Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 28/09/2026"A massive avalanche struck the base camp at 7,126m Himlung... 2 Nepalese mountain guides and 14 kitchen staff were staying at the camp." Another manmade tragedy in Nepal. It seems astonishing that someone chose to set up base camp beneath an avalanche slope 😢 🇳🇵 abenteuer-berg.de/en/avalanche...abenteuer-berg.deAvalanche hits base camp on Himlung Himal: 16 fears to be dead - Adventure MountainThe string of disaster reports from Nepal just won’t stop. A massive avalanche struck the base camp at the foot of the 7,126-meter-high Himlung Himal today in the morning local time. The tents set up ... 012
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 23/09/2026"Oh, yes... The monks get very excited." 😠 But not about what you might expect. (from "To a Mountain in Tibet", by Colin Thubron) 📚 010
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026I took your advice. Man, that's the craziest rainbow I've seen 😵💫 020
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 22/09/2026The numbers on Manaslu this year are close to those of the record-breaking spring season on Everest. Meanwhile, a man from Samagaun will begin a hunger strike at base camp to draw attention to climate change in the Himalayas (via @springinsfeld.bsky.social) abenteuer-berg.de/en/record-ru...abenteuer-berg.deRecord rush on the eight-thousander Manaslu - Adventure MountainThere have never been as many climbers attempting to summit the 8,163-meter-high Manaslu in western Nepal as there are this fall. 020
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 17/09/2026🌟 New blog post ✍️ Situated at a confluence of the Bhote Khosi, Trisuli and Langtang rivers, Syaphru Besi was the gateway to Langtang and a major pilgrimage route. That was until last month. www.markhorrell.com/blog/2026/sy...markhorrell.comSyaphru Besi: the trailhead village buried by mudSituated at a confluence of the Bhote Khosi, Trisuli and Langtang rivers at the end of the road from Kathmandu, Syaphru Besi was the gateway to the Langtang trek, Tamang Heritage Trail, and pilgrim… 011
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Serbian Army celebrates victory in battle after penalty shootout? 110
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 14/09/2026"What it doesn't show is how intimidating that ridge can be in cloud, rain or strong winds or how quickly a manageable situation can become a serious emergency." - 147 rescues in 2020 - 308 in 2023 - 359 in 2025 - 440 projected in 2026 Embarrassing really 😚 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukEryri mountain rescue callouts 'not sustainable'Llanberis Mountain Rescue want people enjoying Eryri - Snowdonia - but they must be prepared. 020
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 10/09/2026Good article. Also worth noting that, while connected, fear of AI and fear of data centres are separate issues that can easily get conflated. 010
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 02/09/2026🌟 New blog post ✍️ I’ve made several visits to the Black Mountains over the years, but I had never climbed its highest peak, Waun Fach ⛰️ This year I decided to put this omission behind me by climbing it twice, once from the east and once from the west 🧭 www.markhorrell.com/blog/2026/wa...markhorrell.comWaun Fach, Two Fach: the highest peak in the Black Mountains from both sidesI’ve made several visits to the Black Mountains over the years, but I had never climbed its highest peak, Waun Fach (811m), so this year I decided to put this omission behind me by climbing it twic… 011
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 31/08/2026"The outdoor industry has shown little appetite for publicly confronting the allegations, controversies or the behaviour of Purja’s supporters." What will Nims' legacy be now? A rare article looking at the other side by @ashrouten.com www.thegreatoutdoorsmag.com/opinion/nirm...thegreatoutdoorsmag.comNirmal Purja was modern mountaineering's biggest star, but his legacy hints at an older, darker macho cult of personality"Nirmal Purja brought global eyeballs to an industry that was and is happy to look the other way," Ash Routen writes. 041
Reposted by Mark HorrellDr Dan Shugar 🇨🇦 @watershedlab.bsky.social · 26/08/2026The source of the flood in Nepal is a collapsed glacier 🧪⚒️ 611508747
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 26/08/2026The Bhote Khosi mentioned in the penultimate paragraph is a different one further east bearing the Friendship Highway between Lhasa and Kathmandu via the border post at Kodari. 000
