The First Woman to Summit Everest Has Passed Away

Sad news for the mountaineering community, as the story broke late last week of the passing of Japanese climber Junko Tabei. While not as well known as Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, Tabei left her own mark on the world of mountaineering by becoming the first woman to summit Mt. Everest back in 1975 – some 22 years after Hillary and Norgay. She was 77 at the time of her depth.

Tabei was instrumental in opening up the sport of mountaineering for other women to follow, both in her home country and internationally. Back in 1969 she established a ladies-only climbing club back in Japan and began promoting the idea of women-only mountaineering expeditions. At the age of 35 she led a squad of Japanese women to Everest in an attempt to make the first female ascent of the highest mountain on the planet, proving that women could indeed reach that point in the process.

Throughout her climbing career, Junko visited more than 60 countries, scaling the highest peaks in each of those nations. In 1992 she became the first woman to complete the Seven Summits as well, as she stood on top of the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. Despite being diagnosed with cancer four years ago, she continued to pursue her dreams in the mountains right up until the end.

My condolences go out to Junko's friends and family. She was a towering figure in the mountaineering community who broke new ground for female climbers everywhere. Her visionary approach to climbing helped open the door for many other ladies to follow, and she will be missed.

New Virtual Reality Experience Will Recreate First Ascent of Everest

Do you ever wonder what it was like to climb those final few steps up to the summit of Mt. Everest with Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay when they made the first ascent of the mountain back in 1953? If so, then you may soon get the chance to witness that historical moment for yourself thanks to a new virtual reality project from a company called CGO Studios that is slated for release later this year.

The creative team at CGO specializes in making VR experiences that center around historical events. In the past, they've done projects that centered around the Wright Brothers' first flight and they are currently putting the finishing touches on a digital visit to Anne Frank's attic. But, the team is also knee deep in a project called "Everest '53" that will take viewers high up the Himalayan peak, where they will join Hillary and Norgay as they approach the summit.

According to CGO, the team is creating its Everest project for use with the Oculus Rift VR goggles and its Touch controller. The virtual reality experience will immerse viewers in a 360º environment, and will equip them with historically accurate tools and gear to get them to the summit. The virtual environment will also replicate weather conditions on Everest on May 29, 1953 when Hillary and Norgay went to the summit for the first time, making the experience has real as possible. Both Peter Hillary and Jamling Tenzing Norgay – the sons of the two famous climbers – are assisting with the project, helping to deliver more realism.

The description for "Everest '53" says that viewers will join Hillary and Norgay in the "final moments" of their ascent, but just where it will start is hard to say. Will it begin at the Hillary Step or closer to the top? Is it mostly going to just center around the view from the summit, or something else? We'll have to wait to see for sure, but it is an intriguing premise to say the least.

I've had the chance to test a few VR experiences and can say that they are a lot of fun and offer some interesting tools to do unique things. For the most part, they'll never replace actually going outside to take part in real-world activities, but I do think the technology holds a lot of promise for delivering very compelling content like this. Hopefully I'll get a chance to check it out for myself at some point.

Find out more at cgostudios.com.

Video: Snow Leopard Makes Rare Appearance For Skiers in India

The snow leopard is one of the rarest and most endangered species on the planet. So much so that they are seldom captured on video. But a group of skiers and snowboarders traveling through Gulmarg, in the Kashmir region of India, got the chance to spot one in the wild, and captured the encounter on video. You can check it out for yourself below.

Leopard in the snow in Gulmarg, Kashmir from PreviousNext on Vimeo.

Video: New Zealand Landscapes In Timelapse

We'll end this week with this lovely video that captures some of the beautiful landscapes in New Zealand in timelapse. It is 7+ minutes of breathtaking shots to take us into the weekend. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The Epic Land Part 1 - New Zealand Landscapes Timelapse from Bevan Percival on Vimeo.

Himalayan Stove Project Offers Good Karma Through Carbon Credits

If you've read my blog for awhile now you've probably heard me mention the Himalayan Stove Project on more than one occasion. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to improving the lives of poor families living in Nepal by replacing their old, inefficient, and dangerous cookstoves with new, clean burning versions that are much better for their health and welfare. What I've always loved about the HSP is that while some organizations talk a good game, this one has been making a world of difference for the people that it helps, delivering more than 3500 stoves to those in need.

Now, the Himalayan Stove Project has launched a new intuitive, giving donors the chance to purchase carbon offset credits to help both the environment and future recipients of their stoves at the same time. A new website called CarbonKarma.guru is now selling the credits for just $20, giving individuals and companies the chance to reduce their carbon footprint dramatically, with much of the proceeds going to help the HSP continue its great work in Nepal.

