Everest 2026: April 12 Weekend Update – The Khumbu is Alive! Teahouses are buzzing, the trails are full, the yaks are loaded–as are the porters bearing unbelievable loads. Yes, the Khumbu is alive. But the weather is poor for some of the 8000ers. #everest2026

Everest 2026: April 5 Weekend Update – Debunking Poison Rumors In this weekend update, I cover a lot of ground, primarily around misinformation regarding "Everest Guides Poisoning Clients" - FALSE. The actual issue is a large-scale insurance fraud scheme targeting trekkers (not climbers) across…

I've been informed by the largest evacuation company, Global Rescue, that long-line rescues are unlikely to be available in the Himalayas this spring through their membership program. www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/04...

Everest Base Camp is taking shape as two more of Nepal's eight 8,000-meter peaks see climbers arriving at their bases. This year, there are several interesting climbers to watch beyond the hundreds of aspirants on commercial teams. www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/03...

The spring 2026 Everest climbing season BEGINS. The Icefall doctors are already at Base Camp, preparing to fix the ropes to Camp 2 in the upper Western Cwm. Teams have already sent Sherpas to reserve their traditional spots and have begun building tent platforms www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/03...

The Icefall Doctors are on their way to Everest Base Camp to fix the lines in the Icefall. In the Podcast, I introduce the season and review some of my background posts on costs, total summits and deaths, route figures, and more. #everest2026 www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/03...

As Everest 2026 approaches, social media buzz and clickbait headlines from mainstream and outdoor media spread misinformation, misleading readers. Let's clarify some rumors (noting I'm not perfect!) about the 7000-meter requirment and closing Everest's Tibet side www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/02...

The mainstream media is misrepresenting new Everest rules. Applicants now must have climbed a 7,000-meter mountain in Nepal. The bill still needs to pass lower house and be signed by the President, a process that could take months. No change spring 2026 season na.parliament.gov.np/en/bills/yZP...

In this podcast, I speak with Scott Parazynski, who is about as unique an individual as you will find these days. I hope you enjoy the episode and perhapshis book, The Sky Below: A True Story of Summits, Space, and Speed. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/02...

Comparing the Routes of Everest – 2026 edition This another BIg Picture post before my annual coverage of Everest 2025. The season is still a few months away, and I'll be posting several updates before the season officially begins in early April: - Everest by the Numbers: 2025 Edition - A deep…

Everest by the Numbers: 2026 Edition Welcome to my ongoing Everest 2026 coverage! 2026 marks my 23rd year covering all things Everest. If you’re a long-time reader, welcome back. If you’re new here, thanks for joining me. Everest by the Numbers: 2026 Edition is an exhaustive review of data and…

Podcast with Ryan Mitchell & Justin Sackett: Plans for Two 8000ers, No O’s Ryan Mitchell, a Summit Coach client, is preparing to climb two 8000-meter peaks, without supplemental oxygen, with his friend and professional mountain guide, Justin Sackett. In this podcast, we discuss the expedition, its…

Everest 2026: Welcome to Everest 2026 Coverage Welcome to the kick-off for my Everest 2026 coverage, my 23rd year covering all things Everest. If you’re a long-time reader, welcome back. If you’re new here, thanks for joining me. I summited Everest on May 21, 2011, and have climbed on the mountain…

7-Summits-in-One-Year-Podcast-with-Garrett-Madison As we close out 2025, I caught up with Garrett Maddison, founder of Madison Mountaineering, for a rare moment while he was home in the Seattle area. Garrett summited all of the Seven Summits (Messner List) in 2025, plus had some interesting times…

2025 Wrap Up & Talking Weather with Chris Tomer Mid-December is a quiet time in the mountaineering world, so I thought it would be nice to pick meteorologist Chris Tomer of Tomer Weather Solution’s brain on the upcoming winter season for mountaineering across the globe. And, of course, we have to…

Everest 2026: Khumbu Icefall Bypass-Real or a Dream? Mostly, local Nepalese media are promoting a new route bypassing the infamous Khumbu Icefall, claiming it to be shorter, faster, and safer, retracing the original path used by the British 1953 expedition that accomplished the first Everest…

Autumn 2025: Deadly Season Across the Himalaya The 2025 Himalayan Autumn climbing has been a deadly one with multiple deaths across several mountains. Similarly, several events occurred in the Alps, taking five lives. Authorities had warned strongly about heavy snow in the Himalaya and advised…