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 26/08/2026Terrible news. There are many Bhote Khosi rivers between Tibet and Nepal (bhote=border). This is the one to Syapru Besi, gateway to the Langtang and Tamang Heritage trails. A big trekking region 😢🇳🇵 www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...theguardian.comFlash floods on Nepal-Tibet border leave scores dead and hundreds missingAt least 157 people dead and hundreds of tourists among missing after roads, bridges and power plants swept away 210
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 20/08/2026🌟 New blog post ✍️ Deep in montane forest in the Dominican Republic, we heard a mournful sound like an orchestra tuning up 🎵 It was all around us, but we never saw the bird that made it. The locals had their own name for it, but what was it? 🐦 www.markhorrell.com/blog/2026/ho...markhorrell.comHow Merlin uncovered the ghostly sound of the Hispaniola mountainsDeep in montane forest above 1,500m in the Dominican Republic’s Cordillera Central, we heard a mournful sound like an orchestra tuning up. It was all around us, everywhere we travelled, but w… 110
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 17/08/2026"A paper in a leading chemistry journal had to be retracted because the authors used an AI tool. The tool used the phrase “mass killing of an ethnic group” instead of “final solution”, though the paragraph in question was about a zinc nanogel." Oops 😳 www.theguardian.com/technology/2...theguardian.comClaude to start watermarking AI-generated text – but will it make quality worse?Anthropic says it will change way chatbot makes small, random choices, to comply with EU regulation 000
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 14/08/2026"I don't accept the idea that enormous experience automatically produces good judgment. Experience gives you information. Judgment determines what you do with it." Wise words by @alanarnette.bsky.social about the Broad Peak tragedy. www.alanarnette.com/2026/08/13/l...alanarnette.comLearnings from Broad Peak TragedyTwo weeks ago today, on July 30, 2026, ten climbers died in a single avalanche on Broad Peak. The event has received extensive media coverage, in part because Nirmal “Nims” Purja, one o… 072
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 11/08/2026If you want to know the exact timing of the solar eclipse in your location tomorrow evening, timeanddate.com had this useful tool where you can type in your nearest town and Bob's your uncle 🌞🌙 There is even a video showing exactly what it will look like 🌒 www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/@...timeanddate.comAugust 12, 2026 Partial Solar Eclipse in Cirencester, England, United KingdomStart time, end time, animation, and detailed viewing information for the upcoming eclipse in Cirencester, England, United Kingdom 010
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 31/07/2026Terrible news. 10 climbers missing after an avalanche on Broad Peak, including Nirmal Purja. 120
Reposted by Mark HorrellDavid Squires @davidsquires.bsky.social · 19/07/2026This is one of the worst football matches I have ever seen, and I support SWINDON. 30803118
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 16/07/2026🌟 New blog post ✍️ I recently finished reading Mt Everest the Reconnaissance 1935 by Tony Astill 📚 The book was interesting to me for describing the first ascent of 7,045m Lhakpa Ri by Bill Tilman and Edmund Wigram, a peak that I climbed myself in 2007 🗻 www.markhorrell.com/blog/2026/ti...markhorrell.comTilman and Wigram’s first ascent of ‘Gardefui’, now known as Lhakpa RiI’ve recently finished reading Mount Everest the Reconnaissance 1935 by Tony Astill. The book was interesting to me because it described the first ascent of 7,045m Lhakpa Ri by Bill Tilman and Edmu… 021
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 10/07/2026Well said. Now say it again in a more neutral tone. 020
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 05/07/2026And the burning question is, did the Princess join the back of the queue for her summit photo on Snowdon, or did she barge to the front? 🤔 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukCatherine shares photos reuniting with family after Three Peaks ChallengeThe princess completed the challenge in aid of the hospital where she was treated for cancer. 031
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 05/07/2026This made me laugh. Yes, me too. I remember getting thrashed by a team of Peruvian villagers while trekking the Huayhuash Circuit in 2002. ⚽ Not mentioned in this article: our football exploded while being carried up from a lower altitude. 💥 www.theguardian.com/football/202...theguardian.comFacing Mexico at the Azteca? Suddenly our expectations of England are unusually realistic | Max RushdenThomas Tuchel’s side have problems aside from the altitude: defeat in a Mexican haze would be no embarrassment 000
