Footsteps on the Mountain http://www.markhorrell.com/blog A client's-eye view of the world of mountaineering and adventure travel Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:15:31 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 footstepsonthemountainhttp://feedburner.google.com The great great grandfather of mountaineering http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2012/the-great-great-grandfather-of-mountaineering/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2012/the-great-great-grandfather-of-mountaineering/#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:15:31 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1907 Horace-Benedict de Saussure

“I was desperately anxious to see at close quarters the great Alpine summits which look so majestic from the top of our mountains.” Horace-Benedict de Saussure Modern mountaineering is said to have begun on 8 August 1786, when Michel Paccard, … Continue reading →]]> 0 A short history of Cerro Torre, the world’s most controversial mountain http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2012/a-short-history-of-cerro-torre/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2012/a-short-history-of-cerro-torre/#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:17:28 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1892 Cerro Torre in Patagonia, arguably the world's most controversial mountain

Rising above the Southern Patagonian Ice Field on the border of Chile and Argentina is a narrow finger of rock 3128 metres in height that for over 50 years has been a source of controversy among the climbing community. Last … Continue reading →]]> 0 Which is harder, the Second Seven Summits or the first one? http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2012/which-is-harder-the-second-seven-summits-or-the-first-one/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2012/which-is-harder-the-second-seven-summits-or-the-first-one/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:20:36 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1870 K2 from Concordia. The Abruzzi Ridge, on the right of this photo, is a much harder proposition.

Last month the Italian climber Hans Kammerlander became the first person to climb the Second Seven Summits, in other words the second highest peak on each continent. According to 7summits.com, 348 people had climbed the main Seven Summits, the highest … Continue reading →]]> 2 The high altitude slow plod http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2012/the-high-altitude-slow-plod/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2012/the-high-altitude-slow-plod/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:14:32 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1856 Take pride in being slow, and you may even gain some followers. Here am I on Aconcagua's False Polish Glacier Route.

The importance of keeping a good pace and rhythm when walking up a mountain During his expedition to Kamet in the Garhwal Himalaya, Northern India in 1931 – at the time the highest mountain that had ever been climbed – … Continue reading →]]> 0 Colombia’s glaciers will soon be gone http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2012/colombias-glaciers-will-soon-be-gone/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2012/colombias-glaciers-will-soon-be-gone/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:11:35 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1845 The photograph on the wall of the farmhouse at La Esperanza, taken in 1996. The mountain is Pan de Azucar, and Bellavista is the pass to the left, clearly covered by a glacier.

The photograph on the wall in the farmhouse at La Esperanza where we stayed the night had been taken 15 years ago, but it looked very different from the place we had walked through earlier in the day. I use … Continue reading →]]> 0 Two strange plants of the Colombian paramo http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2012/two-strange-plants-of-the-colombian-paramo/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2012/two-strange-plants-of-the-colombian-paramo/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:21:55 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1829 Frailejones in front of Diamond Rock

In this, the second of my posts about my recent visit to the mountains of Colombia, I’m going to digress from my usual topics of trekking and mountaineering to talk about flora. This isn’t unprecedented. Last year I managed to … Continue reading →]]> 1 You say cojones, I say cojines http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2012/you-say-cojones-i-say-cojines/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2012/you-say-cojones-i-say-cojines/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:15:30 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1813 Leaping across the swamp from cojines to cojines

Trekking Colombia’s Cocuy Circuit, and an ascent of Ritacuba Blanco “I’ve always associated Colombia with drugs and gangs,” a colleague said to me after I returned to work last week following my Christmas trekking and mountaineering holiday in the country. … Continue reading →]]> 3 Is Prince Harry really going to climb ‘Mount’ Everest? http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2012/is-prince-harry-really-going-to-climb-mount-everest/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2012/is-prince-harry-really-going-to-climb-mount-everest/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:23:46 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1789 Not too much doubt about what this article means is there?

Or is The Telegraph talking out of its arse? A surprising headline appeared in one of Britain’s top newspapers earlier this week. In its article Prince Harry is all set to climb Mount Everest, The Telegraph went on to say: … Continue reading →]]> 11 7 mountainous places to escape to for Christmas http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/mountainous-places-to-escape-to-for-christmas/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/mountainous-places-to-escape-to-for-christmas/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:20:54 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1764 Dawn over Mawenzi (5149m) during the summit ascent of Kibo, Kilimanjaro

This post is for people who love the outdoors and find Christmas a tedious bore. I know there must be some of you out there, and those of you who love it, look away now. Over the years I’ve found … Continue reading →]]> 4 Ethiopia’s Simien Mountains: great trekking, unusual wildlife, and a summit http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/ethiopias-simien-mountains/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/ethiopias-simien-mountains/#comments Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:25:40 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1721 Male geladas sun themselves by the escarpment's edge

“The most marvellous of all Abyssinian landscapes opened before us, as we looked across a gorge that was clouded amethyst to the peaks of Simyen.” Rosita Forbes, From Red Sea to Blue Nile – A Thousand Miles of Ethiopia (1925) … Continue reading →]]> 5 Swimming with polar bears http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/swimming-with-polar-bears/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/swimming-with-polar-bears/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:11:49 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1707 We hear about swimming with dolphins, but swimming with polar bears is something else. Click on the photo to read about its amazing story.

