Blog

As part of our #roadtoeverest series, we have updated and relaunched this blog from our archives. The original post was written by Adrian Ballinger in 2012 and has been updated to be current.

While it feels like the Alpenglow Expeditions’ Everest 2019 teams wrapped up only days ago, Alpenglow is already thinking about Everest 2020. At Alpenglow, we spend nearly the entire year building our Mt. Everest team for the spring season. Many of my discussions with climbers will focus around whether they are “ready”…

Mount Everest: 29,035 feet/8,850 meters

“Alone, high above the world, responsible for myself and my teammates, and they responsible for me.”

There is a lot of hype in the mainstream news about overcrowding and dangerously inexperienced climbers on Everest this season. There is some truth to these narratives and the recent deaths are an undeniable tragedy, but there is also more to the story. The recent post by Adrian {below} addresses some of the current issues and solutions on Everest.

“As I and my teammates sit for interview after interview about the…

Words and images by Logan Talbott

It’s adventure time.

We are ready to head to the mountain – bags are packed, jet lag has been overcome and the team is ready. These first few days here in Tanzania have been filled with incredible food, hiking through the surrounding forests, coffee plantations and lots of packing and logistics. To spice things up we’ve also received a little bit of rain for good measure.

Marjolein and Tima, the owners of the Arusha Villa have made our stay at this fantastic little hotel quite memorable. We’ve got to get to Kili before we…

Lydia and Roxanne on the summit of Everest on May 22

Sherpa Pasang and Mingma

It’s been a long season on Everest. Jet stream winds that have lingered just north of the mountain have kept most teams on both the north and south side of the mountain hunkered down, patiently waiting for winds to subside so they can safely push for the summit. That window of relatively calm winds is upon us now and our teams have made their push to the summit and back.

All Sherpa and all members from all Alpenglow…

How does one couple balance their two distinct climbing careers? We asked Emily how she and Adrian manage to make it work and how their new YouTube series, DangerStik TV, plays into the mix.

Q: You and Adrian are both working on some pretty big projects. Can you give us a rundown of what you are both working towards?

“Adrian has guided Everest every spring for the past 12 seasons. He’s there now, as an expedition leader for 40 people- basically a small village. His personal goal is to climb K2 this summer without supplemental…

Nobody blew away… but some tents at North Col Camp sure did!

As of yesterday morning (US time), all of Alpenglow’s 2019 Everest Expeditions completed their North Col rotation, despite challenging weather. Currently, we have 19 climbers on the mountain in Tibet. Our solo Lightning Ascent team member Roxanne, whose objective is to climb Everest in 14 days door-to-door from the United States, is waiting patiently in the states for a clear weather window. All teams are eagerly watching the winds and keeping an eye out for a shift in weather. With gale force winds in the…

The experience of climbing Ama Dablam, considered by many to be the most beautiful mountain on the planet, is as visually spectacular as it is physically challenging. From the trek through the lush Khumbu Valley all the way to the icy summit, climbers travel through distinct ecological zones.

After traveling from Kathmandu, the trek begins in Namche Bazaar. Over the course of 2 days, the team works their way through tea houses and beautiful meadows capped by stunning peaks as they travel up the Khumbu Valley towards Ama Dablam’s Base Camp.

Once the climbers reach base camp, the climbing demands…

This year on Everest is unique for Alpenglow Expeditions and we’re leading four different teams up the tallest mountain in the world. Each team has a different goal, and ultimately a different style in their approach. For clarity moving forward we’ve named these team as follows:

Alpenglow’s Sherpa Team and a few of our guides prior to the puja ceremony at Advanced Base Camp.

The Rapid Ascent team on their way to base camp

Rapid Ascent Team
The Rapid Ascent team consists of 5 members, Caroline, Rob, Jim, Christina, and Kara. These strong climbers are…

“Just another roadside view across the Tibetan Plateau. Mellow. @ladzinski on the drone with @erichroepke@estebantopomena @roam en route to Everest.”

When @coryrichards in on your team, you can count on seeing some gorgeous photos and videos of the expedition!

Thousands of pounds of duffle bags packed and ready to go!

On Saturday, the Alpenglow #Everest2019 team loaded thousands of pounds of gear in trucks and began a 300+ mile procession across the Tibetan Plateau towards Everest Base Camp. Over the course of 3 days, they are traveling from Lhasa to Tingri, the last stop before base camp.…

Carla Perez is the first South American woman to summit Everest without supplemental oxygen. Worldwide, in the entire history of climbing Everest, only seven women have ever accomplished this feat. Carla is currently en route to Everest, traveling from Quito, Ecuador all the way to Everest Base Camp in Tibet. She and Chad Peele will be guiding our main team, Everest Rapid Ascent, this spring. We caught up with her for an interview and she gave us the scoop on her upcoming adventures.

The last light of the day on the top of the world, Mount Everest

Q:…

En route to Wahoo Gullies in the Bishop zone. Buttermilk road ends and the trek continues along the dirt road until you hit the snow.

On Tuesday, the Department of Water Resources measured the Sierra Nevada snowpack at 161% of average, the fourth best reading in 40 years. This is good news as it relates to California’s water supply, but before that snowpack melts out, we plan to ski it!

Skiing in April and May is our reward for enduring winter’s heavy storms. When…

Dave Nettle’s signature grin

Professional mountain guides are integral to educating mountain travelers and safely leading adventures into the mountain ranges of the world. We sat down with veteran ski guide Dave Nettle to ask him a few questions about the value in hiring a professional mountain guide in the context of backcountry skiing. 

-What are the benefits of hiring a mountain guide for backcountry skiing or riding?

When anyone goes into the backcountry the first considerations are usually, “where do I go and where are the best and safest conditions?” A guide dials in these…