A Look Ahead to Everest 2018

We're just a little over a week into the New Year, and the spring climbing season on Everest is still several months off, but already there are interesting things to talk about regarding when it comes to discussing the tallest mountain on the planet. With the Nepali government putting new rules into place, more and more budget climbing companies joining the fray, and an increasing demand to climb the mountain from places like China and India, Everest has once again become a wild, controversial place. Recently, our friend Alan Arnette posted two interesting articles regarding the upcoming season, and both offer some very interesting insights.

The most recent of those stories is an interview with Phil Crampton of the Altitude Junkies. Last year, the AJ team elected not to go to Everest due to the shifting politics and logistical challenges of operating on that mountain. Instead, they looked for new challenges on Makalu. But this year, Phil and company are returning to the Big Hill, although in a major shift they'll jump to the North Side in Tibet instead.

In his interview with Alan, Crampton talks about the decision to go to the Chinese side of the mountain, how he perceives things are changing on Everest, and his thoughts on the increasing number of climbers on the mountain – particularly on the South Side. He also shares his thoughts on the fast climbs that use high altitude tents to prepare for the expedition ahead of time, why he believes the North Side is harder, and much, much more. It is definitely an interesting interview for those who follow the Everest scene closely.

The other recent article from Alan regarding Everest was published just after Christmas and is his annual look at the various routes used to climb the mountain. As usual, Arnette offers excellent insights into the challenges of each of the various climbing routes that are used by climbers, with the South Col and North Col routes being the two most popular. The comprehensive look at the two sides of the mountain also includes a rundown of the famous landmarks found along the way – such as the Balcony and the Hillary Step on the South Side. He even takes a look at which route is the most dangerous, how much an expedition costs, and a wide variety of other topics.

Having climbed from both sides of the mountain, Alan knows the challenges very well. He also follows the expedition season extremely closely each year, making his sight an invaluable resource for those of us who cover the unfolding drama that ultimately ensues in the lead up to the summit push. I expect we'll get the same reliable and insightful coverage again this year when things start to get rolling in April.

Read More

Crunching the Numbers on Everest Expeditions Over the Years

Last week I posted a story about Alan Arnette's recent look at the cost of climbing Everest in 2018. This week, he's back to delve deeper into the numbers behind all of the expeditions that visit the world's highest peak, and take a peek ahead at what we can expect in the spring of 2018, when more people than ever will be heading to the Himalaya.

As you probably recall, the Himalayan Database is the main authority on who has and hasn't climbed Everest and the other big mountains in Nepal and Tibet. Recently, the database was updated to include all the summits from 2017 and was released online for free. Over the past couple of weeks, Alan has been pouring over the numbers to search for any interesting tidbits of information, with some fascinating things being revealed.

According to the database, 4833 people have summited Everest a grand total of 8306 times to date. Most of those (5280) came from the Nepali side, with an additionally 3026 reaching the summit on the North Side in Tibet. 2017 was a highly successful year on the Big Hill, with 648 total summits. Thats the second most in a season ever, behind only 2013 which saw 658 summits. The success rate this year was 61%, meaning that 6 out of 10 people who made it to Base Camp actually reached the top. The break down was 446 from the south and 202 from the north, with 11 people summiting without the use of supplemental oxygen.

Sadly, six people are confirmed to have died, five on the Nepali side and one in Tibet. That brings the total number of deaths on Everest to 288 total. Of those, 181 occurred on the South Side, with 107 coming from the North. But the news is encouraging as the death rate for both sides of Everest is declining. It also stands at 1.27% from the South Side and 1.15% from the North, which are actually incredibly small numbers compared to other big peaks like Kangchenjunga, Annapurna, and K2.


There is lots of other interesting trends and statistics to look at as well, and Alan does a good job of coming through them. For instance, he's found that the number of climbers heading to Tibet to take on Everest is on the upswing, while in Nepal it has actually declined slightly. The number of climbers attempting the mountain without bottled oxygen is also on the upswing, and they are also more successful in those pursuits. There has also been a dramatic uptick in the number of Sherpa summits over the past 15 years as well, with more local Nepali guides climbing the mountain.

Other interesting facts gleaned from the article is that the Himalayan Database recognized just 1 true solo ascent (presumably by Reinhold Messner), 34 traverses of the mountain, 22 descents by ski or snowboard, and another 13 by paraglider. There are also 20 20 disputed ascents (the database says they didn't make it, the climbers say they did!) and 14 "unrecognized ascents," although I'm not sure exactly what falls into that category.

To read Alan's full analysis of these numbers and get further insights, click here.

Read More

Alan Arnette Answers Common Questions About Everest for 2017

The spring climbing season on Everest is still two months off, but as I write this there are hundreds of climbers around the world who are preparing to leave for the Himalaya in a few short weeks. While they still have plenty of time to get ready, there is always lots of gear to buy and organize, training to conduct, and daily affairs to get in order before leaving for Base Camp for two months. It is a busy, hectic, and exciting time for many of them, with a major challenge looming on the horizon.

Awhile back, mountaineering blogger Alan Arnette posted a Personal Letter to Everest climbers for 2017, in which he posed some serious questions for them to think about before they go. In that letter, Alan urged anyone who was considering making the climb to think long and hard about whether or not they were ready for such a challenge, as he pointed out that most of the deaths on the mountain since 2000 were due to lack of experience. As a follow up to that post, Alan – who has been on Everest numerous times – answered the very questions he posed, providing some insight into what you should know before you go.

One of the most common questions that people have is how high should they have climbed previously before trying Everest. Alan says that it depends on the person of course, but he recommends having at least one other 8000 meter peak under your belt before heading to the Big Hill. But, that is just one of many very specific questions on this list, which includes Alan's thoughts on regulating the flow of oxygen on the way to the summit, what kind of foods you should eat while on the expedition, how long to give fresh snow a chance to settle before moving up, and more. The blog post talks acclimatization strategy, physical conditioning, dealing with fatigue, and lots of other issues that climbers deal with on Everest.

