Everest Summit Season
The season for summiting Everest is almost here, in fact there are already some expeditions waiting for good weather to take their shot at the worlds highest mountain. For those interested www.mounteverest.net is the best place for up to date news this climbing season. Last year was one of Everest’s worst with 11 deaths and you can surely remember the rucous about mountain ethics in the media in it’s wake and rightly so, over 480 people summited last year so you can imagine how crowded the mountain is these days, yet some are prepared to leave others to die when rescues are more realistic than ever.
This year I hope for a much safer season where hopefully the stories from the mountain will more more like the SuperSherpa expedition where Apa Sherpa the man who has stood on the top of the world a record 16 times and Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa, who has summited Mt. Everest in the record time of 10 hours, 56 minutes, and 46 seconds will attempt to summit for a combined 30 Everest Summits, the expedition’s aim is to highlight the role of the Sherpa’s and the Nepali people in the history of foreign Summits, including probably the first summit by Mallory and Tenzing Norgay.
Unfortunately there is already bad news with a Sherpa being the first victim of Everest this season.
[tags]Mountain Climbing, Everest, Sherpa, Nepal[/tags]
Popularity: 21% [?]
I’m just a daydreaming armchair mountain climber, but I love everything about Everest. Did you see the Discovery Channel’s (in the U.S. anyway) show last year “Everest: Beyond the Limit”? I couldn’t get enough. I’m hoping it wasn’t just a one-off mini-series and that they’re filming again this season.
Great article! I’d suggest also checking in with some other sites as well for Everest climbing news and great discussions:
The Adventurist: http://thehendricksreport.wordpress.com/
Climbing @ Alan Arnette:
http://www.alanarnette.com/index.php
The Adventure Blog:
http://theadventureblog.blogspot.com/
All are great sites offering interesting commentary and good information.
You might also want to visit my website - http://www.mountainworldproductions.com - and my blog - http://mountainworld.typepad.com - for more info on Everest and its history.
And, Mike - good news for you. Discovery is filming a follow-up to “Everest: Beyond the Limit” - so stay tuned for more!
All the best,
Jake Norton
I’m much the same, I’ve never been on a mountain in snow like that although that’ll probably change this year with winter just around the corner now that I have some warm gear. Not sure if DC showed that here in Oz but if they did I don’t have SatTV to watch it anyway
The Sherpa death upsets me a great deal. One third of all deaths on Everest have been Sherpas, yet they get so little recognition. that’s why I wrote Beyond the Summit, to let the world have an intimate look at this amazing tribe. Details of Sherpa culture and religion are interwoven in a tale of romance and high adventure. The story has something for everyone: a love affair between an American journalist and Sherpa guide, conflict between generations as the modern world challenges centuries of tradition, an expedition from the porter’s point of view.
Below are selections from reviews. To read the complete ones and excerpts go to http://www.beyondthesummit-novel.com
Beyond the Summit, is the rare gem that shows us the triumphs and challenges of a major climb from the porter’s point of view. The love of two people from diverse cultures is the fiery centerpiece of a novel that leads its readers through harshly beautiful and highly dangerous territory to the roof of the world. Malcolm Campbell, book reviewer
Conflict and dialog keep this gripping story of destiny, romance and adventure moving from the first page to the last paragraph. LeBlanc has a genius for bonding her readers and her characters. I found I was empathizing in turn with each character as they faced their own personal crisis or trauma.
Richard Blake for Readers Views.
A gripping, gut-twisting expedition through the eyes of a porter reveals the heart and soul of Sherpas living in the shadows of Everest. EverestNews.com
A hard-hitting blend of adventure and romance which deserves a spot in any serious fiction collection. Midwest Book Review
LeBlanc is equally adept at describing complex, elusive emotions and the beautiful, terrifying aspect of the Himalayan Mountains. Boulder Daily Camera
LeBlanc’s vivid description of the Himalayas and the climbing culture makes this a powerful read. Rocky Mt News Pick of the Week
A rich adventure into the heart of the Himalayan Kingdom. Fantastic story-telling from one who has been there. USABookNews.com
This is the book to read before you embark on your pilgrimage to Nepal. The author knows and loves the people and the country, and makes you feel the cold thin air, the hard rocks of the mountains, the tough life of the Sherpa guides, and you learn to love them too. This is a higly literate, but also very readable book. Highly recommended.”
– John (college professor)
Memorable characters and harrowing encounters with the mountains keep the action moving with a vibrant balance of vivid description and dialogue. Literary Cafe Host, Healdsburg, CA
This superbly-crafted novel will land you in a world of unimaginable beauty, adventure, and romance. The love story will keep you awake at night with its vibrant tension and deep rich longing. Wick Downing, author of nine novels
The book is available from amazon.com, chesslerbooks.com, Barnes & Noble and Borders Stores, and the web site for an autographed copy.