The Manaslu avalanche: a short analysis

September 26, 2012 Opinion and advice 8000m peaks, altitude junkies, himalayas, himex, manaslu, media sensationalism, mountaineering disasters, mountaineering ethics, nepal, russell brice 6 Comments

Four months after an unusually deadly Everest season, another tragedy in the Himalayas has focused the attention of the world’s media on the sport of high altitude mountaineering. Because mainstream media only seems interested in mountaineering in the event of

The people who give Everest a bad name

September 19, 2012 Opinion and advice 8000m peaks, commercial mountaineering, everest, himalayas, michael kodas, mountaineering ethics, nils antezana, outside magazine, sherpas 5 Comments

As Martin Luther King once said, “I have a dream”. Mine perhaps isn’t quite as worthy as his, but in its own way it’s just as heartfelt. I dream that one day everyone who climbs Everest will enjoy it, not just for the climb itself, but the whole experience of being in the mountains.

What climbing Everest taught me about George Mallory’s final hours

September 12, 2012 History 8000m peaks, annapurna, everest, george mallory, history of mountaineering, louis lachenal, margaret watroba, maurice herzog, noel odell, sandy irvine, summit fever

I’ve been fascinated by the legend of George Mallory, and whether he was the first person to climb Everest, since long before I became a mountaineer. Many years and many mountains later I finally had the chance to follow in

How the whim of Eric Shipton shaped the history of Everest

September 5, 2012 History edmund hillary, eric shipton, everest, himalayas, history of mountaineering, john hunt, tenzing norgay 7 Comments

In 1953 Eric Shipton was controversially overlooked as leader of the British Everest expedition in favour of John Hunt. The decision was vindicated when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people ever to reach the summit on 29