The Podcast on alanarnette.com

The biggest news from Everest is the lack of news. Typhone-force winds strafed the mountain like a summer hail storm in Colorado. Reports of forty or more tents were damaged at Camp 2. Despite this, a few teams continued their rotations, and more made plans as hopes increased the fixed ropes would reach the summit next week. The high winds of last week have calmed, and there is no typhoon activity of substance in the Bay of Bengal. Let's hope for a May of long weather windows! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

Part 13 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 39, 40, and 41. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a FICTIONAL team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 13, our protagonist, Harper, experiences climbing above Camp 3 for the first time. She moved in lock-step behind Mingma, who led the train. He set a steady but swift pace, knowing that speed is your friend in these conditions and keeps you warm. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/everest/everest-2024-coverage/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

Part 12 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 37, 38, and 38. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a FICTIONAL team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 12, our protagonist, Harper was confident and ready to get going. Sitting around base camp, even with the occasional hike to Pumori or Gorak Shep, was getting old. The conversation around the dining table was also getting old. It was time. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

Everest's summit is slammed by hurricane-force winds, causing most teams to hunker down or pause rotations for a few days. However, the fixed ropes have reached the South Col. China confirms it will open the Nepal border on May 7th. This season will go down as all dressed up and nowhere to go - on both sides. First, on the Nepal side, as of the end of April, many teams have historically completed their rotations and are going into wait mode for the ropes to reach the summit. However, it appears that only a few have completed a meaningful amount of time this year at Camp 2. A few have tagged Camp 3, but almost no team spent the night at 7000 meters. To be fair, in recent years, many teams have dropped this difficult acclimatization at C3 in favor of using copious amounts of supplemental oxygen starting lower at Camp 2. Many teams have wrapped up their climbs on Mera, Island or Lobuche as an acclimatization activity instead of going through the Icefall one more time. These teams are returning to EBC and will make only one rotation to C2 before calling it good. Those in a rush—Flash/Speed/Rapid/Quick/Speed/Rabbit—whatever—will only go through the Icefall once on their summit push. Sherpas from Seven Summits Treks have the fixed ropes to the South Col. With the ten-day delay in fixing the Icefall; the Nepal government approved a plan to use helicopters to fly more gear to Camp 2 to fix the route to the summit. This is not unprecedented. On April 23, 2016, summit rope fixing gear (rope, anchors, oxygen for the Sherpas above the South Col) was long-lined to Camp 1 by helicopters - all approved by the Government. It took six trips by helicopter plus a spotter in a separate helicopter to deliver the gear. No climbers or Sherpas were transported. This saved 87 Sherpa loads and potentially lives if there were another serac release or other natural disaster in the Icefall. This was a good move then, as it is today. So, while it feels slower than usual, the teams are making the best of it. So, if the ropes reach the summit by May 10, as advertised, we can expect the usual flood of summit waves to follow quickly. First will be the super large teams like the 100s from Seven Summits Treks and many other Nepali-run teams. The Western teams will patiently wait at EBC for them to kick in steps, clear out and then take their turn. Finally, we'll see the uber–patient teams make their summit push, targeting May 19–22. Again, all of this depends on the weather. Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow says, "Just FYI, we got our Tibet invites and official word of the May 7 border opening. Locked and loaded!" They will cross the border along with climbers with Climbalaya and Furtenbach. However, another commercial team has given up on climbing Everest from the Tibetan side. Makalu Extreme joined Adventure Peaks, Kobler & Partner, and Arnold Coster to switch to the Nepal side. Makalu Extreme posted this update revealing their frustration: Not much news from the Everest 2024 climb from the Makalu Extreme team. Today our guide Dorchy and our member Pavel are in Goraksher. Work on setting up the Base Camp will begin tomorrow. I would like to remind you that our team and two tons of expedition cargo urgently left Kathmandu on April 26. The expedition was urgently shifted to Nepal due to the negligence of the Chinese authorities. EverestEr reports in with their treatment Talley: As of April 29, Nepal has issued 390 climbing permits for Everest to 37 teams representing 60 countries. The United States has the most climbers, with 70, followed by China with 65. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

Part 11 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 33, 34, 35 and 36. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 11, our protagonist, Harper, gets excited as Guide John Paul tells the team, "Good news, everyone. The first commercial team summited last night. The storm held off, and they threaded the needle. 20 Japanese members with 22 Climbing Sherpas. Japan has very strong climbers.” Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

