Karrimor have announced two new technical packs bearing the Alpiniste name which first came to prominence in the 1970s. At the time, the company had appointed the late, great Scottish mountaineer Dougal Haston (of Annapurna, Eiger and Everest fame) as technical advisor, and one of the fruits of his involvement was the purple ‘Haston Alpiniste’ which was used by the …
Patagonia add to Alpine Collection
Patagonia have announced some new additions to their Alpine Collection for spring 2012, including softshell and hardshell products. The Adze jacket is made of Polartec Windbloc stretch-woven fabric and is described as offering ‘mobility, durability and totally windproof’. Available in a range of colors for both men and women, the SRP of the Adze is £125. Next up is the …
Norwegians win South Pole Centenary race
Just as they did a hundred years ago, the Norwegians have shown their dominance in polar racing as Norwegian Team FRAMdrift have won the EWR Centenary Race to the South Pole, with a commanding lead over the rest of the field including Welsh and English teams. Norwegians Erlend Gray, 28, Harvard Svidal, 35, and Mathias Seim, 23, were able to …
The Long Hope lecture at RGS
Scottish climbing phenomenon Dave MacLeod and climbing partner Andy Turner are presenting a lecture on their first free ascent of the Long Hope route at London’s Royal Geographical Society on February 8th. During the lecture, sponsored by Gore, Cotswold Outdoor and Mountain Equipment, Dave and Andy will give an insight into the physical, psychological and logistic preparation required to capture …
Jordan Romero completes Seven Summits
At the end of December, 15-year old American Jordan Romero completed his Seven Summits by summiting Mount Vinson in the Antarctic. Jordan, who became the youngest person to have completed the Seven Summits, began his quest back in 2006 when he climbed Kilimanjaro at age 10. Controversy ensued when he attempted Everest in 2010 aged just 13, with criticism coming …
Issue 25 – February 2012
Kili Summit Guide Rhys Jones of RJ7 Expeditions gives valuable advice on maximising your chances of summiting Kili Ama Dablam Jon Gupta and Bonita Norris give accounts of their recent (separate) climbs on this breathtakingly beautiful Himalayan peak Ben Nevis Top climber Kev Shields recounts his first winter climbing trip on Ben Nevis and explains how the experience helped change …
Venables on Shipton
Mountaineer, author and Trek & Mountain contributor Stephen Venables is giving a series of lectures on legendary adventurer Eric Shipton over the coming weeks. One of the greatest mountain explorers of the twentieth century, Shipton was a team-member on all four Everest expeditions during the 1930’s and found the route that Hillary and Tenzing would follow to the top of …
Base Camp: Nanga Parbat
Simone Moro and Denis Urubko of The North Face-sponsored expedition to attempt the first winter ascent of Nanga Parbat in Pakistan, have reached their basecamp. At 4230m above sea level, even at basecamp the temperatures drop to -15°C, and temperatures will drop further as the team begins climbing the world’s ninth highest peak (8126m), and Pakistan’s second highest (after K2). …
Your first Himalayan peak?
Gracing the cover of this month’s Trek & Mountain is Nepal’s popular trekking peak, Island Peak. Rising to 6,189m and located in the heart of the Khumbu region, Island Peak is popular for its spectacular views and the opportunity it presents for non-climbers to get the big mountain experience. Our writer, Jon Gupta, led two groups to the summit recently …