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This week's episode of The Adventure Podcast should be of particular interest to regular readers of The Adventure Blog as we welcome polar explorer Eric Larsen  to the show. When I envisioned creating a podcast about outdoor adventure and exploration, having guests like Eric on was what I hoped to do and this interview certainly lived up to �� and exceeded �� my expectations. When I spoke to Eric he was in Punta Arenas, Chile preparing to leave for the Antarctic, where he will soon begin his attempt to set a speed record skiing to the South Pole. We talk about how he got started on his cold-weather adventures, what it's like to ski for hours at a time in the Antarctic and Arctic, what his strategy is for chasing the speed record, and much, much more. But before we get to the interview with Eric, my co-host Dave Adlard and I share the latest adventure news, with stories from the Himalaya, the Karakoram, and Antarctica. We also talk about the recent crowning of the adventure rac...

Even as the Himalayan climbing season draws to an end and we turn our attention south to the Antarctic expedition season instead, we have sad news from Nepal today. An Australian climber has lost his life on Ama Dablam, falling to his death after a freak accident on a mountain that is known for being fairly safe and frequently traveled. According to The Himalayan Times , 33-year-old Michael Geoferey Davis was descending the Ama Dablam above Camp 2 when the ropes he was using suddenly gave way, sending him plummeting to his death. He was climbing with Top Himalaya Guides at the time and officials from that organization believe the accident was caused by a large rock that fell from above, striking the fixed ropes and damaging their integrity. All other members of the team that Davis was with are safe and fine, having descended back down the mountain. When the accident occurred a group of about 15 climbers �� including Nepali guides �� were descending from Camp 3 due to hi...

It's Wednesday, which means it's time for another episode of The Adventure Podcast . After flying solo last week, my partner in crime David Adlard returns, which makes for a better show all around. No one wants to hear me drone on by myself for too long, so I'm happy to have my partner back. As usual, we start the show off with adventure news, but since there were so many interesting stories to talk about we decide to do away with our usual format of including a main topic to give plenty of time to everything that is happening in the world of outdoor adventure and exploration that is happening around the globe. Those stories include the start of the expedition season in Antarctica, an impressive new first ascent in the Himalaya, the discovery of a historic shipwreck in the Black Sea, and a case of attempted murder at a research station on the Antarctic Peninsula. We do wrap up the show with some gear picks for the week, with both Dave and I sharing some thoughts on a new pr...

The short documentary film below is another in a line of remarkable mountaineering and climbing documentaries that we've seen in recent months. This time, we travel to the Garwhal Himalaya in Indian to join British climbers Malcolm Bass, Paul Figg and Guy Buckingham as they set out to make the first ascent of Janhukot, a remote and technically difficult peak that has eluded attempts in the past. The three men conducted this expedition back in May of this year and their story not only unfolds in the fantastic video but will also be told over the coming weeks on the Pertex website, which is a company that served as one of their sponsors. You can follow along with that portion of the tale here . Janhukot 2018 from Pertex on Vimeo .

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 ...

We're back with another episode of The Adventure Podcast this week, although I'm flying solo on this episode. My cohost Dave Adlard was on the road, and I was expected to be busy too, but ended up having some travel cancelled at the last minute. That opened up an opportunity to speak with Lee Thompson, who is a former photojournalist and now the co-founder of Flash Pack , an adventure travel company that is doing some fun and unique things in that space. We spend most of the episode talking about travel and our own experiences, although Lee also tells us about his years as a photographer working with news outlets all over the world. He shares details of his time in Egypt while covering the Arab Spring for instance, and tells us about how he was the first western journalist to see the body of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya following the revolution there. Before jumping into the interview however, I share a few interesting news stories from the past week, including an impressive first...

