The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is running a very cool story about a man named Robert Schaller who was a doctor, and a climber, who was contracted by the CIA to plant a nuclear powered surveillance device on Nanda Devi, a peak in the Himalaya.

The device was suppose to keep monitor Chinese missile tests and keep an eye on it's burgeoning nuclear program. Schaller entered into a series of covert operations and training missions to support the CIA's mission, and often left friends and family behind to pursue James Bond style espionage activities. However, when the team was finally suppose to complete it's mission by putting the device on the summit of Nanda Devi, they were turned back by a blizzard. They made the choice of leaving the device at Camp 4, lashed to rocks, with the thought of returning in the Spring to complete there task. Only one problem. When they returned in the Spring, the device was missing, carried away be an avalanche.

Since that time, the government has been very hush-hush about the activities in the area, but climbers have reported that the mountain is radioactive. The theory is that the device is now bured in a glacier, which is slowly destroying the plutonium core that powers it.

The whole tale can be read in the book The Eye at the Top of the World by Pete Takeda. Sounds like a fascinating read. I may have to add this to my list of books.

Thanks to The Piton for this one.

Update: Regular reader Carl sent me this link to a very cool YouTube video on the book The Eye at the Top of the World This story gets more and more interesting. Thanks for sharing Carl! I appreciate it! Check it out here:

Heavy snow, generally poor weather and a waning climbing season in the Himalaya have brought an end to most of the expeditions this fall. Most of the big mountains have been abandoned now with the majority of teams now long gone. But there are a few smaller climbs still taking place in Nepal, where not everyone has completed their adventures just yet.

Yesterday I posted an update from Chad Kellogg and David Gottlieb who are attempting to make the first ascent of Lunag-Ri, the tallest unclimbed peak in Nepal. If all goes as planned, they'll launch their bid later this week. It won't be an easy climb however, as they report heavy snow now on the mountain with more than 4 feet (1.2 meters) falling in the past week alone.

Over on Lhotse, the last of the 8000-meter peaks to see action this fall, we're still waiting on word from the Korean team. The last update indicated that they were headed up to Camp 2 on that mountain, but the amount of snow that was on the Western Cwm this season, even before the arrival of Cyclone Phailin, was daunting. There is no word on whether or not they are still attempting to summit or are planning on heading home.

ExWeb has shared a couple of other expeditions that are still ongoing as well. For instance, a team of French climbers arrived in country last week and are en route to Saipal now. Their travel has been delayed more than once due to poor weather, but they should arrive in Base Camp soon. Located in extreme Northwest Nepal, Saipal is a seldom climbed peak with an altitude of 7031 meters (23,067 ft).

Ama Dablam is also seeing some late season action. The popular climbing peak is 6856 meters (22,493 ft) in height and is often seen as a good tune-up for other climbs in the Himalaya. Himex has a team there now and a Pakistani group led by Shaheen Baig is also on the mountain. Aussie climber Chris Jensen Burke is also hoping to wrap up a busy year in the Himalaya with one final climb on Ama Dablam too.

While these few remaining expeditions aren't as big and sexy as some of the attempts on the 8000 meter peaks, they are still solid challenges, especially when you factor in the late season weather. It should be interesting to see how much success these teams find in the next week or so. These smaller mountains don't take nearly as long to climb and I suspect most of these remaining expeditions will wrap up by the first week of November.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Himalaya climbers and armchair enthusiasts alike have no doubt heard of Miss Elizabeth Hawley, the 84 year old woman who has become THE athuority on Himalayan climbing and climbers. She's a legend in Nepal and the climbing community in general, and you haven't officially summitted if Miss Hawley doesn't say so.

Alan has a great post about her today on his Everest 2007 page and his description of his first encounter with her had me chuckling out loud.

Miss Hawley has been the chronicler of Himalayan climbing for more than 45 years and has released her detailed and accurate, though unofficial records, in a book and CD-ROM that follow climbing in the region from 1905 to 2003. Her Himalayan Database is considered to be the authorative source of information on Himalayan climbs.

