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.

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.

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.

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.

Photograph © Kevin Bubriski-All Rights Reserved
Kevin Burbriski arrived in Nepal as a Peace Corps volunteer in 1975, and spent about 4 years working in remote villages. He returned in 1984 as a photographer, and with a 4” x 5” view camera, a Nepalese photographic assistant, and two porters, he traveled the length and breadth of the country for the better part of three years.

I mentioned Kevin Bubriski's work on this blog in connection with his exhibition at the Rubin Musuem in NYC, but I read (via PDN) that he was named the 2010-2011 Robert Gardner Visiting Artist Fellow at Harvard University’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology. The fellowship carries a $50,000 stipend and will allow the photographer-documentarian to continue his work in the northwest of Nepal.

His work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the International Center of Photography, all in New York; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; the Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven; the Center for Creative Photography, Tucson; and the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris.

Kevin's website showcases his work from Venice, Pakistan, India, Morocco, Uzbekistan, Egypt and Nepal among other countries...but it's his work of Nepal that resonates the most with me.

When we last checked in on Philippe Gatta, the ultrarunner attempting to run the length of the Great Himalaya Trail, a distance of 1700 km (1056 miles), in just 40 days, he was waiting out the weather. Philippe had gotten caught in the mountains just as Cyclone Phailin was hitting the mainland. That storm ended up dumping an unbelievable amount of snow across the region, burying portions of the trail in waist deep powder. It has gotten so bad in fact, that the Frenchman said that the snow was actually reaching the second story of some of the taller buildings in villages that he was passing through. When he returned to the GHT late last week, he found some of the higher passes blocked and impassable. Those conditions have caused him to reassess the expedition and come at it from a different direction – quite literally.

On Saturday, Philippe posted a note on his Facebook page that said that all the passes above 5000 meters (16,404 ft) are closed and would not reopen for sometime. Possibly not until spring. So, he decided to abandon his run where he was at and return to Kathmandu temporarily and then head back out to the trail, launching the next portion of his run from Lukla in the Khumbu Valley. That's the starting point for climbers and trekkers heading to Everest of course. His plan was to run from Lukla to Namche Bazaar and from there head to Island Peak, a 6165 meter (20,226 ft) mountain in the Khumbu region with the intention of climbing to the top. Island Peak is a trekking peak without any technical climbing involved, but considering how much snow it is currently buried under, it will still be a real challenge at the moment.

Another update came yesterday that indicated that Gatta had arrived in Namche after running just 3 hours and 15 minutes to get there. Anyone who has made that trek will tell you that is an impressive time considering it usually takes the better part of two days to walk there. That includes hiking up the famous Namche Hill, which includes some substantial gains in altitude. He'll likely spend a day there resting before beginning the hike to Island Peak.

So, while the objective the run has changes, Philippe is still pushing ahead with his adventure none the less. It appears an attempt to run the entire GHT is done for now, but he'll continue to apply his unique skills to explore the Khumbu Valley. It should be interesting to see how the trek to the mountain goes and if he finds success on Island Peak.

Good luck Philippe!

When I left London in my VW van in 1969 my goal was Nepal. The combined allure of the Himalayas, Shangri-la and Buddhism had been knocking around in my drug-addled brain for all my teenage years. Between Nixon in the White House and American troops in Vietnam, I figured mankind had no future and I better get to Nepal now or I'd never see it. 1969 was also the year I started the long, hard process of kicking drug dependence. By the time I got to Nepal in 1971 I had pretty much kicked drugs-- although, for sociological reasons, how could anyone possibly resist sampling the hash parlors along Hippie Street? I didn't. But after that I really did kick drugs.

Anyway, my 2-3 months in Nepal became part of my personal lifestory and the wondrous tales about climbing in the Himalayas and about how primitive and backward and peaceful and enlightened I found Nepal were things I talked about a lot. A few of my more intrepid friends wanted to go. And some did. Many years later, when I was living back in America, Nepal was as much a dream for Roland as it had been for me when I was his age and it didn't take much for him to convince me that we should go visit Kathmandu. Today when I woke up and saw the violence in the streets I felt very sad for this peaceful, enlightened, beautiful little corner of the world.

It's funny, I remember more specifics about my 1971 visit than I do about the more recent trip! Although a trip to a place like Nepal has always got to be exciting, I think I remember 1971 more clearly because I drove, I had no money-- my van literally rolled down the last Himalaya into the Kathmandu Valley and I had not a cent to my name-- and I had no choice but to be close to the ground and open myself up to all sorts of adventures.