Despite the fact that the major commercial teams have already headed home a few weeks ago, the fall climbing season in the Himalaya continues to unfold with some top climbers still in the region. The weather throughout Nepal and Tibet remains stable, and although it is starting to get colder there, the true bit of the impending winter remains a few weeks away. This has allowed some smaller teams on non-8000-meter peaks to focus on some impressive objectives as well, with one climber in particular putting up a solo first ascent of a mountain that has remained elusive for decades. ExWeb is reporting that Austrian climber David Lama has become the first person to summit Lunag Ri, a 6807-meter (22,660 ft.) peak located along the border between Nepal and Tibet. News of the successful climb came yesterday via Conrad Anker's Instagram, as Anker was Lama's partner on two previous expeditions to the mountain. In the message posted to the social media network, Anker simply said "Co...

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...

I'm back from the 2018 Outdoor Blogger Summit and working on catching up on the news from while I was away. A lot has happened over the past few days with climbing expeditions in the Himalaya continuing to unfold and a tragic accident on one of the lesser-known peaks in the region. We'll start with the bad news. Last weekend, nine climbers lost their lives on Mt. Gurja, a 7193 meter (23,599 ft) peak located in western Nepal, not far from Dhaulagiri. The group consisted of five climbers from South Korea and four Sherpa guides, all of which were caught in a massive landslide while in Base Camp. Apparently, the team was waiting out bad weather there before proceeding up to high camp, but heavy snow accumulated on the mountains flanks. Eventually, that snow gave lose, burying BC in a wall of ice, snow, rock and dirt. Amongst those who lost their lives was Korean climbing legend Kim Chang-ho. He was the first person from his home country to scale all 14 8000-meter peaks and was th...

Back in May o this year, three British climbers �� Malcolm Bass, Paul Figg and Guy Buckingham �� travels deep into the Indian Himalaya to attempt the first ascent of a Janhukot, a difficult and demanding peak that has turned back all attempts for decades. The three men filmed their expedition and soon we'll be getting a full documentary about their experience there, but for now we'll have to settle for the trailer below. If this is any indication of the final product, we could have the makings of another classic mountaineering film. The scenery and setting looks spectacular and there appears to be no shortage of drama either. Add this to the growing list of documentaries we'll need to see in the near future, as it looks like a good one. Janhukot - Trailer from Pertex on Vimeo .

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...

The fall 2018 climbing season has turned toward the finish line. While there are still a number of teams in the region that are focused on making their ascents up various big mountains, the bulk of the commercial squads have now wrapped up their expeditions and are heading home. Last week was a successful one on Manaslu, Cho Oyu, and Shishapangma, with dozens of climbers topping out across those three peaks. Now, those teams are heading home, as are a few squads that weren't quite so successful this autumn. Over on Dhaulagiri the mountain is now all but deserted. As we've mentioned several times throughout the season, heavy snowfall and generally poor weather conditions kept the climbers in Base Camp for much of September, prevented them from properly acclimatizing. So when October arrived, and summits were being recorded on other 8000-meter peaks in Nepal and Tibet, Dhaulagiri was still getting blasted with high winds, heavy snow, and unstable conditions. Eventually this cause...

It's Wednesday already, which means its time for another episode of The Adventure Podcast . This week, we profile a group of modern day adventurers that listeners should know about. These are men and women who are doing amazing things in terms of exploration and the outdoors, but generally aren't getting a lot of attention from the mainstream press. We thought they should be on your radar however, which is why we've turned a spotlight on them. And as we mention in the show, there are plenty of others we could do this with too, so this could become a regular feature moving forward. Of course, we start the show off with adventure news with updates from the Himalaya, not one, but two, dramatic rescues at sea, and the amazing story of the first traverse of Tasmania during the winter months. As usual, we wrap up the show by talking about gear, with cohost Dave Adlard and myself sharing an item that we've both been using. In this case, that involves a slick belt that you can ...

