Mountaineering

The Government of Nepal just took a step in approving sweeping legislation that would change who is allowed to climb the country’s highest mountains. If passed, a new bill would change requirements for expeditions, define how to declare a climber dead, and require trekking staff to be Nepali citizens.

Colorado runner Erin Ton just shattered the FKT on 22,837-Foot Aconcagua. Ton, 29, recounts the adventure, one step at a time.

Winter climbing in Mount Rainier National Park is technical and, when paired with extreme weather conditions, can turn deadly in an instant.

Despite its deathly reputation, Mount Baldy is oftentimes neither a particularly precarious mountain nor an especially treacherous trail. Why, then, do so many people perish on the 10,000-foot peak?

Rescuers battled high winds to reach the sole surviving climber, who spent several harrowing hours on a precarious, rocky ridgeline. After dark and out of options, one simple tool helped responders find her.

New research suggests that ketone drinks can raise oxygen levels in the blood.

With the memory of an elephant and instincts of a seasoned first responder, researchers say this four-legged robot could be the future of backcountry rescue. But are we ready for it?

The acclaimed photographer and mountaineer on his self-imposed hiatus from the pursuits that made—and nearly claimed—him

Melting glaciers across the Alps continue to reveal historic artifacts, missing remnants, and even human remains

Researchers believe that melting ice and snow shifted the true summit of the iconic peak from a frozen ridge to a pile of rocks. The mountain, they say, has also lost elevation.

The full 31-minute video of Andrzej Bargiel descending Mount Everest is harrowing stuff, writes Frederick Dreier, and not the type of skiing that most of us would care to do

The highly specialized rescue technique involves a helicopter used to insert a rescue ranger on the cliff face above a stranded climber. A weighted beanbag, which helps in high-wind situations, is then attached to line that’s tossed to the injured climber.

Crash and you’re a goner—those are the stakes on slopes this steep. Ski mountaineer Christina Lustebenberger explains the mental and physical skills required to thrive in deadly terrain.

Recent allegations of phony summit images on the world’s highest peaks ignited a debate in the mountaineering community. We asked photography experts how to spot a hoax.

It’s the first footage to show ski mountaineer Jim Morrison’s ascent, summit, and history-making first ski descent down the Hornbein Couloir on the direct north face of Mount Everest. His party was only the sixth to ascend the route, and the first since 1991.

The 99 Switchbacks is a 2.2-mile section of the route that gains 1,800 feet of elevation as it quickly zig zags upwards. Recent snow made this part of the mountain particularly perilous over the weekend.

Winter is coming earlier in some places and later in others, but snowy conditions are just one factor contributing to a recent increase in backcountry rescues. Outside spoke with the National Association for Search and Rescue to determine what's causing the uptick, and how to avoid becoming a statistic.

In ‘K2—Chasing Shadows,’ French alpinist Benjamin Vedrines shares his emotions high on the flanks of the world’s second-tallest peak

The Citadel is a technical 13er—a classification of mountains that exceed 13,000 feet—and is considered to have a standard Class 3 approach with 3,005 feet of elevation gain. The rescue occurred in technical Class 4 terrain, further complicated by high winds, making landing zones near the summit unsuitable.

While the data itself suggests a new peak designation nay be in order, the summit has not officially been declared a “new” 14er. So, technically, it’s not categorized yet as such. And experts don’t seem to be in a rush to do so.

Located on the peak’s North Face, the Hornbein has captivated mountaineers since Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld made its first ascent in 1963. Morrison’s party was only the sixth to ascend the route, and the first since 1991.

The young athlete pulled off these stout solos with a stripe of glitter on each cheek—a habit he’d adopted during a summer of yore involving alt rock, a girl, and partying

At an age when most individuals are bouncing grandkids on their knees—if their knees even function—Carlos Soria Fontán returns, time and time again, to the most inhospitable regions on Earth, to test himself

Two hunters were killed by a lightning strike in Colorado, plus Polish ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel skied from the summit of Mount Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen. Outside has you covered in this edition of our weekly news roundup.

Both parties were on the non-technical Clear Creek route. Outside spoke with climbing officials to find out what happened and why.

Polish ski mountaineer Andrzej Bargiel skied from the summit of Mount Everest all the way to Base Camp without the use of supplemental oxygen

From proximity alerts to downloadable map options, the app’s new tools keep users in the flow no matter where they are

As a way to promote tourism to under-visited corners of the country, the government wants to entice climbers to venture beyond Mount Everest

Laura Dahlmeier, 31, was a world champion biathlete. She died after being struck by rockfall on Laila Peak at 20,000 feet.

In his latest video, Ben Ayers addresses common misconceptions about the world’s highest peak, and discusses the treatment of local workers

Inclement weather has delayed the search for a man who went missing on the West Buttress route

One of America's most accomplished mountaineers details her unexpected journey to the top of the world in her new memoir, 'Enough'

The 38-year-old from Chicago beat a brain tumor as a teenager and used his passion for mountaineering to raise money for cancer charities

Our Everest columnist shares some intel on how to avoid illness during the 11-day hike. Plus, a rest day adventure in the Himalayas.

