Mark Horrell's Blog, page 47

The Sherpa sacrifice

I don’t know whether this is going to post successfully, as we have been without meaningful internet communications since we arrived at Everest Base Camp over a week ago. I have wandered down to Gorak Shep in search of 3G … Continue reading →

Namche Bazaar and the start of the Everest trail

We have had a lazy rest day today in the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar. On a good day this is one of the most spectacularly situated villages anywhere in the world. It lies in a natural bowl on the … Continue reading →

A briefing at the Ministry

A new joke is doing the rounds in Kathmandu: How many Nepalese Ministry of Tourism officials does it take to change a light bulb? Two: one to change the bulb and the other to issue a press release to the … Continue reading →

South Peak: my attempt on Lhotse

Good times are approaching again. On Sunday I leave for Nepal for my fifth 8000m peak expedition, and it's fair to say I'm just a teeny bit excited. My objective this time is 8516m Lhotse, the fourth highest mountain in the world and the one next to Everest, as I've been telling everyone who has asked. Continue reading →

10 great Sherpa mountaineers

As the Everest season approaches we will be hearing a lot about the successes of western climbers in the Himalayas over the next few months, but very little about the superstars of high altitude mountaineering. It's time this was rectified, so here are ten of the greatest tigers of the snow. Continue reading →

A media guide to Mount Everest

With the Everest climbing season nearly upon us there will soon be a flurry of articles in the mainstream media. With journalists under pressure to knock together something emotive at short notice by pasting from websites or phoning up random mountaineers for soundbites, I thought I would put together a media guide to help save time. Continue reading →

Don’t be fooled by disaster porn

Since Jon Krakauer's seminal disaster porn classic Into Thin Air came out in 1997 publishers have flocked to release books about mountaineering disasters, but every time I see a new book like this I can't help wishing they had never been published. Why? For me there are two reasons. Continue reading →

What do Prince Philip, an Everest summiteer and a Nepali rock star have in common?

A year ago I explained how I have taken up a voluntary position as trustee of a charity providing educational support in Nepal. I thought it was time I provided an update, as there is an interesting Everest connection to report as well as an amazing story of stoic determination that would impress even the hardiest Sherpa. Continue reading →

Everest: The Return of the Mavericks

The government of Nepal has slashed permit fees for individuals climbing Everest from $25,000 to $10,000. But the group permit system that provided discounts for larger teams has been abolished, and the fee for a team member has increased to $11,000. What does this mean for the spring climbing season on the south side of Everest? Continue reading →

Nepal’s top 5 most valuable mountains

The government of Nepal recently published figures about the revenue it earned from climbing permits in 2013, including a list of the five most valuable peaks for tourist income. There are few surprises, but the extent to which four mountains dominate is a bit of an eye opener. Continue reading →