The Podcast on alanarnette.com

Now, Jim takes us on another journey, this time to Mt. Everest. A life-long dream, Jim starts the book remembering being at Camp 1 in the Western Cwm at 19,700-feet on Mt Everest when the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the region. I was a bit higher in the Cwm that day at Camp 2.  Reading Jim's description of the harrowing events, rescues, courage, and loss of life brought back vivid memorie...

Everest Base Camp is quickly filling up. Sherpas are busy establishing and stocking Camps 1 and 2. Thus far the fixed ropes have been set to the Yellow Band around 24,000-feet. As previously noted, there are few trekkers this spring so the teahouses and trails feel empty to those I’ve spoken with. Internet at EBC is sketchy at best. There is one 40-person Chinese national team on the Tib...

I caught up with Everest Climber Eric Gran from Dingboche. This is Eric's first trip to Nepal and he describes the journey thus far for #Everest2021.

The first few climbers have made rotations to Camp 1 while the rest of the teams at Everest Base camp are preparing to enter the Khumbu Icefall for the first time this season. The permits for Everest continue to grow, now 321 on 34 teams approaching the 219 record of 382. Lhotse has an astounding 83 on 9 teams. Look for over 700 people on the routes this spring.   The weather continues t...

The number of permits continues to rise for Everest. Now at 290 spread across 30 teams, it appears Everest will be crowded again for this spring of 2021. Reports are coming in of low snow amounts this past winter so rockfall may be an issue, especially with so many people climbing together. We saw this same objective danger on K2 this past winter. Base Camp is filling up as more teams continue to...

The Everest 2021 season is right on track with teams pouring into base camp. However, this year remains different with few trekking teams on the trails resulting in almost empty teahouses and some closed, perhaps forever. Remember that the Tibet side is closed to foreigners and I don't expect updates from the Chinese team or two that might climb this spring.

The number of climbing permits granted keeps increasing. 222 permits are now in Everest aspirants' hands and 389 for all Nepal peaks for all teams this spring. With hundreds of climbers and trekkers on the trails, the Khumbu is busy, but reports are coming in saying overall it feels quiet compared to previous years. The main difference is the absence of so many trekking teams. Some teams will arri...

I caught up with Garrett Madison, founder of Madison Mountaineering from Namche Bazaar on his way to climb Everest.. He describes the journey thus far for #Everest2021. Also, his parents are with him on this trek, a real treat!

The number of climbing permits granted keeps increasing. 167 permits are in Everest aspirants' hands and 303 for all the Nepals peaks with teams this spring. With hundreds of climbers and trekkers on the trails, the Khumbu is busy, but reports are coming in saying overall it feels quiet compared to previous years. Let's take a look at the first steps in the Khumbu

The Everest 2021 season is well underway with many teams on their way to Everest Base Camp expecting to arrive around April 15. As of April 3, 138 Everest permits had been issued to foreigners. Around 300 are still expected making this a busy, but not a record season like 2019. As I’ve noted, the vast majority of the climbing will be on the Nepal side as China has closed Tibet to all foreigners an...

The Khumbu is starting to fill up with climbers. With now over 138 Everest permits issued, they have left Kathmandu and most flew to Lukla, the traditional start of the week-long walk to Everest Base Camp. For some, the flight to Lukla will be a highlight of their trip.

Arriving in Kathmandu is when many people feel their adventure begins. A city with a long history dating to 185 AD, the capital of Nepal has grown to over 2.5 million residents in the Kathmandu Valley. Sadly the streets are congested and the city has one of the worse air quality indexes in the world. However, it remains a city rich in culture and deserving of a day or two for tourism.

Leaving home to climb Mt. Everest is no simple task. It’s not a business trip; it’s not a vacation; it’s something entirely different. While it may be your dream, for those left behind, it can be something altogether different. As we approach the end of March, scores of climbers are going through this process for Everest 2021. It's time for "nothing left unsaid."

Welcome to Everest 2021 Podcast coverage. This is Alan Arnette and I'll be posting updates throughout the season and on each weekend with a summary of what's happened and what to look for. The fast paced podcasts are a great way of keeping up with the action if you can't get to my blog at https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/ Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything

As we aproach the Everest 2021 season, a bit of a change of pace for today's interview. I speak with Utah resident and Chicago born David Roskelly. We talk about the Volcanic Seven Summits and the High Point on the Moon in a Tesla with Dave Roskelley is the only American to have climbed the Seven Summits (Messner list) AND the Volcanic Seven Summits, one of only 23 for the V7S and five for both ve...

Who else can you discuss summiting Mt. Everest and dodging polar bears with other than Ryan Waters, of Mountain Professionals? I grabbed Ryan just before he left for Everest 2021. We talked about Everest, of course, and COVID, quarantine, and the confusion around photographs taking and sharing. But we also went into his polar trips to the North and South Poles and his encounters with Polar Bears!!...

It's rare to catch Maya Sherpa for an interview but I did as she was leaving for a double 8000-meter climb of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. She holds the record for most 8000ers for a Nepali female at 6 with Everest, Lhotse, Manaslu, Kanchcunga, Cho Oyu, and K2. We talked out how a girl from rural Nepal broke into the male-dominated world of mountaineering, not only as a climber but also as a guide. S...

As I covered in a recent post, Everest 2021 is coming on soon. There are questions as to whether operators should run their programs at all. Many are moving forward but a few are not. I discuss the situation with Mark Gunlogson, Mountain Madness who has canceled his expedition from the Nepal side this spring. They are running a fundraiser with partners who will provide matching funds to suppo...

As I covered in a recent post, Everest 2021 is coming on soon. There are questions as to whether operators should run their programs at all. Many are moving forward but a few are not.  I discuss the situation with Adrian Ballinger, founder of Alpenglow Expeditions who has canceled his expedition from the Tibet side this spring. We also talk about the historic K2 Winter summit.

As I covered in a recent post, Everest 2021 is coming on soon. There are questions as to whether operators should run their programs at all. A few have canceled their Everest '21, but many, including Asian Trekking, are moving forward with confidence.   Early reports suggest Nepal could issue well over 300 foreigner permits, high but under the record 382 in 2019. Also, it...

It's not often I get to interview a former NFL player and an NFL Head Coach. In this sprawling interview with Mark Pattison and Jim Moro, we cover Mark's upcoming climb of Everest.    Mark spent five years as an NFL player at the wide receiver position with the then, Los Angeles Raiders, LA Rams, and New Orleans Saints before becoming a very successful business person after football. Gro...

The Everest 2021 season is about a month away and operators are busy buying, packing, and preparing for a safe season. This year, only the Nepal side will be climbed since China closed their side due to COVID.  I reached out to Lukas Furtenbach, of Austrian-based Furtenbach Adventures to discuss the season. We covered a lot of topics but dug deeply into his impressive use of technology to kee...