who aided in that rescue was Edurne Pasaban, who has shared more details of the incident with the National Geographic Adventure Blog.

Edurne, who is one of the top mountaineers in the world, had gone to the Himalaya to climb Everest once again, this time without oxygen. But the weather wasn't cooperating, and high winds and cold temps were making that attempt very challenging. The window for a successful summit narrows greatly when you're going up with out the O's. Pasaban, and her team, elected to back off from their summit bid and wait for a better opportunity, which ended up never appearing.

While down in Base Camp, the word came in that there was trouble on Lhotse, and some climbers had run into trouble while making their way back down from their own summit bid. It turns out, they were Spanish climbers who happened to be friends with Edurne, who hails from the Basque region herself. Without hesitation, she joined the rescue team that was being organized, and went back up the mountain to help out her friends and countrymen.

It took another two days before the rescue was fully completed, and the tale of what happened is a dramatic one. For those who haven't already read the story, I recommend giving it a look, as it is not only a story of the challenges of the mountains, but also the camaraderie that comes along with the "Brotherhood of the Rope."

By the way, this is a reprint from a dispatch that was sent to Edurne's blog a few weeks back, but it may have slipped under the radar when it was originally published. After all, back then there were a ton of updates coming from the region as climbers all scrambled for their chance to stand on top of Everest and the other big peaks.

Himalaya 2011: Wrapping Things Up

While I was away in South America, the spring climbs pretty much wrapped up in the Himalaya. Now, the monsoon looms, and with its arrival, comes plenty of rain and wind, which will shut off the big peaks in Nepal and Tibet until the fall. And while the final weather window on Everest didn't last as long as was hoped, and many climbers had their dreams dashed, there were a few notable climbs that I wanted to highlight, even though it has been some time since they were completed.

For starters, major congratulations to 16-year old George Atkinson of the U.K. Not only did George summit Everest, he also became the youngest person to complete the Seven Summits, which is a very impressive accomplishment. The young man was three days shy of his 17th birthday when he stood on top of the world, climbing from the North Side of the mountain. Hopefully he celebrated both the climb, and the birthday, at the Rum Doodle back in Kathmandu.

Meanwhile, a team of female air force officers from India also reached the summit of Everest from the South Side of the mountain. The team consisted of eleven climbers, three of which successfully stood on the top of Everest. The women trained for the past two years to prepare for this expedition, knocking off a string of summits that included Mt. Stock Kangri and Mt. Saser Kangri.

The Indian ladies weren't the only women making history on Everest. Forty-year old Suzanne Al Houby of the United Arab Emirates became the first Arab woman to summit the mountain as well, when she reached the top on May 21st from the South Side. She has now completed five of the Seven Summits, in her bid to become the first Arab woman to complete that quest as well.

Things didn't work out quite so well for Ueli Steck however. As you no doubt recall, he was attempting to climb three 8000-meter peaks in the Himalaya this spring, and seemed nearly unstoppable after finishing off Shisha Pangma and Cho Oyu in rapid succession. Ueli's bid on Everest didn't go as planned however, and the Swiss climber was forced to turn back 100 meters below the summit on the North Side. You can read his full account of the attempt on his website. 

It was another successful season for the Sherpas working to clean up Mt. Everest as part of the Save Everest Campaign. Apparently, the group brought more than eight tons of waste down from the mountain, with much of that being deposited in Namche Bazaar, but a lot is being taken back to Kathmandu as well. There were 29 Sherpas involved in the effort, and they estimate that another 20 tons of garbage still covers the mountain. 

Finally, this story has the tale of the tape on Everest this season saying: 

"A total of 169 people from 42 teams scaled the world’s tallest peak between May 5 and May 27, while two foreigners and one Nepali died while trying to make it atop, according to statistics at the Mount Everest Base Camp. Two climbers have lost their fingers to frostbite, while 10 have been sent to Kathmandu for treatment. A woman from Taplejung has scaled the peak twice."

