Mountain climbing Archives - www.adventuresportsinsurance.com

May 18, 2015 by Administrator

Mt. Everest base camp before the avalanche

We post this video (see below) of Mount Everest base camp before the terrible earthquake and avalanche that killed 5 foreign climbers and 14 Sherpa guides and injured 120 others (Now known as the Gorkha earthquake) in honor of those Sherpas and climbers who lost their lives. Rest in peace.

Google Maps also has a tour which is beautiful, and in memory of Everest base camp and all those who lost their lives there – http://www.google.com/maps/about/behind-the-scenes/streetview/treks/the-worlds-highest-peaks/

Thomas Martienssen of the BBC gave this tour (below) before the avalanche: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-32366860. Except for in videos or travel guides, or the memories of climbers, Everest base camp (EBC) as we knew it no longer exists.

As the climbing season resumes on Mount Everest, the BBC’s Thomas Martienssen gives a tour of base camp – we’ll spare you the toilet tent.

Posted by BBC News on Saturday, April 18, 2015

Here is another video of the trip to get to base camp. Again, pre-April 24, 2015.

Another video of Everest base camp from 2013:

As of last week, Sherpas have refused to rebuild the route over the Khumbu Icefall, and most foreign climbers have left.

The last crew was doing clean up before departing this week according to the Nepali Times.

EBC immediately AFTER the avalanche:

And (base camp) as reported by the New York Times:

Just a month before the earthquake and avalanche, Nepal had been preparing for the climbing season by increasing the medical staff at base camp, and working to improve rescue facilities there.

To all those who died on Everest, and those who lost homes and loved ones, we post this article, in loving memory.

April 27, 2015 by Administrator

Ways to help those stuck on Mount Everest and in Nepal

How to help those stuck on Mount Everest and in Nepal:

You have probably already heard about stranded climbers stuck on Mount Everest at Camp 2 and 3: Most of these climbers either have been evacuated, are helping with continuing rescue efforts, or are still up on the mountain stranded due to routes being wiped out and new routes not yet having been laid. Sherpa’s homes and entire villages have been wiped out. The Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) camp at base camp was also badly damaged in the avalanche. Most of those stuck on the mountain are continuing to hope for good weather. Helicopter teams began evacuating critically injured climbers at Mount Everest’s base camp Sunday morning, but the effort came to an abrupt halt when a significant new aftershock triggered more avalanches and fears of additional casualties at the world’s highest peak. Rescue effort also has been hampered by communications difficulties and weather.

See the area impacted here.

UPDATE: We have contacted all of our clients in Nepal ( 1 was in the air on the way to Nepal), and checked in with them. All our long-term clients are safe, and have checked in. It appears three of our short-term clients may have been lost in a village on the way to Everest base camp. Multiple rescue attempts have been made to determine their status.
Emergency rescue attempts and/or return of remains is ongoing.
UPDATE on climbers on Annapura, Makalu, and other peaks.
UPDATE: The North side of Everest (and all mtns. in Tibet) now closed for the season (04/29/2015)

:: See how you can help below ::

News sources are reporting as many as 2,000+ deaths (over 700 in Kathmandu), and at least 19 people killed — five foreign climbers and 14 Nepalese Sherpa guides in the deadliest avalanche there only one year after one of the most devastating avalanches killed 16 Sherpas working for climbers and National Geographic in 2014. (Sherpas have a much higher risk on Mount Everest than those that hire them.) Nine others were injured in 2014, including three who required intensive-care.

Please remember the families that have lost loved ones, are waiting to hear from loved ones, and the precious Sherpa guides (album of photos here) who have once again lost so much in less than a year. Many experienced Sirdars had already decided to avoid the icefall. Unfortunately, as usual, it’s all about money and timing:

By Sherpa: 220 Khumbu Icefall trips costing $7,150* (*Assuming 20 Sherpas, each making 11 trips and earning approximately $32.50 per trip per Outside Magazine)
By helicopter (to Camp 1): 21 trips costing $42,000

Sherpas trapped at the camps had descended to the icefall to examine the possibility of fixing it with ropes and other equipment dropped by helicopter on Sunday, but it was deemed too hazardous.

This article was posted two weeks before the earthquake/avalanche.

Outside Magazine has a story on the avalanche here. (Their guide to Everest is here.)

National Geographic has a story on the avalanche here.

CNN has a story here.

And the Washington Post has this story (which may need to be updated).