This is one of those blog posts that provides a ton of insight from someone who has been on the mountain. While you can often read about the experience, or even watch it unfold in videos and movies, it is hard to pick up these pearls of wisdom from those sources. The questions and answers that Alan provides are useful on a different level, sometimes addressing minute details that are only learned through years of experience. That makes this an interesting read for those of us who follow the Everest climbing scene closely.

To read those insights for yourself, click here.

Read More

How Much Does it Cost to Climb Everest? (2017 Edition)

As I already mentioned today, as 2016 grinds to an end, it is time to start looking ahead to 2017 and adventures yet to come. A bit part of that will be what happens on Everest next spring, and to get ready for the start of another season of climbing on the Big Hill, Alan Arnette has once again posted his annual look at the cost of climbing Everest. If you've ever wondered how much you'd have to spend to go up the highest mountain on the planet, Alan breaks it down nicely for us, and explains where all of the cash goes. He also takes a look at the trends impacting pricing, and where we're headed in the future too.

As usual, there is a lot to sift through in Alan's report, and he does a much better job of breaking everything down than I could ever possibly hope to do. But, there are a few things that stick out as you examine the price of climbing on Everest in 2017. First, and unsurprisingly, costs are increasing, particularly on the Chinese side of the mountain in Tibet where Alan says the average price of an expedition has gone up 22% over last year. That is largely in part because of higher costs of permits from the North Side this season.

The price of a standard supported climb now ranges from $28,000 to $85,000, with the level of "support" varying greatly of course. The top end of spectrum stretches out to $115,000 for a custom climb, while those who want to mostly go it alone can get by for as little as $20,000. Alan points out that most of the lower-end prices come from Nepali companies who have been competing on price to win customers in recent years, but even their costs are starting to inch up as they realize there is more money to be made. But, if you still want to get a great deal, they are more willing to haggle than their Western competitors.


Following the highly successful 2016, which came after two very tumultuous seasons in 2014 and 2017, the demand for climbing on Everest is expected to be higher than ever. More climbers are now coming to the mountain from China and India, as well as other parts of the world, which is pushing the need for more guides and more options. In the wake of this vacuum, new companies are stepping up to provide services for all of these clients, and as a result pricing is in flux at the moment. In also calls into question the safety of climbing on the mountain, as it continues to become even more crowded. How this impacts things going forward should be interesting, and hopefully not tragic.

Other interesting elements from Alan's price guide include a breakdown of how much each element of the climb costs – including permits, travel, insurance, gear, and so on. He also has a complete list of operators and their expected costs for 2017, as well as some answers to common questions. In short, it is a great primer for understanding the basics of a climb, and just why it costs so much.

If you're thinking about making the climb yourself, you'll definitely want to give this a read. And start saving your pennies of course. Even a "low-end" Everest climb is still quite an investment.

Read More

Alan Arnette Officially Announces Lhotse Expedition, Shares Gear For Everest

Back in early January, Alan Arnette announced his intention to become just the second American to climb all 14 of the world's 8000 meter peaks. Having already successfully topped out on Everest, Manaslu, and K2, he will now set his sights on the remaining 11 mountains starting with Lhotse this spring. The initiative is part of Alan's ongoing efforts to raise awareness and funds to fight Alzheimer's, an affliction that he has a very personal connection with having lost his mother to the disease a few years back. To date, his efforts have reached more than 50 million people, and he had raised $250,000 for the Cure Alzheimer's Fund. With Project 8000, he hopes to raise those numbers to 100 million and $1 million respectively.

This spring Alan will travel to Nepal where he'll be attempting to summit Lhotse, the 8516 meter (27,940 ft) neighbor to Everest. In fact, the two mountains are so close that they share much of the same route to the top, as mountaineers go up the Lhotse Face before diverting in separate directions. Much of the climb will be very familiar to Alan, who has spent plenty of time on Everest in the past. This should make his climb a bit easier, as he won't be facing a completely new experience while scaling this Himalayan giant.

Alan will depart the U.S. on March 30 and soon there after he'll begin blogging about his adventure both from the trail, and Everest Base Camp. Throughout the spring, we'll be able to get some very candid and personal dispatches from the climb, which should make for a very enjoyable experience for those that follow along. Alan writes with an engaging style that makes it fun to follow his efforts, and I'm sure he'll keep readers posted about any and all developments on the mountain.

Speaking of Everest, we're now just a month away from climbers setting out for Kathmandu, and in the days ahead they will be frantically packing all of their gear and preparing for the challenge ahead. Just what equipment they bring with them is crucial to their comfort on the mountain, and eventual success on a summit bid in late May or early June. With that in mind, Alan has also written a very interesting blog post about the gear that he takes with him on his expeditions. The story includes his selections for warm sleeping bags, boots, gloves, packs, and more. If you've ever wondered about what gear is best for an Everest climb, than you'll certainly want to give this article a read. He also shared the video below, which is a couple of years old, but also gives us some insights into the gear situation for climbing in the Himalaya.

Read More

Must Read For Mountaineering Fans: Alan Arnette Shares K2 Summit Recap

If you still haven't gotten your fill of news from K2 this summer, I've got one more great story for you to read. Our friend, Alan Arnette, has posted a very personal account of his summit push on the Savage Mountain, sharing some incredible insights into the physical and mental challenges he had to overcome to reach the top of the toughest mountain on the planet. To do so, he had to battle back his own fears and insecurities, and overcome a case of High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, a condition that can prove fatal if a climber doesn't descend in a timely fashion.

If you followed Allan's expedition, you probably read his dispatches about his travels to Pakistan, the journey to Skardu and Askole, before beginning the trek to Base Camp, and his acclimatization process on the mountain. You've probably even read his pre- and post-summit updates, which shared a bit about his preparation, conditioning, and mental state on the climb. Following his successful summit, Alan even touched on the challenges he faced on the way up, and back down. But those dispatches only hinted at the hurdles that he had to overcome along the way. This report takes us through the very long, and grueling, battle he had with K2 – and more importantly, himself – when he pressed toward the summit back on July 27.