Part 10 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 31 and 32. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 10, our protagonist, Harper, takes the Lhotse Face, " Wanting to pass another climber, Harper makes eye contact with him. No words were spoken; only a nod was exchanged. Harper unclipped her 'biner while keeping the jumar attached. Harper reached around him to clip the 'biner back onto the rope ahead of him. He stood still not wanting to make any movement that might throw both of them off balance. Harper took a few small steps around him and reached back to unclip the jumar. Now successfully past, Harper reattached the jumar and continued climbing higher." Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

Part 9 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 28, 29 and 30. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 9, our protagonist, Harper, and the team discuss what day they should target for their Everest summit, "Claudia smiled in admiration, "So, May 19th, it is!" Aaron dropped his head, deep in concentration. Dutch took center stage, "Today is May 2nd, so that's 17 days from now. We have to get back up to C2 then overnight at C3, and back here." Michael leaned in, "I think we need four days for the C3 rotation and at least six days for the summit push and return. That's ten days on the mountain, meaning we have seven days for rest and weather delays. Pretty tight." Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

This is the late April Everest 2024 Weekend Update. The headlines are significantly more positive than last weekend: Permits are a bit higher, which is good for the local economy but not so good for the mountain. The fixed ropes, aka the route, are all the way to Camp 2, thus opening the path for Sherpas to establish the upper camps and for clients to begin acclimatizing. #everest2024 Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/04/21/everest-2024-weekend-update-april-21-route-to-c2-permits-catch-up/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

Part 8 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 25, 26 and 27. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 8, our protagonist, Harper, and the team arrive at Camp 2 to continue acclimatization. The Mt. Everest Guides lead, John Paul, begins to explain how acclimatization works: "'Acclimatization' is a strange word that evokes many emotions. Fundamentally it means adapting the human body to an altitude where it was not designed to survive. Even though the percentage of oxygen in the air on Everest's summit is the same as on a beach in Rio, there are fewer molecules available to inhale. That's because there is less atmospheric pressure; thus, the oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide molecules spread out. It's the opposite of what a diver experiences with the pressure increasing as a diver goes deeper. Harper feels more weight, more pressure, whereas a climber has less available oxygen. That's why it's called 'thin air.’" Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

Part 7 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 22, 23 and 24. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 7, our protagonist, Harper, and the team climb through the Icefall and into the Western Cwm. The team's oldest member, Jim, is struggling. “Any advice?” He asked their guide, John Paul, who had been close by his side all morning. “Slow, steady, and make sure you are always clipped in. No need to rush. We are making good time.” Jim appreciated the positive spin. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

Part 6 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 17, 18 and 19. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 4, our protagonist, Harper, makes her first trip into the Khumbu Icefall. She was nervous, following Moingma, her combing Sherpa, "Mingma looked at her as Harper took a second carabiner off her harness. He went across first. Clipping in ‘biners to the two safety ropes on either side of the ladder, he stepped onto the first rung, then the second and without so much as a pause, he was across, standing there staring at her. Harper could almost hear him in a deep John Wayne drawl; “OK, kid, I showed you how to do it, now get on with it.” #everest2024 Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

Part 5 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 14, 15 and 16. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 4, our protagonist, Harper, now at Everest Base Camp, is enjoying the smells from home as she unpacked her duffle when she is suddenly interrupted. #everest2024 Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

Welcome to the Everest 2024 Weekend Update in mid-April. This week's headlines are a bit concerning. The fixed line that should already be at Camp 2 is only halfway through the Icefall. I'm not sure this is bad news for climbers, but Everest permits lag significantly from 2023, down 34%. However, we saw the first 8000er summits this past week, with many more to come. Base Camp at Everest is filling up. Trekkers are on the move, and mountains are seeing summits. Hello, spring 2024. #everest2024 Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

Part 4 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, covers chapters 11, 12 and 13. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 4, our protagonist, Harper, visits a Monastery and observes the monks during their daily prayers, "Without a cue, the drumbeat began. One of the senior Monks started his chant – actually a prayer. Others joined in. They created an unbelievable resonance that built as it bounced off the artfully painted walls. Harper closed her eyes to take this moment in without the filter of sight. It was spiritual and sensory.#everest2024 Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/04/13/everest-2024-everyday-everest-podcast-series-part-4-blessing-in-the-khumbu/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

