PODCAST · sports
The Podcast on alanarnette.com
by Alan Arnette
Alan Arnette is a renowned mountaineer and Alzheimer's advocate. He is well-known in the mountaineering community for his extensive climbing experience and his blog at alanarnette.com, which chronicles his expeditions and provides insights into mountaineering. He summited Mount Everest in 2011, Mount Manaslu in 2013, and K2 in 2014 at 58, making him the 18th and oldest American to summit the second-highest peak in the world. https://www.alanarnette.com
Episodes
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Podcast: Guy Cotter on Making Tenzing, and the Lessons of a Hard Year in the Mountains
If you follow mountaineering, you know Guy Cotter. He summited Everest as a guide with Rob Hall and Gary Ball in 1992, has run Adventure Consultants for thirty years, and has quietly helped bring mountains to the big screen since Vertical Limit. On October 16, Tenzing premieres on Apple TV....
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Changing Mountains, Changing Risk: Is There Always Another Route?
Hi everybody, Alan Arnette here with another podcast and a blog on alanarnette.com. It is Monday, October 5th, 2026, and this is going to be a rather reflective podcast.A couple of months ago, I talked about the tragedy on Broad Peak. Many of you listened and left thoughtful comments. Thank you…
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Broad Peak 2026 Lessons From a Tragedy
Two weeks ago today, on July 30, 2026, ten climbers died in a single avalanche on Broad Peak. The event has received extensive media coverage, in part because Nirmal “Nims” Purja, one of the most consequential mountaineers of his generation, died. Also among the dead were six other highly...
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Podcast with Ryan Mitchell & Justin Sackett: No O's Everest Update and Plans
Ryan Mitchell, a former Summit Coach client, planned to climb two 8000-meter peaks without supplemental oxygen with his friend and professional mountain guide, Justin Sackett, but not everything went as planned. In this podcast, we discuss the expedition, its risks, decision-making and emotions.…
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Madalin (Cris) Cristea's Everest 2026 Sea-Summit-Sea Podcast
Romanian Madalin (Cris) Cristea, 34, summitted Everest on May 20, the busiest day of the season, along with 273 other people. But he didn't just "summit"; he summited after walking 1,125 kilometers (approx. 700 miles), starting on March 4th, 2026, from the village of Digha, India, on the Indian...
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Denali 2026 Coverage: Podcast with Summiteer - John Bartolic
The Denali 2026 season is well underway, with a dated climber report as of June 1, 2026, of 513 climbers, mainly on the West Buttress route. 97 climbers have completed their trips, and 381 are left to check in and begin their climbs. One team that did summit was one from American Alpine Institute...
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Everest 2026 Season Summary–Records, Crowds, Trash & Winds
Welcome to my annual Everest summary, where I review what happened and who did what. Quirky. That's my word for Everest 2026. Or perhaps, "normal." The 2026 Everest spring season has come to a close. There were delays, strong winds, changing drone and helicopter rules, moments of concern and...
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Everest 2026: May 3 Weekend Update Record Season Over & 1 More Death?
The 2026 Everest spring season has come to a close, marked by delays, strong winds, changing drone and helicopter rules, and challenging climbing – yet despite the dramatic mainstream press headlines, it was actually a fairly normal season. As usual, there were reports of frostbite and helicopter...
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Everest 2026: May 24 Weekend Update Nearing the End
What a week on Everest and Lhotse. The first Everest summits were on May 13 by the rope team, plus a few fast followers. Then the jet came in and stopped everyone, and when it left, well, hundreds summited, including a record 274 on May 20. I'm estimating there have been over 850 summit in total…
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Everest 2026: Garrett Madison Podcast from Camp 2, 2 More Deaths
A long-standing tradition is to connect with Garrett Madison, founder of Madison Mountaineering, on an expedition. I caught up with Garrett at Everest Camp 2, 21,500 feet, during their summit push. They are targeting May 25, just a few days away. I wanted to talk to him about icefall conditions…
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Everest 2026: The Western Team's Turn, My Summit Anniversary
After a Nepal-side record 274 summits on May 20, it's time for the Western teams to take their turn. As we've discussed, the Nepali operators follow the rope team as quickly as possible to summit, while the foreign (i.e., Western) operators wait until the last possible weather window, which is…
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Everest 2026: Weather Alert and More Summits
Despite sporadic winds and a scary weather forecast, Monday, May 18, 2026, saw scores of summits on Everest and a few on Lhotse. The jetstream remains an issue, so I did a brief podcast with meteorologist Chris Tomer, who described the situation as "erratic." Climb On! Alan Memories are…
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Everest 2026: May 17 Weekend Update—Summits!
