Pete Thomas Outdoors

Skiing icon Glen Plake survives deadly Manaslu avalanche

The search for six missing climbers in the aftermath of Sunday's deadly avalanche on the Nepalese peak of Manaslu has been called off.  The bodies of nine climbers were recovered and several injured climbers were treated for injuries and hypothermia.

One of the lucky survivors was Glen Plake, an iconic freeskier from Lake Tahoe.  Two of Plake's ski-mountaineering companions, Greg Costa and Remy Lecluse, are among the missing on the 26,759-foot peak.

Speaking from Manaslu base camp, Plake told Trey Cook of Epic Tv: "I'm OK, a bit beat up; missing some teeth and a bruised eye but write in big capital letters: GLEN PLAKE IS ALIVE AND HE'S COMING HOME."

Plake, who had been sharing a tent with Costa, also described being swept 900 feet down the mountain in the predawn darkness, in his sleeping bag, as the massive slide tore through Camp 3 at about 20,000 feet, destroying as many as 25 tents.

"We all went to sleep with avalanche transceivers on so I punched my way out of the tent and started searching," Plake said. "I searched for 10 minutes before I realized I was barefoot in the snow.

"Greg had been using my down suit for a pillow and I found my suit, I found everything that was in my tent – camera, sleeping bag, ski boots. It was like someone had thrown my gear in the back of a pickup – but there was no sign of Greg. Remy and his tent are nowhere to be found."

The slide, estimated to measure up to 2,000 feet  across, also slammed tents farther down the slope at Camp 2. One of the Camp 2 survivors is Canada's Greg Hill, who in 2010 set a record for climbing and skiing 2 million vertical feet in one calendar year.

Some of the Camp 2 climbers assisted in a Sunday search that became impossible after heavy fog swept over the slope. The search was called off a day later, after it became clear there was no hope of finding any more survivors.

Reports vary but at least 29 people were on the mountain at the time of the avalanche, which Plake estimated to measure about 2,000 feet across.

Eight of the nine climbers who were killed have been identified. Four are French, one is Italian, one Spanish, one German, and one is a Nepali national.

Manaslu, the world's eighth tallest peak, is among the most dangerous to climb, having claimed the lives of dozens of mountaineers in recent years.

--Image showing Glen Plake, Remy Lecluse and Greg Costa (left to right) is courtesy of EpicTv

Mt. Everest death toll reaches four; overcrowding blamed

Mt. Everest's"Death Zone" lived up to its name over the weekend as at least four climbers succumbed to the elements near the 29,035-foot summit of the world's tallest peak.

Overcrowding on the main summit route, leading to prolonged exposure and exhaustion within a low-oxygen zone that begins at 8,000 meters (about 26,000 feet), is being blamed.

The victims were identified as Eberhard Schaaf, 61, a German doctor; Shriya Shah, 33, of Canada; Song Won-bin, 44, of South Korea, and Ha Wenyi, 55, of China.

Still missing is the Chinese climber's Sherpa guide.

A mass summit attempt began Friday and Saturday as climbing teams were taking advantage of the first favorable weather window of of the season. About 150 climbers reached the top of Everest, mostly on Saturday.

But crowding had choked ascent routes, delaying summit bids of some teams by several hours.

"There was a traffic jam on the mountain on Saturday. Climbers were still heading to the summit as late as 2:30 p.m. which is quite dangerous," Gyanendra Shrestha, of Nepal's Mountaineering Department, told the Associated Press.

"With the traffic jam, climbers had a longer wait for their chance to go up the trail and spent too much time at higher altitude. Many of them are believed to be carrying limited amount of oxygen and not anticipating the extra time spent."

The Seoul-based Yonhap news agency is reporting that Song, after collapsing with fatigue, fell at an area known as The Balcony, a small platform area at 27,600 feet.

On average, a handful of climbers perish each year on Mt. Everest. This year, according to Everestnews.com, there have been at least six fatalities, and 198 successful summits.