BackPackingLight.com the propoents for going "fast and light" while in the backcountry have launched a cool new series which will follow Matt Hage and Agnes Stowe as they attempt to climb Denali while carrying little more than 30 pounds of gear.

The two are scheduled to go to the mountain in June, when the climbing season there begins, and will attempt the West Buttress route, the most popular on the mountain. Typically, the packs loaded down with gear on Denali weigh in the 60 pound range, but obviously this being Backpacking Light, they'll be traveling with much less gear that would probably be called minimalist at best.

There is a podcast interview with Matt on the page I linked to above. This will be his fifth Denali climb, and he has summited once before. For Agnes, this will be her first go at the highest mountain in North America. In the podcast, Matt talks about their gear, the food they are bringing along, and their thoughts on how they will approach the climb. They are expected to check in by Sat Phone several times throughout the climb.

This should be fun to watch. Good luck Matt and Agnes!

In the summer of 2008 the mountaineering world was shocked at the events that unfolded on K2, the second tallest mountain in the world at 8611 meters (28,251 ft). Over the course of a few days, running from July 31 to August 2, a total of 11 people died on the mountain, most following a successful summit bid. In the months that followed, many stories of heroism and survival followed, as did a bit of controversy, as the climbers, along with the rest of the world, attempted to figure out just what happened.

The events that took place on K2 during that fateful season are the subject of a new film entitled The Summit, which as been in theaters for the past week. Over the weekend I finally got the opportunity to catch this powerful documentary and although I went into it knowing most of what happened, I still found it to be extremely tense and enthralling.

For those who aren't familiar with the story, on July 31, 2008 a large group of climbers moved up K2 amidst great weather on a summit bid. Over the course of the following days, a series of events led to the worst tragedy that the mountain has ever seen. Everything from logistical errors to late summits conspired to put the climbers in danger, but the situation was made all the worse when a large serac hanging over a portion of the mountain known as the Bottleneck, collapsed down the face, sweeping away the fixed ropes that the teams would need to descend. Some managed to down-climb without the ropes, others fell to their death. By the time the dust had settled, 11 people were killed and several more were injured or suffering from exposure.

The film does a good job of blending actual footage from the 2008 season with scenes that were reenacted for dramatic effect. Director Nick Ryan fills time between those scenes with interviews with the actual survivors, each of whom shares their own very personal experiences from those difficult days on the mountain.


Over the course of the film's 1 hour, 40 minute run time, the tale unfolds in stilted fashion. At times the main focus is on what exactly happened on those disastrous few days but numerous flashbacks to weeks – and in some cases years - earlier help to fill in some gaps. Much of that information provides context and history on the mountain and the climbers, but there were times when it felt shoehorned in to add padding. This was especially true of the scenes that featured legendary Italian climber Walter Bonatti, who was there to discuss the first successful climb of the mountain in 1954. But because his tale isn't told very well, his presence in the film probably left some audience members wondering exactly why he was in the film.

Because I wrote extensively about the tragedy back when it happened, I had a good idea of what went down before I ever set foot in the theater. Still, The Summit did put everything into perspective as the story more-or-less unfolded in chronological order. It helps to put the perspective exactly what happened, which essentially can be broken down to being a series of unfortunate events. There wasn't one or two big mistakes that you could point to that led to the disaster, but instead it was several small choices and decisions that were eventually exasperated by the collapse of the serac.

If you have followed the story over the years, you probably know that some controversy erupted after the fact due to shifting stories by Italian climber Marco Confortola. One of the casualties on the mountain that day was Ger McDonnell, an Irish climber who was much loved in the mountaineering community. In the aftermath of the K2 disaster, Confortola said he and McDonnell attempted to help injured Korean climbers down the mountain but due to exhaustion and the lack of fixed lines, they were unable to help. Marco then claimed that he tried to get Ger to go down together, but he instead inexplicably turned back up the mountain, where he died. McDonnell's friends and family don't believe that is the case however, as they have asserted that the Irishman would have stayed to help the injured climbers. They suspect that he was there, with the Koreans, and that Confortola abandoned him and went down on his own. It was later reported that McDonnell was seen being swept up in another ice collapse.