Alan talks about the deep, and overwhelming, fatigue that set in as he climbed above Camp 4, approaching 25,500 feet (7772 meters). It was at that point that he was ready to just stop, sit down, and stay right where he was, not caring to move forward or back. It was a crucial moment of the climb. He felt like he was dying, and there wasn't any energy left to fight on.

But then he remembered why he was there. Climbing to raise funds and awareness for the fight against Alzheimer's, he drew strength from the thought of all the people who were supporting him, and those who suffered from that terrible disease. And at that moment, he found a new source of energy that helped to propel him forward. It wouldn't be easy, but he had to finish the ascent.

As I said, this is a very personal account of Alan's climb, and what I've written about in this post is just the beginning, and one small part of what he shares. It is a lengthy read, but also very inspiring. It is also a great account of high altitude mountaineering on a peak that remains incredibly demanding and dangerous, even when conditions are at there very best.

The title of this post says it all. If you're a mountaineer, either actual or armchair, you need to read this story. It will give you a new found respect for the climbers who topped out on K2 this summer, and the challenges that they faced along the way. Read it in its entirety here.

Read More

Pakistan 2014: Final Thoughts on K2

The climbing season in the Karakoram of Pakistan has come and gone, and by now we should be starting to look ahead to the fall climbing season in the Himalaya. But this year's historic performance on K2 is one that is worth reflecting on, and there is still much that can be learned from the climbers who spent weeks on the mountain. With that in mind, here are some thoughts on climbing the "Savage Mountain" directly from some of the climbers who were there.

ExWeb has posted an interview with Adrian Hayes in which he shares his thoughts on his successful summit of K2. Adrian was a part of the first summit push, which topped out on July 26. He notes that that round of summiteers were fortunate that the weather was so good, because they often had to wait for extended periods of time for the fixed ropes to be installed. Adrian remarks that if the temperature were a few degrees colder, or the winds were a bit stronger, that not all of the 32 people who summited that day would have been successful.

When asked if K2 has been "tamed," Adrian has a direct and pointed answer. He says that "K2 will never be tamed," and he points to the lack of summit success from the Pakistan side of the mountain from 2009 - 2011, and again in 2013, as an example. This year was an aberration. It had the best weather that has possibly ever been seen on K2, and as a result, the level of success was also unprecedented.

Adrian goes on to discuss how he managed his fear while climbing such a difficult mountain, his thoughts on approaching Camp 3, where friends Marty and Denali Schmidt passed away in 2013, his thoughts on strategies for climbing the mountain (hint: get there early, bring strong Sherpas), and much more. Since he was on K2 in 2013, when no one was able to summit, Adrian has some good thoughts on comparing the two very different seasons.

He wasn't the only one sharing his insights on the 2014 K2 season. Alan Arnette has also posted an article to his website that includes some broad thoughts on his climb as well. He touches on some of the logistics of the climb, discussing the organization of his team, which was led by Garret Madison of Madison Mountaineering. Alan indicated that while it may have appeared that the team was using the usual "siege" tactics that are common in the Himalaya, they were actually a small, focused squad that almost went in alpine style instead. The Sherpas led the way of course, doing much of the shuttling of gear to high camp, but the rest of the team was well prepared, and climbed well together too.


Alan also touches on the almost unbelievably good weather, his own preparation for the climb, and the incredible Sherpa support the team had. He also mentions that while he was more than physically prepared for the challenges of K2, it was the mental challenges that he truly had to prepare for. Since summiting Everest a few years back, Alan has worked on improving his mental toughness, and it paid off for him in the Karakoram this summer. When he needed to dig deep, and push on to the top, he found reserves that he didn't even know he had. As a result, he was able to summit the toughest mountain on the planet.

Alan's post contains a lot of insights on his personal experience on K2, but the comments section has become an ongoing Q&A session as well. Readers have been posting their questions about the climb, and Alan has been personally answering each of them. Those questions have been far reaching, and they will help anyone to further understand what goes into a climb of this type. The article, and the comments that follow, are a great resource of information on climbing K2 specifically, and 8000 meter peaks in general.

Finally, Chris Jansen Burke became the first Australian woman to summit K2 when she topped out on July 26 as well. She shared her personal story in a two part recap of the season as well. Part 1 can be found here, while the second part is here. Initially, Chris traveled to Pakistan to attempt Broad Peak, which was to serve as an acclimatization climb before heading over to the real prize – K2. She did indeed acclimatize on BP, but the summit remained elusive, so after spending several weeks on that mountain, she jumped over to K2 Base Camp to take advantage of the weather window that was predicted to open there. Her lengthy, detailed account of the climb is a good read, with lots of personal insights as well. Chris is a strong climber, with lots of experience on 8000 meter peaks, so her thoughts are always interesting to read.

In addition to her personal account of the climb, she has also posted a brief Q&A blog post in which she answers some of the more common questions that have come her way post-climb. She talks about how having more teams on the mountain helped to make it a more successful season, who was responsible for fixing the ropes at each phase of the climb, whether or not she ever thought about turning back on summit day, and much, much more. Again, it is a very insightful post, with great information on K2, and Chris' personal experience on the mountain.

That about wraps it up for the K2 coverage this season. I'm not sure how much more there is to say about. It has been several weeks since the successful summit push, and most of the climbers have shared their thoughts on what a great year it was on the mountain. Soon, the mountaineering world will turn its attention on the fall Himalayan climbing season, and our focus will shift elsewhere. But 2014 will be seen as a historic year on K2, when conditions were just right for success. Whether or not that same level of success can be replicated in the future remains to be seen. But for this one year, K2 was very welcoming indeed.