We've noted on several occasions that the autumn climbing season in the Himalaya is already starting to wind down, and with summits this week on Manaslu, Cho Oyu, and Shishapangma, that looks like an accurate assessment. But, things aren't completely over yet and there is still news to share, particularly from those 8000 meter peaks, which remain a hive of activity. We'll start on Manaslu once again, where the summit waves continue. At this point, more than 120 foreign climbers have summited the mountain, along with an additional 100 Sherpa guides. Still, the season may not be over just yet as nearly 200 permits were issued to visiting alpinists in Nepal, so roughly another 60-70 could still summit. Obviously some don't make it to the top or didn't even make it to the mountain to begin with, but I would expect another large group to top out sometime this week before the mountain goes silent once again. Sadly, there is bad news to report from Manaslu as one climbers ...

To say that it has been a busy couple of days in the Himalaya would be an understatement. This past weekend saw a significant number of summits on several mountains, along with a few historic achievements in the big mountains. And while the commercial climbing season is starting to wind down, there is still a number of big expeditions that are still ongoing. We'll start this update on Lhotse, where Hilaree Nelson and Jim Morrison made history over the weekend. The duo became the first to ski what is often referred to as "the Dream Line" from the summit of the fourth highest peak in the world. This route is more than 7000 feet (2133 meters) in length, starting at the 8516-meter (27,939 ft) summit and dropping down to Camp 2. This massive descent has been partially skied in the past, but this was the first time anyone has done its entire length. According to The Himalayan Times , Nelson and Morrison reached the summit of Lhotse at 1:27 PM yesterday afternoon local time. Th...

We've been monitoring the progress of the climbing teams on Manaslu and Cho Oyu all week long as summit bids have launched both mountains. Now, as the weekend draws near, it seems that both peaks are busy as a good weather window looks to continue over the next few days, bringing opportunities to finish the season early and send most of the climbers home. A major summit push is definitely underway on Manaslu , the eighth highest peak in the world at 8163 meters (26,781 ft). Earlier today, more than 60 climbers topped out on the mountain, marking what appears to be the start of large wave of alpinists heading to the top. With roughly 200 foreign climbers, plus an equal or greater number of support Sherpas, on the mountain this season, it looks like things could get very busy there over the next few days. Amongst those reaching the summit this morning was Kami Rita Sherpa, the man who holds the record for the most summits of Everest. This past spring, Kami Rita topped out on Everest ...

Yesterday we had word that the first summits of the fall climbing season in Nepal had occurred on Manaslu, but we also knew that it wouldn't take long before more would follow. It seems that prediction was accurate, as several other climbers topped out today in what is expected to be a continuous wave over the next few days. The Himalayan Times is reporting that 12 climbers summited Manaslu today amidst a good weather window that is expected to continue into the weekend. These climbers were all members of the Seven Summit Treks team, including six foreign clients and six Sherpa guides. The group that touched the top include Claudia Cristina Elizabeth Bento, Pedro Augusto Hauck Da Silva and Bernardo Pereira Mascarenhas Da Fonseca from Brazil, Spanish climber Ramon Romero Gallego, Dolores Hesham Abdelminem Al Shelleh from Jordan and Wimjan Peeters from Belgium. They were joined on the summit by Karma Sherpa, Chhangba Sherpa, Tashi Sherpa, Dawa Sange Sherpa, Dawa Dorchi Sherpa...

A team of rope-fixing Sherpas, along with a couple of foreign climbers, have notched the first summits of the season on Manaslu today. Their successful attempt on the 8163-meter (26,781 ft.) mountain paves the way for commercial teams to follow as the autumn climbing season takes a turn towards the finish line. According to The Himalayan Times , the four Sherpas were part of the Seven Summit Treks climbing team and included Gyaljen Sherpa, Mingma Tenjing Sherpa, Tenjing Chhimbi Sherpa and Temba Bhote. They were followed closely by Brazilian climber Moeses Fiamoncini and Spaniard Sergio Mingote, who essentially topped out just behind the rope-fixing team. Reportedly, the weather is currently quite good on Manaslu, which could mean that other teams will launch their summit bid this week as well. They'll need an extended weather window heading into the weekend if they haven't already left Base Camp. With nearly 200 foreign climbers on the mountain however, not everyone has compl...