I guess the two most memorable specific events I recall-- both vividly-- fall into this category, even more than trekking to the base camp of Mount Everest! One involved happening on a neighborhood "hootenanny." Each square block in Kathmandu surrounded the neighborhood temple and at night the baker and the candlestick maker and everyone else would come out and play transcendental music on the temple portico into the wee hours. Those nights will be with me forever. Unfortunately, so will the other adventure. As I was driving back to India after a few months in Nepal, in preparation for a return to Europe after a couple years driving around Asia, I had to ford a stream. My van-- which was both my home and my transportation-- started floating downstream. Some truck drivers lasso-ed me and pulled the van to safety.

In the 90's when Roland and I went, we flew and we stayed in hotels. A great time for sure. But... well, nothing is ever the same. We flew into Bombay (now Mumbai) in late November on Delta, which was a decent airline back then (now it completely sucks, ripping off and cheating its customers in a desperate and pitiful struggle to stay alive). We stayed at the Taj, the grandest and most venerable hotel in Bombay. It's laden with history and antiques and it's right on the water next to The Gateway. It was the hub of some kind of upper class social life, although I recall rooms being around $200. At one point the electricity went out for a long few hours, a drag because ac is a must and we were on a high floor. But poor Roland was in the shower when the power went out and suddenly raw sewage started coming out of the spigot. And Roland is a very fastidious person. He'll never forget that; I'll stick with the Nepali hootenannies.

I don't want to make this a blog about India so I'll cut to the chase. We flew to New Delhi, hung out for a few days and then took a Royal Nepal Air flight to Kathmandu. It's a short, cheap flight, like about an hour. The hotel, The Yak and Yeti, sent a car for us. It was a souped up Hyundai-- like a low-rider deal-- driven by a couple of kids playing rock music cassettes. It was already night but it felt kind of like going home for me-- and I could feel how excited Roland was as we drove into town. So different from the first time I was there-- right after they had paved a road in honor of the crown prince's marriage-- but there is still something timeless about the Kathmandu Valley that I picked right up on.

I could only dream of places like the Yak and Yeti when I was a poor hippie in a van. It seemed like a paradise inside paradise. But, although a contender for "best hotel" in town, it's kind of a dump. Durbar Marg is a kind of upscale area but it doesn't have a lot of personality. Fortunately it's an easy walk to anyplace you could ever want to go in town. We had booked in advance and negotiated a bit and I think we paid something like $125 for both of us and got an upgraded room. The hotel doesn't have much character, just mostly a faceless grand Asian hotel... but this is Nepal and nothing is too grand (except the temples). Anyway, it was worth the dough and we couldn't wait to hit the streets-- me to recapture my 70's adventure, Roland to experience first hand what he had heard about for years.

Neither of us got what we were looking for, of course. But it was actually pretty awesome. We headed over to the Durbar Square area which is honey-combed with temples. The streets were dark and empty and we both got right into the exoticness of it. The packs of stray dogs wandering around didn't make us feel that great but we definitely knew we were in a foreign place, a very foreign place.

The food in Nepal is ok-- kind of like Indian food but cruder. We never found anything amazing but it was all ok. I had a recollection of having eaten in a fancy, yummy place called Boris' when I was a kid. I think it is now called the Chimney Room of the Yak and Yeti and it was founded and run by a Russian émigré name Boris. It's neither fancy nor yummy, except by Nepali standards. They serve Russian food of course. The best Japanese restaurant in town, Fuji, is also very modest but the food was decent and it was very inexpensive for a version of fine dining. Other than that we stuck to modest Nepali restaurants and to the hippie expat hang-outs in Thamel. It's not a foodie place.

It is a great, amazing, phenomenal walking around place. And that's what we did for 10 days. December in the Himalayas... brrrrr... right? No. It's in the Valley and very temperate-- sort of like California weather almost. We stuck mostly to Kathmandu, Patan (an ancient suburb) and Bhaktapur, also nearby. Each one was more wondrous and fantastic than the next-- just magical. The whole place is a living museum. The past is still living and breathing and coexisting with today and every narrow alley and every square is a unique and exotic world.

Because I had talked about it for so long, Roland insisted that the first thing we do the first morning was to go to the legendary Monkey Temple. Turns out, only I called it the Monkey Temple. It is actually the most venerable temple in Kathmandu and it is known as Swayambunth Stupa. Its a little out of town on top of a forested hill with hundreds of stairs to the top. When I was first there the monkeys were pretty wild and threatening. They're a lot tamer now. But it's still quite the schlep to the top; there's a way to drive to the top around back but that's for pussies. Supposedly it's 2,000 years old. The place is crawling with pilgrims (not tourists) and the top is temple upon temple upon shrine upon shrine. It's was amazing-- and totally worth the exhausting climb. We went to a million temples in Nepal but Swayambunth Stupa was our fave.

