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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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

If you're looking for your midweek dose of audio adventure, then The Adventure Podcast is here to accommodate. As usual, we talk about all kind of things in the outdoor and adventure world, including the latest news from the Himalaya, an update on an epic swim across the Pacific Ocean, dire new reports on the impact of climate change, and the latest on the return of a legend to the sport of adventure racing. We also share a couple of new pieces of gear that we've been using recently, giving listeners some thoughts on how these products can be of use in their own adventures. Our main topic of the week is an interview with Joel Einhorn of HANAH , a company that makes nutritional supplements based on centuries old formulas that use natural ingredients, most of which have been sourced from India and Bhutan. Joel tells us about how he was in a serious accident while training for an Ironman triathlon that left him unable to sleep and about at the end of his rope. Doctors were unable...

There is no doubt that the bulk of the autumn climbing season in Nepal and Tibet is behind us, with most of the teams already come and gone. But there is still news to share from across the region as a few squads continue to wrap up their expeditions and take advantage of a few good remaining weeks before the onset of winter. With that, here are a few news items worth mentioning from the past couple of days.  ExWeb is reporting that a Polish team on Manaslu has pulled the plug on their climb. The group has stayed on the mountain long after the big commercial squads have completed their expeditions and have gone home. Nepali officials say that more than 220 foreign climbers summited the peak this fall, but the eight Poles who were currently there won't be among them.  Shifting weather conditions and increased avalanche danger are to blame for the end of the expedition. Apparently, more than a meter of snow fell on the mountain earlier in the week, which is making it very diffi...

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...

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...