The most tragic day on Everest, with late summit bids also a contributing factor, was May 10, 1996, when eight people died after becoming trapped in a snow storm.

That season was the most deadly on record, with 15 fatalities.

Terrorist activity on Russia's Mt. Elbrus leads to tourism ban

Skiers, snowboarders and mountaineers are being cautioned not to travel to Russia's Mt. Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, because of the presence of terrorists who are being blamed for the shooting deaths of three Moscow tourists last Friday at a popular Elbrus ski resort in the North Caucasus region.

The attack reportedly involved masked Islamic separatists who blew up a cable car pylon, causing gondola cars to plummet to the snow. Nobody was hurt in that incident. The slain tourists were shot as they traveled in a small bus.

Since then, deadly clashes between government troops and militants have occurred, and on Wednesday air strikes and mortar bombings were carried out with unknown results, according to the Moscow Times. Also, a large shelter stocked with explosives and firearms was discovered on the slopes of Elbrus.

About 5,000 people visit Elbrus annually. As Europe's highest mountain (18,510 feet), it's popular among climbers during the spring and summer.

A top Russian official reportedly has demanded that tourists be banned from Elbrus until anti-terrorist operations are complete.

All of this has to be unsettling to those planning for the 2014 Winter Olympics at Sochi, which is not terribly far from the troubled area.

-- Pete Thomas

Climber seeks Seven Summits to benefit Alzheimer's research

Alan Arnette will embark later this month on a year-long quest to climb the tallest mountain on each continent, which he hopes will raise awareness about Alzheimer's disease and $1 million for research toward finding a cure.

It's no spur-of-the-moment lark. Arnette, 54, spent nearly a decade caring for his mother as she succumbed to Alzheimer's, losing her memory in stages and ultimately forgetting even her name and everything about her life.

Ida Arnette passed away in August of 2009. Since then, her son has meticulously planned his mission to conquer the so-called Seven Summits, an achievement made by fewer than 400 people. If he completes it within a calendar year, he'll become one of only a handful of climbers to have done so.

"It's doable, but ambitious," said Phil Ershler, who works for International Mountain Guides and will lead some of Arnette's expeditions. "What I like is that he has a good business mind, too, so he's going to go up there and put his brain to work, add his lungs and his legs, and bring not only a greater awareness but big bucks to the cause."

Arnette announced his mission today during a satellite media tour from his home state of Colorado. He'll begin the series of climbs Nov. 24, when he leaves for Antarctica to ascend the 16,067-foot Mt. Vinson Massif. His itinerary includes Mt. Aconcagua in South America; Mt. Everest in Asia; Mt. Denali in North America; Mt. Elbrus in Europe; Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa, and the Carstensz Pyramid in Oceania.

For good measure he'll add an eighth peak, Mt. Kosciusko in Australia, which is sometimes counted instead of Carstensz as part of the Seven Summits.

He's asking that people who wish to support his odyssey donate at least a penny for every foot he climbs, via his expedition website or his personal website. He'll post frequent dispatches and via the Facebook link on his expedition website.

(Since climbs do not begin at sea level, the penny-per-foot donations are not as expensive as they might seem. For example, Arnette will begin the Vinson ascent from a base at 7,000 feet and his actual gain will be 9,067 feet, so the donation would be $91. Everest, which at 29,035 feet is the world's tallest mountain, entails a 19,635-foot gain and the donation would be $196.)

Arnette's climbing expeditions are already sponsored by corporations so 100% of the donations will benefit the Cure Alzheimer's Fund.

The mountaineer, who has extensive climbing experience, knew little about Alzheimer's before his mother was diagnosed. He has since discovered that it's the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, where more than 5 million people are suffering from the disease. More than 25 million people suffer from Alzheimer's worldwide.

Colorado climbing season claims 10 lives on popular '14ers'

Wintry weather arrived this week in Colorado, bringing an end to what has been an especially grim hiking and climbing season on the state's highest mountains, on which 10 people lost their lives.

