Mark Horrell's Blog, page 41

Colonel Jimmy Roberts and the first ascent of Mera Peak

Sixty-two years ago to the day Colonel Jimmy Roberts made the first ascent of Mera Peak with the Sherpa Sen Tenzing. This little postscript to the first ascent of Everest in 1953 may have been the birth of commercial trekking. Continue reading

Aconcagua and a first taste of expedition life: an extract from my book

It’s time to update you once more on current progress with the book I'm threatening to publish about my journey from simple hill walker to Everest summiteer. Here’s the latest, along with a teaser from the book to try and convince you to buy it. Continue reading

As climbers wring their hands about Everest, Nepal quietly rebuilds

While the climbing community were busy bickering about Everest, the Nepalese were quietly rebuilding their lives after the devastating earthquake. As trustee of a development charity I was given a privileged insight into what they've been up to. Continue reading

Nepal earthquake: who should I donate to?

People have been asking me to recommend a charity to help victims of the Nepal earthquake. It's a difficult question, because it depends on personal preferences and priorities, but I know a little about Nepal, and though I'm no expert on disaster response, I'll do my best to answer. Continue reading

Remembering the avalanche: a tribute to all Sherpas

There's no better way to mark the anniversary of the avalanche on Everest last year than by remembering one of the Sherpas who died. Here's a post that is a tribute not just to him, but to all Sherpas who work the high mountains. Continue reading

Trailblazing up Monte Sirente

Our third trip to the Apennine Mountains took us to an area we hadn't visited before. Our ascent of Monte Sirente was a good day out in the mountains, with some tough trail breaking through deep snow and an exhilarating climb. Continue reading

5 steps to taking better mountain photographs

I sometimes get asked for photography advice, including detailed questions about what equipment to use, tips on exposure, focal length and aperture size. I've answered the question a few times now, and in doing so have managed to distil my advice into just 5 easy steps. Continue reading

Tilman’s Everest south side reconnaissance

This is part 5 of a series of posts about early tourism in Nepal. For the previous posts see part 1: How Nepal first came to open its doors to tourism, part 2: Bill Tilman: Nepal’s very first trekking tourist, … Continue reading

Farewell Samuli Mansikka, the fearless Finn

It's time once again to pay tribute to a friend who has sadly lost his life in the mountains. Last week Samuli Mansikka stood on the summit of Annapurna, his tenth 8000m peak, but he did not return. Continue reading

A fascinating journey across Tibet

The more I learn about Tibet, the less I understand. I've travelled there three times on expeditions and found it a weird and fascinating place. I was keen to read Race to Tibet, a new historical novel by indie author Sophie Schiller. Continue reading