Mont Blanc’s Easiest Route Closed Since August 11 Two key refuges on Mont Blanc have been closed by mayoral decree since August 11: Tête Rousse and Refuge du Goûter. The culprit is unrelenting rockfall in the infamous Grand Couloir, which guards the otherwise straightforward normal route up Mont Blanc. The Grand Couloir, also known as the Couloir du Goûter, is no stranger to rockfall. Between 1990 and 2017, […] Climbing Sergei Poljak | August 16, 2026 0 Comments
Record-Setting Speed Climber Jake Whisenant Dies After a Fall in the Sierra Nevada, CA Jacob Whisenant, a well-known speed climber from Mammoth Lakes, California, died on Sunday, August 2, after a climbing accident in Sequoia National Park. While the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office has yet to release specific information, the death was ruled an accident, caused by blunt-force trauma as a result of a fall. His body was recovered and transferred to the Sheriff’s […] Climbing Kien Warren | August 14, 2026 0 Comments
32 Mountaineers Forced to Pay for Helicopter Evacuation from Mont Blanc, France, After Climbing Despite Closure UPDATE: 6:30 a.m. Monday, August 17: Charles Van der Elst, president of the French Federation of Alpine and Mountain Clubs (FFCAM), pushed back this week on the narrative that has formed around this incident, arguing the climbers did nothing wrong by staying at the Goûter refuge overnight. Van der Elst noted that the August 11 municipal order closed the refuges […] Climbing Julia Schneemann | August 14, 2026 1 Comment
Body of Pakistani Guide Sohail Sakhi Recovered From Broad Peak Avalanche The body of Pakistani mountain guide Sohail Sakhi has been recovered from Broad Peak in Pakistan’s Karakoram, leaving just one of the 10 climbers killed in the devastating avalanche still unrecovered. The Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) confirmed Sakhi’s recovery on Thursday, August 13, after a team of local volunteers from Shigar searching the mountain on their own initiative discovered […] Climbing Julia Schneemann | August 13, 2026 0 Comments
Closure for Families After 9 Months as Last 5 Bodies Recovered and Identified from Yalung Ri Avalanche in Nepal Nine months after an avalanche swept seven climbers to their deaths on Yalung Ri in Nepal, the families of the five victims whose bodies remained missing finally have answers. The bodies of the five climbers were discovered by locals on August 6, 2026, after seasonal snowmelt exposed their remains near the mountain which rises to approximately 5,630 meters (18,470 feet). […] Climbing Julia Schneemann | August 11, 2026 0 Comments
Rockfall Kills 1 Climber, Injures 3 on Mount Rainier, WA A rockfall on Mount Rainier’s Disappointment Cleaver route killed a local Washington climber and injured three others early Sunday, July 19. It struck two independent parties climbing without guides, low on the mountain’s standard summit line. Six climbers were caught in the rockfall at approximately 11,600 feet (3,536 meters) at around 3:30 a.m., a Mount Rainier National Park spokesperson said. […] Climbing Matthew Oliphant | August 3, 2026 2 Comments
Broad Peak Avalanche Update: 8 Bodies Recovered And Identified Eight climbers are now confirmed dead following last week’s devastating avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan’s Karakoram, including legendary mountaineer Nims Dai Purja, according to updates from the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP). Rescue teams have recovered and identified eight of the 10 climbers caught in the avalanche on Thursday, July 30. Two climbers remain unaccounted for, although all 10 […] Avalanche Julia Schneemann | August 2, 2026 0 Comments
Update Broad Peak Avalanche: 6 Climbers Confirmed Dead as Recovery Mission Continues Six climbers have now been confirmed dead following Thursday’s catastrophic avalanche on Broad Peak (8,047 meters) in Pakistan’s Karakoram Range, while recovery teams prepare to return to the mountain to retrieve the remaining victims. The confirmations of the confirmed deaths has come in several stages. On Friday evening, July 31, the Commissioner of Baltistan’s office issued a press release confirming […] Avalanche Julia Schneemann | August 1, 2026 1 Comment
Nims Dai Purja Confirmed Dead Following Broad Peak Avalanche in Pakistan Nirmal “Nims Dai” Purja, one of the most accomplished high-altitude mountaineers in history, has been confirmed dead following Thursday’s devastating avalanche on Broad Peak (8,047 meters) in Pakistan’s Karakoram Range. The announcement was made on Saturday, August 1, by his expedition company, Elite Exped, bringing a heartbreaking end to two days of uncertainty and hope. In a statement shared on […] Avalanche Julia Schneemann | August 1, 2026 3 Comments
Woman Dies Near Marvel Peak, AB, Marking Banff’s Second Fatal Fall in Three Days On Tuesday, July 28, an unnamed female hiker in her 20s lost her footing and fell to her death in the Marvel Peak area of Banff National Park, Alberta. The incident marked the second slip-and-fall fatality in the park within a three-day span. The deceased hiker was accompanied by three other hikers, all of whom were partaking in a multi-day […] Climbing Kien Warren | July 31, 2026 0 Comments