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 02/07/2026🌟 New blog post ✍️ With the Everest season over and the usual stories about traffic jams, it seems a good time to report on a far more heinous example of queuing on mountaintops that has emerged in recent years. 🙄 www.markhorrell.com/blog/2026/ho...markhorrell.comHow to solve the problem of queuing for a summit photo on popular peaks like Snowdon / Yr WyddfaI only bring you the really important stories on this blog, and here’s one that will have you choking on your Kendal Mint Cake. With the Everest season over, along with the usual stories about traf… 021
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 01/07/2026Speaking as a high-altitude mountaineer I advise Tuchel to slow the game down against Mexico 🗻 Azteca Stadium is at 2,200m. England have just 3 days to acclimatise 🏴 The difference in performance once you're acclimatised is HUGE. If the game is played at a frantic pace, Mexico will win easily 🇲🇽 000
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 25/06/2026I'm not sure this bit's been fact-checked by the Guardian. It sounds like training in the birds and the bees may also be needed... 😳 100
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 17/06/2026🌟 New blog post ✍️ People talk a lot about whether oxygen should be used for notable ascents at high altitude. They don’t talk so much about HOW MUCH oxygen is used, and this is crucial. 😮💨 Here’s my take based on my own experience of using different flow rates. www.markhorrell.com/blog/2026/fa...markhorrell.comFastest known times on Everest: how much oxygen is allowed?Record claims require scrutiny. People talk a lot about whether oxygen should or shouldn’t be used at high altitude. They don’t talk so much about HOW MUCH oxygen is used, and this is absolutely cr… 010
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 16/06/2026"He described how he spent 2 days there waiting for someone to rescue him. Eventually, an avalanche fell into the crevasse and with fresh snow covering part of the hole, he managed to get out." A remarkable story. The words Joe and Simpson spring to mind. explorersweb.com/abandoned-on...explorersweb.comAbandoned On Everest, Sherpa's Case Triggers Investigations in Nepal » ExplorerswebWhile Hillary Dawa Sherpa recovers in the hospital from injuries sustained during six days abandoned on Everest, his family has demanded compensation. 041
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 11/06/2026Artificial, yes. But Intelligence? Not until it understands irony... 🤦♂️ 040
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 06/06/2026Tyler Andrews' fastest known time on Everest beats a 23-year-old record set by Lakpa Gelu Sherpa. The story of Sherpa rivalry to set that Everest speed record is one of the many interesting stories in @pdpbasyal.bsky.social's book Sherpa 📚 www.markhorrell.com/blog/2025/12...markhorrell.com12 inspiring stories about the lives of Sherpa mountaineersThere have been many books about Sherpa mountaineers over the years, but few have been written from the perspective of Sherpas themselves. One that comes close is Sherpa by Pradeep Bashyal and Anki… 043
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 06/06/2026This is an outstanding achievement by any criteria. But I can tell you from experience that oxygen at 4 litres/minute makes a HUGE difference to your performance, which matters if we're talking about records 🥇 explorersweb.com/tyler-andrew...explorersweb.comTyler Andrews Back In Base Camp with FKT » ExplorerswebTyler Andrews is safely down after summiting Everest in record time, using oxygen. He says he won't return to the South Side to try for the no-O2 record. 000
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 04/06/2026🌟 New blog post ✍️ Edita and I decided to start bagging the highest point in each of the UK’s counties 🪧 Last month, we finished the 13 historic county tops in Wales. Unlike the English tops, that include roadsides and junkyards, they are all good hills 🗻 www.markhorrell.com/blog/2026/ba...markhorrell.comBagging all 13 historic county tops in WalesAbout four years ago, Edita and I decided to start bagging the highest point in each of the UK’s counties. A couple of weeks ago, we finished the last of the thirteen historic county tops in Wales.… 000
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 30/05/2026"He had just touched the summit point and heard someone say 'you should be ashamed of yourself'." Handbags on Snowdon 👜 IMO, they need 2 summit cairns now: one for people happy to wait in line, and another for old-school folk like me who used to enjoy the scrum ⛰️⛰️ www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.ukCharity hikers booed for dodging queues at summit of Yr WyddfaThe pair say they were jeered when they avoided queues as they just wanted to tap the trig point. 010
