Nepal
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After years of controversy, Nepal's Supreme Court has ruled that Pemba Dorje Sherpa's climb was unverifiable, returning the record to its previous holder
No one knew if it could be done. But when Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler climbed Mount Everest without oxygen in 1978, they smashed one of the last barriers of human performance. Almost 40 years later, both legends talk about their first ascent by “fair means”—and the long-running feud that followed.
When alpinist and photographer Cory Richards dug himself out of an avalanche in 2011, he emerged alive but scarred—an ascendant star in a community that tends to shun the very idea that trauma can have lasting effects. As his profile climbed ever higher, his career and personal life imploded. Six years later, one of the world’s best artist-adventurers comes clean about the panic attacks, PTSD, and alcohol abuse that nearly killed him.
In a remote jungle in Nepal, filmmakers Camp4 Collective and Felt Soul Media embarked on telling the story of an ancient tradition: honey harvesting.
A new documentary bears witness to the last days of a dangerous and respected tradition in remote Nepal
Ascending Everest may be easier now that one of the most difficult features en route to the summit has crumbled, veteran mountaineers say.
How one of the world’s best mountaineers made a last-second decision that would take his life
The longtime guide with Alpine Ascents summited for the 21st time on May 27, tying Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi for the most summits on the world's highest mountain
The most expensive, complex, and risky recover mission in the mountain's history is about to get underway—and that's a mistake
Mountaineers and Nepalese officials can’t seem to agree about whether the Hillary Step—a forbidding obstacle on the final leg to the summit—still exists
The world’s tallest mountain has claimed 6 lives this season
Filmmaker Janis Brod began her career as a filmmaker organically by just picking up her camera and documenting her experiences.
The 44-year-old Nepali woman broke her own record on the world’s highest peak
I tested eight options to find out which will actually keep your stuff dry
The godfather of alpinism shares his thoughts on his fallen comrade, taking risks on mountains, and how his perspective has changed with age
Paragliding high above a beautiful landscape is already a bucket list item, but doing it alongside an Egyptian vulture might bump it up to the top of the list. Pioneered by Scott Mason, who has been training birds since he was ten, parahawking consists of a trained vulture or hawk guiding a paraglider through thermals or air pockets in the sky for long, bird-like flights.
The famed climber, who was known for his speed ascents, fell on Sunday, April 30, while preparing for a new route on Everest
The superstar DJ trained for months to be able to make the hike to Everest Base Camp for his live show
Short of breath from the elevation and scenery, The Trippin Fellas enjoyed incredible hospitality and exposure to a culture drastically distinct from the western civilizations they call home.
The spring Everest season is shaping up to be an exciting one: Ueli Steck is returning to complete an epic traverse; Kilian Jornet wants a speed record; and the mountain will be packed with climbers who didn't get to attempt the summit in 2014 and 2015.
Fine dining on Everest? Only $1,050 per person.
On January 8, Discovery is launching a new six-part series titled Everest Rescue. The show follows a group of helicopter pilots as they perform extreme rescues on Everest.
'Everest Rescue' is an inside look at a very risky job: performing high-altitude helicopter rescues on the tallest mountain in the world
She’s not as famous as many other climbers, but her story is one of the most inspiring in the sport
Last month, five friends set out from Pokhara, Nepal with mini-paragliders and 1950’s Royal Enfield motorcycles on a ten-day mission to the once forbidden Kingdom of Mustang in Tibet. The group of seasoned athletes and travelers made up of Nick Greece, Jamie and Isabella Messenger, and Cody Tuttle, didn’t finalize their plans until a week out, which was kind of of the point. They wanted an adventure and a good ol’ figure-it-out style trip. Half the group was relatively new to paragliding—the other half was new to motorcycling. The table was set for some memorable experiences.
The writer's best travel works, compiled in 'Kingdoms in the Air,' are a lesson in curiosity, empathy, and proper fly-fishing technique
Help came right away. And then it stopped. Patrick Symmes reports on the business-as-usual corruption that brought a mountain kingdom to the ground.
'Nepal Now' is a visual snapshot of the country more than a year after the 7.9-magnitude earthquake
"But what made it all so special were those single, quiet moments when you're surrounded by the majesty of nature and all of its subtle sounds."
Nine Sherpa guides setting rope lines on the upper part of the mountain have become the first of the season to reach the top of the world's highest peak
"We Sherpa people have a great respect for the mountain. We call Everest 'Chomolungma'. She's the mother god of the earth."
One Sherpa talks about his role in the Mount Everest climbing industry.
From epic skiing in Antarctica to a lazy beer-fueled canoe trip in North Carolina, these are the best places to visit this year
The country’s high-altitude workers have traditionally worked for paying clients and western guides. But a new generation is pushing the boundaries.
A 73-year-old American man is heading to the Himalayas for an unusual opportunity: getting a shot at a peak no one has ever climbed before
What would a ban on inexperienced climbers look like? And who would be affected?
You've seen the images from Everest Base Camp and Kathmandu, but one village was hit so hard that it ceased to exist altogether. Half the population was buried. The others had to find a way out. This is their story.
As she prepared to attempt the first ski descent of Makalu, DesLauriers began feeling sick. She faced a dilemma: continue or descend? Making the right choice may have saved her life.
