How’s this for a secure world record? On the heels of 13-year-old Jordan Romero’s May 22nd summit of the world’s highest peak, which made him the youngest ever to summit, the China Tibet Mountaineering Association (CTMA), which controls climbing activity from the Tibetan side, issued new regulations on June 10 that ban those under 18 and over 60 from attempting the peak. Read More …
Let’s face it, whether you’re heading out to brush snow off the car or freezing your ass off in base camp, nothing beats the packable warmth of a puffy jacket. But all warmth is not created equal, and there’s a big difference between the box-store special you had when you were six and the plethora of ultralight compressible puffies available today. In Part I of this series, we’ve outlined the major differences between down and synthetic fills, which apply to jackets, sleeping bags, and other insulated gear. Read More …
Sweat soaks your back on the approach, and it turns to ice as the howling wind steals your warmth. You’re so cold that can only talk in vowels. You’re wearing every stitch of clothing that you brought, but it doesn’t seem to be enough. You didn’t layer properly. Read More …
We recently asked the Backcountry.com Pro Team of skiers, climbers, and all-around badass athletes to tell us about the dumbest things they have ever done in the mountains. We thought the problem would be getting such experienced people to actually come up with anything. Instead, the crux was sifting through the mass of stupid mistakes that these world-class athletes have made. Read More …
Shoes to packs, hit the trails.
Backcountry house-hunting, simplified.
Stay dry out there.
Everest: A Cynical View of the Latest ‘Firsts’
By: Adam Riser | June 2nd, 20104 Comments »
Mt. Everest is the highest peak on earth. So what? It’s been a long time since climbing Everest was actually the pinnacle of mountaineering achievement. These days, it’s all about firsts, but not in the traditional climbing sense. Instead of putting up a new route or repeating an established line by a style that advances the standards of mountaineering, people tend to focus on more obscure firsts that don’t actually require the advancement of, well, anything.
Things that mattered:
Before I start into a rant about the peak, let me first point out that quite a few very influential and sometimes ground-breaking feats have taken place on Everest. Not surprisingly, most of them happened before web-linked video cameras were a constant presence on the mountain. Read More …
Tags: climbing, mountaineering
Posted in Commentary |