Sherpa summits Everest for record 19th time

Yesterday was the third straight day of summits on Everest, with more than 100 climbers making an attempt on the mountain from both Nepal’s South Side and from Tibet to the north. Weather conditions have been excellent and the winds at the summit have been unusually calm, aiding the climbers and extending the weather window longer than expected.

One of the climbers amidst the dozens going up the mountain is a mountaineering legend by the name of Apa Sherpa. Apa is the record holder for the most summits of any climber in Everest history, having recorded 18 previous trips up the mountain. Yesterday’s succesful summit adds to the legend, giving him number 19.

Apa began his illustrious career on Everest back in 1988 when, as a young guide, he made his first attempt on the mountain. That attempt ended in failure above 27,000 feet. The next two attempts also ended without Apa reaching the summit, but in 1990 he helped guide a team from New Zealand to the top of the world, standing on the peak of Everest for the first time. He has achieved a successful summit every year since.

Following that first summit, Apa became a Sirdar, or Senior Guide, and is now considred to be amongst the most skilled and experienced high mountain guides in the world. A few years back, he and his family, moved to Utah to give his children the opportunity for a better education, but each spring he returns to Nepal to lead a group of climbers up the tallest mountain on the planet.

Congratualtions to Apa Sherpa on his record 19th summit of Everest. What an amazing feat!

Half a century atop El Capitan

Fifty years ago, Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan was climbed for the first time. Today, we celebrate that milestone with a continuation of the initial effort. Let’s face it, nobody will ever be first again, but you can still be part of the tradition.

Once upon a time, El Capitan was thought to be insurmountable, due in large part to a 3,000-foot granite cliff. Warren Harding assembled a small team and invested 47 days over more than a year in setting up climbing hardware and logistics to get to the top. The final drive took 12 days. This led to the glory of being first.

Today, the climb is considerably different.

Six months ago, two climbers made the summit in a hair more than 2 ½ hours. Modern equipment, advanced dietary technology and improved clothing have made this possible. That being said, the view from the top remains the view from the top.

Check out the video after the jump.

Missing Climbing Team in China

News in the climbing world hasn’t been too cheery as the search for three climbers in Oregon’s Mt. Hood continues (one was said to have been found dead) and the search is also on for two highly experienced U.S. climbers in China as well. Not to take away from the domestic search, but I’ve heard little to nothing on Christine Boskoff (one of the world’s top female high-altitude climbers) and Charlie Fowler (well-known mountaineer in the U.S.) who set out or Southwest China in October and are missing. The pair was last heard from on November 9th. As in the case with Mount Hood the weather provides less than favorable conditions for rescue teams to find anyone and avalanches are also a huge factor in the Fowler-Boskoff scenario. The area is said to be very prone to avalanches. There isn’t much more to comment on now, but if you’re following this story in addition to Mount Hood and would like to help someway or somehow it appears as though mountainfilm in Telluride has created a search fund for those that wish to donate and help expand the serach effort in China.

My hope is that both teams are located and safe from harm.

via CBS News