Read More

K2 Is Not The 'Next Everest'

Now that the summer climbing season is over in Pakistan, and the teams have packed up all of their belongings and headed home, there has been some time to assess the level of success that was seen in the Himalaya and Karakoram over the past few weeks. While it was a typical year throughout much of the region, teamss on K2 found unprecedented success, with as many as 40 climbers reaching the summit. This has led to some discussion in the mountaineering community that K2 has now gone the way of Everest, and will soon be crowded with commercial teams looking to make a profit by leading rich clients to the top. I've even seen a well known blog ask if K2 had been "tamed" at long last. While it is true that K2 saw more successful summits than in any single season in the past, it was due to the perfect alignment of weather more than anything else. And if you want to know if the "Savage Mountain" has been tamed, just ask the climbers who were there. They'll tell you that K2 is still amongst the toughest climbs on the planet, and incredibly dangerous even in the best of conditions.

The key element that allowed so many climbers to top out this spring was a prolonged patch of relatively good weather that brought warmer temperatures, low winds, and less precipitation. While that alone is not uncommon on K2, the summit window stayed open for nearly a week, giving climbers ample opportunity to reach the top while conditions were good. Often times in the past, those window would only be open for a a day or two, giving teams a very narrow opportunity to summit.

That isn't to say that conditions were completely safe this season either. Alan Arnette has posted some thoughts on the climb now that he has returned to Skardu, and he says that the first wave of summiteers – the group that went up July 26 – all faced the real threat of severe frostbite, as they had to wait for the fixed lines to be installed to the summit. Some of the men and women in that group could have lost fingers or toes, something that Alan says has been underreported thus far. While I have heard of anyone struggling with frostbite, there may be a few climbers out there who will still lose a few digits thanks to their K2 ambitions this season. And that can occur, even when the weather is nearly perfect.


But that's just a sliver of what Alan has to share. He also talks about just how physically and mentally demanding K2 is in the best of conditions as well. On his very popular climbing blog, Alan follows the Everest climbing season like no one else, and he knows what it takes to climb that mountain, having reached the summit there as well. He says that K2 is an entirely different challenge that mixes technical climbing, over a variety of surfaces, at extreme altitude. Throw in the incredibly unpredictable weather, frequent avalanches, and a variety of other obstacle, and K2 is simply too difficult for the vast majority of Everest climbers to consider.

Arnette isn't the only one who thinks this way. Adrian Hayes, who summited amongst the first group last week, has his own thoughts on this topic as well. He was the climber who was asked by Explorers Web if the mountain has been tamed. His response, which is part of a larger interview that is still forthcoming, is as follows:

"The stunning successes have been down to an unprecedented fantastic weather window and snow conditions. It's a good question. Top ask, but it's a damn hard and technical mountain and with some wind, lower temperatures or normal snow conditions, we would never have got half the 35 who summitted Saturday [July 26] up, if at all…"

I guess it should be expected that some in the mountaineering community would question whether or not K2 has somehow gotten easier after 40 people manage to reach its summit. There are some that want to see it remain the "Mountaineer's Mountain," which boasts a death rate of 25%. Personally, I don't think K2 is in any danger of losing that title at the moment, it is just due to some unique circumstances that so many climbers were able to top out. There were similar circumstances in 2012 that allowed a large group to summit then as well, but last year there were no successful summits at all. And following the tragedy of 2008, during which 11 people lost their lives, it took three seasons before anyone reached the top again.

So while we will probably continue to hear some people proclaiming that K2 has been "tamed," it is important to keep in perspective the level of success obtained this season. It has certainly been one for the record books, and every climber should be proud of what they have accomplished. But if you were to ask them all directly whether or not K2 has somehow gotten easier, I'd be willing to bet that all of them would tell you that they were fortunate to be climbing during this unique season, and that K2 will remain the Savage Mountain for the foreseeable future.

Read More

Pakistan 2014: Death on K2, Rescue on Broad Peak

It continues to be a very busy week in Pakistan, where a number of teams are packing up, and preparing to head home following the unprecedented success on K2 this past weekend. As of now, it seems that 35 climbers reached the summit of the "Mountaineer's Mountain" during a weather window that seems to only come along once every few years. But there is sad news from the Karakoram today, as the mountain has also claimed the life of one climber, bringing a bit of a dark cloud to the celebration that is still taking place there.

Details on the death are just now starting to come in, but Italian climber Tamara Lunger updated her blog to report that Spanish climber Miguel Angel Perez Alnarez has perished in Camp 4 on K2. She says that Miguel, who has 10 8000-meter peaks on his resume, left Base Camp on his own on Sunday, and reached the summit amidst good weather. But he was very slow on his descent, and was forced to bivouac above 8000 meters (26,246 feet) without a tent. Yesterday, the Spaniard was able to descend to Camp 4, but he died there last night.

This news has no doubt sent a shockwave through K2 Base Camp, where the teams were still enjoying their success the past few days. K2 has a reputation for being the "Savage Mountain," in part because one out of every four climbers who reaches the summit, dies on the way back down. That has not been the case this year of course, but the loss of Miguel is a stark reminder of the dangers that climbers face on that mountain.

My condolences to the friends and family of the fallen climber.

Meanwhile, over on Broad Peak, there is news that the Polish team climbing there have saved the life of a Taiwanese climber who was stranded, and dying in Camp 4. The details on the rescue are a bit fuzzy at the moment, but it seems that he or she was left alone in C4, where the Poles discovered the unnamed climber who was asking for help. The Polish team then called for assistance from other members of the team in Camp 3, and assisted in getting the Taiwanese climber down the mountain. Hopefully the stranded climber is receiving the medical attention they need, and are on the road to recovery. I'm sure we'll hear more about this story in the days ahead as well.

Finally, while we're still sifting through all of the successful summits on K2, and across the Karakoram, this past week, there was at least one record set. When our friend Alan Arnette reached the summit of K2 on Sunday morning, he became the oldest person to ever achieve that feat. Alan is 58 years old, and while he took up mountaineering later in life, he has certainly made the most of his time in the mountains. He is also an inspiration to all of us.

