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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Mt. Everest North Side 2024 Update: The Team Has Arrived in Advanced Base Camp
As our 2024 Mount Everest North Side Rapid Ascent Expedition begins, we’ll be posting a series of blogs throughout the climb with updates straight from the mountainside.
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Everest Season Kicks Off with New Rules, Big Crowds, and Poop Bags
The number of climbing permits issued by Nepal is down from 2023 as some expeditions have headed to China. But there’s bound to be drama on the world’s highest peak as climbers adjust to new regulations governing pollution and safety.
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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.
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The Practical Path: Climb Cho Oyu Before Everest
For ambitious mountaineers eyeing the world’s tallest peaks, the decision to tackle Everest is a monumental one. At Alpenglow Expeditions, we require that our Everest team members have prior experience on at least one 8,000-meter peak before joining an Everest expedition, and we almost always recommend Cho Oyu as a stepping stone. Here’s why climbing Cho Oyu first makes practical sense.
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Age Is Just A Number: Training for Everest Base Camp at 68
In February 2023, Robert Kyte of Alpenglow asked his dad, who turned 68 in 2023, to trek to Everest Base Camp in March 2024. With the help of Lynette Talbott of Billy Goat Swift, Alpenglow’s in-house expedition trainer, and many months of hard work and dedication, John Kyte trekked to Everest Base Camp in March 2024.
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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.
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