There is no shortage of advice at the moment about how to protect yourself from COVID-19, a.k.a. the coronavirus. Since many of you are regular travellers, I’m going to chip in with some simple advice of my own that will be familiar to anyone who has trekked a lot in Nepal.
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Introducing Wilderness Prime: a superb introduction to the Great Himalaya Trail
Edita was in Africa last week, so last weekend I had a day to myself. What better way to spend it than pulling up YouTube on the TV and spending the evening watching porn… Mountain porn, that is — and I found an absolute gem.
Read moreMuch ado about yetis: Nepal’s latest tourism blunder
Nepal’s flagship tourism initiative Visit Nepal 2020 got off to a flying start when 20 yeti statues were removed by tourism officials because they didn’t look anything like yetis. But was this fair and does anyone know what a yeti looks like anyway?
Read moreBREAKING NEWS: False alarm as climber’s tracking device suggests he is trapped inside toilet tent
There were several hours of mayhem on Everest yesterday when the tracking device of German climber Jurgen Kobblers showed that he had strayed off route into dangerous territory. Rescue parties sprung into action, but in the end it turned out to be a false alarm.
Read moreThe true summit of Manaslu: a long-standing mystery solved
A few days ago, a reader sent me the following video of a man climbing up a steep bank of snow, reaching the top and seeing two summits beyond. The video was a bit of an eye-opener for me, and solved a mystery that has been bugging me for several years.
Read moreNirmal Purja’s ascent of all fourteen 8,000m peaks: why is it controversial?
Last week was one of those weeks when a mountaineering story is so big that it makes it into the popular press. On the face of it, it was a straightforward story of someone smashing a record to smithereens. But if you dig a little deeper, there is another side to it.
Read moreAn interview with … Mark Horrell (and why not)
What to do when you spend an evening answering interview questions for a journalist, only for them not to be published? Of course, it’s obvious: publish them yourself on your own blog. So here is the world’s first ever interview with Mark Horrell.
Read moreIs it time to boycott the south side of Everest?
The problems which occurred on Everest this year are nothing new, but they have now reached such a degree that it’s time for operators who value their reputation and for those who dream of climbing Everest to take a principled stand.
Read moreRemembering Michelle Pradhan and the Courtyard Hotel, Kathmandu
Nepal has brought many wonderful memories, but it is also a place that reminds me of the fragile nature of life. This was brought home last month when I was saddened to learn of the early death of Michelle Pradhan of the Courtyard Hotel, Kathmandu.
Read morePutting Chulu Far East on the Nepal trekking map
There are times when a trip seems to be blessed with serendipity at every stage. Chance encounters and events seem to fall into place as you make your way around. Ten years ago, I had just such a trip to
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