Read More

Pakistan 2014: Historic Weekend on K2

It was a very busy, and successful, weekend on the world's toughest mountain. As predicted, a good weather window stayed open through yesterday, allowing numerous teams to reach the summit of the mountain on both days, and it doesn't seem that that window has closed just yet, as other climbers are still on the move.

Yesterday, a team of international climbers that included Alan Arnette topped out on schedule. The team set out from Camp 4 at 10:40 PM Saturday evening, and reached the summit around 5:45 AM on Sunday morning. Joining Alan on the top of K2 were Matthew Dupuy, Garrett Madison, Kami Rita Sherpa, Fur Kancha Sherpa, and Kami Tshering Sherpa. There hasn't been a dispatch following the news of the successful summit, although I would expect one soon. Alan did follow up on Twitter however, simply saying "K2 summit unbelievable hard."

Alan did release an audio dispatch while he was on the summit, and you can tell from the sound of his voice that it was an incredibly moving and personal moment for him to reach the top. He has been using his various mountaineering expeditions over the past few years to raise money for the Cure Alzheimer's Fund – a cause that is very near, and dear, to his heart – and this climb was a culmination of all of those efforts. I expect that we'll get another dispatch from Alan soon that will share the details of his climb.

Meanwhile, a host of other climbers also reached the top on Saturday, including Adrian Hayes and Al Hancock. In an audio dispatch, Al noted that it was a 15 hour roundtrip for the climbers who summited on Saturday, with most of them all topping out within a short time with one another. Adrian and Al are already back in BC, and it sounds like the descent was just as challenging as the climb. But, it seems that climbers are getting up down the mountain safely this season, which isn't always the case on K2.


Also reaching the summit of K2 was Chris Jensen Burke, who now has some decisions to be made about what her next move is. You may recall that she, along with Lakpa Sherpa, acclimatized on Broad Peak before moving over to K2 for the summit bid. While on BP, the conditions were not right for a summit, so they never topped out on that mountain. Chris and Lakpa are now discussing returning to Broad Peak to have a go at the summit there. Since they left, rope fixing has been completed, several teams have topped out, and things are much more settled there. If they have the energy, I would assume that they'll head back to give it another go.

ExWeb has posted a complete list of K2 summiteers as we know them so far. The names of all the mountaineers who topped out this weekend are still coming in, but in addition to those mentioned above, the following climbers also reached the summit this weekend:

• Tamara Lunger (Italy)
• Nikolaus Gruber (Italy)
• Radek Jaros (Czech)
• Travnicek Jan (Czech)
• Hassan Jan (Pakistan)
• Ali Durani (Pakistan)
• Rahmat Ullah Baig (Pakistan)
• Ghulam Mehdi (Pakistan)
• Ali (Pakistan)
• Muhammad Sadiq (Pakistan)
• Michele Cucchi (Italy)
• Dawa Yangzum Sherpa (Nepal)
• Pasang Lhamu Sherpa (Nepal)
• Maya Sherpa (Nepal)
• Giuseppe Pompili (Italy)
• Amin Baig (Pakistan)
• Ferran Latorre (Spain)
• Tsering Sherpa(Nepal)

All told, there were 28 confirmed summits so far, but that number is expected to go up. When everything is confirmed, there is a chance that this will go down as the most successful couple of days on K2 ever. 

As mentioned however, the season isn't over just yet. ExWeb is also reporting that the Polish squad training for a potential winter K2 expedition will have a go at the summit this week, and will set off from BC today. Joining them on the mountain will be Bulgarian Boyan Petrov who already topped out on Broad Peak a few days back. If all goes according to plan, this third wave of climbers hope to summit on Friday, August 1. Stay tuned for updates on their progress.

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate everyone who reached the summit this weekend. Climbing K2 is no small feat, and they should all be proud of their accomplishments. I'm looking forward to hearing more about the various expeditions in the days ahead. 

Read More

Pakistan 2014: Success on Broad Peak and Gasherbrum II, Progress on K2

It has been a busy couple of days in the Himalaya and Karakoram of Pakistan, where multiple teams launched summit bids on several mountains across the region. While those summit bids are still on going on K2, climbers have found success on other peaks, including Gasherbrum II and Broad Peak.

We'll start on BP, where most teams set out from Base Camp on Monday, with the promise of good weather, and a wide window. Those forecasts proved to be true, and teams report great summit conditions as they approached the top yesterday and today. Amongst those summiting were Romanian climber Alex Gavin, who topped out along, with climbing partners Boyan Petrov and Ivan Tomov, both of Bulgaria. They completed their climb yesterday, and have already begun their descent back to BC.

The second round of summit pushes are underway today, and ExWeb has indicated that Spanish climber Jesus Morales also topped out at 6:15 AM local time. He is the first of a large group of climbers heading up today, and we should expect to hear about more successful summits shortly.

Not everyone found success on Broad Peak however. Oscar Cadiach, climbing with Anna Pujol and Jean Marc Flores, was headed for the summit this morning as well, but was forced to turn back just 22 meters (72 feet) from the top. Cadiach's home team reports that Oriol Ribas continued up alone, but it is unclear if he reached the summit or not. Oscar, Anna, and Jean will retreat to Camp 3 for now, and reevaluate the situation. The good weather window is expected to last through the weekend, and they may have another go at the summit before they leave the mountain.


Similarly, ExWeb is reporting that the Polish team climbing Broad Peak turned back 100 meters (328 feet) below the summit as well, and have retreated back down the mountain. They were attempting the BP Middle, while a group of their countrymen will have a go at the main summit today. No word yet on their success.

Over on Gasherbrum II, Turkish climber Tunç Findik has successfully topped out as well. Tunç topped out at 10 AM local time as part of a team of international climbers. ExWeb says this is his 11 8000-meter peak, leaving him just three to go before he has climbed them all.