Seems like a rather small number compared to the past few years, but then again, we knew early on that Base Camps on both sides of the mountain were quieter than normal. Not sure if that trend will continue, but at least for this season, the mountain wasn't over crowded.

Now on to the Karakoram summer season ahead...

Himalaya 2011: Another Notable Summit, Another Climber Passes Away On Everest

Yesterday brought both more good and bad news from Everest, where teams on both sides of the mountain are still working their way to the summit ahead of the arrival of the monsoon, which is likely just a few weeks away at this point.

First, we have a summit of note, as climbers Richard Parks and Steve Williams reached the top of the mountain while climbing with the Jagged Globe squad. For Parks, this marks a major milestone in his "737 Expedition" during which he is attempting to reach the "three poles" and complete the Seven Summits in just seven months. Everest has often been called the "third pole" and by topping out on the mountain, Parks has now visited the three poles, having gone last degree to the North and South, and has finished off five of the seven summits as well. He now has just Denali and Elbrus standing in his way of becoming the first person to visit the three poles and seven summits in a single calendar year. (Thanks to Alan Curr for sending this my way!)

While some climbers continue to pursue their dreams of standing on the summit of Everest, others have decided to call it a season and head home. Amongst them are Edurne Pasaban, who hoping to summit without supplemental oxygen, but turned back at Camp 4 over the past weekend due to high winds and the poor health of two of the team's Sherpas. On the descent, Edurne and her team provided aid to the Spanish climbers who were in trouble on Lhotse, and the efforts to climb and assist in the rescue, have left them exhausted and unable to continue. Pasaban provides details on what turned out to be a very long two days on the mountain in a blog post you can read here.

Alan Arnette has arrived back in Lukla, and is preparing to head out to Kathmandu tomorrow and catch a flight home on Friday. He posted a great blog entry today in which he answers a number of questions about climbing Everest. It is an excellent read for those looking for more information about what goes into such a climb.

Finally, sad news from Everest, as we have received word that Irish climber John Delaney passed away on the mountain while climbing with the 7 Summits Club last weekend. He apparently ran into trouble at about 8800 meters and fell behind the summit team, passing away shortly there after. Condolences to his friends and family.

Himalaya 2011: News From All Over

The 2011 Himalayan climbing season is starting to wind down for another year, but there is still plenty of things happening on peaks throughout the region. With so many expeditions taking place at this time of the year, it is a real challenge to keep up with all the activity, so apologies in advance if I've neglected someone or failed to mention an expedition.

We'll start once again on Everest today, which is where the bulk of coverage has been on the South Side, but the teams approaching from the North are finally getting their chance. As reported yesterday, the 7 Summits Club  topped out not long after the ropes to the top were fixed and apparently the Asian-Trekking squad was also there at about the same time. It is unclear which team reached the summit first from the North Side, but in the greater scheme of things, it doesn't really matter. Both teams enjoyed summit success, and the North Side is open for business. Most other teams are looking for summit bids late this week, and there is no news on when Ueli Steck and Don Bowie will make their attem32pt. My guess is that they'll go for it before the crowds, but it depends on how they feel and what the weather dictates.

On the South Side there are still a few teams making their summit attempts as well, including the Jagged Globe team, who are on the move today. Edurne Pasaban and her team are hoping to head back up later this week as well. They turned back at Camp 4 over the weekend due to illness on the squad and windy conditions, which can be tough to endure when climbing without oxygen. The Spanish climber, the only woman officially recognized for climbing all fourteen 8000-meter peaks, also took part in a rescue on Lhotse of fellow countrymen who ran into trouble while descending that peak.

Speaking of summitting without oxygen, ExWeb is also reporting that a monk by the name of Bhakta Kumar Rai spent 32 hours on the summit of Everest, meditating for 27 of those hours. He was on oxygen for just 11 of those hours as well. Impressive feats all around, especially when you consider most people only spend a few minutes on top.

