Video: Unclimbed - Reaching the Summit in the Himalaya (Part 4)

In the latest episode of the ongoing YouTube series from Discover Canada entitled "Unclimbed" we join mountaineers Gabriel Filippi and Elia Saikaly as they continue to train and prepare for their attempt on three never-before climbed peaks in the Himalaya this fall. In this clip, we learn how the two men prepare for the unexpected and the worst accidents imaginable, something that is a real possibility whenever you venture into the mountains. As usual, this episode provides us with some great insights into what life on an expedition is all about, and the amount of work and planning that goes into an attempt to summit a big peak.

If you haven't watched the previous three episodes in the series, I suggest you do so. They are all excellent, and well worth your time. You'll find them here: Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3

At the moment, Gabriel and Elia are in Nepal where they are joined by Pasang Kaji Sherpa, as they prepare for their first ascents. We'll be following their progress closely in the days ahead.

Video: Unclimbed - Reaching the Summit in the Himalaya (Episode 3)

We continue the excellent series of mountaineering videos from Discovery Canada entitled Unclimbed: Reaching the Summit today with episode 3. As you may recall, this set of clips follows mountaineers Gabriel Filippi, Elia Saikaly, and Pasang Kaji Sherpa as they prepare to take on two unclimbed peaks in Nepal this autumn. In this episode we see how Gabriel and Elia train for the high altitude conditions that they'll face on their expedition. Extreme may not be a good enough word to describe their approach.

Video: Unclimbed - Reaching the Summit in the Himalaya (Episode 1)

Earlier today I posted a story about three climbers  – Gabriel Filippi, Elia Saikaly and Pasang Kaji Sherpa – who have traveled to Nepal this fall to attempt to summit two unclimbed peaks named for Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary. But the story of this climb doesn't begin with their arrival in Kathmandu, but instead it starts last year when all three were on Everest when the April 25 earthquake created an avalanche that killed 22 people there. That put an end to their efforts on the mountain, but not their ambitions to climb in the Himalaya again.

This video is the first of a series that will follow the team as they head back to Nepal to take on these two unclimbed peaks. Over the coming weeks, we'll be able to follow their progress, and hopefully continue to see more videos like this one. It is a great introduction for what Gabriel, Elia, and Pasang Kaji are trying to accomplish there, and I'm already looking forward to further installments.

Himalaya Fall 2016: Climbers Heading to Tenzing and Hillary Peaks

The fall climbing season in the Himalaya is still ramping up, with lots of climbers heading to places like Cho Oyu, Manaslu, and Dhaulagiri. But, the big 8000 meter peaks aren't the only ones garnering attention this year, as it appears that several teams are heading out to attempt first ascents on some unclimbed mountains.

According to this story in The Himalayan Times, a three-person team consisting of Gabriel Filippi, Elia Saikaly and Pasang Kaji Sherpa will be attempting to summit both Tenzing Peak (7916 m/25,971 ft) and Hillary Peak (7681 m/25,200 ft). Both mountains, which are named after the two legendary climbers who were the first to summit Everest, hold a special place in the hearts of Nepalis but until now have not drawn much attention from climbers.

According to the story, Hillary Peak can be found close to Lhotse and Nuptse, while Tenzing Peak is located between Cho Oyu and Gyachung Kang. That means the team will have to travel a bit in order to get to the summits of both mountains. It appears that they will first acclimatize on Hillary and make an attempt on the summit, before proceeding toward their second goal.

Neither of the two mountains has been climbed before, and the route to their summits remains a bit of a mystery. While the two peaks have been scouted, the trio of mountaineers will have their work cut for them. They will likely be creating the path to the summit that others will follow in the years ahead.

In a push to draw some attention away from its 8000 meter peaks, and spark some interest in more mountaineers coming to visit, Nepal recently opened up more than 100 peaks that had previously been closed to climbers. A number of those mountains remain unclimbed, which is a big draw to even the most experienced alpinist. The plan seems to have worked to a degree, as I have heard from several mountaineers who will be attempting one of these "virgin" peaks this year or in the near future. That includes American Lonnie Dupre, who will head to Nepal next month to lead a team up Langju, a 6365 meter (20,885 ft) mountain that has yet to be summited as well.

I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot more about the big peaks in the days ahead, but I'll try to keep an eye on this smaller expedition as well. Some of the boldest and most impressive climbs are coming on other mountains, and the teams attempting them deserve plenty of attention too.