Author: TranquilKilimanjaro

The mountaineering community has been rocked by serious accusations against one of its most prominent figures. However, insiders claim that the issue is not limited to just one person. The fallout from the allegations against rockstar British-Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja, who has been accused of sexual harassment and assault, has resulted in brands and tour companies distancing themselves from the 40-year-old. However, members of the community believe that the culture of mountaineering as a whole needs to change to create a safer environment for women. The controversy began on May 31 when Lotta Hintsa, a mountaineer and model from Finland, accused Purja of serious misconduct in a hotel room in Kathmandu last year. Hintsa claimed that he forcibly undressed her and exposed himself. Another victim, US doctor April Leonardo, came forward with similar allegations. She stated that during a 2022 expedition to K2, the second-highest mountain in the world in Pakistan, Purja entered her tent and kissed her without consent. Leonardo was a client of Purja's company Elite Exped, which provides guided climbs on the highest mountains. In response, Purja vehemently denied the allegations via an Instagram story, calling them defamatory and false. MP calls for ban on climber Nims Purja, Osprey ends partnership over sexual abuse allegations MP Rajendra Bajgain has called for the government to prevent well-known climber Nirmal "Nims" Purja from returning to Nepal. This request comes following a report in The New York Times alleging that Purja had committed sexual assault. According to the article, Finnish climber Lotta Hintsa and American physician Dr. April Leonardo have accused Purja of sexual misconduct during their joint expeditions. During a session in the House of Representatives on June 4, Nepali Congress MP Bajgain declared that Purja's actions have damaged Nepal's reputation, not only due to these recent allegations but

Highlighting Noel Odell, the last person to actually see Mallory and Irvine climb towards the summit of Everest on that fateful day that they disappeared. The 100th anniversary of a well-known mystery in mountaineering is being commemorated this year: did George Mallory and Andrew ‘Sandy’ Irvine reach the top of Everest on 8 June 1924? Geologist Noel Odell last spotted them high on the mountain, with Mallory appearing to still have the strength to continue towards the summit. However, they disappeared into the clouds and were never seen again. Mallory's remains were discovered in 1999, but the mystery of whether they reached the summit remains unsolved due to the lack of conclusive evidence. Even earlier on as Mallory and Irvine struggled to put on their heavy oxygen masks, expedition geologist Noel Odell took their picture. At 22, Irvine calmly watched while Mallory adjusted his mask. At 8:40 a.m., the pair left with eight Tibetan porters for Camp V. The next morning, with just four porters, they pushed on to Camp VI near the summit. They left notes for other expedition members at Camp IV before moving. Facing numerous challenges en route, the climbers were last seen moving quickly toward the summit ridge. Odell, well-acclimatized to the altitude, was out looking for them when he saw a small black spot on the snowmaking progress. He could tell even from a distance that it was Mallory and Irvine. Unfortunately, they did not return to Camp VI as anticipated and were never seen again. Their disappearance raised many questions and led to speculation for decades. In the mid-1990s, Jochen Hemmleb became obsessed with locating Mallory and Irvine's remains. He sought to remove the layers of myth and speculation to solve the mystery. His findings and conclusions provided insight and brought about the start

Karl Egloff, a Swiss-Ecuadorian, holds the record for the fastest ascent on Kilimanjaro when made an impressive climb of Kilimanjaro on 13th August 2014, completing the ascent in 4 hours and 56 minutes. This surpassed the previous record set by Kilian Jornet, who had achieved the climb in 5 hours and 23 minutes the year before. Like Kilian, Karl took the route from Umbwe Gate to Uhuru via the Western Breach and then descended to Mweka Gate. After a brief 4-minute rest at the summit, he descended to the park gate in 1 hour and 42 minutes, totalling a remarkable 6 hours and 42 minutes for the entire ascent and descent. But that wasn't the end of it. Karl then made his way back down to the gate in an astonishing time of 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 24 seconds. You can witness Karl’s incredible climb by clicking on this link to Karl Egloff’s world-record ascent. It normally takes between 5 days to 9 days to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, with the 5-day Marangu Route being the shortest time offered by most Kilimanjaro trekking companies and the 9 days Northern Circuit Route being the longest time you use to climb Kilimanjaro via the Northern Circuit Route. Now imagining these climbers doing both the ascent and descent in just a few hours, is mind-boggling, because Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in the whole of the African continent. The most recent three attempts to climb and descend Kilimanjaro have followed the same plan - a direct ascent up the challenging Umbwe route, followed by a run down the designated descent route, Mweka. Fortunately, climbing Kilimanjaro does not require technical skills or equipment; the summit can be reached using steep trails while avoiding sheer cliffs. The record-setters reached the top with minimal gear,