The stoves that the project distributes are made by a company called Envirofit and are said to be 90% more efficient than an open cook fire, which is a common method for preparing meals in many parts of the world. In addition to that, the stoves also use 75% less biomass fuel, which means they are better for our health and the environment in general. Envirofit is the organization that is supplying the Gold Standard carbon credits, which are recognized by more than 80 NGO's operating in 70 countries around the world.

Purchasing carbon credits is a real way to make a difference for the environment, and doing so through CarbonKarma.guru will help the Himalayan Stove Project too. But, if you just want to donate to the HSP, you can do that simply by clicking here. It is a great organization that is doing great things in Nepal, and every bit of assistance helps.

Himalayan Stove Project founder George Basch has set an ambitious goal of donating enough stoves that if they were stacked on top of one another they would reach from Everest Base Camp to the summit of the mountain. At the moment, the organization is about a third of the way towards that goal. To reach the top, the HSP will have to install 10,856 stoves, so more work has yet to be done. Let's help them get there!


Himalayan Stove Project - Help Us Reach the Summit in 2017! from George Basch on Vimeo.

Nepali Liaison Officer Dies of Altitude Sickness Near Everest

Sad news from the Himalaya today, where it was revealed that a liaison officer working with the only winter expedition to Mt. Everest has passed away due to altitude sickness. The government official was airlifted to Lukla via an emergency helicopter flight, but all efforts too save him proved fruitless.

According to The Himalayan Times, Padam Jung Rai was the liaison officer assigned to support Alex Txikon and Carlos Rubio in their efforts to summit Everest this winter. As required by law, Rai traveled with the climbers to the Khumbu region of Nepal to monitor the team's progress on the mountain and facilitate communications between them and government officials back in Kathmandu. But, the LO took ill while in Lobouche, and was assisted by a group of Sherpas in his descent down to Tukla at 4000 meters (13,123 ft) where it was hoped that his symptoms would subside. When he took a turn for the worse, a helicopter was dispatched to retrieve Rai, who was flown to Lukla for emergency treatment, which was ineffective.

As part of the climbing requirements on the higher mountains in Nepal, teams are required to pay a $3000 fee to cover the expenses of having a liaison officer with them in Base Camp. That officer's job is to ensure that climbers follow all of the rules and regulations set down by the Nepali government, and to facilitate any needs that might arise. The LO's are often criticized for never leaving Kathmandu however, which has caused some issues in recent years.

Rai was sent to Everest to work with Txikon and Rubio, the first winter expedition to that mountain in years. Conditions are of course more demanding during that harsh season, although it is unclear if that played a role in his death.

Meanwhile, the two Spanish climbers are back in Base Camp after having climbed as high as Camp 2 on the mountain. They are resting comfortably, regaining their strength and preparing for their next rotation up the mountain. Txikon is hoping to summit Everest during the winter without the uses of supplemental oxygen, something that has only been done very rarely in the past. So far, the expedition is proceeding well, although weather conditions will ultimately dictate success or failure.

My condolences go out to the friends and family of Padam Jung Rai. Hopefully, the rest of the expedition will proceed safely.

Expedition Idaho Adventure Race Website Online!

Awhile back, we announced the return of the Expedition Idaho adventure race for 2014, which is scheduled to take place August 10-16 near beautiful Coeur d'Alene. At the time of that announcement, the website for the 500+ mile long race was still under construction, so there was very little news or information available for teams and AR fans alike. Earlier this week, the full website went live, providing more insights into what teams can expect when they had to Idaho later this year.

On the site, you'll find a list of the mandatory gear required for the event, some thoughts on the race's format, information on the course, and much, much more. Registration for the event is still coming, but should be online soon, so interested teams will definitely want to watch for the announcement of when they can reserve their spot in the race.

One of the highlights of this race is the finish. Adventure races aren't known for having great finishes, but at Expedition Idaho, all of the time teams come across the finish line on the final day amidst a large beer party that creates a raucous atmosphere unlike any other in the sport. It will be something to behold for sure, and teams that competed in the 2011 version of the race were amazed by the reception they got as they came across the line. The 2014 version of the race should be even better.

In the previous announcement about the return of EXPID, it was all announced that Expedition Alaska would be coming in 2015. We'll have to wait for more news on that race in the months ahead, but just the location alone should be enough to get most people excited about the possibilities. We'll share more insights into that one when they become available as well.