Mark Horrell's Blog, page 38

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...

Vanity has been dogging Everest expeditions since 1972

Mount Everest … forbidding, aloof, terrifying

In such freezing, adverse conditions, man comes very close to breaking point. What was the real cause of the disharmony which destroyed their chances of success?

That got your attention I hope. Ever since I saw this headline in Kathmandu news portal República, I’ve been determined to use the word dogging in the title of a blog post.

Today’s Everest climbers are often compared unfavourably with the heroic expeditions of the past. There is a popular...

What does the Nepal Mountaineering Association do?

In last week’s post I mentioned that a change in the rules governing climbing permits has deprived the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) of a significant part of its annual budget. In this week’s post I will look in more detail at the work of the NMA to give a better idea of what programmes will be affected and what this change is likely to mean for mountain tourism in Nepal.

The NMA was established as a non-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO) in 1973, with the initial aim of tra...

Death of the Nepal trekking peaks?

“I feel that the full potential of these eighteen mountains has not been realised.” Jimmy Roberts, Foreword to The Trekking Peaks of Nepal by Bill O’Connor

Earthquakes, fuel strikes and the usual vacuous announcements about Everest have been dominating the news agenda about Nepal over the last few weeks and months. It’s hardly surprising that a seemingly obscure directive from Nepal’s tourism ministry to its principal mountaineering organisation has largely gone unnoticed.

But if you’re inter...

An early history of the 8000m peaks: Mummery, Crowley and the Duke of Abruzzi

The fourteen peaks over 8000 metres have enjoyed a special status throughout the 20th century and were subject to many races to climb them. In the first of a short series of posts about their early history I introduce three memorable characters.

Albert Mummery, the Alpine Pioneer Albert Mummery, a true pioneer in the Alps, but not so hot in the Himalayas (Photo: Martin Jacolette)

The first man to attempt an 8,000er was the British climber Albert Mummery, who attempted 8125m Nanga Parbat in th...