Stories: Everest
Mountain adventures create the best stories, and we want to share some of ours with you. Dive into Alpenglow Stories to stay up to date on expeditions in the field, read blogs, and get tips and tricks from guides.
Adrian Ballinger on Everest, Ethics, & Unexplored Places (Ep.313)
Mt. Everest: for some people, it still represents the holy grail of adventure. For others, it conjures up images of long queues, lots of trash, and a tourism industry that has gotten out of hand. So what is the truth about Everest, and why does it generate such strong feelings for so many of us? Our guest today is Adrian Ballinger, a climber, skier, mountain guide, and the founder and CEO of Alpenglow Expeditions. In this conversation, Adrian does an outstanding job of explaining the multiple sides of Everest, and the many different ways to approach it.
Read the story
Episode 05: Adrian Ballinger – Everest Season Recap
After full team success on Mt. Everest for the Alpenglow Expeditions crew, Adrian and Sam connect in person to recap the season.
Read the story
Mt. Everest North Side 2024 Update: ABC to Summit!
Follow the 2024 Everest North Side Expedition team as they climb from Advanced Base Camp to the Summit.
Read the story
Episode 04: Adrian Ballinger – Live from Everest Base Camp
Episode 4 comes to you straight from Everest Base Camp! Sam and Adrian catch up and discuss what has been 4-years in the making: Alpenglow Expeditions’ return to the north side of Mt. Everest since the closure as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Read the story
California climbers train for Mt. Everest from the comfort of their own beds
Ballinger is also pioneering a technique he calls “rapid ascent,” which cuts the duration of the expedition roughly in half: from about two months to about one. That suits his clients, who usually have more spare money than time. And it buys Ballinger more time to spend at home with his wife and newborn son.
Read the story
Everest North Side: A Climbers’ Guide
After four years of COVID closures, the north side of Everest is finally open this season to foreign expeditions. Among the limited number of teams granted a climbing permit is Alpenglow Expeditions, led by American climber and skier Adrian Ballinger, who couldn’t be happier to be back on what he considers the safest side of Everest by far.
Read the story
China reopens Mount Everest access to foreigners
For the first time since the pandemic, China is allowing foreign climbers to access Mount Everest via Tibet. Adrian Ballinger, who has summited Everest eight times, is one of the Western guides who prefers the Tibet route to the top of the world’s tallest mountain (from the north), as opposed to the more well-known Nepal route (from the south). This year, he will lead a group of climbers through his company, Alpenglow Expeditions.
Read the story
How to Climb Mt. Everest Sustainably and Ethically
KQED talks to Adrian Ballinger about what draws hundreds of climbers to attempt to summit Mt. Everest every year, how to climb ethically and sustainably as ever more visitors descend on the mountain and what it feels like to be on top of the tallest peak in the world.
Read the story
Five Expeditions Before Climbing Everest with Topo Mena
Now that Everest season is in full swing, this week we connected with IFMGA-certified Alpenglow guide Esteban ‘Topo’ Mena to talk about five expeditions that are perfect for building the experience necessary to climb the tallest mountain in the world.
Read the story
Why Hire an IFMGA-Certified Guide for Climbing 8000-Meter Peaks?
In high altitude environments, having a skilled and experienced guide is not just beneficial: it’s crucial for ensuring safety and success. This is where the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA) certification comes into play, providing assurance and expertise to stack every card in your favor while climbing at 8,000 meters.
Read the story