There is sad news to report this morning from Cho Oyu, where a number of sources are saying that Dutch climber Ronald Naar has died. Apparently he had given up on his summit bid due to bad weather, and on the descent he was feeling ill. He later collapsed in Camp 3. Naar had previously conquered the Seven Summits, as well as K2, and also enjoyed polar exploration too. This was to have been his last expedition.

There was also alarming news from Kangchenjunga as well, where Alex Gavan reported a dicey situation involving a Serbian climber named Dragan. Apparently, he was suffering from both HACE and HAPE, and had to be evacuated from the mountain via helicopter. No news on his condition as of yet, but it sounds like a very serious situation. Keep your fingers crossed!

Finally, on Lhotse, the previously mentioned Spanish team that was in trouble over the weekend included Manolo "Lolo" Gonzalez, who had to be evacuated from the mountain following a harrowing descent in bad weather. Lolo, and the rest of his squad, reached the summit, but conditions made for a slow descent, which left them exposed at altitude for far too long. Gonzalez ended up spending the night alone on the mountain until he was discovered by another group of climbers the following day.

Ryan Waters and his teammates also topped out on the mountain, as did Zsolt Eross, who claimed his ninth 8000-meter peak. What made this one special however, is that Eross suffered a climbing accident in 2010, which required that a leg be amputated. He earned this summit with an artificial limb. Congrats to Zsolt and the rest of the Lhotse summitteers. 


More news to come in the next few days I'm sure. There is still a lot happening, despite the end of the season looming. Lets hope there aren't any more causalities or serious accidents. 

Himalaya 2011: Dave Hahn Notches 13th Summit Of Everest

Mountain giude Dave Hahn reached the summit of Everest over the weekend, marking the 13th time that he has stood on the top of that mountain. That number represents the most summits of any non-Sherpa ever, extending Hahn's own personal record.

The National Geographic Adventure blog has Dave's account of his summit climb, which you can read in its entirety right here. Climbing without clients – his two paying customers went home last week without attempting the summit, Dave and his Sherpa team made easy work out of the climb, arriving ahead of most other climbers and enjoying plenty of time on top of the mountain all to themselves.

The account of the climb is fairly straight forward, although Dave says that the higher portions of the route were easier than normal thanks to plenty of snow pack and well worn trails. But he and his team made it a challenge for themselves by making one long push from ABC up to the summit, and then back down again. By doing this, they limited their time above 26,000 feet and thereby lessening the effects of the thin air on their bodies. That should allow for a quicker recovery time after their ascent as well.

Congrats to Dave for adding a 13th Everest summit to his already impressive resume.

Meanwhile, a couple of Dave's teammates on the First Ascent climbing team were turned back on Makalu over the weekend. Dave Morton and Melissa Arnot were hoping to summit that mountain, but both turned back for their own reasons. Melissa was feeling the effects of the altitude, which she was enduring without supplemental oxygen, and she was climbing too slowly to have a legitimate shot at the summit, so she turned back to Camp 4 fairly early on. Dave, on the other hand, continued to go up on his own, but noted that he too was moving slowly, despite the fact that he was feeling good. He thought that he was carrying far too much weight, with camera equipment, as well as excess food and water, and late in the afternoon he determined that it was best that he turn back as well. He was just 150 meters from the summit at that time, but thought that might mean another 2-3 hours of climbing. You can ready both of their accounts of the climb by clicking here.

Now, the two mountaineers are catching a flight to Everest Base Camp, where they hope to make a late season run up that mountain. They are acclimatized and familiar with the route, so they're hoping to add one Himalayan summit to their resume while they're in the neighborhood. Stay tuned for more!

Himalaya 2011: Paragliding From The Summit Of Everest

As I mentioned in my earlier post, it was another busy weekend on the world's tallest mountain. By some accounts, there could have been upwards in the neighborhood of 200 summits, although we'll have to wait for the dust to settle before we know for sure. One summit, and more importantly, one descent, is worth nothing however, as Babu Sunuwar and Lakpa Tshering Sherpa flew a tandem paraglider off the top of the mountain, and had what must have been one amazing ride.

