Mark Horrell's Blog, page 19
August 21, 2019
What was the highest mountain in the world before Everest was discovered?
Yes, I know that a number of pedants will read the title of this blog post and mutter under their breaths with a shrug of indignation:
‘What was the highest mountain in the world before Everest was discovered? Why, Everest of course. It was still the highest mountain in the world, even if nobody who knew of its existence knew how high it was.’
But for every 50 pedants who read this blog (yes, I’m afraid the ratio will be that high) there will be at least one metaphysician who will answer:
‘If...
August 14, 2019
The Ring of Steall: a Scottish hill walking classic
As Edita and I scrambled along the Carn Mor Dearg (CMD) Arête in May, on our way up Ben Nevis by its most interesting walking route, we looked south across Glen Nevis into a hidden sanctuary of verdant pasture. Nestling high above the valley was a not-so-secret corrie encircled by mountains. Although we couldn’t see it much of it from where we stood, this corrie had a single outlet which channelled its rainfall over a steep northern wall, where it formed a mighty waterfall.
The Ring of Steall...
August 7, 2019
The only video on YouTube of the whole Antisana climb
In September 2017, Edita and I were sitting in the dining room of Refugio Carrel, Ecuador, the evening before our second Chimborazo climb. Our guide Romel introduced us to another guide, a cheerful character with big glasses. As we shook hands it occurred to me that he looked familiar.
‘Haven’t we climbed together before?’ I said.
He didn’t hesitate.
‘Of course, Antisana 2009. I remember your video. It’s the only video on YouTube of the whole Antisana climb.’
His name was Ramiro, and he was o...
July 31, 2019
In memoriam: Jeremy “Bunter” Anson, who put Twixes on the Himalayan map
Please forgive the indulgence, but in this week’s post I would like to spend a few minutes remembering a mountaineering friend of mine who passed away last month. He is not someone you will have heard of, nor anyone especially accomplished in the mountains, but I believe that it’s important to remember such people just as much as those who are considered more exceptional – for these are the people most like ourselves.
In 2007 I quit my job and joined an expedition to Tibet that was to change...
July 24, 2019
My journey along the Great Glen Way on a mountain bike
I know that a few keen cyclists read this blog, so it’s time for another one of those posts that will have you all gently shaking your heads in disbelief.
A couple of months ago, I went mountain biking for the very first time. For those of you who prefer more mundane activities, mountain biking is to cycling what shopping in Aldi is to buying your groceries. In other words, depending on whether you enjoy the activity in question, it either makes it a more exciting experience, or more difficul...
July 17, 2019
Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo is OUT NOW, but why did it take so long?
Those of you who have been kind enough to pre-order Feet and Wheels to Chimborazo hopefully saw it appear on your devices sometime last week.
It was the first week of August 2017 that Edita and I set off from Inverness on pushbikes for our warm up lap around the North Coast 500. This means that the entire project, from push off to launch has taken less than two years. I still have a little more work to do to release the paperback edition, but that shouldn’t be too long now either.
Here it is,...
July 10, 2019
An interview with … Mark Horrell (and why not)
Last month I broke the habit of a lifetime and gave an interview to the mainstream media about Everest. Now I can’t claim to be fighting off interviews with a sawn-off oxygen cylinder, but I do get a handful every year. I always say no. It’s a habit that started after the 2014 season, when journalists were competing to write the most insulting pieces they could about Everest climbers. The nadir was this shocker by Tanya Gold, which was so radioactive that they will be rebuilding hospitals in...
July 3, 2019
Monte Camicia and the last snow of spring
Yes, I know what some of you will be thinking. We are well and truly in the summer now. Heat has been blasting across Europe like the roar of a flame thrower. Much of Spain is on fire. Parisians are melting like ice cream in the heat. The citizens of Rome feel like they have detached from the earth and are drifting towards the sun. Even in London we are stepping outside to be greeted with a blast of hot air, like walking into a politicians’ debating chamber (but without the accompanying waft...
June 26, 2019
Is it time to boycott the south side of Everest?
Most readers of this blog will be aware that there were one or two problems on Everest this year. These problems have existed for many years, but they have now reached such a degree, with no end in sight, that it’s now time for everyone involved in the Everest industry to re-think how they operate. For many of these people there is a radical but simple solution.
Most of you will have seen THAT photo taken by the Nepali climber Nirmal Purja. I’m not going to publish it here, for reasons I won’...
June 19, 2019
Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain, via the CMD Arête
Many of you will have been aware of the negative press about Everest last month, when a photograph of a queue of climbers on the Hillary Step was published on most of the world’s websites (or so it seemed).
Despite having climbed Everest myself on the day that previously held the record for the most number of successful ascents (19 May 2012, when 234 of us reached the top, in case you’re wondering), I didn’t comment on the photograph. For one reason, these stories have been around for a few y...
