Mountaineering
Archive
A new study says that Ibuprofen can help prevent mountain climbers from getting altitude sickness
Over the last five years, alpinist Chad Kellogg has lost nearly everything and everyone—wife, brother, climbing partners—close to him. In the next few days, when he plans to make his second attempt to break the speed record on Mount Everest, he'll be carrying an understandably heavy load.
This is shaping up to be one of the deadliest seasons on record, with 10 deaths so far and too many helicopter evacuations to count. Here’s a sneak peak at the doctors on the front lines of the world's highest clinic.
The fact that Kobold's new Himalayan Edition watch is built with a few chunks of rock that, technically speaking, were removed illegally from Everest has caused a minor hubbub
With mounting dangers on the Hornbein Couloir, Conrad Anker pulls the plug on the West Ridge
Several prominent forecasters have agreed that May 17, 18, and 19 will form the first legitimate summit window of spring 2012.
A summit push might still be possible—but it certainly won't be safe
The arrival of high-altitude helicopters on Mount Everest and other Nepalese peaks has transformed search-and-rescue and saved lives. But the choppers have also added to the chaos at the top of the world—and introduced a deadly new brand of danger.
British mountaineer Kenton Cool attempts to fulfill a long-lost pledge to bring his countryman's 1924 Olympic medal in alpinism—yes, alpinism—to the summit of Everest
Updates from senior editor Grayson Schaffer, who we sent to Nepal about a month ago to cover this spring's climbing season on Everest, and who promises things are only going to get more interesting
The list of alpinists who've climbed all 14 of the world's 8,000-meter peaks without supplemental oxygen is exceedingly small. And it includes exactly one woman.
With dry weather, pervasive rockfall, and several Sherpa deaths, the start of the spring season on Everest has been an especially dangerous one. That's the bad news. The good news is that the weather is improving.
Aydin Irmak knows his goal—to carry his beloved single speed to the summit—is highly improbable. Everyone at Base Camp has already told him as much. But the 46-year-old Turkish New Yorker refuses to call it quits.
Since the evacuation of Cory Richards, all speculation points to Moro as the most likely candidate to join American Conrad Anker for an attempt of Everest's West Ridge.
Grayson Schaffer reveals the magic behind his photos
Rockfall on Everest is making this one of the more dangerous climbing seasons in recent history
The first graduate of the Sherpa Education Fund talks about how the program changed his worldview
The First Ascent team of Jake Norton, Brent Bishop, Charley Mace, and David Morton is through a patch of brittle ice and has fixed lines to within 1,200 feet of the West Shoulder.
Ahead of the 50th anniversary of the first American ascent of Everest, multiple teams are planning commemorative climbs. We’ll be there reporting on them as they happen.
A major avalanche swept down off the shoulder of Nuptse, crossing the Everest route between Camps I and II.
The surprisingly simple tools behind Grayson Schaffer's digital dispatches from Base Camp
With the 2012 climbing season underway, we look back at some of the most incredible moments to take place on the world's tallest mountain over the last 150 years
A brief history of glory, tragedy, and dubious achievement on the world's highest summit
Having spent three days resting, the Eddie Bauer team headed back into the Khumbu Icefall at dawn. This time, their goal is to establish Camp III on the shoulder of the West Ridge.
Behind the tragic accident that took Namgya Tshering Sherpa's life
With the 2012 climbing season underway, we look back at some of the most incredible moments to take place on the world's tallest mountain over the last 150 years
The First Ascent West Ridge team finished their first rotation acclimatizing and shuttling gear to Camp 2 (21,000 feet) and returned safely to Base Camp on April 22.
The Khumbu Icefall has already claimed one mountaineer this season, but the obstacle is no more dangerous than most years. Here's the one place that has Everest climbers on edge.
Ueli Steck and Freddie Wilkinson reveal how Nepal's permitting system is holding climbers back in the Khumbu
On the morning of April 11th, on my way between the Himalayan villages of Monju and Namche Bazar, I was passed by a thickly built Nepalese pounding by at a dead run. The Everest Marathon isn’t until May 29 (the day Tenzing and Hillary summited);…
Multiple teams of climbers will attempt the West Ridge this May, following the route first climbed by Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld in 1963. Outside senior editor Grayson Schaffer is embedding with the team from Eddie Bauer to send back dispatches and photos. Here's a look at the route and the team.
Conceptual artist Fabian Knecht partners with American climbers Emily Harrington and Sam Elias to take his latest performance project to the top of Everest
Go local with Nepalese guide Jiban Ghimire's Sherpa Shangri La Treks & Expeditions
Meet the men and women on the knife's edge of exploration
The top of the world is getting more crowded—last spring, 94 teams visited base camp, and 535 climbers reached the summit. Rescue operations are getting more sophisticated, too, with high-altitude helicopters and, starting this year, a team of Sherpa rangers. Here's a look at where things go wrong and the support systems in place when they do.
From hidden fishing rivers in Chile to mountain biking in Whistler, our guide shows you where to go and the gear you'll need to take your adventures to the next level.