Many mountaineers will tell you that while the climb to the summit is a grueling slog, the descent can be just as challenging. On the way down you're exhausted from so many hours at altitude, and the adrenaline rush has long since worn off. But Babu and Lakpa avoided all of that by launching their paraglider from the summit, and gliding back down the Khumbu Valley in style.

The pair didn't descend back to Everest Base Camp however. Instead, they kept on flying, covering more than 20km (12.4 miles) in total, before landing in Namche Bazaar. That means they not only eliminated the tough descent back to EBC, they also took away a couple of days on the trail trekking back down the valley as well. I'm sure there are plenty of other exhausted climbers who would love to have been able to take this express flight as well.

I'm hoping that one of the two men on the glider remembered to bring a helmet cam for what has to be some amazing footage of their descent. Gliding above the highest mountains in the world, then slowly making a descent over the course of 20km, must have been amazing. Having made the trek just from Base Camp back to Namche myself, and covering that ground in two days, I can appreciate this method of travel. While their friends are still packing up and preparing to head down the Khumbu, Babu and Lakpa are kicking it in a Namche teahouse, enjoying good food, and shooting pool in the local billiards parlor. (I don't even want to think about how they got those pool tables up there!)

This is a very cool story, and hopefully we'll at least get some more photos in the days ahead.

Himalaya 2011: Alan Summits Everest, North Side Teams On Top Too!

As predicted last week, the weather window on Everest this past weekend was a good one, an many climbers went up to the summit. There are some indications that as many as 100 people stood on top on Friday and a similar number may have gone up on Saturday as well. One of the first to top out on Saturday was Alan Arnette, whose expedition we've been following closely for the entire season.

As regular readers of this blog know, Alan has been climbing Everest as the third leg of his 7 Summits for Alzheimer's  campaign. Alan's mom was afflicted with that horrible disease for eight years, and since her passing, he has dedicated his life to helping educate the public about it, while also raising funds for the Cure Alzheimer's Fund. Everest was the biggest hurdle to him reaching his goal, and the mountain had thwarted his efforts on three occasions in the past. So with all of that backstory and challenge, it was with a lot of emotion that he sent this audio dispatch from the summit a few days ago. He has also posted an excellent report of his climb that makes for a great read as well. You can find that report by clicking here.

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Alan personally. I know exactly what this means to him and it is a gigantic step towards knocking off the Seven Summits and more importantly achieving his goals for spreading the word about Alzheimer's as well. Listening to his dispatch from the summit brought a tear to my eyes on Friday night when I heard it, along with a swell of happiness for my friend. It has been a struggle, but on the fourth attempt, he finally stood on top of the world. Well done Alan!

On the North Side of the mountain, the climbers finally got the break they were looking for as well, and many took advantage of it by going up over the weekend too. Alan reported that there were three climbers from the North on the summit when he arrived, and they were apparently part of the 7 Summits Club team, who were amongst the first to top out. Expect a regular string of summits on the Tibetan side of the mountain this week, as it appears that many of the teams are in place to make bids on Thursday or Friday. Amongst them are Ueli Steck and Don Bowie, who are in Advanced Base Camp and are weighing their options on when to make their move.

Back on the South Side, it appears that Edurne Pasban and her team have backed off their summit bid, at least for now. She was hoping to make the summit without the use of oxygen, but the team abandoned their attempt in Camp 4 when two of the Sherpas developed respiratory issues and the winds picked up again on Saturday. They hope to have another go of it later this week.

I'm sure we'll have more news from the mountain all week as reports come in about the climbs. The window is now coming to rapid close, as June is looming. I expect Base Camp on both sides of the mountain to be empty in another week and a half. But for now, there is still plenty of excitement in the Himalaya.

Everest Summit Report: Solo On Top Of The World!

