What do Prince Philip, an Everest summiteer and a Nepali rock star have in common?

February 26, 2014 Good causes chance, everest, hill walking, himalayas, jhamak ghimire, john hunt, nepal, volunteering 2 Comments

A year ago I explained how I have taken up a voluntary position as trustee of a charity providing educational support in Nepal. I thought it was time I provided an update, as there is an interesting Everest connection to report as well as an amazing story of stoic determination that would impress even the hardiest Sherpa.

Everest: The Return of the Mavericks

February 19, 2014 Opinion and advice climbing permits, commercial mountaineering, everest, jagged globe, mountaineering ethics, nepal, tibet 6 Comments

The government of Nepal has slashed permit fees for individuals climbing Everest from $25,000 to $10,000. But the group permit system that provided discounts for larger teams has been abolished, and the fee for a team member has increased to $11,000. What does this mean for the spring climbing season on the south side of Everest?

Nepal’s top 5 most valuable mountains

February 12, 2014 Opinion and advice 8000m peaks, ama dablam, cho oyu, climbing permits, commercial mountaineering, edmund hillary, everest, griffith pugh, himlung, lhotse, manaslu, nepal, trekking peaks 19 Comments

The government of Nepal recently published figures about the revenue it earned from climbing permits in 2013, including a list of the five most valuable peaks for tourist income. There are few surprises, but the extent to which four mountains dominate is a bit of an eye opener.

Climbing big mountains isn’t everyone’s cup of tea

February 5, 2014 Opinion and advice aconcagua, andes, argentina, high altitude mountaineering, mera peak, seven summits, south america, travel writing, trekking 7 Comments

We’re all different; some of us enjoy walking all day up a steep hill and going to sleep in a tent, while others prefer lying on a beach or partying all night. Luckily the world is big enough to accommodate all of us, but there seems to be a surprisingly large number of people who climb big mountains when they’re really not enjoying themselves.