After a good weather window disappeared, the team waits for another in their attempt to make the first ski descent of Makalu.
The complicated relationship between high altitude workers and Western climbers is on display in ‘Sherpa’
The team attempting the first ski descent of Makalu finally gets a chance to play in the snow
One of the best climbers of her generation points her skis down 27,766-foot Makalu
As the team attempting the first ski descent of Makalu prepares to ascend, they first perform an ancient ritual
After a long and wet week, the team attempting to ski the world’s fifth-highest peak has made it to the base of Makalu
The five elite athletes on the team share their first-descent plans and expedition concerns
13 months ago, Mira Rai didn’t know trail running was a sport. Now she’s one of its rising stars.
A first-hand account of the April 25 temblor that rocked Nepal from a local Everest guide
It's technically allowed, but it may be nearly impossible.
Chinese announce that Everest and all other mountains in Tibet are closed for the season
The veteran climber explains the decision to close Everest's north side to climbers, and how teams are working through the aftermath of the earthquake
Though the Tibetan side is closed to climbers, at least one team is considering a climb up the southern side of Everest
Why is the roof of the world covered in our shit? Lots of reasons, but it might come down to common laziness.
A new study shows that climbing teams from countries with rigid social structures are more likely to summit Himalaya mountains—but also more likely to die trying. Can the data predict summit success?
We'd known about the storm for days, so how come hundreds of trekkers were caught off guard?
The true story of the mountain's most horrific day, the Sherpas who paid the price, and the aftershocks that will change the mountain forever
When a Sherpa and a native Nepali paraglided off of Mount Everest in 2011, they flew into history. Now a new book chronicles their extraordinary journey.
The climbing season may not be closed for business just yet this season, but it may be tough to convince the mountain's most important climbers to carry on.
I’m a fan of the Grand Canyon, but I’ve visited there a few times now and I’m looking for something new. Where can I find a canyon that puts the Grand to shame?
David Oliver Relin made his name as coauthor of the disgraced bestseller Three Cups of Tea—then tragically committed suicide. Now, a major publisher hypes Relin’s posthumous history of the inspiring Himalayan Cataract Project. Should we buy it?
Globe-trotters: we've got you covered. Our 2012 Travel Awards honor the best destinations on seven continents—everything from idyllic beach escapes to camping safaris in Kenya to a mountain-bike expedition in Tibet. Plus: ϳԹ-endorsed outfitters, adventure insurance, and more.
You're ready to act on those good intentions, but how do you know the organizations you're backing deserve your trust? Here are the 30 best—smartly managed groups with transparent financials, efficient spending, and track records of on-the-ground success.
The skyrocketing market value of yarchagumba, a rare fungus prized as an aphrodisiac, has led to turf wars—and possibly murder.
It doesn't matter if you're Reinhold Messner or Ed Viesturs: your summit never happened unless Elizabeth Hawley says it did.
We present our Trips of the Year, everything from whitewater rafting in Siberia to mountain biking in Argentina to the greatest multisport vacation in Alaska.
I have a very adventurous ten-year-old daughter and we've been talking about going to Nepal. Any good itineraries? And would the Everest Base Camp trek be appropriate, or would she get more from the Annapurna area? -Dennis Spokane, WA
I am going trekking in Nepal this September? What are essential items of clothing for this trip? Can you recommend the different type of layers that I will need? Saoirse Rooney Dublin, Ireland
Friends of mine just walked the Lycian Trail in Turkey, and it sounds like it was incredible. I want to do a similar sort of trip, following a trail through foreign lands, unguided. Are there similar ones out there?—AlexSeattle WA
This season, among other dubious firsts, Mount Everest will see a summit bid by the youngest climber, 13-year-old Jordan Romero, and the first attempt by a climber with an artificial hip, 65-year-old Don Healy. One bright spot: Draper, Utah–based Apa Sherpa, who first summited the peak in 1990 with Rob…
You survive a plane crash in the Amazon? Who cares! What's far more likely to go wrong during an international journey is injuries and illnesses that would be easy to manage close to home but are much trickier on the far side of paradise. Here are seven frequent scenarios and how to handle them.
Overlooked mountain ranges, river beer, running album, gear of all time, and 47 other big ideas, accidental winners, and awesome things about the world outside we've come to love over the past 33 years. Introducing our first annual Editors' Choice Awards...
Attention, all cynics: You can change the world. But don't take our word for it. Here are people combining big ideas and bold adventures, including our first-ever Reader of the Year.
As a team of rookies at the World Elephant Polo Championships, we were set up for embarrassment. Instead we tasted glory.
The Single Speed World Championships is the wildest mountain-bike on earth, where Halloween comes early and sobriety is akin to doping. To infiltrate this derailleurless debacle, we would need a thoroughly mediocre racer who could stomach the sight of way too much beer-addled flesh and report back. So, naturally, we recruited Bike Snob NYC.
For years, adventure-travel outfitters have used so-called exploratory trips to work out kinks in new offerings. Veteran guides suss out routes, lodging options, and, say, the local yak-butter tea, then refine the itinerary before it shows up in next fall’s catalog. But as it turns out, some high-end travelers actually…
Was a famous American scholar and self–styled curator up to no good in Nepal, or is he just a scapegoat for all wealthy expats?