Our writer stops by the Pangboche Monastery, a 600-year-old Sherpa religious center where Mount Everest climbers receive a blessing before their expeditions

In his latest video, Ben Ayers takes us inside the topsy-turvy world of air travel in Nepal’s Mount Everest region

The kids of the Mountaineers Adventure Club are tackling serious peaks—all between classes and homework

In his latest video dispatch, Ben Ayers shows the boots, parkas, sleeping bags, and other crucial gear he will use during the trek to Everest Base Camp

Our Everest correspondent recently attended a pre-climb meeting held by guiding company Seven Summit Treks in downtown Kathmandu

Listen to Melissa Arnot Reid share her story firsthand at the Outside Festival in Denver May 31-June 1.

Ben Ayers takes a tour of the Astrek Complex in downtown Kathmandu, home of gear shops, cafes, and an outdoor climbing wall

The Norwegian mountaineer discusses her ongoing search for Tenjen “Lama” Sherpa and Gina Rzucidlo, her mixed feelings on speed records, and the dark side of Internet fame

Outside will be stationed in Nepal’s Mount Everest Base Camp for the 2025 spring climbing season. Here is your destination for all the news from the Himalayas.

Climbing season is about to start on the world's highest peak, and Outside is headed to Base Camp to report on these and other stories

Austrian guide Lukas Furtenbach will lead a one-week trip to the top of Everest and back this year. Prior to the ascent, he and his clients will inhale xenon gas, which he says helps with acclimatization.

The new book "Thirty Below" tells the tale

New data identifies two key risk factors for high-altitude pulmonary edema, a leading cause of death on the highest mountain in the Americas

On February 16, Christina Lustenberger and Gee Pierrel skied the first descent of the Great Couloir on the South Face of Mount Robson

With a child-free week ahead of him, one dad decides to summit as many local peaks as he can. In the end, he learns something about adventure, accomplishment, and himself.

The Nepali climber who summited Mount Everest three times in two weeks has always gone her own way

The Hornbein Couloir poses a fantasy ski descent that only two parties have ever attempted. Neither was successful.

Jenni Lowe founded the nonprofit after the death of her husband Alex Lowe. Now, she’s passing the torch to alpinist Melissa Arnot Reid's charity, the Juniper Fund.

Metcalfe, a 50-year-old doctor from Colorado, recently became the first American woman to ascend all 14 mountains above 8,000 meters. Before completing the record, she battled internal demons over what it means to make history on the peaks.

An adventure is an idea. It doesn't even have to be a good one. Here's a helpful guide to dreaming them up.

A group led by filmmaker Jimmy Chin found the boot of Andrew "Sandy" Irvine, the British climber who vanished on Everest alongside George Mallory in 1924. Experts say the mystery involving the duo remains.

Mountaineers Michelle Dvorak and Fay Manners take us inside their harrowing rescue on the side of Chaukhamba III in the Garhwal Himalayas

68-year-old Mick Fowler and 74-year-old Victor Saunders make an odd couple. But their teamwork just yielded yet another striking Karakorum first ascent.

Two American women and two Sherpa guides perished while racing for a record. The tragedy illuminates how the recent rush to climb the world’s highest peaks is driving climbers onto dangerous mountains like never before.

The iconic Swiss peak only sees a ski descent a few times a decade. This team of athletes recounts what it was like to ski off the side of the Toblerone.

Last week a trio of climbers from Malaysia became stranded on Denali in Alaska. Guides and rescuers recount how they spent multiple days trying to save them.

When Eberhard Jurgalski determined that Reinhold Messner narrowly missed a key summit, he told the world. He’s still dealing with the fallout.

Outside spoke with Christina Lustenberger about what it was like to ski the west face of Pakistan’s Great Trango Tower

Every spring, hundreds of hopefuls make the trek to the world’s tallest summit and the surrounding high peaks. This is your base camp for all the news from the Himalayas.

‘Everest, Inc.,’ a new book from veteran outdoor journalist Will Cockrell, documents the mountain’s transformation, first by Western guides and climbers, and now by Sherpas and Nepalis

The renowned guide and climber founded one of the nation’s leading guide services and summitted Mount Rainier over 250 times

Lusti has built a career—and a life—on toughness and a preternatural ability to ski through puckering technical terrain. Her greatest challenge may be learning to let herself be soft.

Mountaineers now must haul their feces back to Base Camp in wag bags. We asked veteran guides how this shift will change life on the world’s highest peak.

The project has turned Townsend into a skilled ski mountaineer. He knows that skill isn't always enough to survive the lines that remain.

Neighbors Jeff Hashimoto and Langton Ernest-Beck dreamed up a crazy summertime challenge: climb Washington’s 100 highest mountains, and link the peaks by bike

China has suspended rescue efforts on the world’s 14th highest peak, ending the search for American Gina Rzucidlo and Nepali Tenjen Lama Sherpa

Two American women vying for the 8000er record and their guides were swept away by the slide on the famed Tibetan peak. One U.S. climber and a Sherpa guide are confirmed dead.

An evolving climbing world has new standards but shouldn’t tarnish historic achievements

Chris Warner’s historic achievement was claimed “just for the fun of it”

Max Lowe made a big splash in 2021 with ‘Torn,’ a documentary about the death of his famous father, alpinist Alex Lowe, and how it shook and shaped his family. These days, he’s forging ahead with ambitious projects—including a new film about the restorative power of climbing—in the next stage of his career.

The official explanation for the fee increase is rather macabre

Whether she’s setting mountain FKTs or working to bring attention to climate change, Hillary Gerardi is a force of nature