Mark Horrell's Blog, page 40

My 5 wettest mountain adventures

(NB. Scotland doesn’t count)

I expect most of us have experienced it at some time in our lives: escaping the office for a few weeks of sunshine, only to end up somewhere wetter than a haddock’s bathing costume.

For those of us who travel to the mountains for enjoyment, it’s not uncommon to spend a full day cowering inside a tent while snow pounds on the roof, but these moments are tempered when we emerge the following morning into a wonderland of white.

Rain is a different matter. Nobody like...

The Corno Grande aperitivo: highest mountain in the Apennines

In previous posts I’ve written about our efforts to climb some peaks in the Apennines earlier this year, including two attempts on the highest mountain in peninsula Italy, 2912m Corno Grande, once from the north side and again from the south, and an attempt on 2348m Monte Sirente.

Although these were enjoyable reconnaissance climbs, we failed to reach the summit of either peak for reasons which can broadly put down to the snow conditions. The Apennines in that part of Italy (Abruzzo) receive...

Sunshine and optimism in the High Pamirs: my attempt on Peak Lenin

If I’d known about the climbing history of 7134m Peak Lenin in the Central Asian Pamirs, then I might have thought twice about going there. But before I go on to describe two of history’s lesser known but biggest mountaineering disasters, I’m going to start with some good news and some background.

Lying on the border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Peak Lenin was first discovered in 1871 by the Russian naturalist and explorer Alexei Fedchenko, who was to die on Mont Blanc two years later. He di...

Walking the Aran Ridge, another Snowdonia secret

It’s years since I last visited the southern part of Snowdonia, and I was long overdue a return. In 2008 I stood at the far end of the northeast terrace of Cadair Idris, Snowdonia’s most southerly mountain, and gazed across emerald farmland to a range of hills on the eastern horizon that appeared to be higher. At 907m Aran Fawddwy is the highest peak in the United Kingdom south of Snowdon itself. In 2011 I saw these hills again from a distance during a two-day backpacking trip to the Rhinogs....

To climb or not to climb? Those last 50 metres

When you've put so much time, money and physical commitment into a climb, it's never easy to turn around just fifty metres from the top. Here are some stories from Aconcagua which help to shed light on when that decision should be made. Continue reading

Nepal earthquake gets the BBC Panorama treatment

I was a little apprehensive when I heard there was a BBC Panorama documentary about the Nepal earthquake called Disaster on Everest, by a journalist who accompanied climbers to Base Camp. I need not have worried. Continue reading

Is disaster reporting becoming too violent?

After two major tragedies on Everest in the last two years, which generated worldwide media interest, I have found myself reading increasingly violent reports, with explicit descriptions of injuries and upsetting photographs. Continue reading

An extraordinary case of mountaineering integrity

With a drip feed of FIFA corruption allegations hitting the headlines, I've decided to use this week's blog post to highlight a case of sporting integrity beyond the call of duty, and in doing so salute Italian mountaineers. Continue reading

Everest 2014-15: A personal tale of two tragedies

Last year I was on my way into the Khumbu Icefall on Everest, and watched in horror as a huge avalanche took the lives of sixteen Sherpas. This year I watched from a distance as an earthquake put that event into perspective. Here is my personal account of witnessing both tragedies. Continue reading

The house that can be carried on porter back

One of the best examples of Nepalese resourcefulness I've seen since the earthquake last month is the Himalayan Climate Initiative's portable earthquake-proof house that can be carried to mountainous areas on porter back. Continue reading