Autumn 2025: Dire Weather for Himalays Ahead, Everest NF Ski Descent Film Teaser Authorities and meteorologists are issuing dire warnings for climbers and trekkers in Nepal's Himalayas. Seizing the opportunity to pre-market the documentary of Jim Morrison's legendary ski descent down Everest's…

While teams summited Cho Oyu, a fifty-year-old American skied down the North Face of Mt. Everest. An Everest 1953 legend has passed away. Next up is Carstensz Pyramid, Kilimanjaro, Antartica's Vinson Massif and around the New Years, Argentina's Aconcagua. www.alanarnette.com/blog/2025/10...

Podcast with Peter Hillary New Zealander Peter Hillary needs no introduction, as his last name recalls the historic achievement of his father, Sir Edmund Hillary, who, along with Tenzing Norgay, first summited Mt. Everest on May 29, 1953.  An adventurer in his own right, Peter has undertaken over…

Autumn 2025: Stranded Tourists, Manaslu Summits and More With excellent weather and hordes of climbers with massive support, records are being broken across the Himalayas. First, there was a no O's ski descent from Everest's summit, then multiple speed and the youngest summits on Manaslu. Climbing…

Everest 2025 Podcast with Bianaca and Paul Adler Australians Bianca Alder, 17, and her dad, Paul Alder, 50, are back in Melbourne, Australia, after their recent Everest attempt. They were thwarted by strong winds and illness, but made a valuable attempt. Bianca's social posts have gone viral as…

Autumn 2025: Everest Ski Descent and Manaslu Records With excellent weather and hordes of climbers with massive support, records are being broken across the Himalayas. First, there was a no O's ski descent from Everest's summit, then multiple speed and the youngest summits on Manaslu. Climbing…

World Alzheimer’s Day, September 21, 2025: • Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging and can also occur in people as young as their 40s or 50s (“early-onset Alzheimer’s”). • There is currently no cure; treatment focuses on symptom management and improving quality of life.

Autumn 2025: Nepal Unrest as Climbing Begins The Autumn Himalayan season is well underway with minimal impact from the violence and protest that occurred in mid-September in Kathmandu.

K2 Podcast with Ryan Mitchell–After K2 Ryan Mitchell, a Summit Coach client, is back from his recent K2 attempt. They were thwarted by a deadly rockfall that killed two other people on other teams. They climbed to Camp 1 to see the conditions firsthand and abandoned their expedition. However, they…

Everest just became more expensive and unattractive to some On September 1, 2025, several new rules were enacted for mountaineering in Nepal. The most significant change was increased permit fees for Nepal's most popular peaks. The rest of the rules seem like window dressing or distractions…

Had a great time with Steve House and Martin Zhor discussing the 2025 Everest season on the Uphill Athlete Podcast. We talked about drones, rescues, training, preparation and of course, xenon! uphillathlete.com/podcast/2025...

K2 2025 Coverage Wrap: A Rocky Season The summer 2025 Karakorum for the 8000-meter peaks is over, and what a season it was. There were summits, deaths, disappointments and survivals. Was it a “successful” season? I’ll leave that judgment to others—but honestly, it often felt like safety took a…

K2 2025 Coverage: Death after Summit A tragic incident occurred involving one of Imagine Nepal's clients. She was inadvertently struck by a rock between Camp 1 and Advanced Base Camp and sadly lost her life. She had successfully summited with Mingma G's Imagine Nepal team on August 11. #K2025

UPDATE: August 12, 2025: Nine more summits were reported late, bringing the total to at least 41. It appears, but not 100% confirmed, that all have descended safely. August 11, 2025 - 32 K2 summits were reported. www.alanarnette.com/blog/2025/08...