What really happened that day will remain a mystery, as Confortola is sticking with his story – at least for now. But the film seems to have two agendas, the first is to tell the story of the tragedy and the second is to clear McDonnell's name. It succeeds to a degree in both areas.

So, is The Summit worth seeing in the theater? If you're a mountaineering junkie, then I'd say without a doubt. It puts into context the events that took place on K2 five years ago and fills in some gaps of the story. It also allows us to see the mountaineers that were there in a very real, human light. Watching Ceclia Skog talk about the final moments of her husbands life was incredible moving for example.

I do think the film does a good job of explaining most things for non-climbers to absorb what is happening as well, although it probably won't shed any clarity on why mountaineers go to these big, dangerous mountains in the first place.

It is difficult to say that you actually "like" a film like this one. After all, it is about the real life deaths of 11 climbers. Still, it is easy to recognize that it is a well made documentary that treats the subject matter with respect and reverence. It is a also a powerful film that will stay with you after you've left the theater, which is exactly what it is meant to do I suppose.

Find out more at the film's official website, including where it is showing near you.

ExWeb has posted a number of Everest updates today, with news that most teams are nearly done with their acclimatization process and are gearing up for their summit bids. Most teams descended to base camp or lower over the weekend, where they enjoyed some rest and relexation before they head back up the mountain. Weather reports indicate that the next few days will not provide a window to the summit, but hopefully things will clear soon.

David Tait who will be attempting a historic double traverse, has indicated in his dispatches that he is ready to go. He has passed the endurance and skills tests that HiMex has set for him, and now he's resting and waiting for the weather to co-operate. David and a team of women from the Philippines are the only ones to actually get permits from the Chinese to allow them to traverse the mountain, but that doesn't mean there aren't others who would like to try.

Meanwile, Austrian climber Thomas Bubendorfer intends to climb Everest via a new route. His orginal intention was to climb the Super Couloir, but because of the amount of snow in the area, he has been forced to go up the North Col along a route that hasn't been attempted before. Thomas will go alpine style and solo, using few fixed ropes. The latest reports have him in BC, but setting off soon for his summit attempt.

Right now, we're in the holding pattern as teams rest and wait for their window to come. We're in to May now, which means summit attempts will be coming fast and furiously very soon. Once the weather clears, look for teams to move back up the mountain en mass. The closer we get to the end of the month, the quicker these windows will slam shut.

Reinhold Messner is arguably the greatest mountaineer of all time. His resume is practically unmatched and his list of achievements is well known. So when the 69-year old alpine legend has something to say, you can bet that the mountaineering community will listen. Recently, Stefan Nestler caught up with Messner in Cologne, where he was able to ask him some interesting questions. The result was a brief, but quite revealing, interview on a host of subjects.

In the article Messner talks about the aftermath of the massacre in Nanga Parbat Base Camp this past summer and its impact for future expeditions to that mountain. He also touched on Nepal's plans to set up a government outpost in Everest BC to keep an eye on the teams there each spring. He even weighs in on Ueli Steck's recent solo summit of Annapurna, calling it "typically Ueli Steck."

While the interview isn't particularly long, there is a lot of information to be gleaned from it. Messner even addresses some questions regarding Ueli's lack of evidence for a successful summit on Annapurna. As you may recall, he dropped his camera on the way to the top and doesn't carry a GPS with him, so there is no real evidence to support his claims of a solo summit. But, considering this is Ueli Steck we're talking about, most everyone accepts that he managed to top out, including Messner. Apparently there are some rivals back in Switzerland that have been raising doubts about the climb. It should be noted that Ueli's teammates on Annapurna claimed that they could see his footsteps leading to the summit when they surveyed the mountain through a spotting scope in ABC.

