Who else can you discuss summiting Mt. Everest and dodging polar bears with other than Ryan Waters, of Mountain Professionals?

I grabbed Ryan just before he left for Everest 2021. We talked about Everest, of course, and COVID, quarantine, and the confusion around photographs taking and sharing. But we also went into his polar trips to the North and South Poles and his encounters with Polar Bears!!! Scary stuff!!

An informative and inspirational interview with something for everyone. Enjoy!

You can follow his climb on his site. I will be covering Ryan and all the action on Everest this spring on my Blog.

It's rare to catch Maya Sherpa for an interview but I did as she was leaving for a double 8000-meter climb of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri. She holds the record for most 8000ers for a Nepali female at 6 with Everest, Lhotse, Manaslu, Kanchcunga, Cho Oyu, and K2.

We talked out how a girl from rural Nepal broke into the male-dominated world of mountaineering, not only as a climber but also as a guide. She talked about her now 11-year-old daughter and how she wants to use their climbing to inspire others, especially this next generation of young ladies.

An informative and inspirational interview with something for everyone. Enjoy!

You can follow her climb on Facebook. I will be covering Maya and all the action on the 8000ers and Everest this spring on my Blog.

As I covered in a recent post, Everest 2021 is coming on soon. There are questions as to whether operators should run their programs at all. Many are moving forward but a few are not. I discuss the situation with Mark Gunlogson, Mountain Madness who has canceled his expedition from the Nepal side this spring. They are running a fundraiser with partners who will provide matching funds to support vaccinations in Nepal. We also explore MM's other trips around the world.

As I covered in a recent post, Everest 2021 is coming on soon. There are questions as to whether operators should run their programs at all. Many are moving forward but a few are not.  I discuss the situation with Adrian Ballinger, founder of Alpenglow Expeditions who has canceled his expedition from the Tibet side this spring. We also talk about the historic K2 Winter summit.

As I covered in a recent post, Everest 2021 is coming on soon. There are questions as to whether operators should run their programs at all. A few have canceled their Everest '21, but many, including Asian Trekking, are moving forward with confidence.  

Early reports suggest Nepal could issue well over 300 foreigner permits, high but under the record 382 in 2019. Also, it appears that COVD is slowing in Nepal, with over one-third of the population to be vaccinated by April.  

I discussed the situation with Dawa Steven Sherpa, Asian Trekking - CEO, which will run their EcoEverest expedition from the Nepal side this spring. We cover many topics from COVID in Nepal, Everest, trash, skydiving, and mountain biking plus K2.   

If you don't know who Asian Trekking is, let me give a brief intro. Established in 1982 by Ang Tshering Sherpa, his family had already been involved in mountain expeditions for many years. Ang Tshering's father, Konchok Chumbi Sherpa, was a friend of Sir Edmund Hillary and helped him prepare for Everest's ascent in 1953. Konchok Chumbi was also involved in the planning and supplied the porters and equipment for the 1963 American Everest Expedition. 

In 2007 Dawa Steven Sherpa, Ang Tshering's son took over the business deftly, leading the enterprise into the modern age of mountaineering. Dawa is no stranger to adventure with three Everest summits, plus summits on four other 8000ers. He completed the 3,000-mile Great Himalayan Trail in 99 days, is an avid skydiver, and recently rode his mountain bike from Kala Patar to Namche Bazaar! 

Dawa has overseen or personally led over 150 people to Everest's summit and championed massive trash cleanup operations throughout the Himalayas, especially Everest. He is also a climate change ambassador for WWF and patron of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Nepal. His mother is from Belgium. Dawa grew up in Nepal with an international influence, speaking five languages. 

Note, I will be covering all the action on Everest this spring on my Blog.

It's not often I get to interview a former NFL player and an NFL Head Coach. In this sprawling interview with Mark Pattison and Jim Moro, we cover Mark's upcoming climb of Everest.   

Mark spent five years as an NFL player at the wide receiver position with the then, Los Angeles Raiders, LA Rams, and New Orleans Saints before becoming a very successful business person after football. Growing up in the Pacifica Northwest, he was surrounded by mountaineering legends like Whitaker and Viesturs so as he pondered a big, ambitious project, he focused on the Seven Summits. Now, with six of the seven completed, he will attempt Everest then Lhotse with Madison Mountaineering this spring. Mark has a very successful Podcast and raises money for many charities including Higher Ground on behalf of his daughter, Emilia, who has epilepsy.  

Jim Mora and Mark met in High School and have been close friends ever since. Jim is currently a college football analyst for Sports Illustrated and Fox Sports. For 25 years, he was a coach in the college ranks, including at UCLA, plus the NFL including stints as the Head Coach of the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks. Jim is helping his friend train for Everest from their respective homes in Idaho.

The Everest 2021 season is about a month away and operators are busy buying, packing, and preparing for a safe season. This year, only the Nepal side will be climbed since China closed their side due to COVID.  I reached out to Lukas Furtenbach, of Austrian-based Furtenbach Adventures to discuss the season. We covered a lot of topics but dug deeply into his impressive use of technology to keep his clients safe. We covered:  Preparing for the upcoming season Status climbing in Tibet this spring and autumn Furtenbach's COVID safety plans for EBC and high camps How you are using advanced technology altitude tents for pre-acclimatization oxygen delivery Biometric tracking You can follow their climb on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I will be covering Lukas and all the action on Everest this spring on my Blog.