So you want to know what it is like to climb the highest mountain on the planet, and stand on top of the summit, all alone? Then look no further than this story from Climbing.com. It was written by climber Brian Dickinson, who is with the Mountain Gurus team on the South Side of Everest, and the article chronicles his epic climb to the summit last week.

The story is very well written and does a great job of conveying what it is like to go up the mountain. Brian talks about the difficulties of climbing in weather conditions that include extreme heat, high winds, heavy snow, and more. He shares his emotions as he completes each stage on the way to the top, and then finally gets there, all by himself. On the way up, his support Sherpa took ill and was forced to head back, and as a result, Dickinson had the opportunity to stand on top of the world, completely alone. He even says that he spent an hour on the summit, by himself, taking it all in, and while he laments the fact that there was no one there to share it with, it had to also be very moving to have the place all to himself for so long.

As many mountaineers will tell you however, the climb isn't over until you get back down, and that was something Dickinson discovered first hand. His descent was a wild one, made all the more challenging because his broken glasses continued to fog up and ice over, making it impossible to see much of anything along the way. Throw in issues with his oxygen bottles, and exhaustion setting in, and you have a harrowing tale that everyone should read.

The article is a great indicator of what climbers face on Everest. At various times, Brian encountered 50-70 mph (70-110 km)  winds, mini-tornadoes, and whiteout conditions, all the while dealing with challenging rock climbs above 26,000 feet, and a solo push to the summit that had to have been surreal.

Excellent read. I definitely recommend this one.

Himalaya 2011: More Summits On Everest And Kangchanjunga

As expected, a second wave of summits has begun on the South Side of Everest, where teams have gone up this morning despite higher winds. The trend is expected to continue into the weekend, as other teams are currently poised to make their bids as the winds die down later in the day.

The Himex team put eight of their clients, along with three guides and ten Sherpas, on the summit this today, after setting out at about 12:30 AM local time. Apparently, the team moved efficiently and with good speed, and over took other expeditions at the Balcony. There was a traffic jam at that point, so the ever-industrious Himex Sherpa's circumvented the ropes that were in place, and short roped their clients over that portion. They were soon on their way to the top, leaving slower teams behind. Amongst the summiteers today were David Tait, who has now stood on top of Everest on four different occasions. Well done to all!

The final IMG team is in place at Camp 3 and waiting to move up as well. That's where we heard from Alan Arnette this morning, who says that the winds are expected to dissipate, allowing the teams currently in a holding pattern to make their summit bids tomorrow. If all goes according to schedule, they'll be at the top around or shortly after dawn.

Meanwhile, on the North Side, rope fixing is suppose to be finished today, which will finally allow teams to reach the summit. A number of teams, including the 7 Summits Club, have already set out for Advanced Base Camp in hopes of being in position to go up as soon as possible. Kenneth Koh, who is climbing with Project Himalaya, Tweeted that he and the rest of the team are heading up today as well, and they hope to summit sometime around the 27th of the month, which would be a week from today, weather permitting. I hope for their sake, that the window stays open for them, as it seems to be a narrow one from the Tibetan side of the mountain.

Meanwhile, there has been a lot of activity on Kangchanjunga today as well. The third highest peak on the planet at 8586 meters (28,169 ft), sees far fewer climbers than Everest, and is a formidable climb in its own right. On his Twitter feed, Alex Gavan reports that 50 people went up today in one of the biggest summit pushes Kang has ever seen. At this point, we're not sure how many made it but we do know that  Alexey Bolotov reached the top, as did Christian Stangl, who reportedly is suffering from some frostbite. A French team consisting of three climbers also topped out, but from the reports, it seems that bad weather and cold turned back a good portion of the climbers. Alex is recovering from a stomach bug himself and hopes to go back up soon, weather permitting.

It seems it will be another very busy weekend in the Himalaya, with summit attempts coming on a number of peaks. Wish everyone well and keep your fingers crossed that everyone gets down safely.