Mountaineering
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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 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
The 29-year-old cinematographer and alpinist talks about bagging the first ascent of GII in winter and the making of Cold
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
I am planning to climb Kilimanjaro in December this year. What will be the best sleeping bag and boots tor this trip? –Florin Guelph, Ontario
I already own the Mountain Hardware Woman's Sub Zero SL Hooded Jacket and understand that this is not warm enough for Denali. Can I pair this with a lighter 800 fill down sweater to get the warmth that I need? Or must I buy another pricey parka? And on the boot front, my feet get cold. I would like a boot that will get me up Denali, toes intact, but that I can also wear on other climbs in the Lower 48 (and maybe someday in the Himalaya). Is this asking too much? I had a pair of Spantiks but their size made me feel clumsy...—AbiSan Francisco, CA
What are the summer's best, off-the-beaten-path adventures in Europe?—MikeFramingham, MA
I’m going to do Rainier this summer. I’ve done a few mountains in Canada and Kili, but wore rental boots...blisters galore. So I want to find a good boot to do Rainier. Any suggestions?—EvanDenver, CO
You survive a plane crash in the Amazon? Who cares! What's far more likely to go wrong during an international journey is injuries and illnesses that would be easy to manage close to home but are much trickier on the far side of paradise. Here are seven frequent scenarios and how to handle them.
The list of seven summits climbers used to read like an alpinist all-star team. Now there are kids who can include it on their college applications.
There's at least one major upside to the bursting of the real-estate bubble: The kind of adventure-ready second home you've always dreamed about is suddenly within reach. From mountain retreats to lakefront outposts to slopeside condos, here's your primer on where to invest for the long haul.
Overlooked mountain ranges, river beer, running album, gear of all time, and 47 other big ideas, accidental winners, and awesome things about the world outside we've come to love over the past 33 years. Introducing our first annual Editors' Choice Awards...
Kick Kennedy The dynastic brothers are gone, but up comes the next generation. Kick, 21, a senior at Stanford, has quietly built a résumé fighting for water conservation. In 2006, she joined an Imax crew filming Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk and became…
I gearing up to make a Denali summit attempt some time next year and I wondering if my Scarpa Summit GTX boots with a good overboot will be up to the task. I know it is crazy cold up there and I like my toes. What do you think? Kevin Lyndhurst, NJ
Hello, I'm looking to make a winter ascent of Mount Rainier. I need an altimeter. I'm not sure if I should get an altimeter watch (like the Casio Pathfinder) or a GPS (Garmin Oregon 400T, Oregon 300, or Dakota 20). I don't have to worry about the battery problem with the watch. Then again, it's nice to have a GPS, but they only get 14 hours of battery life. The Dakota gets 20. In sub-zero temps, I would need to carry everything in my pockets. Any ideas? Brett Highland Lakes, NJ
Alarming new science shows that thin air can wreck brain cells—at lower altitudes than you'd think. Here's how to protect yourself.
Is an expedition or burly mountaineering tent (such as The North Face Mountain 25 or Mountain Hardwear's Trango) needed for Aconcagua? Will a sturdy four-season tent suffice? Azad Los Angeles, CA
What do you think about the Lowa Mountain Expert GTX Mountaineering Boots? I used them on Mt. Rainier and they kept my feet plenty warm, but I was wondering if you thought they might be suitable for Pico de Orizaba in Mexico. It is about 4,000 feet higher than Rainier. I don't relish wearing double plastic mountaineering boots anywhere, and hey, the red color of the Lowa is, well, cool . . . Stan El Dorado Hills, CA
Climbing K2 is the next biggest thing. We refuse to whine about it.
Next year, I would like to climb Kilimanjaro with my brother to celebrate his 30th birthday. Can you recommend any tour organizers who have a particularly good reputation for treks up Kilimanjaro? We are hoping to cp instead of staying in huts and will probably select a moderately intense route up the mountain.