Everest 2024 might be remembered for summits, politics, deaths, ignored rules, near misses and disturbing allegations of sexual misconduct. It's difficult to put all this in a headline, but I believe the Everest guiding industry is at a Rubicon - a point of no return. Not to be lost in this mix is the joy and satisfaction felt by hundreds of summiteers. They worked and trained diligently to celebrate standing on the top of the world for only a few minutes. It's funny how you can work so long for...
Jun 05, 2024•37 min
The week’s activity on Everest revealed significant issues for climbers. While there were hundreds of summits and several deaths, it wasn’t pretty. A route collapse at the Hillary Step could be the canary in the coal mine of Everest. Some Tibet-side teams summited. #everest2024 Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/05/25/everest-2024-weekend-update-may-25-season-nears-the-end-with-summits-and-death/
May 26, 2024•34 min
Taking some personal liberty during this Everest 2024 season coverage, I want to share my 2011 Everest summit with an overview, narrative and Podcast. I hope you enjoy it. #everest2024 https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/05/21/everest-2024-alan-remembers-his-2011-summit/
May 21, 2024•15 min
The week started well, but when the winds picked up, as forecasted, teams took risky chances that turned deadly. Now, with a better forecast, hundreds of climbers are positioned to summit over the next few days. Tibet-side teams are in place and looking at summit plans. This podcast has the weekend update plus a short narrative on the route between the Balcony and Everest's South Summit. #everest2024 Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/05/18/everest-2024-...
May 18, 2024•19 min
The first summiteers on Everest marked the beginning of the climbing rush. The rope fixers summited a few days ago, and over thirty-five climbers summited today. Two climbers added to their summit collections to extend their records. Teams arrived at up base camp on the Tibet side, while a respected Sherpa sadly lost his life on Makalu. We're now entering the summit phase of the spring climbing season.
May 12, 2024•17 min
The final chapters of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, Part 15, drop today with chapters 49 and 56. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 16, our protagonist, Harpe...
May 10, 2024•10 min
You know you've made your name in the climbing world when Reinhold Messner calls you “the best high-altitude climber in the world.” Today, Steve runs one of the most successful broad-based coaching services. Uphill Athlete, founded by Steve House and Scott Johnston in 2014, has become synonymous with all things mountain sports, from trail running and mountaineering to ski racing. I caught up with Steve for a wide-ranging Podcast. https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/05/09/everest-2024-interview...
May 09, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Part 15 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 46, 47, and 48. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 15, our protagonist, Harper along with M...
May 08, 2024•31 min
Part 14 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 43, 44, and 45. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 14, our protagonist, Harper, is on her s...
May 06, 2024•33 min
The biggest news from Everest is the lack of news. Typhone-force winds strafed the mountain like a summer hail storm in Colorado. Reports of forty or more tents were damaged at Camp 2. Despite this, a few teams continued their rotations, and more made plans as hopes increased the fixed ropes would reach the summit next week. The high winds of last week have calmed, and there is no typhoon activity of substance in the Bay of Bengal. Let's hope for a May of long weather windows!
May 05, 2024•18 min
Part 13 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 39, 40, and 41. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a FICTIONAL team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 13, our protagonist, Harper, experiences...
May 03, 2024•25 min
Part 12 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 37, 38, and 38. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a FICTIONAL team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 12, our protagonist, Harper was confiden...
Apr 30, 2024•18 min
Everest's summit is slammed by hurricane-force winds, causing most teams to hunker down or pause rotations for a few days. However, the fixed ropes have reached the South Col. China confirms it will open the Nepal border on May 7th. This season will go down as all dressed up and nowhere to go - on both sides. First, on the Nepal side, as of the end of April, many teams have historically completed their rotations and are going into wait mode for the ropes to reach the summit. However, it appears ...
Apr 30, 2024•12 min
Part 11 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 33, 34, 35 and 36. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 11, our protagonist, Harper, gets exc...
Apr 24, 2024•23 min
Part 10 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 31 and 32. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 10, our protagonist, Harper, takes the Lhotse...