On K2, things will start to get interesting tomorrow, when the first teams should be approaching the summit, or at the very least, in position to make their summit bids over the next few days. Alan Arnette checked in from Camp 2 this morning, and reports that all is going well. After feeling a bit under the weather yesterday, Alan has rebounded today, and indicated that he enjoyed the very technical climbing up the slopes of the mountain this morning. He said that falling rocks have made things a bit treacherous, and a large rock struck one of the Sherpas, drawing blood in the process. But he is doing well, and the injury was treated at C2.

In an audio dispatch, Alan says that his squad is on track to summit on Sunday, but there are several teams above them on the mountain who have plans to top out tomorrow or Saturday. Weather conditions remain quite good, and this may be the longest, and best, weather window to appear on K2 in several years. But this is K2, the "Savage Mountain," and things can change very quickly. On top of that, the severe weather is just one part of the challenge, and the mountain has other obstacles to throw at the climbers yet. Hopefully, everyone will get up and down safely, and we'll see at least a few climbers standing on the summit.

More updates to come soon. The main summit season is underway in Pakistan now, and will likely last for a few more days. Climbers will be taking advantage of it while they can.

Read More

Pakistan 2014: Summit Push Begins on K2, Broad Peak, and Gasherbrum II

While I was off on a little adventure of my own on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the climbers in Pakistan have been busy preparing for summit bids in the Himalaya and Karakoram. Most have now wrapped up their acclimatization efforts, and have launched their summit bids in ernest. Over the next few days, they will be pushing themselves to the limit with the hopes of reaching the summit on their respective mountains, including the most difficult peak in the world – K2.

Over the past few days, Alan Arnette has continued to release a string of dispatches sharing his experiences on K2. He reported that heavy snow and high winds have made things challenging, even in Base Camp, where avalanches were a regular occurrence. But the weather is expected to improve starting today, with favorable conditions expected to last into next week. That is an unusually long weather window for K2, so everyone is hoping to take advantage of it, even if they haven't had a chance to complete their full acclimatization rotations.

Alan, and the rest of his team, will leave BC today to begin their summit push. Over the next few days he'll be proceeding upwards to each of the successive camps with the hopes of reaching C4 on Saturday, then going for the summit in the early hours of Sunday. He'll provide brief updates on his progress while he can, but all of his efforts will be focused on climbing this "Mountaineer's Mountain" over the next few days.

He won't be alone in his efforts to reach the summit. Al Hancock and Adrian Hayes have also began their summit bids. They have had the opportunity to fully acclimatize, and are now ready to stand on the summit. Since they have spent some time at Camp 3 already, they'll have an accelerated schedule, with the hope of topping out on Friday or Saturday of this week. The duo will release no further dispatches until they return from the summit push, as they'll now leave behind any unnecessary gear to move faster and lighter, and carry more important items with them.


Chris Jensen Burke has also launched her summit bid. You may recall, she warmed up on Broad Peak, acclimatizing on that mountain, and moved over to K2 last week after a failed summit bid on BP. With her acclimatization process wrapped up however, she now feels strong enough to go for the top of K2. Chris will leave for the summit today, with the hopes of reaching that point on Saturday. She reports that rope fixing efforts on the Bottleneck and the Traverse are still underway, but there is good cooperation amongst the teams. Good weather will make things a bit more secure, but she says there are still some concerns about soft snow around Camp 3, which could cause issues.

Over on Broad Peak, the climbers are ready to take advantage of the long weather window as well. Unlike on K2, the teams are well acclimatized, and have been waiting for this opportunity for some time. BP being a much less challenging mountain has allowed them to use an abbreviate schedule, and as a result, most of the teams hope to be in Camp 3 today, and make their summit bid tomorrow. If successful, it will be the first summits of the season on the mountain, which has had some poor weather early in the season, but condition seem to support plenty of success in the days ahead.

On Masherbrum, there has been little word from David Lama and his squad. Presumably, they are busy working away on the very difficult face they have chosen to climb, but there is little to report on their progress. The few dispatches that they have released have hardly mentioned their status. Hopefully they'll have the opportunity to take advantage of the weather window too, and we'll learn more about their efforts in the days ahead.

Finally, Turkish climber Tunç Findik has already launched his summit bid on Gasherbrum II. He, and his teammates, left Base Camp yesterday and are hoping to top out on Thursday. Their weather window is not quite so long, but the team is ready, and they are looking to take advantage of any opportunity that comes their way. Once this climb is wrapped up, Findik also hopes to make an attempt on Gasherbrum I as well.

Stay tuned. It should be a very busy week in the mountains of Pakistan. Lets hope everyone gets up and down the mountains safely. The weather will be in their favor, but these are still some difficult peaks.

Read More

Pakistan 2014: Alan Arnette Reaches K2 Base Camp

The summer climbing season in Pakistan continues to progress on schedule and as expected. Most of the teams have now arrived in Base Camp at long last, and if they haven't already gone to work, they will do so shortly. The season is now in full swing, and conditions across the region are said to be about as good as can be expected. The weather is often the wildcard of course, but for now, the climbers are doing what they need to do to give themselves a chance at a successful summit in the weeks ahead.

Yesterday, Alan Arnette arrived in Base Camp on K2, where he has already been sending back dispatches about the trek that everyone must complete just to get to that point. It is a long, tough hike across rocky trails and slick glaciers. And after 5 days, crossing 75 miles (120 km), the climbers arrive in BC, just to catch a glimpse of the real reason they are there - the second tallest mountain in the world, and arguably the hardest to climb.

Alan's arrival in K2 Base Camp means that we should start to receive a steady stream of updates on progress on the mountain. Alan says that conditions are good at the moment, with plenty of snow to help keep rockslides to a minimum. But that snow brings an increased chance of avalanche of course, something that is particularly dangerous on these very difficult slopes. Alan says that he and his team will get settled in Base Camp, and hold their Puja Ceremony on Tomorrow, before they start their climb on Friday.