Six nightmare scenarios that keep the best adventurers up at night
How fit do you really need to be to scale the highest peak in the world? An expert weighs in.
Our favorite flicks from Canada’s premier adventure film fest
The best holiday gifts for climbers, from peak baggers to Himalayan mountaineers.
The 29-year-old cinematographer and alpinist talks about bagging the first ascent of GII in winter and the making of Cold
The first woman to make a feature film on Everest talks about spending 40 Days at Base Camp
Climber Freddie Wilkinson talks to us about the unsung heroes he found while writing One Mountain, Thousand Summits
Camp 14 is one of the liveliest spots on Denali, where climbers acclimatize and socialize before pushing to the summit. Add a photographer and travel writer to the mix and you get a who’s who on the highest peak in North America.
Most alpinists call it a great year if they summit one 8,000-meter peak. Last spring, a Swiss mountaineer tried to knock off three.
I'm thinking of buying the Koflach Arctis Expe for trekking and general mountaineering (some technical sections) in the Garhwal Himalayas. But I saw some comments about these being tough to wear when trekking for long distances. Is there another boot I could use for these mixed activities? John New York, New York
For three top alpinists, pulling off one of the most difficult ascents in mountaineering history required speed and daring. Getting down alive took a miracle.
The key to finding fresh adventure in the national parks? These ten strategies will get you far beyond the camera-toting hordes to where empty peaks, forgotten trails, and lonely rivers await.
Mountaineer Conrad Anker discusses his new DVD The Wildest Dream, discovering George Mallory's body on Everest, and his plans to compete in the 2014 Olympics. To listen to the extended interview click here, or…
South America contains the Amazon, the Andes, 19,000 miles of coastline, and arguably more adventure than any other continent. So where to start? These ten perfect trips, from exploratory rafting in Peru to skiing in Chile to beach-hopping Brazil.
It doesn't matter if you're Reinhold Messner or Ed Viesturs: your summit never happened unless Elizabeth Hawley says it did.
The U.S. military has always excelled at training soldiers, but they've had a tougher time helping them adjust to peace. The author joins 11 combat veterans in Nepal as they test the most promising new postwar therapy: adventure.
They climbed the biggest walls, descended the longest rivers, and sailed the highest seas. And they went farther and faster under their own power than anyone else in 2010. Chosen for their ambition, their attitude, and their audacious lines, these are Outside's inaugural adventurers of the year.
We present our Trips of the Year, everything from whitewater rafting in Siberia to mountain biking in Argentina to the greatest multisport vacation in Alaska.
There are certain skills every Outside guy should possess. For this, the first installment of our four-part fundamentals series, we address the basics of adventure.
Your Challenge: Choosing the right adventure in New Zealand, a place that offers the best of everything. Your Solution: Our heavily researched, carefully formulated, and totally brilliant ten-step plan.
I am currently stationed in Naples, Italy for another year and a half. Can you list ten things that I should accomplish in Europe while I'm here? I love to travel and fish and I am more concerned with seeing the natural beauty of the continent than anything else.BlakeNaples, Italy
It's huge. It's nasty. And it's a beast to get up. But guess what: The summit is worth all the hard work it takes to get there.
I'm starting to outfit for a trip to climb Denali via the West Buttress next year. My Julbo Nomad glacier glasses that I've used for years still work, but they've never fit well and always give me a headache. Additionally, since I wear prescription glasses, I would like to have a pair made with my script included. For five years, I've had great results with my Rudy Project cycling glasses that with photocromatic lenses. Reading your review of the Zyon Sailing glasses (noticing the removable side shields), I'm curious if I could have one eyeglass to replace them all? Would the Zyon photocromatic lens be dark enough for mountaineering? Or is a special hi-altitude lens required? I really don't want to have two pairs of custom prescription glasses made, especially if one is only going to be used during mountaineering. Joseph Washington, DC
Give me your best mountaineering kit on a teacher's salary! I'm looking to tackle the serious domestic peaks. –Jay (Alexandria, VA)
The latest films and fashions from seven of the brightest stars at this year's Mountainfilm in Telluride festival.
Presenting 25 of the best adventure, investigative, and nature documentaries ever. Plus: the best of a new generation of action films.
Graham Bowley rehashes August 2008's tragic events on Pakistan's K2.
Any dermatologist will tell you: Wear sunscreen every day, even if you're just hanging around town. But picking the right one is where it gets complicated. According to a 2009 study by the Environmental Working Group, nearly 30 percent of sunscreens don't have strong enough protection from UVA, the sun's most prevalent, carcinogenic rays. Then there
A new film sees Conrad Anker and Leo Houlding attempt to re-create the ill-fated 1924 Mallory expedition and solve the oldest mystery on Everest.
What are the best beginner-level mountaineering expeditions across the world that a regular, fit trekker can attempt?–Kuntal, Mumbai India
I am going to Morocco in late summer for a week, and want you to tell me what to see and what to skip.–ChrisChicago, IL