UPDATE: As of Tuesday, Everest above base camp is now empty – All survivors have been rescued. Danish climber Carsten Lillelund Pedersen posted on Facebook, “Everest, above base camp, is now empty,…A lot of gear, tents, oxygen, fuel etc is stashed at camp 2 ready to ‘rebuild’ later this season.”

On everest/lhotse everybody still left up in camp1 safely helied down to base camp this morning by maurizio folini. Nobody up but equipment.

— Alex Gavan (@AlexGAVAN) April 28, 2015

Stranded climbers evacuation from camp1&2 continues. 3 helis fly non stop. Only 2 people per shuttle due to high altitude. Weather good.

— Alex Gavan (@AlexGAVAN) April 27, 2015

A short history of Sherpa loss of life:

April 22, 2012 – http://www.outsideonline.com/1929151/first-obstacle-navigating-deadly-khumbu-icefall

April 26, 2012 – http://www.outsideonline.com/1930356/tragedy-29000-feet-10-worst-disasters-everest

Sept. 12, 2012 – http://www.outsideonline.com/1929136/take-number

April 22, 2013 – http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/22/everest-s-sherpa-are-right-to-revolt.html

April 29, 2013 – http://www.climbing.com/news/ugly-incident-on-everest/

April 29, 2013 – http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/04/29/179850742/high-on-mount-everest-climbers-clash-with-sherpas

April 30, 2013 – http://www.outsideonline.com/1915131/fight-everests-camp-ii-update

May 1, 2013 – http://www.outsideonline.com/1929131/how-much-does-it-cost-climb-everest

May 2, 2013 – http://www.outsideonline.com/1929126/brawl-everest-ueli-steck%E2%80%99s-story

July 10, 2013 – http://www.outsideonline.com/1928326/disposable-man-western-history-sherpas-everest

Photo gallery – http://www.outsideonline.com/1858401/everest-veteran-sherpas

August 13, 2013 – http://www.outsideonline.com/1929351/everest-brawl-sherpas-tale

April 21, 2014 – http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/04/mortality-on-mount-everest/360927/

July 8, 2014 – http://www.outsideonline.com/1924596/everest%E2%80%99s-darkest-year

Photo gallery – http://www.outsideonline.com/1859941/high-cost-everest

April 18, 2014 – http://www.outsideonline.com/1922426/value-sherpa-life

April 18, 2014 – http://www.outsideonline.com/1922431/everest-deaths-how-many-sherpas-have-been-killed

March 11, 2015 – http://www.outsideonline.com/1957671/google-goes-everest

March 24, 2015 – http://www.outsideonline.com/1962316/everest-2015-everything-you-need-know

We should remember that seismic activity, and the crashing together of massive tectonic plates under this region, is what created Mount Everest in the first place.

“Is there anything I can do to help”

1.) Don’t rush to the region. Read this first. Consider what you have to offer.

2. Use the internet to help the U.N. search:

Quartz has created a great list of internet resources at http://qz.com/391752/help-nepal-earthquake-victims-from-your-computer/
Become a digital volunteer / digital humanitarian – http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02q4348
Learn what you can do at http://digitalhumanitarians.com/.
Go to http://micromappers.org/ to help with damage assessment in Nepal. They have/had some projects and are/were asking for volunteers.
Help The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap which is currently mapping Nepal’s road networks, buildings, residential areas, and open spaces with the goal of connecting communities and accommodating helicopter landings and relief efforts throughout Kathmandu and the region. The web-based organization maintains a wiki page that lists tasks and instructions that allow anyone with a computer and an internet connection to participate, and…
The Humanitarian Digital Exchange, a platform launched last summer by the UN Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs with the goal of enabling humanitarian agencies to upload, analyze, and share data that can sharpen their ability to target relief efforts.
Use Google to re-connect or request information on someone – http://google.org/personfinder/2015-nepal-earthquake (Realize that at the moment connections, cell towers landlines, etc. are being restored and communication in remote areas of Nepal were already spotty at best.
You can also view the complete guide/article on other ways you can help Nepal at https://www.gninsurance.com/international-crisis-response/nepal-earthquake-relief-2015/ Then…
Please share the link above on Social Media using hashtag #Nepal or #Everest2015 or #Everestbasecamp to help get out the word and help us help the people of Nepal.

January 20, 2015 by Administrator

Rockstars – Tom Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson

Dawn Wall Project January 14, 2015:
Congratulations Tom Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson

Good Neighbor Insurance and www.adventuresportsinsurance.com would like to congratulate Tom Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson on successfully free-climbing the Dawn Wall, a route up El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in Northern California, January 14, 2015. One of the greatest climbs in history.

