Annapurna Climbers Are Ready for the Summit, But the Weather Is Not
Expedition teams on Annapurna have finished their second acclimatization round, spending a night at 6,420 m Camp 3, and are technically ready for a summit push. However, a major storm forecast for the coming days has forced climbers and most Sherpas to retreat to lower villages such as Tatopani and to Base Camp. Fixed ropes currently extend only a short distance above Camp 3, and the storm could damage the route, delaying any further attempts. Similar high‑wind conditions are also hampering climbs on nearby Dhaulagiri, underscoring a regional weather pattern that limits summit activity.
Traverses, Solos, and New Routes in the Alps
Swiss alpinists Jonas Schild and Silvan Schupbach freed the trad route Komplexe Komplexe on Stockenflueh, tackling pitches up to 8a+ and completing the climb by night with headlamps. On March 24, Italian climber Filip Babicz soloed a new variation of the...
Great Explorers: Antonio De Abreu
Antonio de Abreu, a Madeiran noble born in 1480, led Portugal’s first European expedition to Timor and the Banda Islands, securing the coveted spice cargo that fueled the empire’s wealth. He served as a trusted naval officer under Afonso de Albuquerque, helping...
Weekend Warm-Up: A Mongolian Ski Journey
A mixed U.S.–European team spent 150 hours traveling across three continents to reach Mongolia’s Altai Mountains, where they skied historic slopes near Khüiten Peak. The expedition relied on a blend of modern logistics—flights, buses, old vans, and even camels—to haul...
The Seven-Minute Rule in Polar Travel
Polar sledders face a brutal first 20‑25 minutes as cold boots and numb fingers impede progress. After roughly half an hour, circulation improves but lactic‑acid buildup causes intense hand pain known as “screaming barfies.” The author found that rest stops...
Wtih SpaceX's 10,000th Satellite, We Have Great Remote Internet -- and Inescapable Light Pollution
SpaceX marked a milestone this week by lofting its 10,000th Starlink satellite into low‑Earth orbit, extending the company’s broadband constellation. The added capacity is already delivering reliable high‑speed internet to remote outposts, such as a Norwegian polar expedition across Ellesmere...
A Second Alpine-Style Expedition to a Remote Nepal Peak
Slovak veteran climber Peter Hamor is scouting a partner for an alpine‑style ascent of Api (7,132 m), the highest peak in Nepal’s remote Gurans Himal range. The Nepalese government recently waived permit fees for 97 peaks, including Api, to stimulate western‑region...
Adventure Links of the Week
ExplorersWeb’s weekly roundup spotlights a spectrum of adventure stories, from Ben Weeks’ high‑altitude cliff camping in England’s Lake District to Tom Cunliffe’s push for sextant navigation as a low‑tech alternative to GPS. The collection also flags emerging safety concerns, including the...
Weekend Warm-Up: Persistence
The 2026 short film *Persistence* follows Kirsty, Hardin and their two young children as they abandon a comfortable home in Indonesia for a van‑based, climbing‑centric lifestyle in the French Alps. The narrative juxtaposes breathtaking mountain mornings with the relentless logistical...
Ama Dablam: 65 Years Since Its First Ascent
Today marks the 65th anniversary of Ama Dablam’s first successful ascent. The 6,814‑metre peak in Nepal’s Khumbu region, famed for its elegant “mother’s pendant” shape, was finally summited on March 13 1961 by a multinational team of New Zealand, British and American climbers....
The North Magnetic Pole: The Hardest Place in the World to Reach
The Earth's North Magnetic Pole, once a 650 km trek from the Canadian hamlet of Resolute, has migrated far beyond the Geographic North Pole into the central Arctic Ocean, making it the hardest polar destination to reach. Historically, adventurers used ski‑equipped...
Patagonia: New American Route on Torre Central Del Paine
U.S. alpinists Miles Moser, Trevor Anthes and Harry Kinnard have opened a new 36‑pitch route called "Paradigm Shift" on the East Face of Torre del Paine after two years and 70 nights on the wall. The line, free‑climbable and graded...
Adventure Links of the Week
The weekly roundup spotlights recent adventure‑industry headlines, from extreme backcountry incidents to cultural commentary. Highlights include Jake Evans’ aborted 1,000‑km Scottish Watershed trek after a broken ankle, a deadly Sierra Nevada avalanche that claimed nine skiers, and Garmin’s 2025 rescue...
Weekend Warm-Up: The Place Where I Am
The documentary *The Place Where I Am* follows Japanese trad climber Masa Sakano as he builds a life in the Scottish Highlands, swapping Japanese sport‑climbing gyms for Scotland’s rugged winter routes. Since moving in 2000, Masa blends his 1990s Japanese...
Here Are Some Familiar Faces Returning to Everest
The 2026 Everest season sees several high‑profile climbers back on the mountain. Tyler Andrews has shifted to the Nepalese south side to chase a no‑oxygen Fastest Known Time, while Ecuadorian Karl Egloff also targets the record. Legendary guide Kami Rita...