K2 2025 Coverage: Dozens K2 Summits in Rough Conditions August 11, 2025 - There were 27 reported K2 summits by Imagine Nepal Team and Prakash Sherpa’s Climber Alpinist Expeditions (CAE). Safe descents have not been confirmed. #K2025

K2 2025 Coverage: Risk Taking Case Study With teams still hoping to summit, popular American climber Ryan Mitchell, Phurba Shera and Terray Sylvester, Madison Mountaineering lead guide, and several other Sherpas ended their expedition after climbing to Camp 1. Terray felt the rockfall was too…

K2 2025 Coverage: Slow K2 Summit Progress But Optimism Prevails The unrelenting winds stalled most teams and sent more members home as time, supplies and motivation ran out. Most teams are not updating their social media, so information is difficult to come by. We now understand that the fixed…

K2 2025 Coverage: K2 Summit Push On! After almost five weeks, a weather window long enough for a summit attempt on K2 has emerged. Most teams and many individuals have left, but an estimated (very rough guess) that 20-30 total people, split equally between commercial and independent climbers,…

K2 2025 Coverage: Hope Springs Eternal Pakistan's Northern Territories are seeing climbers leave while trekkers enjoy stunning, rugged mountain vistas. It looks like the action is over on the two Gasherbrums and Broad Peak, with only GII seeing summits; however, climbers remain at K2 Base Camp,…

K2 2025 Coverage: Another Windy Monday, Another team drops out. The winds continue across the Northern Territories, now hitting the Gasherbrums. One team stopped their summit attempt on GII, citing poor conditions above C3, while another gave up on Broad Peak. For those remaining on K2 and BP,…

K2 2025 Coverage: Weather Stalls Plans, Or Not? Signs of trouble on K2 and Broad Peak. First is the weather. There have been more high winds and heavy snowfall, preventing the establishment of Camp 3 on K2 and keeping the Broad Peak climbers below Camp 3. And the other concern is the lack of…

K2 2025: Coverage: Death, Summits and Progress Summits! We have summits in the Karakoram on Sunday, July 20, 2025. Also, climbers are acclimatizing at Camp 3 on BP, and most teams seem focused on an upcoming summit window around the end of July. Conditions are finally improving in the Karakoram…

K2 2025: Coverage: Death Reported on K2  I'm receiving reports from multiple sources on Broad Peak and K2 that a Pakistani High-Altitude Porter (HAP) has unfortunately lost their life in an avalanche or rockfall occurring between Advanced Base Camp and Camp 1 on K2. Although the individual was…

K2 2025: Coverage: Climbing in Peril Teams are finally making progress across the four northernmost 8000-meter peaks: K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I, and Gasherbrum II. Multiple teams report reaching as high as Camp 2 on these peaks, thus setting an optimistic tone for summits this season. Although…

K2 2025: Coverage: Injured Climber on Broad Peak Finally, a bit of snow fell on  Karakorum's high mountains; however, the good came with the bad. On Broad Peak, an avalanche between Camps 2 and 3 injured a Polish climber. K2 climbers prepare to go up, but are wary of rockfall. News is sparse from…

K2 2025: Coverage: Dry, Hot, and Rockfall The Karakorum's drought continues due to the low snowfall from Spring combined with warmer-than-normal temperatures; thus, rockfall is a real danger on K2, Broad Peak, Nanga Parbat and the Gasherbrums. Ryan Mitchell and his K2 team are acclimatizing on a…

Fantastic work by Niala Kiani to reduce rescue helicopter costs by almost 1/3 for the Pakistan 8000ers. thenorthernpost.net/2025/07/06/n...

K2 2025: Coverage: Death on Nanga Parbart Tragically, there was a death on Naga Parbart, and the details were misreported. This is from Seven Summits Treks on what happened. Note that independent climbers summited before SST. German Alpinist David Göttler was successful on his fifth attempt on the…

K2 2025: Coverage: Teams at BC and Trekking. First Summits Teams are arriving at K2 Base Camp, but communications are limited, so not much information is coming out. We know that conditions are harsh, with high temperatures and low snow in the lower mountains. Given the absence of snow, climbers…

K2 2025: Coverage: Teams at BC and Trekking. First Summits Climbing across the Karakorum is underway, with reportedly the first summits of this 2025 summer season on Nanga Parbat. A few teams arrived at several of Pakistan's five 8000-meter mountains. Popular US climber Ryan Mitchell is on the…

I’ve enjoyed watching this family of geese mom and dad with seven little ones get bigger by the day.

K2 Podcast with Ryan Mitchell–Preparing for K2 Ryan Mitchell, a Summit Coach client, has gained considerable recognition thanks to his impressive video documentation of his 2024 summit of Mt. Everest with Madison Mountaineering. Exciting news! He’s all set to leave for K2 on Saturday, June 21,…