edmund hillary

On 7 August, an earthquake in the Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho, caused a famous rock feature known as Baron Spire, affectionately known as Old Smoothie, to collapse. It also caused a man to shoot a video with the most entertaining commentary ever recorded.

I am giving away a signed copy of my book The Baruntse Adventure to three lucky people who are willing to help me out by posting a review.

A quick book update. I’m in the process of publishing revised editions of the Footsteps on the Mountain Travel Diaries. The revised digital edition of The Baruntse Adventure is available now at a bargain price from the main online bookstores.

Here at the Footsteps on the Mountain blog, we try to take a look at the quirkier side of mountaineering by highlighting stories that don’t get much attention elsewhere. I bet you can’t think of a single fish that has scaled Everest, but there are a few.

Why does The Guardian so often commission people who haven’t got a clue about Everest to write self-righteous opinion pieces about it, instead of asking someone knowledgeable to write them instead? It’s an exercise in shit stirring that achieves nothing useful.

Cho Oyu is generally considered the most achievable 8000m peak for amateurs to climb. Despite this, even the best mountaineers have had difficulties climbing it, and two of the early expeditions there experienced contrasting fortunes.

There are rumours that the iconic Hillary Step, Everest’s most feared obstacle on summit day, collapsed in last year’s earthquake, and has become little more than an easy snow slope. Can it be true? I examine the evidence.

I completed a long-held ambition when I stayed at the Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel, at the foot of the Pen-y-Pass on the flanks of Snowdon. Staying for a couple of nights in a hotel may not sound like much of an achievement, but this one is extra special.

With the news that a man climbed Snowdon pushing a brussels sprout with his nose, I thought it would be a good time to take a look at what other silly things have been done on mountains. So here are some of the world’s more improbable first ascents.

Last week one of Britain’s top rock climbers did a lecture at the RGS in London. Rock climbing isn’t generally my thing, but this talk had an Everest theme, and one of its aims was to raise money for the families of the Sherpas who died in the 18 April avalanche.

If you climb a peak that collapses in an earthquake, did you still climb it?

Win a signed copy of The Baruntse Adventure

Revised edition of The Baruntse Adventure available from all good e-bookstores

7 fish who climbed Everest

The Guardian prints another self-righteous opinion piece about Everest by some couch potato

Comparing Hillary’s and Tichy’s ascents of Cho Oyu

Did Everest’s Hillary Step collapse in the Nepal earthquake?

Snowdon’s Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel: a little piece of Everest history

5 of the silliest mountain firsts

Leo Houlding does his bit for the Sherpas