Rockclimbing-mountain-climbinh — See this gorgeous, interactive (3.4gigapixel) picture of the Dawn Wall and the climbers, by clicking here – http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/01/14/sports/the-dawn-wall-up-close.html?_r=0

Learn more about Tommy Caldwell here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAMMPqq31Vg

Learn more about Kevin Jorgeson here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsl4evw0a7Q

View the interactive route on the N. Y. Times site here: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/01/09/sports/the-dawn-wall-el-capitan.html

The N.Y. Times also has a running story here: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/15/sports/el-capitans-dawn-wall-climbers-near-top-yosemite.html

At 3,000 feet (914m) of sheer granite, it has never been free-climbed and has been considered impossible to climb without ropes and gear. In order to prove that they did indeed free-climb the entire route, the men would start each pitch over if they fell. (Ropes and anchors are used for safety/protection points to limit the distance fallen if a climber slips, not to assist in climbing which is restricted to fingers and special rubber climbing shoes.) In ascents such as this one, where there are many falls, the climbers can practice a pitch repeatedly (over many attempts), but each must free climb from one belay station to the next in each push. For many “first ascents” of extremely hard routes, climbers fall hundreds of times before doing the entire pitch without weighting the rope. [“Free soloing” is climbing without assistance or ropes. No major El Capitan route has been free-soloed.]

“We’ve been working on each of these stages and climbing ‘pitches’ broken up by rope lengths. Our ropes are about 200 feet long so the pitches are obviously 200 feet long or less.” – Jorgeson

The climb began on December 27, and the climbers summited at 3:30pm P.T. after 32 pitches and 19 continuous days living on the face.

You can view video updates of each day here: http://vimeo.com/rockandice/videos

This had been the climbers’ fourth attempt (2010, 2011, and 2013) and was almost unsuccessful due to Jorgeson’s fingers splitting open. The wall is rated 5.14d, and considered one of the hardest in the world. (Only 5.15 is more difficult, with 5.0 being the “easiest.”) Adam Ondra ascended “Change,” considered the world’s hardest route, with 5.15a+b sections, and two 5.15d sections at Hanshelleren Cave at Flatanger, Norway. (Other climbers will have to confirm that to make it official.) The holy grail is a consensus of climbers recognizing a true 5.16 (10a).

While each pitch (segment) is not individually the hardest in the world, they are among the hardest in North America, and there are many of them in rows, high up on the route, which makes the climb one of the top rock-climbing achievements ever.

Tommy Caldwell redpointed one of the Dawn Wall’s 5.14d pitches in 2013 here: http://www.climbing.com/news/caldwell-redpoints-514d-pitch-dawn-wall/

Heat was reported to be more of a concern to the climbers than cold, due to sweaty hands. The climbers often climbed at night when it was cooler. (http://www.npr.org/2015/01/06/375357301/free-climbing-yosemites-el-capitan-takes-a-team-and-time)

One poignant highlight, on January 10, was when Jorgeson dyno-jumped sideways eight and a half feet (2.6m) while Tommy Caldwell found a new way (“Loop Pitch)”around “Dyno” Pitch 16 to continue his route. (See http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/01/140111-interview-kevin-jorgeson-dawn-wall-yosemite-adventure/) A “dynamic jump” in when both feet and hands leave the rock. This right after Pitches 14 and 15, which are the two hardest pitches on El Cap. Together they are called The Grand Traverses. Caldwell said that pitch 14 is harder than 15, but they are both 5.14d. After failed attempts, Caldwell created the new route around pitch 16.

Jorgeson stalled out on pitch 15. For ten days in a row, he continued to fall during each of his attempts. Time was a factor—the longer the climbers were on the wall, the greater chance of a weather front moving through and forcing the climbers to descend. After resting a couple days and realizing he was holding the team back, he nailed it and moved on to “Dyno.”

“A ‘dyno’ is short for dynamic and that’s when all of your limbs — hands and feet — are off the rocks. So basically there’s a huge 8.5-foot expanse of rock with nothing in between,” Jorgeson says. “It’s total porcelain. And on one side, it’s a little doorjamb-sized edge that you can hang on to — and likewise on the other. And the only way to get between the two is to jump.”

The ElCap Report has also documented “The Climb of the Century:” http://www.elcapreport.com/content/elcap-report-1142015-special-dawn-wall-edition-day-19