The Podcast on alanarnette.com

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 experienced high-altitude guides — one with 28 8,000-meter summits — two very experienced clients, including one with 12 8,000-meter summits, and a Texas climber attempting her first 8,000er. The discussion across social media has ranged from praise to blame, sparking an intense debate over responsibility and judgment — with some pointing fingers and naming names. There were ten climbers across four independent teams with no single leader. It would be easy to start speculating, and that’s not what I’m doing here. I begin with what matters most: who they were, not just how they died. Memories are Everything Alan https://www.alanarnette.com/2026/08/13/learnings-from-broad-peak-tragedy/

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. No O's is serious business. Of the 13,532 Everest summits by 7,563 people, only 221 have been done without oxygen. And it's deadly. Of the 327 deaths, 170, or 52%, were climbers who were not on O's. Ryan has become very popular since he summited Everest at age 20 in 2024 with Madison Mountaineering. He made a serious attempt on K2 in 2025 but was stopped by deadly rockfall that took lives last year. He now lives in the Pacific Northwest and is building an impressive climbing resume, including ascents of Everest, K2, Ama Dablam, Denali, Aconcagua (2), Mt. Washington, Shuckson, and more. Justin cut his climbing teeth on Mt Rainier with over 50 summits before founding his own company, Skyline Mountain Guides . He guides in the Pacific Northwest and internationally on Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, and more. Listen to the end, or fast forward to You can follow Ryan at: Ryan Mitchell YouTube RyanMitchellUnfiltered Instagram Website You can follow Justin at: Skyline Mountain Guides Instagram Facebook Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/2026/08/06/podcast-with-ryan-mitchell-justin-sackett-no-os-everest-update-and-plans/

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 Ocean. Oh, then he walked back, covering 2,000 km (1,242 miles) over more than 100 days. https://www.alanarnette.com/2026/07/03/madalin-cris-cristea-sea-summit-sea-everest-2026/#

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 and Summit Coach client, John Bartolic. John, a Southwest Airlines pilot living in Dallas, Texas, is relatively new to mountaineering, with a Rainier summit last year and a Pico de Orizaba summit a few months ago. His next includes Kilimanjaro and Everest. We discussed everything from motivation, training, gear, clothing and weather to logistics and had a special remembrance of Mayor Stubbs of Talkeetna, Alaska, who died in 2017. I met Stubbs in 2007 on a climb. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/06/17/denali-2026-coverage-podcast-with-summiteer-john-bartlic/

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 challenging climbing. Despite the dramatic headlines in the mainstream press, it was actually a fairly normal season, as evidenced in part by roughly 80% of this year's 1,008 summits occurring between May 17th and May 26th, consistent with historical trends. The Himalayan Database will publish what I consider to be the definitive results later this year. #everest2026 If you would like to be notified when my memoir, "Hard or Impossible? Summiting K2 for Ida is available – I'm still looking for an agent. Complete the form at the bottom of this introduction page: https://www.alanarnette.com/memoir

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 evacuations, but many of these incidents went unreported to avoid negative publicity. There are reports today that a Sherpa "was left to die at C3." Oh, and record permits and record summits, including 274 on one day! I'll post my season summary and wrap-up in a few days. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything

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 by members, guides and Sherpas. With only a few teams left, we are seeing the end of the season coming into view in breezy conditions.Climb On!AlanMemories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/05/24/everest-2026-may-24-weekend-update-nearing-the-end/

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 and delays, the changing rules around the jet stream, and more. I hope you enjoy. We had more summits overnight, including yet another multi-summit record. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/05/22/everest-2026-garrett-madison-podcast-from-camp-2-2-more-deaths/

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 now. On a personal note, this is the anniversary of my Everest summit, and I'm announcing my upcoming memoir: Hard or Impossible? Summitting K2 for Ida. Also a narrative on climbing from the South Col to Everest's summit. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/05/21/everest-2026-the-western-teams-turn-my-summit-anniversary/

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 Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/05/18/everest-2026-weather-alert-and-more-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 passed, fragments could still create bitter windchill and frostbite, so climbers will need to be prepared to bail if the jet stream suddenly returns. The Everest summits for the season total is around 86, with 54 Sherpas and 32 clients. The ratio is skewed by the large rope team, entirely comprised of Sherpas. Nepal has issued 492 Everest permits, surpassing the 2024 record of 479. There is climbing on the Tibet side of Everest. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/05/17/everest-2026-may-17-weekend-update-climbers-to-the-summit/

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, surpassing the 2024 record of 479. A Sherpa died in the Icefall. There is climbing on the Tibet side of Everest. Climb On! AlanMemories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/05/10/everest-2026-may-10-weekend-update-ropes-to-south-col-everest-death/

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 acclimatization rotations to Camps 1 and 2. The ropes are expected to reach the summit around May 14th. Everest permits are nearing 2024's record of 479, generating nearly $7 million in permit revenue alone. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything

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 Icefall with climbers there, dozens could be killed, making it much worse than the 16 taken in a similar event in 2014. There are conflicting reports about a route to Camp 1. But others say it's still too dangerous because of rockfall, and the ice serac in question remains.There are 410 Everest permits issued, so with 1.5 Sherpas per permit and 0.2 cooks, there are around 1,200 people at EBC, by my estimation. I've seen other reports with three times that many. #everest2026 Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/04/27/everest-2026-april-27-weekend-update-icefall-route-in/

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. #everest2026 Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/04/19/everest-2026-april-19-weekend-update-8000er-summits-icefall-woes

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 https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/04/12/everest-2026-april-12-weekend-update-the-khumbu-is-alive/

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 and hospital stays. Additionally, Global Rescue will not provide longline rescues above Camp 2 this year due to a lack of qualified pilots, which will fundamentally change expectations for climber safety. We also look at heavy snow delaying summits on Annapurna and, of course, a status update on Ryan Mitchell. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/04/05/everest-2026-april-5-weekend-update-debunking-poison-rumors/

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 mother’s diagnosis in 2006—and has driven nearly two decades of climbing and fundraising to support research where every dollar goes directly to finding solutions. Today, breakthroughs like early detection, new treatments, and innovative research models offer real hope, but continued funding is critical; that’s why I’m asking for your help now, and I’ll match the first 50 donations to amplify our collective impact in the fight to end this disease. #alzheimer's #Curealz Climb On! Alan Memories are everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/03/31/podcast-memories-are-everything-why-alzheimers-research-needs-us-now/

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, Cho Oyu, and Shishapangma—throughout all of spring. Climb On! Alan Memories are Everything https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/03/26/everest-2026-climbers-to-watch-this-season/

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 refresher training under the watchful eyes of the Kuhumbu Climbing Center teachers. Next, they will use drones to scout the route and, around March 16, begin the laborious task of setting ice screws, pickets, v-threads, and other techniques to attach the rope to the moving ice. And of course, there are the ladders that are hauled to deep, open crevasses, thus providing passage for the thousands of trips through the Icefall this season. In the Podcast, I introduce the season and review some of my background posts on costs, total summits and deaths, route figures, and more. #everest2026 Climb On! Alan Memories are Everythinghttps://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/03/01/everest-2026-icefall-doctors-launched/