A close second was the temple complex on Durbar Square in Patan. We loved Patan; it's even more remote from western civilization that Kathmandu itself. We couldn't get enough of it. We traded our airline toiletries kits for thankas. Durbar Square has a royal palace, the Monkey God temple (Hanuman) and temple after temple, each one fascinating and beautiful. We flipped over the Krishna Mandir but there had to have been a dozen at least and it was completely amazing and engrossing.

The next day we went to Bhaktapur, a little further away-- not just geographically, but further back in time as well. It was like going into ancient history, even more so than Patan. (By the time Kathmandu was seeing almost cosmopolitan in comparison). It's about an hour from Kathmandu. We took a bus there for less than a buck for both of us and a taxi back for about $5. The Durbar Square there is more open and has less temples but one is amazing-- a 5-tiered pagoda, Nyatapola.

We did some shopping although didn't really buy much. I picked up another Tibetan rug at the refugee center near Patan and we had fun learning about thankas and buying some and trading for some. Mostly we just loved interacting with the people in their environment. One day we took a bus out to Nagarkot for a spectacular view of the Himalayas and some walking and one of the most amazing sunsets I've ever seen. There's a bus from Bhaktapur and it takes a couple hours and costs about a buck. You'll never forget the sights you see from Nagarkot, especially if you hike about a mile out of town to a place where you can see Everest.

It seems I've been a little quick to write off the fall climbing season in the Himalaya. The arrival of Cyclone Phailin a couple of weeks back brought copious amounts of snow to the region and effectively put an end to several expeditions on the big mountains. But apparently not everyone gave up their climbs when the heavy snows arrived as ExWeb is reporting that there has been a pair of successful summits on Annapurna and once again they came from the difficult South Face.

According to the story, climbers Yannick Graziani and Stephane Benoist topped out yesterday morning local time after spending approximately a week on their summit push. The duo arrived in Nepal in late September and spent some time acclimatizing on smaller peaks nearby before heading over to Annapurna Base Camp. They arrived on the mountain late last week and almost immediately launched their attempt. They had expected to make the push in four days time, but it ended up taking them the entire week instead, although they were finally able to reach the top yesterday.

There is no word yet on whether or not they have gotten back down safely and we all know that is a big question mark on Annapurna. The mountain is known for being very difficult and prone to avalanches. Considering the amount of snow that has been dumped on the Himalaya recently, lets keep our fingers crossed that Yannick and Stephane get back to Base Camp safely.

This was the second attempt on Annapurna for this team. They made a previous go at climbing the mountain back in the fall of 2010. That attempt was thwarted by bad weather and excessive snow on the upper slopes of the mountain.

This is of course the second time this fall that climbers have successfully negotiated the South Face of Annapurna. Swiss climber Ueli Steck made his epic solo summit, in just 28-hours no less - a few weeks back along the same route. Conditions were a bit different then however as Ueli's summit took place before the arrival the cyclone.

Congratulations to the French climbers on a successful expedition. Well done! Now get home safe.

Nepal's Mustang Valley is a sacred, hidden place that remains restricted to travelers even today. There is some limited access, with the right permits and guides, but it is far from the well-tread paths of the Khumbu Valley or the Annapurna Circuit. The video below takes us into Mustang, giving us a spectacular glimpse of what it is like there. The valley is a spiritual and cultural place with the dramatic backdrop of the Himalayan Mountains along the horizon. It looks like an amazing destination and I'd love to see it for myself one day.

MUSTANG TREK from Yannick Calonge on Vimeo.

Last Friday ExWeb broke the news that a team of French climbers had successfully climbed Annapurna along the very difficult South Face. As we all know, any summit of Annapurna is always an impressive one, but this one was especially so thanks to the heavy snows that have fallen in the Himalaya following Cyclone Phailin making landfall a few weeks back. At the time, we knew very few details of the climb other than that Yannick Graziani and Stephane Benoist were able to top out after spending  a week on the mountain. We were also waiting for news on their successful descent, which still hadn't happened the last time we had an update.

