edmund hillary

After six years of heavy breathing, lolling tongues, hard swallowing and occasional salivation, I’ve finally finished narrating and publishing all my books as audiobooks. The very last one, The Baruntse Adventure, went live last month on all the main channels, including Audible, iTunes and Spotify.

There are a lot of adjectives in the title of this post. What does it mean, precisely? There was a time in history when neither Everest nor the other 10 highest mountains in the world had been climbed. What was the highest mountain ever climbed back in those days? And what was the one before that? If you’re intrigued to find out then read on

On 7 August, an earthquake in the Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho, caused a famous rock feature known as Baron Spire, affectionately known as Old Smoothie, to collapse. It also caused a man to shoot a video with the most entertaining commentary ever recorded.

I am giving away a signed copy of my book The Baruntse Adventure to three lucky people who are willing to help me out by posting a review.

A quick book update. I’m in the process of publishing revised editions of the Footsteps on the Mountain Travel Diaries. The revised digital edition of The Baruntse Adventure is available now at a bargain price from the main online bookstores.

Here at the Footsteps on the Mountain blog, we try to take a look at the quirkier side of mountaineering by highlighting stories that don’t get much attention elsewhere. I bet you can’t think of a single fish that has scaled Everest, but there are a few.

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.

Cho Oyu is generally considered the most achievable 8000m peak for amateurs to climb. Despite this, even the best mountaineers have had difficulties climbing it, and two of the early expeditions there experienced contrasting fortunes.

There are rumours that the iconic Hillary Step, Everest’s most feared obstacle on summit day, collapsed in last year’s earthquake, and has become little more than an easy snow slope. Can it be true? I examine the evidence.

I completed a long-held ambition when I stayed at the Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel, at the foot of the Pen-y-Pass on the flanks of Snowdon. Staying for a couple of nights in a hotel may not sound like much of an achievement, but this one is extra special.

The world’s first (and best!) audiobook about climbing Baruntse

A chronological list of the 10 highest confirmed mountain summits ever climbed

If you climb a peak that collapses in an earthquake, did you still climb it?

Win a signed copy of The Baruntse Adventure

Revised edition of The Baruntse Adventure available from all good e-bookstores

7 fish who climbed Everest

The Guardian prints another self-righteous opinion piece about Everest by some couch potato

Comparing Hillary’s and Tichy’s ascents of Cho Oyu

Did Everest’s Hillary Step collapse in the Nepal earthquake?

Snowdon’s Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel: a little piece of Everest history