With the ropes to Everest and, now, Lhotse in place, there were multiple summits, including records on Sunday morning, May 17, 2026. With the weather improving, the route in, team after team has left base camp to be in position for their summit. While the major impact of the jet stream has…
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Everest 2026 May 10 Weekend Update Ropes to South Col, Sherpa Death
The rope fixers got the fixed line to the South Col on Friday, May 8, 2026 and are on track to reach the summit by the 13th or earlier. As predicted, some Nepali teams have already positioned members at the Col to attempt the summit as the lines get there. Nepal has issued 492 Everest permits,...
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Everest 2026: May 3 Weekend Update - Climbing!
The route is in to Camp 2, thus allowing Sherpa rope fixers to begin fixing it to the summit, starting with Camp 3. Sherpas have established Camp 2, also known as Advanced Base Camp, with tents and other supplies. They will begin stocking it with an oxygen bottle soon. Teams have started their...
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Everest 2026: April 27 Weekend Update - Icefall Route In?
We may finally see how climate change has impacted climbing Mt. Everest: melting seracs threatening climbers, and helicopters used to bypass the icefall. First, let's clarify that the Icefeall is not blocked and is passable. The issue is a large, unstable hanging serac that, if it fell onto the...
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Everest 2026: April 19 Weekend Update - 8000er Summits, Icefall Woes
After waiting as long as two weeks, climbers on Annapurna, Makalu and Dhaulagiri finally stood on the summit. But Everest lags as the route from EBC to the Western Cwm is stalled. EverestER is already busy, having seen over 100 patients thus far this season. It's over for Ryan Mitchell....
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Everest 2026: April 12 Weekend Update–The Kumbu is Alive
Teahouses are buzzing, the trails are full, the yaks are loaded–as are the porters bearing unbelievable loads. Yes, the Khumbu is alive. But the weather is poor for some of the 8000ers. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything...
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Everest 2026: April 5 Weekend Update - Debunking Poison Rumors
In this weekend update, I cover a lot of ground, primarily around misinformation regarding "Everest Guides Poisoning Clients" - FALSE. The actual issue is a large-scale insurance fraud scheme targeting trekkers (not climbers) across Nepal's trekking circuits, involving fake helicopter evacuations...
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Podcast: Memories Are Everything: Why Alzheimer’s Research Needs Us Now
After recording a powerful podcast with Lainie Holcomb and Dr. Tammy Awtry of the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, I was reminded that while meaningful progress has been made in understanding, detecting, and slowing Alzheimer’s, we are still far from a cure. This mission is deeply personal—sparked by my...
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Everest 2026: Climbers to Watch this Season - Weekend Update
Everest Base Camp is taking shape as two more of Nepal's eight 8,000-meter peaks see climbers arriving at their bases. This year, there are several interesting climbers to watch beyond the hundreds of aspirants on commercial teams. Remember, China closed climbing on its three 8,000ers—Everest…
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Everest 2026: March 1 Weekend Update
The backbone of every Everest season on the Nepali side are the Icefall Doctors, a team of highly skilled Sherpas who establish the climbing route and set the thin nylon safety rope from Base Camp to Camp 2 in the Western Cwm.Today, they left Namache Bazaar for EBC, where they will receive...
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Podcast with Astronaut & Everest Summiteer Scott Parazynski
In this podcast, I speak with Scott Parazynski, who is about as unique an individual as you will find these days. Consider a small fraction of his achievements: Five-time space shuttle astronaut, seven spacewalks, and a former NASA researcher. Spent over 8 weeks in space with more than 47 hours...
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Podcast with Ryan Mitchell & Justin Sackett: Plans for Two 8000ers, No O's 1
Ryan Mitchell, a Summit Coach client, is preparing to climb two 8000-meter peaks, without supplemental oxygen, with his friend and professional mountain guide, Justin Sackett. In this podcast, we discuss the expedition, its risks, decision-making and emotions. As usual, Ryan will film the climbs...
