author, mountaineering writer – books, blog, opinion
There was another big controversy on Manaslu this year. It was widely reported that record numbers reached the summit, but it now appears that a problem with the rope fixing meant that the majority didn’t reach the main summit at all, but one of the two foresummits.
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I became an indie author almost by accident. I uploaded some of my travel diaries to Amazon, and much to my surprise, people bought them. I’m much more professional now. I’ve been blogging for five years, and this has enabled me to find my voice and improve as a writer.
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It’s been aaaages since I last published a travel diary; more than two years, in fact. But I’m pleased to announce The Everest Politics Show, the diary of my traumatic expedition to Lhotse in 2014, is now available for pre-order from Amazon, iBooks, Kobo and Barnes and Noble.
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The American operator Alpenglow is pioneering a new approach to Himalayan mountaineering with its Rapid Ascent trips. These expeditions are unaffordable to most ordinary people, but I believe it won’t be long before cheaper operators follow suit.
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When Bill Tilman travelled to the Pakistan Karakoram in 1937, he hoped to solve two unexplained geographical riddles: the existence of an icecap in Central Asia, and a glacier without any river outlet. He relished the opportunity to prove the scientists wrong.
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The summit of Monte Corvo is my favourite view in the whole of Gran Sasso. There is a real sense of space, and to the east is a multitude of rocky summits, emerald green basins and horseshoe ridges, with many summits to explore.
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When I first became aware of a crowdfunded appeal to search for two climbers who had been missing for days on a remote peak in Pakistan, my immediate impression was that it was both desperate and futile. Not everyone saw it that way, and what happened next was remarkable.
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Why does The Guardian so often commission people who haven’t got a clue about Everest to write self-righteous opinion pieces about it, instead of asking someone knowledgeable to write them instead? It’s an exercise in shit stirring that achieves nothing useful.
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There are not many films about mountaineering that tackle questions about risk and death by trying to understand rather than by being evasive or dismissive. It’s a dark and poignant film, but it’s also thought-provoking and worth watching for its interesting characters.
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In another setting Pizzo d’Intermesoli would be a jewel among mountains, but standing alongside Corno Grande it gets forgotten about. It was time we paid a visit to this hidden gem nestling among Gran Sasso’s rock towers.
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