Tip of the hat goes out to Stefan for this excellent interview that covers so much ground. Really interesting stuff out of Messner as usual.

The third part of Ueli Steck's interview with EpicTV was posted earlier this week, bringing an end to this very interesting and engaging series. In this latest episode he touches on Annapurna a bit but it is more focused on Everest and the experience he had there this past spring when his team had a violent clash with Sherpas. As always, it is interesting to get Ueli's take on the mountaineering world and he offers good insights once again. If you missed the firs two parts of the interview you can watch them here and here.

It's Wednesday! Which means we're half-way through the week, Lost is on tonight, and of course we get a new episode of The Rest of Everest which has returned to regular shows again following the brief hiatus while Jon went back to Tibet.

This episode is entitled Episode 43: 20,000 Leagues Above The Sea. Jon spends much of the episode in the Royal Navy and Royal Marines camp and we get to see what life is like for other teams on Everest. As a military expedition, the team is well funded and equipped, not to mention well fed if the dinner scenes are to be believed. :)

However, their "military spec" computers failed at high altitude so Jon, and his trusty Mac Powerbook had to come to there rescue. Yeah, Apple stuff is just that good! I'm enjoying the return of the regular episodes and it's fun to continue to see what life is like in BC. Of course, we all want to get on to the maincourse, which is the climb, but we see those aspects of Everest all the time. I like seeing the teams interact in the down time, and watching what life is like on a day to day basis as well.

Never fear though, the climb is coming. Jon remarks in the video that we'll start to see more climbing in the coming weeks but for now, it's all about life at Base Camp. After all, this is an "Unabridged Expedition Experience".

We've got a new Himalaya Wrap-up today over at MountEverest.net. With teams in BC on Everest, and high winds forcast for the next several days, it's time to check in on how the teams are doing on other mountains.

Iñaki Ochoa has left Dhaulagiri, after topping out on the mountain, and is now headed to Annapurna. But before he left Dhaula, he wanted to be sure that we were aware of some other summits and pointed out that Gian Paolo Casarotto and Cristina Castagna both reached the top climbing independently, while Joelle Brupbacher, Richard Brill of Germany, and Russian Dmitry Sinev summitted with Kazakhs Samoilov, Sharipova and Shutov. Ochoa is also proposing that Miss Hawley add Sergio Dalla Longa,as well as his wife Rosa, to the list of summitteers on the mountain in tribute to the climber. Sergio slipped and fell to his death less than 150 meters from the summit while Rosa looked on.

Meanwhile, Andrew Lock is already on Annapurna after knocking off Shisha Pangma. He says his plan now is to climb up to Camp 3 in the next few days and help open the route to Camp 4 with a summit bid coming on the weekend, if everything goes as planned.

Annapurna, the most deadly of all the 8000m peaks, has claimed it's first life of the season, as Dr. Uddhav Prasad Khanal, the Liaison Officer for the Spanish team climbing there, has gone missing. After spending some time in BC with the team, he decided to return to Kathmandu alone, despite being warned about the dangers of traveling the rugged area by himself. He never made it to town and is now considered another victim of the mountain.

Finally, over on Manaslu, the teams have set up C2 and are proceeding to C3, despite bad weather. The plan is to establish C3, and if the weather clears, perhaps make a summit bid in the next few days.

As the Spring Climbing Season heats up and we get closer to the inevitable summit attempts on Everest, the community will begin to debate the ethics of climbing on the World's highest peak and who is ultimately responsible for those climbing the mountain.

It is with that question in mind that The Adventurist presents this editorial entitled Responsiblity and Death on Everest. The article, in no uncerain terms, places the responsiblity clearly on the shoulders of the Expedition Leader for insuring the safety of their clients. The argument is that they know the climbers better than anyone, and it is their job to monitor their progress and the conditions on the mountain, and make the judgement call on who is fit to go up or down.