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7 Summits in One Year: Podcast with Garrett Madison
As we close out 2025, I caught up with Garrett Maddison, founder of Madison Mountaineering, for a rare moment while he was home in the Seattle area. Garrett summited all of the Seven Summits (Messner List) in 2025, plus had some interesting times on Cho Oyu, watched one of his teams struggle…
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2025 Wrap Up & Talking Weather with Chris Tomer
Mid-December is a quiet time in the mountaineering world, so I thought it would be nice to pick meteorologist Chris Tomer of Tomer Weather Solution’s brain on the upcoming winter season for mountaineering across the globe. And, of course, we have to touch on Everest. The 8000er season is chiefly...
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Peter Hillary Interview
New Zealander Peter Hillary needs no introduction, as his last name recalls the historic achievement of his father, Sir Edmund Hillary, who, along with Tenzing Norgay, first summited Mt. Everest on May 29, 1953. In this podcast, we discuss Peter's relationship with his father, his upbringing,...
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Everest 2025: Podcast with Australians Bianca , 17, and Paul Adler on their Everest climb this spring
Australians Bianca Adler, 17, and her dad, Paul Adler, 50, are back in Melbourne, Australia, after their recent Everest attempt. They were thwarted by strong winds and illness, but made a valuable attempt. Bianca's social posts have gone viral as she struggled to breathe upon returning to Camp 4…
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K2 2025 Coverage: Ryan Mitchell After K2
Ryan Mitchell, a Summit Coach client, is back from his recent K2 attempt. They were thwarted by a deadly rockfall that killed two other people on other teams. They climbed to Camp 1 to see the conditions firsthand and abandoned their expedition. However, they climbed a previously unclimbed peak...
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K2 2025 Coverage Wrap: Season Summary-A Rocky Season
The summer 2025 Karakorum for the 8000-meter peaks is over, and what a season it was. There were summits, deaths, disappointments and survivals. Was it a “successful” season? I’ll leave that judgment to others—but honestly, it often felt like safety took a back seat to ambition. Summits: K2- 42...
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K2 2025 Coverage: Risk Taking Case Study
With teams still hoping to summit, popular American climber Ryan Mitchell, Phurba Sherpa, Terray Sylvester, Madison Mountaineering lead guide, and several other Sherpas ended their expedition after climbing to Camp 1. Terray felt the rockfall was too dangerous to continue despite several teams...
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K2 2025 Coverage: K2 Summit Push On!
After almost five weeks, a weather window long enough for a summit attempt on K2 has emerged. Most teams and many individuals have left, but an estimated (very rough guess) that 20-30 total people, split equally between commercial and independent climbers, remain for the summit push starting…
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K2 2025 Coverage: Weather Stalls Plans, or Not?
Signs of trouble on K2 and Broad Peak. First is the weather. There have been more high winds and heavy snowfall, preventing the establishment of Camp 3 on K2 and keeping the Broad Peak climbers below Camp 3. And the other concern is the lack of cooperation among the teams, as noted by Polish...
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K2 2025 Coverage: Death, Summits & Progress
Summits! We have summits in the Karakoram on Sunday, July 20, 2025. Also, climbers are acclimatizing at Camp 3 on BP, and most teams seem focused on an upcoming summit window around the end of July. Conditions are finally improving in the Karakoram after days of high temperatures, winds, and even...
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K2 2025 Coverage: K2 2025: Coverage: Climbing in Peril
Teams are finally progressing across the four northernmost 8000-meter peaks: K2, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum I, and Gasherbrum II. Multiple teams report reaching as high as Camp 3 on these peaks, thus setting an optimistic tone for summits this season. Although rockfall remains a clear and present...
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K2 2025 Coverage: Dry, Hot, and Rockfall
The Karakorum's drought continues due to the low snowfall from Spring combined with warmer-than-normal temperatures; thus, rockfall is a real danger on K2, Broad Peak, Nanga Parbat and the Gasherbrums. Ryan Mitchell and his K2 team are acclimatizing on a nearby unclimbed peak, hoping for snow in...
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K2 2025: Clibmers at Base Camp
Teams are arriving at K2 Base Camp, but communications are limited, so not much information is coming out. We know that conditions are harsh, with high temperatures and low snow in the lower mountains. Given the absence of snow, climbers are concerned about rockfall this year. Climb On! Alan...
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K2 2025: Ryan Mitchell Prepares for K2
NOTE: This Podcast has extensive pictures so best viewed instead of listened to. Ryan Mitchell, a Summit Coach client, has gained considerable recognition thanks to his impressive video documentation of his 2024 summit of Mt. Everest with Madison Mountaineering. Exciting news! He’s all set to…
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Everest 2025 Season Summary
The 2025 Everest expedition has come to a close, marked by strong winds, drones, challenging climbing, and innovative strategies. Along the way were reports of frostbite and helicopter evacuations, but many of these incidents went unreported to avoid negative publicity. Not all was bad, and one...
