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If you like outdoor gear then you're going to love this week's Adventure Podcast. My co-host Dave Adlard and I are back from Denver, Colorado where we attended the 2018 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market and saw lots and lots of new products that will be heading our way in the near future. With so many backpacks, boots, jackets, and other products to sift through, it is tough to pick our favorites, but we did manage to narrow our list down to six items that became the first winners of our "Best of Show" awards. Which pieces of gear impressed us? You'll just have to listen to find out. Because we spent the majority of the episode talking outdoor gear we skipped our regular gear segment this week. But, we did start the show as we usually do by talking about the biggest stories in adventure and exploration from the past week. Those stories include an attempt at the speed record for skiing to the South Pole, a record-setting swim around the United Kingdom, and a potentia...

There is an interesting news story making the rounds that suggest that the provincial government in Tibet could ban all vehicles going to Everest Base Camp that aren't powered by electric motors. The new rules could be in place as early as next spring, requiring all mountaineers, support teams, guides, and even visitors to use electric vehicles when driving to BC on the North Side of the mountain. Those who follow the Everest climbing scene closely already know that it is possible to drive to Base Camp in Tibet, as opposed to trekking to BC on the South Side in Nepal. The trek actually requires roughly ten days to complete, while those climbing from the north can simply get in a vehicle and be at camp within a few days, taking stops to help acclimatize to the change in altitude along the way. This is one of the reasons many have favored climbing from the Tibetan side of the mountain, which is also less crowded than the more popular Nepali route up the South Col. Additionally, the ...

The autumn climbing season in Nepal continues to unfold at the moment, but some climbers are already looking ahead to the winter season. For the past two years Spanish climber Alex Txikon has made bold attempts to summit Everest during the winter without the use of supplemental oxygen, each time coming up a bit short. Speculation as to whether or not he will return for a third go is running high, but in a recent interview the climber shared the news that he is still deciding what his winter expedition will be. He also revealed that there may be a commercial team heading to Everest in the winter this year as well. Recently, ExWeb had a chance to sit down with Txikon and inquire about his plans. At the moment, the Spaniard is playing his cards close to his vest and isn't sharing many details about what he plans to do this coming winter. He says that Everest is still on the table but he's considering several other options as well, including a potential attempt on K2, the only 80...

A few weeks back we shared the news that Hilaree Nelson and Jim Morrison has accomplished one of the last great feats of ski mountaineering by conquering the so called "Dream Line" on Lhotse. At the time, there weren't a lot of details about the climb to the summit of the 8516 meter (27,940 feet) peak and the ski descent that followed, only a few social media posts that hinted at the challenges and exhilaration that came with the experience. Now, we're learning a lot more about what this impressive expedition was like directly from Nelson herself. National Geographic has posted an article that offers an inside look at the first ski descent of the 4th highest peak in the world. That article takes the form of an interview with Nelson, who shares insights into what its like to be in Everest Base Camp in the fall when no one else is around and the challenges that arise from having the mountain all to yourself. She also discusses safety on Lhotse in the off-season, th...

This past spring, Lhakpa Sherpa summited Everest for the ninth time, extended her own world record for the most summits of a woman on that mountain. In fact, she was recognized by the Guinness Book of Worlds Records for her achievement, which put her in rarified company even with the male Sherpas in Nepal. Now, she's gearing up to make her tenth summit on Everest in 2019 and yet she still doesn't have a proper sponsorship despite her accomplishments in the Himalaya. This story as brought to my attention by the Expedition News , which reports that this past spring climbing season, Lhakpa received some support from Black Diamond , which provided gear and money for her climbing endeavors. But for 2019, she is seeking additional support from the outdoor industry, as well as management and public relations assistance too. So far, there hasn't been many takers. When not climbing in Nepal, Lhakpa lives in Hartford, Connecticut here in the U.S. where she works at Whole Foods earnin...