The route on K2 has now been fixed all the way up to Camp 3, an indication that things are progressing well so far this season. A number of the teams, including an all-female squad from Nepal, have spent time at Camp 2 as part of their acclimatization process. Most of the teams are back in BC at the moment however, as they wait out a spot of bad weather.


Adrian Hayes and Al Hancock have checked in, and they report that the conditions at altitude are not particularly good at the moment. High winds and lots of snow have made it difficult for anyone going above C1 in particular. The duo set out from BC a few days back, and struggled to reach Advanced Base Camp at a place known as "Crampon Point." From there, they pushed up the mountain to Camp 1, struggling the entire way, and spent a night there to acclimatize. They are expected to descend back to BC today to take part in the Puja, which will officially begin many of the climbs.

Over on Broad Peak, Chris Jensen Burke reports that the weather has taken a turn for the worse as well. High winds and cold temperatures have set in, and due to those conditions she was forced to abandon an attempt to reach Camp 2. She says that for the first time in her climbing career, she feared she might get frostbite in her hands. Thankfully, she turned around at the right time and made it back to BC without incident. She's now in Base Camp and waited for another opportunity to move up the mountain.

Turkish climber Tunç Findik has reached Base Camp on the Gasherbrums, and is just getting settled there. He will attempt to climb both GI and GII this season. There hasn't been much in the way of updates just yet, so we can assume that things are going according to plan, although they are a bit behind schedule due to government bureaucracy more than anything else. If anyone is happy to be in the mountains at last, it is probably Tunç, who was impatient to get started but was forced to wait for other climbers on his permit to arrive in country.

That's all for today. Expect a steady stream of updates from K2 now that Alan has arrived there. We should get some outstanding coverage of season thanks to his presence on the mountain.

Read More

Alan Arnette Explains the Dangers and Difficulty of Climbing K2

Now that the Himalayan climbing season has pretty much wrapped up for the spring season, the attention of the mountaineering world will turn elsewhere for the summer, most notably to Denali in Alaska and K2 in Pakistan. This year, our friend Alan Arnette will be traveling to the Karakoram to attempt K2, which will provide us with some of the best coverage of an expedition to that mountain ever. But this is a peak that has a fearsome reputation, and is considered to be one of the most difficult and dangerous climbs in the entire world. In a recent blog post, Alan explains exactly why that is the case.

Standing 8611 meters (28,251 ft) in height, K2 is a mere 237 meters (784 ft) lower than Everest. But as where the tallest mountain on the planet has a summit-to-death rate of just 4.14%, K2's stands and a staggering 26.47%, second only to Annapurna's insane 35%. That means that for every four people who do manage to summit K2, 1 of them dies. That alone is enough to keep most people from even trying.

Alan explains that there are a couple of significant threats to climbers on K2 that contribute to the danger. He notes that rock fall and avalanches are frequent occurrences on the mountain, with regular slides occurring along the most popular routes to the summit. Falling rocks are a constant problem, and as he points out, not even the best helmets can protect mountaineers from the larger projectiles.

Additionally, the weather on, and around, K2 is notoriously fickle. It has been known to change very quickly, and turn from a very nice day, to the worst conditions imaginable over the course of a few hours. High winds are a constant danger, and heavy snows are frequent, even during the summer months, when it is safest to climb. Those snows in turn lead to avalanches, which have claimed many lives over the years.


Each of those factors would be enough to make any mountain a difficult climb, but on top of that K2 presents some serious technical challenges as well. The slopes of K2 are very steep, and require a great deal of skill and experience to even consider attempting. It is the type of mountain that will exhaust you with all of the different challenges it can throw your way, which often contributes to the fatalities that occur there.

So why would anyone want to take on such a difficult mountain? Over the years, K2 has become known as the "mountaineer's mountain." Year in, and year out, as Everest has turned into a bigger and bigger circus, K2 has remained mostly a pure challenge for alpinists to aspire to. It is far too difficult for most climbers to attempt, and while commercial guiding services began operating there a few years back, the scene is about as far removed from Everest as possible. Quite simply put, K2 is the mountain that most climbers would like to have on their resume, and while hundreds summit Everest in a single season (this year not withstanding), only a few ever stand atop K2, and sometimes several years can pass between successful expeditions to the top.

In a few weeks time, Alan will leave his home in Colorado and set out for Pakistan. Once established there, he'll no doubt provide regular updates on his progress, while also sharing great insights from the mountain. As usual, he'll be climbing to help raise awareness and money for the Cure Alzheimer's Fund, a cause that is very near and dear to his heart.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the first ascent of K2, so we'll likely be hearing quite a bit about the mountain in the weeks ahead. It is the perfect year for Alan to attempt his climb, but there will be others to follow along with as well.  Stay tuned for regular updates from K2. It should be an interesting season in the Karakoram.

Read More

Alan Arnette To Climb K2 To End Alzheimers

Alan Arnette has officially announced that he will be attempting K2 later this year as part of his ongoing effort to raise funds for Alzheimer's Research. Alan gave us all a hint of this expedition on social media last week, but has now confirmed his plans to take on the second highest, and arguably the most difficult, mountain in the world this summer.

Regular readers of this blog know that Alan is the go to source in terms of following expeditions climbing Everest. His insights into what is happening on that mountain are wonderful, and he often shares personal stories from his four expeditions to the tallest mountain on Earth. He has also climbed several other 8000 meter peaks, including Shishapangma, Broad Peak, and Cho Oyu.

Alan will depart for Pakistan and the Karakoram in late June, and will spend July and August climbing K2. For those of us who enjoy following the progress of mountaineering expeditions, this is great news, as we'll likely get the most comprehensive coverage of the mountain that we've ever seen.  While on his expeditions, Alan always does an excellent job of sharing the experience, and I suspect this one will be no different.

At 8611 meters (28,251 ft) in height, K2 is second only to Everest in terms of height. But the mountain is far more difficult and dangerous to climb. In most seasons, only a handful of summits – if any – occur. Nicknamed "the Savage Mountain," it is also one of the most deadly. The summit-to-fatality rate hovers around 25%.