Apr 22, 2024•18 min
Part 9 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 28, 29 and 30. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 9, our protagonist, Harper, and the team d...
Apr 21, 2024•12 min
This is the late April Everest 2024 Weekend Update. The headlines are significantly more positive than last weekend: Permits are a bit higher, which is good for the local economy but not so good for the mountain. The fixed ropes, aka the route, are all the way to Camp 2, thus opening the path for Sherpas to establish the upper camps and for clients to begin acclimatizing. #everest2024 Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/04/21/everest-2024-weekend-update-a...
Apr 21, 2024•15 min
Part 8 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 25, 26 and 27. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 8, our protagonist, Harper, and the team a...
Apr 19, 2024•23 min
Part 7 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 22, 23 and 24. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 7, our protagonist, Harper, and the team c...
Apr 17, 2024•25 min
Part 6 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 17, 18 and 19. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 4, our protagonist, Harper, makes her firs...
Apr 16, 2024•25 min
Part 5 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 14, 15 and 16. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 4, our protagonist, Harper, now at Everest...
Apr 14, 2024•19 min
Welcome to the Everest 2024 Weekend Update in mid-April. This week's headlines are a bit concerning. The fixed line that should already be at Camp 2 is only halfway through the Icefall. I'm not sure this is bad news for climbers, but Everest permits lag significantly from 2023, down 34%. However, we saw the first 8000er summits this past week, with many more to come. Base Camp at Everest is filling up. Trekkers are on the move, and mountains are seeing summits. Hello, spring 2024. #everest2024 C...
Apr 14, 2024•22 min
Part 4 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, covers chapters 11, 12 and 13. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 4, our protagonist, Harper, visits a Monastery and o...
Apr 13, 2024•22 min
In 2024, Everest has become completely commercialized. Shock, right? Well, Will Cockrell's new book, Everest, Inc: The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World, tells us how it happened. If you love Everest, despise it or don't really care, this book has something for everyone. In this fascinating read, Will did extensive research and uses quotes from original interviews with more than a hundred Western and Sherpa climbers, clients, writers, filmmakers, and even a Holly...
Apr 12, 2024•1 hr 14 min
Part 3 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 8, 9 and 10. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 3, our protagonist, Harper, sees Everest fro...
Apr 11, 2024•23 min
Welcome to Part 2 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series during the Everest 2024 climbing season. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual.Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, I'll have a twenty-minute updated episode of the story a few times a week for the next two months. Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home.In Part 2, our protag...
Apr 10, 2024•24 min
Welcome to the kick-off of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series during the Everest 2024 climbing season. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, I'll read an updated version of the story a couple of times a week for the next two months. Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home, trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push. The story's protagonist, Harper, sets the tone for the story when she tells her h...
Apr 08, 2024•22 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Welcome to the Everest 2024 Weekend Update. The Everest spring season is on track. Hundreds of people are advancing towards Everest Base Camp on the Nepal side of the Mountain. The Tibet side remains quiet, as teams will not arrive for at least another week. There are a few snags here and there, but nothing serious at this point. #everest2024 https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/04/07/everest-2024-weekend-update-april-7-climbers-on-the-trek/ Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything...
Apr 07, 2024•24 min
If it's April, it must be time for Everest. The Icefall Doctors are hard at work. Climbers and trekkers are making their way through the Khumbu or driving from Lhasa. Shepars and base camp crews are building tent platforms and preparing their spots for the teams. Yaks and mules are meandering ever higher, loaded with supplies. Katmandu is filled with tourists and visitors, boosting the local economy. Hang on, everyone. It's time. #everest2024 https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/03/31/everest-2...
Mar 31, 2024•17 min
We are getting closer to #Everest2024, and there are some new rules Nepal is proposing. In this interview with Garrett Maddison, founder of Madison Mountaineering, we meet Garrett and how he started his company. We also discuss his recent “Aconcagua Ambush,” where he and his client summited the highest peak in South America, spending only one night on the mountain and using an experimental oxygen system that has promised other high peaks. Also, his thoughts on Nepal’s plan to require all climber...
Feb 19, 2024•49 min