Nobody remembers Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans, because  Sir Edmund Hillary's story of May 29, 1953, becoming the first person to reach Mount Everest's summit overshadows theirs.  However, a fascinating historical occurrence took place just three days earlier. On May 26, 1953, Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans, the primary climbing team in the expedition led by Hunt, were within 100 meters (328 feet) of Everest's summit. Due to exhaustion, they turned back and descended without reaching the peak. It's incredible to think that they were just the length of a football field away from their goal. Exhaustion can be a powerful force. Three days after, Hillary and Norgay achieved what Bourdillon and Evans had been unable to: they made it to the summit. This news reached London on the morning of June 2, coinciding with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. As a result of their success, Hunt and Hillary were knighted in the Order of the British Empire (KBE) while Norgay, a subject of the King of Nepal, was awarded the George Medal. Bourdillon and Evans were both accomplished climbers. Tragically, Bourdillon lost his life at the age of 32 in a climbing accident in Switzerland, while Evans went on to be an educator in Wales until his passing in 1995 at the age of 78. Despite their pioneering achievement in reaching a previously unattained height, neither of them received recognition for their remarkable efforts. The meeting of The Physiological Society at the National Hospital, Queen Square, in December 1953 included morning demonstrations of equipment used in the Mount Everest ascent that year. The equipment was demonstrated by three individuals associated with the expedition in various ways. The people involved were Robert Bourdillon, J. E. Cotes, and L. G. C. E (Griff) Pugh. They were all employees of the

Ang Dorje (Chhuldim) Sherpa, a renowned Nepalese mountaineering guide, climber, and porter hailing from Pangboche, Nepal, has an impressive record of having conquered the summit of Mount Everest a staggering 23 times. In the spring of 1996, Ang Dorje served as the climbing Sirdar for Rob Hall's Adventure Consultants expedition to Everest. Unfortunately, this expedition was marred by an unexpected and catastrophic storm that claimed the lives of eight climbers from multiple expeditions, etching itself as one of the most tragic disasters in the annals of Everest mountaineering. Today, in a remarkable display of skill and determination, Chhuldim Ang Dorjee Sherpa, a Nepali American climber, led a group from Adventure Consultant to successfully summit Everest for the 23rd time. This feat was achieved at approximately 4:55 am, as confirmed by Iswari Paudel, Managing Director at Himalayan Guides. Undoubtedly, Ang Dorjee's unparalleled achievement on Everest continues to be an awe-inspiring testament to his unwavering prowess in the world of mountaineering. Chhuldim Ang Dorjee Sherpa from Nepal and the USA, Robert Ocampo from the USA, Jonathan Anderton from Australia, Neil Long from the UK, and Finn Ghent from Australia, along with Chhewang Dorjee Sherpa, Sanduk Dorjee Tamang, Tenji Sherpa, Tashi Thundu Sherpa, Chhebi Bhote, Pasang Rinji Sherpa, Rita Dorjee Sherpa, Pemba Chhewang Sherpa, and Temba Bhote successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest. They accomplished this feat at 4:55am, as informed by Paudel. Additionally, participants from Himalayan Guides, such as Ram Chawla from the UK, Robert Kelso Smith from Ireland, Pasang Bhote, Pasang Anju Bhote, and Dawa Tshering Sherpa, also stood at the peak of Everest at 6:21am. Siddhi Bahadur Tamang achieved the same feat at approximately 5:35am, according to Paudel's statement. His life has been filled with close encounters with death, particularly the recent season where a dozen climbers lost their