Alan promises more information on the climb will be released next week, on May 7. But he has posted a brief survey for his supporters asking them for insights into why they follow him on his website and social media, and what they "get" from his mountaineering coverage. The responses to this survey will help Alan tailor his content while on K2, and develop a good plan for his on going efforts to raise funds for Alzheimer's research.

Obviously I am looking forward to following Alan's expedition this summer. It will give us excellent insights into a K2 climb. Expect to hear a lot more about this adventure in the days and weeks ahead.

Good luck Alan! Climb on!

Read More

Everest Summit Statistics Updated Ahead Of The Spring Season

The spring climbing season on Mt. Everest is still a little more than a month from getting underway, but already anticipation is starting to build for what promises to be another busy year on the world's highest peak. In preparation for the start of that season, the Himalayan Database – painstakingly maintained by the indomitable Ms. Elizabeth Hawley, was updated at the end of last week, giving us all the latest stats on the Big Hill.

Alan Arnette has taken a look at those numbers and nicely broken them down for us in his latest blog post. According to Ms. Hawley's research, there were 658 official summits of Everest in 2013. Of those, 539 were made from the South Side of the mountain in Nepal, with 119 coming from the North Side in Tibet. Furthermore, 9 of those summits were completed without the use of supplemental oxygen, which obviously remains a rare and impressive feat. Sadly, there were also 8 deaths recorded o the mountain during that time.

The complete history of Everest now stands at 6871 total summits, with 4042 climbers standing at the top of the mountain. As Alan points out, that means that 2739 climbers have summited multiple times. Of those, 4416 came from the Nepali side of the mountain, with 2455 successful climbs from Tibet.

Between 1921 and 2013, a total of 248 people have died on Everest, with 161 of those being westerners and 87 Sherpas. But despite the increasing numbers of climbers on Everest, the mountain continues to get safer. Alan says that since 1990, the number of summits to deaths ratio has dropped to just 3.6%, which is far below what the mainstream media would lead you to believe at times, and not nearly as dangerous as K2 or Annapurna, which Alan points out has a 2:1 death to summit ratio.

This is just scratching the surface of some of the interesting facts that Alan has shared on the mountain. Be sure to head over to his site and read up on Everest. Until the climbers begin to arrive in Kathmandu in another month, thats about all the news we'll have for awhile.

Read More

Everest News: Commentary On New Regulations And Sherpas Speak Out On Spring Brawl

August isn't typically the time of year that get much news on Everest. After all, the spring climbing season is well behind us and the much quieter fall season hasn't begun yet. But today we have a couple of Everest-centric stories worth noting and considering the rather large shadow the mountain casts over the mountaineering world, they are both worth sharing.

First up, Alan Arnette has weighed in with his thoughts on the new regulations that Nepal will be instituting next year. Those regulations include a permanent government presence in Base Camp, a ban on the use of helicopters in the region and a requirement that all attempts at setting a record on the mountain be declared ahead of time. Alan notes that while it is good to see Nepal making any kind of effort to bring a bit of order to Everest, he has his doubts as to whether or not these rules will actually accomplish anything or will even be enforced at all.

One of the more troubling aspect about the news that more regulations are coming to the world's tallest mountain is that aside from a BBC article on the changes, there has been little other information on the topic. The Nepali government hasn't even issued a press release or sent out any written confirmation of the rules changes. Worse yet, Alan says that none of the new regulations do anything to address the biggest challenge - overcrowding.

I have to say that I agree with Alan's assessment of the situation and had my own reservations about the new rules when they were announced. Nepal isn't all that well known for following through with their government oversight to begin with and adding yet more bureaucracy  probably isn't the answer. The fact that these new rules don't help in controlling the crowds leads me to believe that officials there are simply burying their heads in the sand so as to not disrupt the the cash cow that Everest has become for them. More people on the mountain means more permits sold, which of course leads to more cash in the country's coffers.

Meanwhile, Outside magazine has an interview with a Sherpa who was on Everest this past spring and was a witness to the incidents that led to a brawl between other Sherpas and European climbers Ueli Steck, Simone Moro and Jonathan Griffith. The conflict began up near Camp 3 at 23,000 feet (7010 meters) when the well-known trio attempted to cross the ropes that were being fixed at the time. Reportedly they dislodged a piece of ice that struck a Sherpa working below. This of course angered the other members of the rope-fixing team who had warned the three westerners to stay off the ropes. The lead Sherpa pulled the team off the job and ordered them to go down to Camp 2. When Simone, Ueli and Jonathan arrived back at that point a few hours later, all hell broke loose.

Tashi Sherpa, who works for International Mountain Guides and was the subject of this interview, paints a similar story from what we've heard in the past but with a few key differences. For instance, he claims that the crowd that approached Simone and Ueli in Camp 2 was nowhere near 100 people as many reports have indicated. He also says that Simone in particular was confrontational and abusive with the Sherpas involved. His actions, according to Tashi, directly led to increased tension between the parties involved.

The interview is a good one and comes across as being honest and forthright. The Sherpa, spoke to a reporter in Kathmandu and talked openly about a growing resentment amongst Sherpas towards western climbers. This is a result of them doing most of the work on Everest and getting little credit for the role they play. As the Nepali climbers have gotten more educated and self assured, they are now starting to ask why the stories about their climbs aren't included with news of westerners summiting the mountain. After all, without the Sherpas, very few people would actually be able to climb Everest.

I found the interview to be very interesting and credible. it is good to get the story from the perspective of the Sherpas involved – a story that has mostly gone untold until now. The person in Outside's interview, says that no foreign journalists or bloggers who were there in BC bothered to talk with the Sherpas involved to get their side of the story. Not even the Nepalese government liaisons approached them. This interview gets at least part of their story out to the public.

If you're a fan of all-things Everest, you'll certainly want to read both of these stories.

Read More