While I won't disagree with this assessment, it's not always that easy. For instance, the article mentions the David Sharp incident from last year, but in Sharp's case, he was climbing independently. He had no guide or Expedition Leader to tell him to turn around and go down. He also was quite an experienced climber with experience on Everest before.

Obviously the guides do have a responsibility to their clients to see themoff the mountain safely, but the climate on Everest is one that has become about money, and it means more casth for their company if they have successful summits. The clients paying those large sums of money are also hell bent on getting to the top. They spent their cash and they expect to get their chance at the summit, with nothing getting in their way. You can point to the Sharp incident once again, when nearly 40 people stepped over and around him on the way to the summit that morning. Sharp was still alive when this happened.

In my mind, the best thing to do is to start limiting the number of permits to climb Everest. However, considering how much money is involved for both Nepal and China, I wouldn't expect that to happen any time soon. The overcrowding is going to get worse, and in the process the risks are only going to increase as well. If something isn't done about the situation, it's likely that we'll soon see a season that will make 1996 look tame.

MountEverest.net has all the latest news from the mountain where there weather remains very good, and summits continue today.

The Alpine Ascents Team reached the summit this morning and according to their website all the members are down safely. The SummitClimb Team put five climbers on top as well, as did the French Jomolangma team.

We're still waiting more information about the Nepalese woman that the IMG Team rescued yesterday beneath The Balcony, but now we have word of another rescue, this time on the North Side. The Seven Summits Club rescued a fallen Italian Climber, identified only as "Marco", who apparently lay in the snow unconscious for two days outside of camp at 8300m. Turns out, he was still alive, and Abramov's team had to get him down safely, which they did.

The word is that Gavin Bates is lucky to be alive after giving up on his summit attempt and traverse. After having problems with his oxygen mask high up the mountain, he was forced to turn back as pulmonary edema set in. He made it back to Camp 3, where doctors were shocked that he was still standing, let alone came off the mountain. Apparently his lungs were quite full with liquid. Hope you're feeling better soon Gavin.

And finally, sad news to report from Lhotse where Pemba Doma Sherpa, a two time Everest summiter, has fallen to her death following a successful summit bid. There are also unconfirmed reports of two other Sherpas dying as well.

The Sherpas are the backbone of any Himalaya climb, and they always put their heart in soul into helping the teams they are hired to support. When one of their own perishes, especially someone as well known as Pemba Doma, it hits the whole community hard. So while we're keeping all the western climbers who have died, in our thoughts and prayers, lets not forget about the brave Sherpas who make all this possible.

Update: The Adventurist has posted an more information on the death of Pemba Doma. Jason has some contacts in Nepal, and is attempting to get more details at this time. Hopefully we'll know more about the incident, and the condition of the other Sherpas on the climb soon.

YouTube is a treasure trove of classic BBC climbing films. Case in point, this fantastic video on the history of climbing K2. It is almost 50 minutes of footage on the second highest peak in the world and some would argue the hardest to climb. So put your feet up, kick back and enjoy this one. It'll give you even more respect for the Savage Mountain.

As mentioned previously in my updates on the fall climbing season in the Himalaya, things are definitely winding down across the region. The majority of the expeditions have returned home although a few are still there and attempting to make summit bids on various mountains. Heavy snows are not making it easy however as teams continue to dig out from the massive cyclone that dumped impressive amounts of powder on the mountains last week.

Chad Kellogg and David Gottlieb have checked in from Lunag-Ri, the target of their efforts this fall. As you may recall, the mountain holds the distinction of being the tallest unclimbed peak in Nepal with an altitude of 6895 meter (22,621 ft). When last we heard from the boys, they were on there way to Base Camp after just setting out from Namche Bazaar. The trek to BC was relatively uneventful and duo arrived on the mountain where they were greeted by two other climbers hoping to make the first ascent of Lunag-Ri as well. That team had already established Advanced Base Camp further up the slope and were in the process of wrapping up their acclimatization efforts.