Why great photography takes balls It’s a bit embarrassing to say this, but as far as photography’s concerned I’m still something of a point-and-click man. I have several thousand photos on my website from dozens of expeditions worldwide, and some … Continue reading →]]> 1 5 reasons Ecuador’s mountains are great for beginners http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/5-reasons-ecuadors-mountains-are-great-for-beginners/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/5-reasons-ecuadors-mountains-are-great-for-beginners/#comments Wed, 23 Nov 2011 17:05:34 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1692 Staring down into Cotopaxi's volcanic crater is an unforgettable experience

When the Victorian mountaineer Edward Whymper visited Ecuador in 1879 – ostensibly to study the effects of high altitude, but in reality to polish off a few first ascents in the High Andes – he was far from impressed. In … Continue reading →]]> 0 How to measure the height of a mountain http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/how-to-measure-the-height-of-a-mountain/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/how-to-measure-the-height-of-a-mountain/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:04:43 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1675 Ras Dashen in Ethiopia, a modest hill walk really, but the 23rd highest mountain in the world in terms of prominence.

An idiot’s guide to topographic prominence Once upon a time paid employees of the British Empire went to extraordinary lengths to calculate the height of the Himalayas. It’s quite widely known that the highest point on the planet is named … Continue reading →]]> 1 The Lukla flight: is it really that scary? http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/the-lukla-flight-is-it-really-that-scary/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/the-lukla-flight-is-it-really-that-scary/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:21:35 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1655 Twin Otter plane flying out of Lukla

Imagine a metal tube of human sardines flying through the air. Sixteen people are crammed tightly together inside with their thighs pressed up against their chests and modestly full day packs balanced on top of their knees. Most of them … Continue reading →]]> 0 7 things to know about Mera Peak http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/7-things-to-know-about-mera-peak/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/7-things-to-know-about-mera-peak/#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:12:28 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1635 Mera Peak seen between the branches of a rhododendron during the ascent to the Zatr La

There are some facts about Mera Peak, one of Nepal’s most popular trekking peaks, that not many people know. This is partly the fault of adventure travel companies offering it as a trip, whose literature can range from vague to … Continue reading →]]> 0 Is the Manaslu Circuit the new Annapurna Circuit? http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/is-the-manaslu-circuit-the-new-annapurna-circuit/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/is-the-manaslu-circuit-the-new-annapurna-circuit/#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:05:19 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1613 Trekking through the alpine zone high on the Manaslu Circuit trail

For a long time the Annapurna Circuit was one of the world’s classic treks, high up on the must-do list of many a seasoned traveller. And with good reason, too: circling one of Nepal’s most beautiful mountain ranges over a … Continue reading →]]> 0 Ice axe and Cramptons http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/ice-axe-and-cramptons/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/ice-axe-and-cramptons/#comments Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:33:44 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1558 The twin peaks of Manaslu from Samagaon

The story of Manaslu, autumn 2011 Sir Ranulph Fiennes eventually reached the summit of Everest on his third attempt. After suffering a heart attack during his first one in 2005, turning back with exhaustion during his second in 2008, and … Continue reading →]]> 0 Juanito Oiarzabal on Manaslu: a tale of two mountaineers http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/juanito-oiarzabal-on-manaslu-a-tale-of-two-mountaineers/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/juanito-oiarzabal-on-manaslu-a-tale-of-two-mountaineers/#comments Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:22:12 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1495 The great Ian Cartwright at Camp 1 during the descent

It’s October 5, 2011, and the summit crown of Manaslu is at the top of a short snow couloir on the right of the summit slope. I can see my friend Ian Cartwright waiting at the top, and each time … Continue reading →]]> 15 Manaslu – The time has come http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/manaslu-the-time-has-come/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/manaslu-the-time-has-come/#comments Fri, 30 Sep 2011 07:34:20 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1465 Manaslu from base camp this morning. The main summit lies behind the daunting East Pinnacle on the left of this photo.

Today is the last day of waiting. It’s six days since we came down from our false start of a summit push, and tomorrow we begin again. There’s been no serious precipitation for a few days now, and the heavy … Continue reading →]]> 4 The joys of Samagaon, gateway to Manaslu http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/the-joys-of-samagaon-gateway-to-manaslu/ http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/2011/the-joys-of-samagaon-gateway-to-manaslu/#comments Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:47:13 +0000 Mark Horrell http://www.markhorrell.com/blog/?p=1461 Robin and Ian take a breather during the long slog back up to Manaslu base camp from Samagaon

One of the considerations when hanging around at base camp for days on end waiting for a weather window is to ensure you stay in shape and get enough exercise. This isn’t always easy. Base camp on Gasherbrum in Pakistan … Continue reading →]]> 0