Yesterday, ExWeb reported that Yannick and Stephane actually had to be evacuated from Annapurna after suffering frostbite on the descent. The details still remain scant but it appears that they struggled on the way back down but were able to reach Base Camp. Once there, it was determined that they would need medical attention and the duo were flown back to Kathmandu, where they are reportedly being treated now.

ExWeb speculates that the injuries weren't particularly serious, although it is sometimes difficult to tell with frostbite, particularly early on. Hopefully Yannick and Stephane won't be losing any digits and they'll be back in the mountain soon. Considering how dangerous Annapurna can be, they should feel fortunate they got away with just a little frostbite.

They are due to return to France sometime in the next couple of days.

The 2013 fall climbing season in the Himalaya just seems to keep on going, despite the fact we keep wanting to declare it finished. Heavy snow across the region has made it a difficult year, particularly in the latter stages. But a few teams are still plugging away and holding out hope for late season summits.

Perhaps the most surprising expedition that is still on going is the Korean team's attempt to climb Lhotse. ExWeb is reporting today that the squad is still on the mountain and has launched their summit bid at last. The team moved up to Camp 3 today and are expected to go to C4 tomorrow with the push to the top to follow shortly thereafter. The report says that the Korean climbers attempted to shuttle gear to Camp 4 a few days back but were turned away by excessive snow. If that is the case, I would expect the upper slopes to be very difficult, making the way to the summit a real challenge. If all goes according to plan, it looks like they'll make the final push this weekend. Lets hope it is a safe climb up and back down.

ExWeb is also reporting news from several expeditions to smaller mountains in Nepal as well. A French team is attempting the 7031 meter (23,067 ft) Saipal in the western party of the country, while another French squad has wrapped up a new route on Gauri Shankar, a 7314 meter (23,996 ft) peak on the border of Tibet. British climbers Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden were also able to make the first ascent of Kishtwar Kailash a few weeks back. You can read details of their ascent of that 6451 meter (21,164 ft) mountain by clicking here.

Finally, we're all still awaiting word from Chad Kellogg and David Gottlieb on their attempt to make a first ascent of Lunag-Ri. It has been ten days since we received the last dispatch and at that time the boys were prepping for a summit push that was to begin on October 25 and should have taken roughly 4-5 days to complete. Given that they expected quite a bit of snow up near the summit, it is possible they are still working the route or making their descent. Hopefully we'll get news from them soon. At 6895 meters (22,621 ft) it is the tallest unclimbed peak in Nepal. Chad and David aren't the only ones attempting the mountain this fall either. There was another team in BC that was a day or two ahead of them in acclimatization and launching their own summit bid.

That's it for now. Hopefully we'll hear more about these last few expeditions in the next day or two. It seems the season will truly wrap up in the next week or so.

With the holidays now upon us, the season of giving has arrived as well. If you're looking for a great cause to donate to this year, then I'd recommend you consider one of my favorite organizations, the Himalayan Stove Project. The purpose behind the HSP is simple. Its goal is to improve the health, and change the lives, of people living in the Himalaya by replacing their inefficient and inadequate cook stoves, with cleaning burning models that use less fuel. These stoves are better for the environment and produce far less smoke and other noxious fumes, substantially reducing the health risks that use the stoves on a daily basis.

The HSP can use your contributions to the cause at all times of the year, but come next Tuesday they will especially appreciate those donations. That's because they are taking part in #GivingTuesday (which follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday of course) during which all of our contributions will be matched on a 1-to-1 basis by another generous donor. To take part, all you have to do is text "STOVE" to 50155.

You can also help the cause while picking up some new gear for yourself at the same time. When you visit the Himalayan Stove Project's Supporters and Sponsors page you can get new gear from the like of Clothing Arts and Eastern Mountain Sports and with every purchase that is made, a donation is made to the HSP. We all know that EMS has all kinds of items we'd like to add to our personal gear closets, and Clothing Arts makes innovative clothing that can help keep your valuables safe while traveling.

One of the things that I love so much about the Himalayan Stove Project is that is is doing great work that has a direct impact on the lives of the people that they are trying to help. More than 1400 stoves have already been installed in homes across the Himalaya, dramatically changing the lives of the families that have received them. The HSP isn't trying to pursue some nebulous plan that could pay off at some point in the future, they're actually affecting change now. Our donations will go directly to helping further that cause, while saving lives at the same time.

I know that the holidays are a time when we're often busy and stretched thin. I also know that budgets are often tight as we search for the perfect gift for loved ones. But if you should find a little spare cash that you want to give to a good cause, consider making that cause the Himalayan Stove Project. They're doing great work in a part of the world that we all love.