Broad Peak Avalanche Update: 3 Climbers Confirmed Dead, All 10 Missing Climbers Named CORRECTION OF EARLIER REPORT STATING 4 BODIES WERE FOUND Two bodies have been recovered from Thursday’s avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak, while renowned mountaineer Nirmal “Nims Dai” Purja and several other climbers remain missing, according to Nepalese news. Earlier reports suggested that another two bodies were found, however, those turned out to be debris, such as tents and backpacks, as […] Climbing Julia Schneemann | July 30, 2026 0 Comments
2 Bodies Found as Search Continues for Nims Purja and Missing Broad Peak Climbers, Pakistan Two bodies have reportedly been found following Thursday’s avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak, as search teams continue looking for renowned mountaineer Nirmal “Nims Dai” Purja and the remaining missing climbers. The avalanche struck Broad Peak (26,414 feet / 8,047 meters) around midday Thursday, July 30, in Pakistan’s Karakoram Range, severing communication with a 10-member international climbing team. Search efforts have […] Climbing Julia Schneemann | July 30, 2026 0 Comments
Nims Dai Purja Among 10 People Missing After Avalanche Strikes Pakistan’s Broad Peak [Updated with more information missing climbers] A search operation is underway in Pakistan’s Karakoram Range after avalanche struck Broad Peak on Thursday, July 30, leaving a 10-member international expedition team led by legendary mountaineer Nirmal “Nims” Purja missing. The avalanche hit around midday on Broad Peak (26,414 feet / 8,047 meters), the world’s 12th-highest mountain, according to the Alpine Club […] Climbing Julia Schneemann | July 30, 2026 0 Comments
Woman Dies After Czech Climbing Pair Falls 460 Feet into Glacier Crevasse on Austria’s Wildspitze A Czech mountaineer died and her climbing partner was seriously injured after the pair fell approximately 140 meters (460 feet) into a glacier crevasse while descending Wildspitze, Austria’s highest mountain, on Saturday, July 25. The two experienced alpinists, both 32 years old, were descending the northwest ridge of the 12,362-foot (3,768-meter) peak after summiting when the accident occurred at an […] Climbing Julia Schneemann | July 29, 2026 0 Comments
5 Foreign Climbers Die on Mount Elbrus, Russia, After Storm Overwhelms Expedition A climbing expedition on Mount Elbrus, Europe’s highest peak, ended in tragedy after five Bosnian climbers died when a violent storm struck high on the mountain, Russian authorities confirmed on Sunday, July 26. The group of seven climbers became disoriented after weather conditions deteriorated rapidly during their ascent of the 18,510-foot (5,642-metre) volcano in Russia’s Caucasus Mountains, according to […] Climbing SnowBrains | July 26, 2026 0 Comments
Utah Hiker Dies After Being Struck by Lightning Near American Fork Twin Peaks Summit On Monday, July 20, the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Craig Nelson, 59, was killed while climbing American Fork Twin Peaks in Utah earlier this month, according to KSL. Nelson and his brother were attempting to climb the east peak of the range on the morning of July 18 when they noticed a large storm rolling in around […] Weather Kien Warren | July 25, 2026 0 Comments
Ultra Runner Sophie Woods Reaches Half-Way Point to Record-Breaking Alps Crossing Sophie Woods is making human-powered speed history in the Alps. This July, the ultra-runner embarked on a 2,000-kilometer running journey through the entire Alps. Now, over 15 days into her journey, she is more than halfway there and on pace to blow a current world record out of the water. The current world record run time through the Alps for […] Climbing Quinn Brophy | July 21, 2026 0 Comments
Russian Climber Sues His Sherpa for Attempted Murder After Being Left for Dead on Makalu Konstantin Smirnov is suing Makalu Adventures for $75,000 and his Sherpa, Bhajuram Gurung, for attempted murder. Smirnov claims he was abandoned by his guide and left for dead shortly after summiting Makalu on May 9. Miraculously, Smirnov was able to descend to the nearest camp on his own before being escorted to safety, after having been stranded near the mountain’s […] Climbing Kien Warren | July 21, 2026 0 Comments
Heatwave Forces Italian Guides to Suspend Mont Blanc Climbs as Alps Become Increasingly Unstable An intense early-summer heatwave gripping Western Europe is rapidly changing conditions across the Alps, forcing mountain guides to suspend some of the continent’s most iconic mountaineering routes as thawing permafrost, melting glaciers, and frequent rockfall create increasingly dangerous conditions. On Italy’s side of Mont Blanc, professional guides in Courmayeur have stopped guiding clients on the mountain’s classic Italian normal route […] Climbing SnowBrains | July 20, 2026 2 Comments
Drones Just Hauled Over 3 Tons of Trash Off Mount Everest Throughout the years, Mount Everest has not only become an incredibly popular, highly visited climbing destination for people all over the world, but it has also earned itself an unfortunate nickname — “the world’s highest garbage dump.” Now, an Everest drone cleanup effort led by DJI is starting to change that, using unmanned aircraft to shuttle supplies and garbage between […] Climbing John Cunningham | July 15, 2026 0 Comments
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