In 2024, Everest has become completely commercialized. Shock, right? Well, Will Cockrell's new book, Everest, Inc: The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World, tells us how it happened. If you love Everest, despise it or don't really care, this book has something for everyone. In this fascinating read, Will did extensive research and uses quotes from original interviews with more than a hundred Western and Sherpa climbers, clients, writers, filmmakers, and even a Hollywood actor; the voices of the people who have made the mountain what it is today. In this Podcast, Will tells me that he positioned Everest, Inc. as the opposite of Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air. His book gets to the heart of the mountain through the definitive story of its greatest invention: the Himalayan guiding industry. It all began in the 1980s with entrepreneurs like Rob Hall and Gary Ball, Todd Burleson and David Breashears, with Dick Bass establishing a new, innovative industry for climbing high-altitude mountains, including Mt. Everest. Many of the pioneers are still living and climbing today and have helped thousands reach their climbing dreams. I talk through the three areas of commercialization with Will: the industry's formation in the 1980s and '90s, the early 2000s, when Western companions dominated guiding climbing Nepal, and the late 2000s, until today, when Nepali-owned operators lead 80% of all commercial clients. Everest, Inc: The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World will be published by @simonandschuster imprint @gallerybooks on April 16, 2024. You can read about Will on his website and YouTube. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/04/12/everest-2024-interview-with-will-cockrell-on-his-new-book-everest-inc/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

Part 3 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series, drops today with chapters 8, 9 and 10. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home. I'll have a twenty-minute episode a few times weekly for the next two months. In Part 3, our protagonist, Harper, sees Everest from the Everest View Hotel just above Namache Bazaar: "Harper stopped. They all stopped, quietly letting their eyes trace the Khumbu Triple Crown: Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse—two of the fourteen highest mountains on the planet. The signature white plume flowed off the summit of Everest like a bride's long wedding gown train. Mother Goddess of the Earth never looked more lovely. Tony spoke, "I have been dreaming of this since the sixth grade." Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything #everest2024 Everest 2024: Everyday Everest Podcast Series Part 3–The Trek Begins --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

Welcome to Part 2 of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series during the Everest 2024 climbing season. I'll continue my annual coverage as usual.Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, I'll have a twenty-minute updated episode of the story a few times a week for the next two months. Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home to trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push, returning home.In Part 2, our protagonist, Harper, looked at the Boudhanath stupa with admiration. The 2015 earthquake damaged the stupa, but you would never know that now. She looked at the eyes of Buddha and remembered the saying, "Buddha is always watching." Somehow, she found that comforting.The main characters areHarper - protagonist, strong climber, Aconcagua, Denali (Husband -Marc, Daughter - Olivia, Son - Jay)Dutch - solid climber, quirkyTony - solid climber, introvert, impatientMichael - Good experience, Manaslu, good friendJim - Second Everest attempt, not strongAaron - good climber, strong friendBart - good climber, strong friendPablo - weak mentally, Aconcagua, DenaliClaudia - strong climber, Aconcagua, DenaliGuide John Paul - highly experienced, patient, good leaderSidar and Guide - Dawa SherpaGuide - Gyalzen SherpaGuide - Tenzing SherpaWe will go through Everest climbing each day as the team arrives in Kathmandu, flies to Luka, and treks to EBC. We'll follow them at base camp through the acclimatization rotations and receive invaluable help from the Icefall Doctors and Climbing Sherpas. And, of course, the summit pushes starting in mid-May.While there will be accurate historical references, this series is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.Next up is Part 2, "Kathmandu"Climb On!AlanMemories are Everything --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

Welcome to the kick-off of Everyday Everest, my new Podcast series during the Everest 2024 climbing season. Based on my 2020 Virtual Everest series, I'll read an updated version of the story a couple of times a week for the next two months. Everyday Everest follows a fictional team of nine climbers and their personal Sherpas from leaving home, trekking to base camp, acclimatizing, and finally, on their summit push. The story's protagonist, Harper, sets the tone for the story when she tells her husband, Marc, "Honey, I'm going to climb Everest." #everest2024 Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/04/08/everest-2024-everyday-everest-podcast-series-welcome-and-part-1/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

Welcome to the Everest 2024 Weekend Update. The Everest spring season is on track. Hundreds of people are advancing towards Everest Base Camp on the Nepal side of the Mountain. The Tibet side remains quiet, as teams will not arrive for at least another week. There are a few snags here and there, but nothing serious at this point. #everest2024 https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/04/07/everest-2024-weekend-update-april-7-climbers-on-the-trek/ Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support

If it's April, it must be time for Everest. The Icefall Doctors are hard at work. Climbers and trekkers are making their way through the Khumbu or driving from Lhasa. Shepars and base camp crews are building tent platforms and preparing their spots for the teams. Yaks and mules are meandering ever higher, loaded with supplies. Katmandu is filled with tourists and visitors, boosting the local economy. Hang on, everyone. It's time. #everest2024 https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2024/03/31/everest-2024-weekend-update-april-1-season-underway-lost-legends/ Climb On!! Alan Memories are Everything --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alan-arnette1/support