Colorado is known for its 14,000-foot peaks; it has 54 of them, and according to some estimates as many as 500,000 people try to climb them each season.

Jason Blevins of the Denver Post quoted Lloyd Athearn, executive director of the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative, as saying that based on the mountains' increasing popularity, from a long-term perspective "the trend is generally going down in terms of deaths."

But that's an unofficial assessment because registration is not required to climb the Fourteeners, so it's impossible to accurately keep track of the number of deaths in relation to the number of climbers.

But 10 deaths in one season is indisputably high and that reality has rekindled debate about whether registration and fees should be required in some areas, to help agencies govern hiker/climber traffic.

Many of the Fourteeners do not require technical climbing skills and equipment, such as ropes. But some that do not feature risky routes on which one slip could be deadly.

Three of this year's fatalities occurred on the 14,255-foot Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. In all three cases, men fell to their deaths.

Longs is especially popular. As Blevins writes, park officials are considering a registration and fee program, such as those utilized in other national parks, but at this point they're focusing on education.

Toward that end they're considering erecting a sign at the base of the busy but dangerous Keyhole Route, which reads, "Stop, Think, Assess."

They sound like words to live by.

-- Pete Thomas

-- Images showing Long Peak's east face and the Keyhole feature, as seen from the Boulder Field, are courtesy of Wikipedia

-- Editor's note: This post also appears on the GrindTv.com outdoors blog

Jordan Romero, 13, reaches top of Mt. Everest

Jordan Romero, 13, has reached the top of Mt. Everest, his team announced. He becomes the youngest person to have scaled the world's tallest peak.

Rob Bailey, a spokesman for Romero's climbing party, confirmed that Romero achieved the 29,035-foot summit Saturday morning local time (Himalayan range).

Bailey had few other details. Romero, an eighth-grader from Big Bear Lake, Calif., was climbing with his father Paul and Paul's girlfriend, Karen Lundgren. The trio  now needs to bag Mount Vinson in Antarctica to complete the Seven Summits, or the tallest peak on each continent.

Romeo breaks a record held by Nepalese Mingkipa Sherpani, a female climber who in 2003 summited Everest via the Northeast Ridge Route at 15.

Romero and his two partners, along with three Sherpa porters, also used the more remote and less-traveled north-side route, via Tibet, because he was too young to obtain a permit in Nepal, the starting point for the more popular south route.

His trip was controversial because of his age and the mental and physical prowess required to reach the top of Everest, and because of the dangers associated with a mountain on which a handful of climbers perish each season.

It's too early for the Romero group to celebrate, as it still has to negotiate a descent on the highest of Himalayan giants. But if reports are accurate the kid has indeed stood atop the world, and that is cause for celebration.

-- Pete Thomas

Jordan Romero, 13, begins push to reach top of Mt. Everest

The slopes of Mt. Everest are bustling this week as climbers from around the world have either reached the world's tallest peak or remain at high camps, awaiting more favorable weather.

Jordan Romero, 13, began his march upward today from a north-side camp at 21,500 feet, and hopes it'll take just a couple of days to attain the 29,035-foot summit and complete his controversial bid to become the youngest person to attain mountaineering's ultimate single pinnacle.

"When I get to the top I expect to feel happy and proud: 'Wow, I am standing on the top of the world!' " he exclaimed via email, before shoving off with his father, Paul, and Paul's girlfriend. "I am sure that me and my dad and Karen are going to cry when we finally get to the summit. I have dreamed of this moment since I was 9 years old."

The eighth-grader from Big Bear Lake, Calif., and his companions are two summits shy of bagging the Seven Summits, or the highest peak on each continent.

If they achieve the top of Everest and return safely down the mountain--nothing is taken for granted where Everest is concerned--it will be especially significant for Romero. Among other youngsters with claims of scaling Everest are Nepalese climbers Ming Kipa, when she was 15, and Temba Tsheri, when he was 16 (after losing five fingers from frostbite during his first attempt).

