Nepal’s scramble for first ascents – or are they?

November 30, 2016 Opinion and advice dreamers destination, exploration, first ascents, hillary peak, himalayan database, himalayas, jagged globe, nepal, tenzing peak, trekking peaks, yangchan kangri 5 Comments

In 2014, the government of Nepal published a list of 104 peaks that were newly open for climbing, unleashing a scramble to make their first ascents. There was just one problem. Some of these peaks had already been climbed before.

You don’t have to win the Boardman Tasker Prize to be a no.1 Amazon bestseller

November 26, 2016 My books and writing amazon, boardman tasker prize, everest, mountain literature, the everest politics show, travel diaries, vertebrate publishing 9 Comments

A book by a writer with no publishing company to back him up, who doesn’t give any promotional talks, and whose books have never been reviewed by a single outdoor magazine, was a no.1 bestseller last week. I have you to thank.

My new diary The Everest Politics Show is out tomorrow!

November 23, 2016 My books and writing amazon, everest, lhotse, nepal, sherpas, the everest politics show, travel diaries, travel writing 8 Comments

A quick note to let you know that those of you who pre-ordered my latest travel diary from Amazon should receive it on your Kindle tomorrow (24th). If you’ve bought it elsewhere, such as Apple iBooks or Kobo, then you should receive it on Monday, 28th.

Nawang Gombu: Heart of a Tiger

November 16, 2016 Reviews and tributes everest, himalayas, history of mountaineering, jim whittaker, mountain films, nawang gombu, sherpas, tenzing norgay 8 Comments

When I watched the documentary Nawang Gombu: The Heart of a Tiger last weekend, it had only been watched 151 times before me. This is ridiculous. It has some flaws, but it deserves to be watched more widely because of its subject matter.

The BBC Top Gear Chimborazo fiasco

November 9, 2016 Opinion and advice andes, chimborazo, ecuador, glacial erosion, mountain films, volcanoes

When I received an email from BBC Top Gear asking me whether I thought it might be possible to drive a vehicle up Chimborazo, my first reaction was to roar with laughter. But after I gave it some consideration I realised it required a better response than that.

The Ascent of Rum Doodle vs. The Ascent of Nanda Devi — how similar are they?

November 2, 2016 Reviews and tributes bill tilman, charles houston, eric shipton, himalayas, history of mountaineering, mountain literature, nanda devi, noel odell, pasang kikuli sherpa, the ascent of rum doodle, vertebrate publishing 2 Comments

Two of the best mountaineering books ever written were designed to be read side by side, but I wonder if anyone has. I set myself the challenge of reading alternate chapters of The Ascent of Nanda Devi by H.W. Tilman and The Ascent of Rum Doodle by W.E. Bowman.