There isn't any major climbing news to report from the Himalaya today as most of the teams have either already left for home or are in a holding pattern while inclement weather continues to make things difficult. The cyclone that made landfall last weekend is still dumping snow and rain on the region and that is causing all kind of problem. But the biggest news comes from Everest, where there are four fatalities reported by a team that was camping and trekking in a restricted area and were struck by an avalanche yesterday.

Outside Online is sharing what few details of the situation are actually known about the accident. It seems that a group of ten trekkers ignored warning and defied regulations by moving into an off-limits area of Everest on the North Side of the mountain. They were there on Sunday when a large avalanche struck their campsite, killing three Tibetan guides and injuring a 60-year old from Australia. The Australian was rescued but later passed away from a combination of those injuries and altitude sickness.  Outside also reports that the same avalanche has left another 154 people stranded in the area.

Meanwhile, I'm also hearing reports that a number of trekkers and guides are out of contact on the South Side of the mountain as well. Reports from Nepal indicate that as many as 20 people are missing at the moment as the bad weather continues to dominate the region. Most of those are probably safe and sound in a tea house somewhere, but lets keep our fingers crossed for them none the less.

If the bad weather continues for much longer, I'm sure we'll see the final mountaineering teams pack it in for the year. Conditions have already been reportedly poor on a number of the big mountains, such as Lhotse where climbers haven't even been able to establish Camp 2 yet this fall. Heavy snows are only going to make things more unstable and time is starting to run short. I'll continue to keep an eye on the situation there and post updates as the news warrants it.

There is no question that Ueli Steck's solo ascent of Annapurna is the boldest climb of the year. News of his amazing feat has captivated the mountaineering community for the past few weeks as we've all waited to hear more about the expedition. Now that he is back home, Ueli sat down with the folks from EpicTV for an interview to discuss his latest adventure in the Himalaya. Part 1 of that interview can be found below, where you'll learn – amongst other things – that Steck feels a bit "empty" following his return from Annapurna.

One of the few remaining expeditions in the Himalaya that we've been waiting on an update from was Chad Kellogg and David Gottlieb's attempt on Lunag-Ri, the tallest unclimbed peak in Nepal at 6895 meters (22,621 ft). We do know that the duo set off on a summit push a week and a half back, but we hadn't heard anything of them since. Yesterday Chad posted an update on their attempt and the difficulties the faced trying to reach the top.

After shuttling gear to ABC on Oct. 22, and taking a rest day on the 23rd, the two climbers launched the summit bid on Thursday, Oct. 24. Ahead of them was a 4500-foot (1371 meter) wall that has resisted all attempts in the past. The route is a mix of snow, ice and rock that is difficult under the best of conditions. Unfortunately for Chad and David, these weren't the best of conditions.

Chad goes into more detail about the ascent and the conditions that they faced on the climb. It seems that things were going about as well as could be expected, with the exception of debris falling down the mountain face due to warm sun and strong winds blasting the mountain. At one point, the men took refuge in a bowl that provided some shelter while they waited for the sun to go down and temperatures to cool the mountain. The thought being that it would be safer to climb once everything solidified as the snow and ice froze again. After waiting about two hours, they then continued up the slope.

Even though the temperatures had dropped, the mountain didn't solidify completely. Chunks of rock and other debris continued to rain down on the climbers and at one point they heard something big rip off the face and start to tumble down. It was a large rock that ended up striking Chad in the shoulder and causing a severe, if not serious, injury. The arm wasn't broken, but Chad couldn't raise it above his shoulder and was having a difficult time swinging an ice axe. There was no way to continue up, so they elected to descend, reassess the situation and decide what to do next.

Chad and David made it safely down to Base Camp where Chad's injury was checked out. It seems he's fine, but quite sore. They are now weighing their options and considering making another attempt along a different route. For now, we'll just have to wait to see if that is possible.

Over the past week or so, we've all been astounded by the news and details of Ueli Steck's solo summit of Annapurna along the South Face. You've no doubt heard me and others use a host of superlatives in an attempt to convey just how impressive this climb is. But to truly get a sense of what Ueli accomplished you'll want to watch the video below. It is a 55-minute long documentary from 1970 that tells the tale of the first ascent of the mountain along this route. The team that accomplished this feat is filled with climbing legends from the U.K., including Sir Chris Bonington, Dougal Haston, Don Whilians and more. The film is a real slice of mountaineering history and well worth your time if you have an  hour to kill. It'll give you an appreciation of what this team accomplished and provide more insight into what Ueli faced as well.