(Utah's Johnny Collinson became the youngest Westerner to reach the 29,035-foot summit of Everest, at 17, last May.)

A busy time on Mt. Everest as summit bids continue

One of the busiest destinations on the adventure front these past couple of days as been the top of Mt. Everest, where on Sunday and Monday climbers attained the world's tallest peak from the south-side and north-side routes.

High winds, blowing snow and gridlock high on the more popular south route made for long, wearying nights for many.

Among those making the summit was Carina Raiha, the first female climber from Finland to set foot on the 29,035-foot summit. She shared her triumphant moment with the country's president, via satellite phone.

Other summit pushes were underway or planned for later this week. Among those still waiting to make the march to the top is 13-year-old Jordan Romero, who is attempting to become the youngest person to have climbed Everest.

The Southern California mountaineer, at last check, was at Advanced Base Camp on the north-side route. 

These are precarious times for all of those high on the mountain, to be sure. So far, though, most climbers have been fortunate. There has been only one known fatality this season, versus about 100 successful summit bids.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo of Mt. Everest courtesy of Explorers Web

South Korean's historic climbing feat tarnished by controversy

South Korea's Oh Eun-sun on Tuesday reached the summit of Mount Annapurna in the Himalayas, becoming the first woman to set foot atop the world's 14 peaks standing 8,000 meters (26,247 feet) or higher.

However, in what seems to have turned into mountaineering's version of a cat fight, a Spanish woman who is one peak shy of this same accomplishment is being criticized for casting untimely doubt on her opponent's claim.

As Oh and her team advanced toward the summit of the 26,545-foot summit of Annapurna, Edurne Pasaban was quoted in the Spanish press as saying a Sherpa guide had stated that Oh did not actually set foot atop the Himalaya's Mount Kangchenjunga last year.

The timing of this negative press has led to a posting Tuesday on the Everest News website, accusing Pasaban for harboring "sour grapes."

Oh's feat is being recognized by the Nepal Mountaineering Assn., however, so those grapes are at least partially squashed.

Oh was not aware of this renewed criticism as she was aspiring toward the 26,545-foot summit of Annapurna, which she reached on all-fours as TV cameras rolled. The the debate has mostly involved her support team and Pasaban.

Oh last year told reporters she had, in fact, made the 28,169-foot top of Kangchenjunga: "It was bad weather. Three sherpas told me that I reached the top, and one of them took the picture," she said.

On Annapurna this week, one of the climber's Korean crew members told an ExplorersWeb correspondent: "We are very disappointed when we heard that Miss Pasaban mentioned Miss Oh's summit on Kangchenjunga. We think her words are very unfair. If she felt Miss Oh's summit was doubtful, she should have expressed her opinions at the time when everyone discussed it."

Pasaban, who still must climb the 26,335-foot Mount Shishapangma to complete her endeavor, is quoted by ExplorersWeb as saying she did not intend to stir such an ugly debate.

"I am confused. Had I known this so-called race was going to be such a mess, I would have thought twice before getting involved" she said. "I am not in this to get rich or famous--I just love climbing, it's my life, so I thought it was logical to complete the project."

-- Photo showing Oh Eun-sun (front) courtesy of Black Yak

Climbers were too close for comfort on Iceland volcano

The accompanying image was captured by Jesus Calleja, who was part of a Spanish climbing team that was much too close for comfort when Iceland's Eyjafallajokull volcano blew its top last week, leaving thousands of travelers stranded throughout Europe.

As reported on Explorersweb, Calleja and Ramon Larramendi "had to ask for an emergency airlift after their climbing target burst into a hell of magma, smoke, flying debris and melting glaciers."

For Calleja, who has climbed Mt. Everest, and Larramendi, a polar ski-explorer, this must rank atop their list of surreal experiences.

-- Pete Thomas