Mark Horrell's Blog, page 37

An early history of the 8000m peaks: the Sherpa contribution

This is the second in a short series of posts about the early history of the 8000m peaks. In the first post I introduced three memorable characters. In this, the second post, I look at the Sherpa contribution.

The Himalayan Tigers

The surge in Himalayan expeditions in the 1920s and 1930s created a need to provide reliable staff and supplies, and a handful of notable Himalayan explorers set up the Himalayan Club in 1927. The club was based in Simla in the Himalayan foothills north of Delhi, an...

My review of Sherpa – Trouble on Everest

I expect not too many people have found themselves in a movie theatre watching a two-hour film about a real life drama for which they have been an eyewitness. In December I had that experience for the first, and perhaps the only, time in my life.

Sherpa was released in a few select cinemas here in the UK just before Christmas. It kind of slipped past the radar and didn’t get much coverage in the press. The day before I left for Ecuador I managed to catch a matinee screening at the Bertha Doch...

Vesuvius and the Path of the Gods

When I was in Ecuador last month I heard all about last year’s eruption on Cotopaxi. Although its last major eruption was in 1904, and there weren’t too many signs of activity when I peered down into the crater in 2010, there had been numerous warning signs.

In February it started smoking, and shortly afterwards the smell of sulphur became much stronger. By June the inside of the crater contained a great deal of water from the melting ice, and in August the volcano finally erupted. Debris bel...

5 reasons to buy the paperback of Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest

Yes, that’s right – Seven Steps from Snowdon to Everest, the story of my ten-year journey from hill walker to Everest climber is out now in paperback. You can see a list of stores where you can buy it here.

The paperback is available through Amazon initially. I will be expanding the reach over the next few weeks and adding more book stores to the list as it becomes available elsewhere. You can sign up to my mailing list to be kept up to date.

But why should you give a toss? Here are five reas...

Chimborazo: the furthest mountain from the centre of the Earth

Exotic locations often have dubious superlatives applied to them, sometimes with little or no attempt at verification. The highest, the biggest, the oldest, the longest, the deepest: you see it all the time when you’re travelling. The highest pass and highest lake are two examples I’ve seen applied to various features that probably wouldn’t even make it into the top ten of their true lists.

Chimborazo in Ecuador is definitely the highest mountain in the world

When travelling in Ecuador, I was...

Peak bagging on the Equator

You can’t go far wrong with Ecuador if you’re into peak bagging: 28 volcanoes of various shapes and sizes, some lovely views and nice haciendas to relax at in between.

I went there six years ago and had a very successful trip, climbing five peaks, including two of its four big glaciated volcanoes, Antisana and Cotopaxi. But I didn’t climb the biggest mountain, Chimborazo, because it was in poor condition that year.

It was Edita’s first visit to Ecuador, but she has friends there who are mount...

My 5 most epic mountain days

Have you ever been so exhausted on a mountain that you wish you could crawl back down?

Have you worn a pack on your back that’s felt like a church organ, with a long descent ahead of you to reach the safety of camp?

Have you ever tried lowering your pack on a rope to see if it’s easier?

Does any of this sound familiar: (i) your knees don’t feel like lifting any more, (ii) the slope looks 30 degrees steeper than it did on the way up, (iii) the welcoming hut far beneath you is still the size of...

Cayambe and Chimborazo: Why Ecuador’s volcanoes are worth a second visit

I ended my Ecuador diary In the Footsteps of Whymper with the following paragraph:

It’s an enjoyable end to a very successful trip. I know Quito a lot better after today, and I feel sure I will come back to Ecuador some day.

This was no throwaway line. I loved the open geography of Ecuador’s central highlands, a high-altitude landscape of free-standing volcanoes. I’ve remarked before how its mountains provide a good introduction to mountaineering. Many of the peaks are easy day hikes, while t...

Nepal announces cuts to Sherpa safety to attract more tourists

Sorry, it’s another rant this week – I hope you don’t mind!

I’m slightly wary of blogging about announcements by the Nepalese government, given their history of making statements that have as much chance of happening as Donald Trump winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

I’m also conscious that Nepal is currently experiencing a politically-motivated border blockade that is depriving the country of vital imports, including fuel, medical supplies, food, and humanitarian aid destined for those still aff...

A stroll up Monte Terminillo and the Elephant Mountain

This time of year you can see snow-capped mountains from Rome. Monte Terminillo stood 70km away as we drove up Rome’s outer ring road, in the northeast corner of Italy’s Lazio region. It would have been a fairly innocuous bump on a mountainous horizon were it not for the snow. Now the white glaze caused it to stand out from its neighbours.

We didn’t know it was Terminillo when we first saw it, but it remained in front of us for almost our entire journey, and eventually we were certain it was...