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 21/05/2026🌟 New blog post ✍️ A recent TV show on Channel 4 claimed that a well-known peak in South Wales resembled a set of trouser cushions, without producing photographic evidence 📸 Was it true? There was only one way to find out: to climb it and see 👀 www.markhorrell.com/blog/2026/do...markhorrell.comDoes The Skirrid mountain in Wales look like a pair of buttocks?A recent TV show on Channel 4 claimed that a well-known peak in South Wales resembled a set of trouser cushions, without producing photographic evidence. Was it true? There was only one way to find… 011
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 11/05/2026I've seen lots of reviews of this film, but none of them have said where you can watch it. 100
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 07/05/2026Yes, indeed. It seems there are dogs and cats begging in every restaurant. 000
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 06/05/2026🌟 New blog post ✍️ Last year, a dog followed us for 3 days from the park entrance to the summit of Pico Duarte, the highest peak in the Caribbean, and back down again 🐶 Here’s the dog’s ascent video. You may just spot me in some of it too 📽️ www.markhorrell.com/blog/2026/my...markhorrell.comMy video of our ascent of Pico Duarte, highest mountain in the CaribbeanIf you lived a comfy life at the park entrance, why would you follow a pair of strangers for three days up 2,000m of mountain and back down again? That’s precisely what a dog did when we clim… 110
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 05/05/2026"Three Colombian alpinists have made an outstanding addition to the climbing history of Chimborazo." The Ecuador mountain guides won't be happy about this. It's *their* mountain 😲 At least they named the route after local legend Marco Cruz 💪 explorersweb.com/new-route-on...explorersweb.comA New Route on Ecuador's Highest Peak » ExplorerswebThree Colombian alpinists have just opened a new direct line up the demanding South Face of 6,241m Chimborazo in pure alpine style. 010
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 29/04/2026"Since the boom of commercial expeditions, the route to Camp 1 on Everest has never been opened so late. Teams will barely have any time for one rotation before their summit push." explorersweb.com/everest-khum...explorersweb.comEverest: Khumbu Icefall Finally Opens » ExplorerswebSherpas from several teams have found a path through the seracs and crevasses of the Khumbu Icefall. They have fixed the route and have now reached Camp 2. 000
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 29/04/2026"Essentially, the snow slab was resting on a very fragile house of cards, always at risk of collapse." Death toll from avalanches in the Alps this season is 146, more than double that recorded in some years 🗻☠️ www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comAvalanche deaths have surged in the Alps this season. Here’s why | Johan GaumeAs an ex-pro snowboarder and an avalanche researcher, I know how easily people can get into trouble, says alpine mass movements professor Johan Gaume 000
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 22/04/2026🌟 New blog post ✍️ The Arenigs are a lesser known area of mountains in south-east Snowdonia. Most of the peaks are quite low, but one, Arenig Fawr, rises head and shoulders above the rest ⛰️ Its isolation makes it a nice hill walk with views for miles 🎨 www.markhorrell.com/blog/2026/fa...markhorrell.comFawrnicating in North Wales: Arenig Fawr from the north sideThe Arenigs are a lesser known area of mountains in south-east Snowdonia. Most of the peaks are quite low, but one, Arenig Fawr, rises head and shoulders above the rest. It was only a short drive w… 021
Reposted by Mark HorrellTechCrunch @techcrunch.com · 20/04/2026This sentence construction ("It's not just this — it's that") has become so common in AI-generated writing that it's no longer just a clue that a piece of writing may be synthetic — it's almost a guarantee.techcrunch.comIt's not just one thing — it's another thing | TechCrunchThis sentence construction ("It's not just this — it's that") has become so common in AI-generated writing that it's no longer just a clue that a piece of writing may be synthetic — it's almost a guarantee. 1011127
Mark Horrell @markhorrell.bsky.social · 20/04/2026"I like to meander down my own primrose path... That’s why I am making a f*ck it list." Agree with the sentiment, but this list's going to be a bit too long. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comThe hill I will die on: Put that bucket list in the bin | Rose RouseAs I age, there are loads of things I want to do, but none are the kinds of bland, commodified ‘adventures’ that these lists imply, says Rose Rouse, editor and co-founder of Advantages of Age 010