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Everest 2025: Weekend Update May 25–Season Ending Soon
What a week on Everest! We had both regular and unique summits, some of which may have unintended consequences for years to come. On the other 8000ers, the season came to a close with a few inspiring stories. The action is not over quite yet, even with an impending storm threatening to close the...
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Everest 2025: Weekend Update May 18–Summit, Summits and Preventable Deaths
Blustery conditions stalled most summit attempts last week, but a few teams managed to reach the summit, bringing the total number of Everest summits to over 200. May 14th, 15th and 18th, 2025, were big days on Everest despite the strong winds on the first two. And today, May 18th, we saw more...
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Everest 2025–May 11 Weekend Update- Summits, Summits, Summits
Summit, Forest, summit! With decent weather, climbers took full advantage of summiting four of the 8000ers, including the first Everest summits, with more teams on their way this season. One person attempted to set a speed record on Everest. The fixed line is to the summit of Lhotse and the...
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Everest 2025: Lhotse Summits, Everest Soon & Anticipation
The last few days of low winds have allowed the rope fixing teams to make excellent progress. The rope team from 8K Expeditions summited Lhotse this afternoon, May 8, 2025, marking the first summits of the year. A separate team from 8K will summit Everest tomorrow. This opens the season to the...
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Everest 2025: Weekend Update May 4–Waiting on the Ropes
Poor weather is delaying getting the fixed ropes to Everest's summit on both sides but is looking better. The Nepal side Everest permits have reached 444, with more permits issued each day. EverestER has seen over 400 patients thus far. Some teams have completed their acclimatization protocols...
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Everest 2025: April 27 Weekend Update–On the Move!
Drone crash, Icefall collapse, ropes to Camp 3, and climbers tag Camp 2. 374 Everest permits thus far, but only 48 on the Tibet side. It's been a busy week on Everest. https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2025/04/27/everest-2025-weekend-update-april-27-on-the-move/
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Everest 2025: April 20 Weekend Update–Base Camp Sprawl
The 2025 season is well underway, and more teams arrive at Everest Base Camp each day. The Icefall Doctors have the fixed line to Camp 2, where 8K Expeditions will take over and fix the route to the summit. I expect them by early May. It's a tough job, to be sure. Also, a short narrative on the...
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Annapurna 2025: Podcast with John Black on Sherpa Deaths
As I previously reported, two Sherpas lost their lives when struck by an avalanche on the 8000er, Annapurna, on April 7, 2025. Ngima Tashi and Rima Rinje were swept into a deep crevasse between Camps 2 and 3. Four days later, Sherpas located their bodies using RECCO reflective technology after...
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Everest 2025: Weekend Update April 13–Icefall In, Summits and Deaths
It was a tough week in the Himalayas. We saw summits on two 8000ers, two Sherpas died, and the Icefall Doctors finally got the route to Camp 1 through the Khumbu Icefall. Also, it feels like the early predictions of a record and crowded Nepal side are coming true, with more permits issued at this...
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Everest 2025: Weekend Update April 6–1st 8000er Summits
Despite ominous weather and route conditions, various media reports have at least four climbers summiting Annapurna on Sunday, April 6, 2025. Early reports of disturbing conditions on Annapurna seem to be mirrored on Everest. The Kumbu is buzzing with activity, and the Icefall Doctors are...
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Everest 2025: Weekend Update March 30: Weather
Early data suggest Everest will see a record year, primarily driven by Chinese and Indian clients. I won’t be surprised to see over 1,000 total summits from both sides. The Icefall Doctors are already at work. Sherpas are setting up Base Camp, which is starting to look like a small city. The...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Alan Arnette is a renowned mountaineer and Alzheimer's advocate. He is well-known in the mountaineering community for his extensive climbing experience and his blog at alanarnette.com, which chronicles his expeditions and provides insights into mountaineering. He summited Mount Everest in 2011, Mount Manaslu in 2013, and K2 in 2014 at 58, making him the 18th and oldest American to summit the second-highest peak in the world. https://www.alanarnette.com
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Alan Arnette is a renowned mountaineer and Alzheimer's advocate. He is well-known in the mountaineering community for his extensive climbing experience and his blog at alanarnette.com, which chronicles his expeditions and provides insights into mountaineering. He summited Mount Everest in 2011,...
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