All of this happened early last week before the cyclone made landfall, bringing heavy snows along with it. The forecast indicated that the storm could dump fresh powder on the Himalaya for several days, so Chad, David and their companions all settled into their tents to wait. Before long, a full fledged blizzard was hitting the mountain, burying everything in sight, including the tents they were staying in. It was an uphill battle keeping them from collapsing under the weight, but they managed to make it through relatively unscathed. By the time the snow stopped falling it had deposited 4 feet (1.2 meters) on the ground, which has made things difficult to say the least.

Over the weekend the team started shuttling gear up the mountain towards ABC. They made a cache halfway to that point and plan on going all the way up today. They'll build their campsite there, then drop down to fetch the cache tomorrow. After that, it'll be back to BC for a brief rest and then they'll launch their attempt on the summit. Chad estimates that it will take them roughly four days to make the climb. That ascent could start late this week.

It sounds like conditions will be tough all the way to the top, as the boys will be forced to break trail much of the way. They are particularly concerned about how much snow will be on the summit ridge as they approach the top, provided they even get a chance to reach that point. The weather forecast looks much improved for now however, so it seems they'll at least have a shot at topping out.

Stay tuned for updates.

If you're a fan of the Rest of Everest video podcast and have been following this season's climb on Broad Peak and K2, the moment you've no doubt been waiting for is here. In the latest episode, available below, the climbers leave Broad Peak behind at last and head to the "mountaineer's mountain." K2 is arguably the toughest climb in the world, and the show will now shift to that peak as we follow the climbers on the second phase of their expedition.

SNewsNet.com posted a podcast interview with Pete Takeda, the author of the book. The interview dates back to January of this year, but is still interesting for those of us who are still discovering the story.

The text on the page gives another brief introduction to the story and then has the audio file available to listen to directly in your browser, or if you'd prefer to listen on your iPod you can also download it.

I've also been alerted that I'll be receiving a copy of the book to review, so hopefully after Kili I will have that available as well. In the meantime watch for a couple of other book reviews coming very soon.

Thanks for the link Jon!

If you are a regular viewer of The Rest of Everest you probably heard Jon's announcement a few weeks back that he is returning to the North Side of Everest this year. In just a few days actually, as he departs on Sunday, April 1st. He has more details of the trip in this week's video podcast on what we fans can expect.

For starters, there is a whole new webpage you'll want to bookmark that will be updated throughout the trip, with blog entries, images, audio files and more. We'll hear from Jon while he meets up with some teams on the North Side and Ben, the lead climber on the Rest of Everest video podcasts, will be checking in from time to time as he goes for the summit of Shisha Pangma this year. It sounds like we should be treated to some great stuff.

Also, in this bonus podcast, we learn about climbers Brian Oestrike and Justin Hewitt who are taking on Everest this year for a good cause, namely to raise money and awareness for lung cancer. The charity they are climbing for is lungevity.org and you can follow their whole climbe at ClimbForCancer.Blogspot.com.

Good luck to Brian and Justin on the their climb for a cause, and have fun in Nepal and Tibet Jon. We can't wait to see what kind of new adventures you have and look forward to you sharing them with us. Be safe guys!

Two of the expeditions that we've been following closely this fall season in the Himalaya have come to an end, closing the season at last. With autumn drawing to a close, and heavy snows falling across the region, there will now be a break in the action while we wait for the winter expeditions to arrive on the scene in late December or early January.

One of the late-season expeditions that has been so intriguing this year as been Chad Kellogg and David Gottlieb's attempt to summit Lunag-Ri, the tallest unclimbed peak in Nepal at 6895 meters (22,621 ft). When last we checked in with the team, they had retreated from their first attempt after a large chunk of ice or rock had struck Chad in the shoulder, causing an injury that would prevent them from continuing upwards. The boys went back back to Base Camp and regrouped for a second attempt, which proved to be just as challenging in hits own way.

