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At the 2007 Banff Mountain Book Festival John Harlin III (the son) gave us the background for his new book, The Eiger Obsession: Facing the Mountain that Killed My Father.
It’s a moving story. John was very emotional while telling it.

In 1966, when John Harlin II set out to climb a new route straight up the […]

Note to self: In future, arrive 15min late for festivals to avoid the predictable, boring introductory speeches.
The opening act at the Banff 2007 Mountain Book Festival was quite entertaining, and refreshingly open-minded for an environmentalist. This is no Al Gore clone.

David de Rothschild
Adventure Ecology

Britain’s David de Rothschild has traversed Antarctica, has set a […]

Just picked up my tickets. Here are my major events, so far:
WED - Book Festival - David de Rothschild and John Harlin III
THUR - Book Festival
THUR - Book Festival - Ed Viesturs, Steph Davis, and Book Festival Awards

FRI - Film Festival - Krzysztof Wielicki and The Alps
SAT - Film Festival
SAT - Film […]

As those left coast hikers are oft to remind us, “California is the center of the outdoor universe.”
But God will smite the Californicaters …
We nearly lost Tom Mangan of Two-Heel Drive on Monday.
From his personal blog, at work — The San Jose Mercury News:
… First words out of my mouth: “Looks like we’re […]

I made it. Posting via wireless internet from the modern Hostel International.
Walking up the mountain on Deer Street I saw … deer. That’s truth in advertising.
This is my first time to attend perhaps the World’s most famous outdoor film festival.
Over the next 5 days I will be live blogging from Banff. […]

The NY Times posted the best on-line multimedia presentation of a trek I’ve ever seen.
It makes author Tom Bissell’s Kili adventure come to life. (Tom did make it to Uhuru Peak … but could not remember the “triumph” afterwards.)
Some screenshots of the graphics:

Tom Bissell’s account of his painful and exhausting climb to the summit of […]

Ever since I looked down the forbidden valley from Kagbeni while trekking the Annapurna Circuit, I’ve wanted to hike Lo Mustang in Nepal. Sadly, no independent hiking is allowed.
Kagbeni at 2810 m, spectacularly situated atop a cliff overlooking the confluence of the Kali Gandaki and the Jhong Khola rivers, is the last village in Lower […]

I cannot find much information on-line regarding the Aurland Trail in Norway.
I understand 30,000 hikers a year walk sections between Vassbygdi, Geiteryggen and further toward Hallingdal on an old East - West trail.
I enjoyed a well written trip report by Kathleen Hill Zichy. Part of her Travels with Wally series. (Wally is a Kiwi hiking […]

I’d love to get to Afghanistan for hiking.
This article from the Time’s Online says it’s only for the very adventurous at this point:

Afghanistan is bursting with potential as a future tourist destination. Its mountains could rival Nepal as a trekking destination, while Silk Road cities like Herat with their brightly tiled mosques are the match […]

My first reaction to “rock musicians on Everest” … ah, another media stunt.

Yet they look entirely serious. Very well organized.
Perhaps this will help the Nepalese trekking industry too, which is again threatened by Maoist rebels.
They are getting big-time media attention: USA Today, MSNBC Music, SKY News, BBC and more.

… our […]