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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...

A month or so back I told you about an all-start team of European climbers who were planning an expedition to Pakistan this winter to attempt a first ascent of K2 during that season. At the time, the group was still putting together their funding and making plans for how they would approach this epic challenge. Now, thanks to an interview with one of its members, we have a better idea of what their plans entail. ExWeb has posted an interview with alpinist Artem Braun who will be a part of the team that is made up of mountaineers from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. He indicates that the team has received its preliminary permits for the expedition and are now planning on starting the climb in January. Braun says that the squad is in its final preparation stages with everyone preparing to travel to Pakistan soon. To prepare Base Camp for their arrival however, a group of porters has already reached the mountain and is setting up a base of operations there. In the interview, Bra...

Tamra Lunger and Simone Moro are no strangers to climbing tall, impossibly cold peaks. But this past winter they traveled to Sibera to take on a mountain named Pik Pobeda, which holds the distinction of being the coldest peak on the planet. To put things in perspective, temperatures on the mountain reached -71.3�C (-96.3�F), turning it into one frigid excursions to say the least. In this video, we get an inside look at what it was like to climb in that environment, in a place that is about as remote and rugged as it gets on our planet.

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 .

If you're going to test technology and filmmaking equipment, Jimmy Chin is a good guy to give it to. In this video. the award winning photographer/filmmaker �� not to mention all-around bad ass �� heads out to Greenland with fellow adventurer  Kit DesLauriers to explore remote regions, climb mountains, and make ski descents. Lucky for us, he brought a DJI drone along to capture some of the best moments, which you'll find in the fantastic video below.

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 ...

Anyone who has ever made he climb to the summit of Kilimanjaro will be able to relate to this clip, which takes trekkers up to the top of the highest mountain in Africa. Along the way, you'll see the sun come up, and the stunning landscapes of Tanzania emerge from below. And of course, the long day on the trail is paid off with standing at the Roof of Africa. This clip takes us on that final hike, providing some excellent images along the way.

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...

This video comes our way courtesy of REI and it is an insightful, funny, and fun journey to the summit of Mt. Rainier with a woman named Sarah. Climbing a challenging peak like Rainier seemed like an unlikely goal for her, as she is more at home in an urban environment. But getting outside, and tackling a challenge like this one has set her along a different path in life. Find out more about her story below.

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...

We have a seasonal holiday theme for this week's episode of The Adventure Podcast as we take a turn for the spooky. My cohost Dave Adlard and I explore some of the allegedly haunted spots in America's national parks, and elsewhere, with stories of headless ghosts, Civil War apparitions, and crying spirits. If you haven't heard these tales before, they'll make good stories for the next time you're huddle around a campfire. Before delving into that topic however, we start by taking a look at the latest adventure news, with updates from the Himalaya, a look at a winter expedition to K2, and an adventurous couple who are driving across Antarctica in a solar-powered buggy. As usual, we also wrap things up with our latest gear reviews, this time sharing a new jacket from Eddie Bauer and interesting new ways to up you camp-cooking game. You can listen to the podcast by clicking on the play button in the embedded episode below, or you can choose to download us on Apple Pod...

Stretching for more than 1600 km (995 miles) from Vancouver to the Yukon, Canada's Costal Range is a change of mountains that are notions for their extreme weather conditions, difficult climbing, and breathtaking beauty. They are also the same mountains that inspired Arc'teryx to create gear that performed well enough to allow climbers, backpackers, and explorers to survive and thrive in that very environment. In the video below we not only get to see the Coastal Range in all its glory, but we'll learn how it shaped the products that the company produces today. It is equal parts inspiring and informative, particularly for those of us who love our outdoor equipment.

For the past 12 years, the Reel Rock Tour has been bringing us some of the best climbing and mountaineer documentaries we've ever seen, and year 13 doesn't look like it will be any different. The video below is the official teaser trailer for the upcoming tour, which will bring some spectacular films to venues across the U.S., Canada, and a handful of other countries as well. The three-minute long video will give you an idea of what to expect and once you've gotten excited enough to attend the tour yourself, head over to the website to purchase your tickets in advance. You won't be disappointed.

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...

As we steam straight on towards the start of the 2018-2019 Antarctic ski and climbing season, this video takes us back to last year when a team of North Face climbers traveled down to Queen Maud Land to make some first ascents on several rock walls and snowcapped peaks. TNF has slowly been releasing short teaser videos about this expedition and today they bring us one that shows just how difficult and demanding the weather conditions there can be. Climbing in the Antarctic isn't easy, even for the likes of Conrad Anker , Jimmy Chin , and Alex Honnold .

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...

If you're looking for some interesting reading today, check out Explorers Web's great interview with climber Denis Urubko , an extremely talented mountaineer who also has a bit of a controversial side. The Russian-born climber, who is now a Polish citizen, is known for his blunt approach to dealing with teammates and the press. Last year, as part of the Polish Ice Warriors team that made a winter attempt on K2 he also famously went AWOL when he disagreed with team leader Krzysztof Wielicki's approach to the expedition, striking off on his own for the summit. That bid ultimately failed, and Urubko was dismissed from the squad and went home. Now, he's telling his side of the story while sharing wisdom from his numerous expeditions. For those not familiar with Urubko, he has climbed 8000-meter peaks on 21 different occasions, including two in the winter. Most of his expeditions are done without supplemental oxygen as well, and he is amongst the strongest alpinists in the ...

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 .