It took them about a week to get organized for another attempt and they set off once again along a different route that they hoped would allow them access to the summit. Temperatures were starting to drop and snow remained an obstacle, but Chad and David were optimistic about their chances. They proceeded upward and were making steady progress when Gottlieb realized that he couldn't feel some of his fingers. Removing his glove, he could see that frostbite was starting to set in and further examination showed that six of his fingers were in danger. It was a simple choice at that point. Time to abandon the climb and return home.

The two men descended back to Base Camp and on November 6 they started their trek back to civilization. For now, Lunag-Ri remains unclimbed and a lure to other mountaineers looking to make a first ascent.


Meanwhile, ExWeb is reporting that the Korean team on Lhotse was making a final "fast and light" attempt on that mountain at the end of last week. The team was turned back on their initial summit bid two weeks ago due to heavy snows. They hoped to give it one more go and if successful, they should have summited over the weekend. There is no news yet on whether or not the succeeded, but considering how uncooperative Lhotse has been this fall, it seems unlikely. If news of the teams success comes my way, I'll be sure to share it here.

ExWeb also has follow-up information on the French climbers who were evacuated from Annapurna a few weeks back. We knew at the time that they were suffering from frostbite, but we didn't know the extent of those injuries. Yannick Graziani suffered only minor issues and is now on the mend but Stephane Benoist is facing much worse problems. He has been flown home to France where his injuries are being treated, but it now seems he'll face the amputation of one of his feet and the tips of several fingers. Thankfully the injuries weren't more life threatening but this was still quite a price to pay.

In a sign of things to come, ExWeb also says that teams are now starting to gear up for the winter season, with one team already aiming for an attempt on Nanga Parbat, one of only two 8000 meter peaks that have yet to be climbed during the winter season, the other being K2. It should be interesting to see what lies ahead.

The Daily Record has a short, but alarming, article about Conrad Anker's plan to climb Everest using the same gear that George Mallory and his team had back in 1924 on their ill fated attempt at the highest mountain on Earth.

Anker was part of the team that found Mallory's body on Everest back in 1999, and he claims that he's been "haunted" by it ever since. He may be haunted by something else if the weather turns bad on his climb. Apparently the climb will be filmed to be included in a movie project down the line.

I'm not sure about you, but I personally like the new gear we have these days. I'm kind of attached, literally and figuratively, to my fingers and toes. If I were going up Everest in retro gear, I think I would have chosen the gear that Hillary used. At least he was successful in his attempt. :)

Thanks GoBlog!

Update: As usual, I don't know what the hell I'm talking about. Fortunately, I have smart readers who are always around to set me straight. Carl has passed on two very cool and interesting articles on the gear that Mallory used and how well it would work on Everest. The first article discusses how after building replicas of Mallory's gear it was determined that not only could Mallory and irvine have survied at high altitudes, they would have been able to climb quite comfortably. The second article is a follow up to the first, with experts actually stating they would rather climb in the Mallory gear than the more modern stuff. The argument is that the the older gear was plenty warm, comfortable, and didn't restrict climbing as much. They did note, however, that it was probably tougher to pee in. ;)

Thanks for the education Carl! Always appreciated. :)

MountEverest.net has posted an update on impending summit bids in the Himalaya. There has been a flurry of activity in the past few days, and teams have put themselves in a position to top out soon.

On Annapurna, Camp 2 is firmly established, but low visibilty in BC has forced teams off the mountain, and fear of avalanches, which is always the case on Annapurna, has other teams wary of going higher. Over on Dhaulagiri, several teams have put themselves into position to make summit bids over the next few days, weather permitting. Dodo's Slovak Team is aiming for the summit on Shisha Pangma sometime next week, as long as the weather forcast holds out. Finally, Gavin Bate and his team are in Camp 2 on Cho Oyu, and are also aiming for a summit bid sometime next week.

Good luck guys. Climb high! Climb safe!