Looking back on Everest as the dust settles

August 13, 2014 Opinion and advice alpenglow, climbing fatalities, commercial mountaineering, everest, media sensationalism, nepal, outside magazine, seven summits, sherpas, tibet 23 Comments

Now that we’re beginning to understand what happened on Everest this year a little better, more recent articles on the subject seem to be more moderate in their approach. I thought it would be a good time to examine some of the things I’ve read more recently.

Climbing big mountains isn’t everyone’s cup of tea

February 5, 2014 Opinion and advice aconcagua, andes, argentina, high altitude mountaineering, mera peak, seven summits, south america, travel writing, trekking 7 Comments

We’re all different; some of us enjoy walking all day up a steep hill and going to sleep in a tent, while others prefer lying on a beach or partying all night. Luckily the world is big enough to accommodate all of us, but there seems to be a surprisingly large number of people who climb big mountains when they’re really not enjoying themselves.

The Eighth Summit: the highest mountain in Central America

December 11, 2013 My books and writing central america, doug mantle, guatemala, peak bagging, seven summits, trekking, volcan tajumulco, volcanoes 1 Comment

I thought my ascent of the highest mountain in Central America, an extinct 4220m volcano in Guatemala called Volcán Tajumulco, was going to be little more than a tick in the box, but that was far from being the case. Its summit was a real surprise, with a view as fine as any mountain I’ve climbed.

What’s next? The mountaineer’s most frequently asked question

August 28, 2013 Opinion and advice adventure travel, buddhism, denali, everest, quotations, seven summits, travel writing 1 Comment

Our lives are such a constant quest to get somewhere that sometimes we fail to appreciate where we are. By far the most common question I get asked is ‘what’s next?’, but isn’t where we are and where we’ve been much more meaningful?

4 ways to climb Denali

July 31, 2013 Opinion and advice alaska, bradford washburn, denali, first ascents, history of mountaineering, hudson stuck, mountain flights, ricardo cassin, route descriptions, seven summits, united states 6 Comments

One advantage of failing to climb a mountain like Denali is that you have an excuse to go back there. Mountains have many facets, and by choosing an alternative route you can feel like you’re climbing a different mountain. There are some great options on Denali, depending on your talent and fortitude. Here are four of them.

A good year to climb Denali (if you’re lucky)

July 24, 2013 Trip reports alaska, american alpine institute, commercial mountaineering, denali, mount foraker, mount hunter, mountain flights, seven summits, sledging, united states, weather 9 Comments

It looked like a good year to come to Denali. Prior to our arrival there had been an unprecedented spell of good weather and people were climbing straight up and reaching the summit without a hitch. But the good weather was certain to break eventually. Would it continue long enough for us?

Adiós Leo Rasnik, guide of Aconcagua

July 17, 2013 Reviews and tributes aconcagua, andes, argentina, aventuras patagonicas, climbing fatalities, cordillera blanca, leonardo rasnik, mountain guides, obituaries, peru, seven summits, south america, tocllaraju 6 Comments

It’s time to say goodbye to another friend from South America who has lost his life in the mountains. The Argentine climber Leonardo Rasnik was found dead in the Peruvian Andes on Thursday. He was assistant guide when I climbed Aconcagua in 2010, and a more cheerful and enthusiastic human being you couldn’t wish to meet

When the mountain is trying to tell you something

July 9, 2013 Opinion and advice aconcagua, alaska, american alpine institute, belmore browne, commercial mountaineering, denali, first ascents, history of mountaineering, hudson stuck, seven summits, united states, weather 16 Comments

When Belmore Browne and Herschel Parker had to turn around just 50m short of the summit of Denali during a storm in 1912, it would have been hard for them to imagine there could be any consolation in such bad luck. But sometimes the mountain is trying to tell you something, and when that happens it’s always worth listening.

The High One: my attempt on Denali

June 19, 2013 Expedition dispatches alaska, bradford washburn, denali, false summit claims, first ascents, frederick cook, history of mountaineering, hudson stuck, seven summits, training, united states, weather 10 Comments

If everything goes to plan then by the time you read this I’ll be freezing my nuts off on a glacier in Alaska. In January my friend Dan and I decided we would book to climb Denali, the highest mountain in North America, also known as Mount McKinley.

How civilised does an expedition base camp have to be?

May 1, 2013 Opinion and advice 7 summits club, 8000m peaks, acclimatisation, alex abramov, altitude junkies, bill tilman, charles bruce, cho oyu, commercial mountaineering, digi comms, elbrus, eric shipton, everest, everest base camp, expedition food, expedition logistics, gasherbrum, jagged globe, kenton cool, noel odell, seven summits 3 Comments

Photographs of members of the Russian 7 Summits Club playing pool at base camp on Everest’s north side will have raised the blood pressure of a few purists who believe such luxuries have no place in mountaineering, but a bit of pampering at base camp has long been a part of expeditions to the 8000m peaks.