All About Everest Podcast - Stories, History, and Challenges from the World’s Tallest Mountain

I have put together a list of questions that any mountaineer should be asking when choosing an expedition company for Mt. Everest. Noone should be afraid of asking the hard questions because choosing the right company can make the difference between life and death.

Today's episode is about the GOAT and legend Reinhold Messner. One day I will interview him for the podcast. He is on my list. Messner is considered by many one of the greatest mountaineers of all time.

Want to get outside more? Check out my free 5-Day Get Outside More Challenge, enrolment opens the 1st of each month and the challenge starts the 2nd Monday of each month. Come and join the fun.

Update on the tragedies on Shishapangma and in Israel. The tragedy in Israel has affected the Israeli climbers Aviad Sido and Nadav Ben Yehuda. Today's episode is an opinion piece. Based on what has been happening over the last few years. it seems that those who are looking for records are putting themselves and others at risk because they are prioritizing records over safety. I give 2 examples, including last week's deaths on Shish of the American women Gina Rzucidlo and Anna Gutu.

I'm doing something different today and am answering the reader's questions sent to me via email or messenger. It's a bit of a mixed bag, either personal questions to me or my opinions on several topics. AT the end, I do jump on my soapbox for a minute regarding the responsibility of expedition companies and an example of why I think they are the reason for deaths on Everest.

Today's episode (sorry it's late) is about the top ten historical events and expeditions that have shaped Mt. Everest. As I was going through all the seasons, I realized that these events and expeditions have really shaped the current climbing culture on the mountain. As I go in chronological order, I can see how previous years have changed the climbing in the years following the expedition or event. I discuss the following years: 1924, 1953, 1996, 2006, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020 and 2023.

If you are a listener experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder, please seek help. This is a real disorder and there are medical professionals that can provide help.

Two of these facts are a little different, including number 1 (I couldn't resist because of the running joke about pronunciation on this podcast) and number 10. I am working on some projects and trying to rearrange my workload after changes in the day job so not interview this week. Tell in the comments on Spotify or on Social Media, who would you like to hear on the podcast. Are there any topics you would like me to cover? Everest season is right around the corner.

Today's interview was with Samina Baig, the first Pakistani woman to summit Mt. Everest and the first Pakistani woman to summit the 7 Summits. This episode was joyful. We talk about the barriers to mountaineering, her journey to climbing Mt. Everest, and her accomplishments since then. We also talk about her new travel company and the work that she and her brother do towards getting youth into the outdoors. Samina talks about how K2 was her hardest peak and how Denali was challenging, and what she plans on doing next.

Her travel company can be found at https://saminabaigtravels.com and Samina and Mirza's outdoor outreach program is https://www.pakistanyouthoutreach.com.

Though I covered this before, I wanted to go back and focus on why people died and how it could be prevented. At the time, 1996 was the deadliest year with the most fatal day and the deadliest season. 15 people died that year, 12 of them during the Spring season. I also talk about how safety has improved since then and how deaths on Everest have a spiderweb effect. I covered more in-depth in 2022 the actual detailed story of all of the deaths and the individuals.

Follow me on social media @allabouteverest or @mamabearoutdoors, email [email protected]

I interviewed Saskia Van Der Drift about participating the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon in 2022. It is the highest marathon in the world! We talk about the cost, the routes, and how she trains at sea level for this high-altitude marathon. It occurs every year on May 29, the anniversary of the first summit of Mt. Everest.

Follow me on social media @allabouteverest or @mamabearoutdoors, email [email protected]

Today's episode is an interview with Guy Cotter, CEO of adventure consultants who has been mountaineering and guiding for over 3 decades. We talk about him starting out as a mountaineer, becoming a guide, and then becoming the CEO of Adventure Consultants. We talk about how mountaineering has changed, the good and the ugly on Everest, and his book coming out in the fall: "Everest Mountain Guide: The Remarkable Story of a Kiwi Mountaineer". We also talk about Rob Hall. One of my favorite parts about this interview is Guy's tenacity and how he deals with the ups and downs, especially when it comes to the death of his mentors and COVID.

Follow me on social media @allabouteverest or @mamabearoutdoors, email [email protected]