The Podcast on alanarnette.com

In this weekend update, I cover a lot of ground, primarily around misinformation regarding "Everest Guides Poisoning Clients" - FALSE. The actual issue is a large-scale insurance fraud scheme targeting trekkers (not climbers) across Nepal's trekking circuits, involving fake helicopter evacuations and hospital stays.

Additionally, Global Rescue will not provide longline rescues above Camp 2 this year due to a lack of qualified pilots, which will fundamentally change expectations for climber safety.  We also look at heavy snow delaying summits on Annapurna and, of course, a status update on Ryan Mitchell.

Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/04/05/everest-2026-april-5-weekend-update-debunking-poison-rumors/

After recording a powerful podcast with Lainie Holcomb and Dr. Tammy Awtry of the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, I was reminded that while meaningful progress has been made in understanding, detecting, and slowing Alzheimer’s, we are still far from a cure.

This mission is deeply personal—sparked by my mother’s diagnosis in 2006—and has driven nearly two decades of climbing and fundraising to support research where every dollar goes directly to finding solutions.

Today, breakthroughs like early detection, new treatments, and innovative research models offer real hope, but continued funding is critical; that’s why I’m asking for your help now, and I’ll match the first 50 donations to amplify our collective impact in the fight to end this disease. #alzheimer's #Curealz
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are everything

https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/03/31/podcast-memories-are-everything-why-alzheimers-research-needs-us-now/

Everest Base Camp is taking shape as two more of Nepal's eight 8,000-meter peaks see climbers arriving at their bases. This year, there are several interesting climbers to watch beyond the hundreds of aspirants on commercial teams. Remember, China closed climbing on its three 8,000ers—Everest, Cho Oyu, and Shishapangma—throughout all of spring.
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything

https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/03/26/everest-2026-climbers-to-watch-this-season/

The backbone of every Everest season on the Nepali side are the Icefall Doctors, a team of highly skilled Sherpas who establish the climbing route and set the thin nylon safety rope from Base Camp to Camp 2 in the Western Cwm.Today, they left Namache Bazaar for EBC, where they will receive refresher training under the watchful eyes of the Kuhumbu Climbing Center teachers. Next, they will use drones to scout the route and, around March 16, begin the laborious task of setting ice screws, pickets, v-threads, and other techniques to attach the rope to the moving ice. And of course, there are the ladders that are hauled to deep, open crevasses, thus providing passage for the thousands of trips through the Icefall this season. In the Podcast, I introduce the season and review some of my background posts on costs, total summits and deaths, route figures, and more. #everest2026
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everythinghttps://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/03/01/everest-2026-icefall-doctors-launched/

In this podcast, I speak with Scott Parazynski, who is about as unique an individual as you will find these days. Consider a small fraction of his achievements:
Five-time space shuttle astronaut, seven spacewalks, and a former NASA researcher.
Spent over 8 weeks in space with more than 47 hours outside on spacewalks, and traveled over 23 million miles in orbit.
Attempted Everest in May 2008, but was forced to turn back before the summit due to a ruptured disc while at Camp 3
Served as team physician for the Discovery Channel's Beyond the Limit series for IMG
May 20, 2009, at 4:00 am, he successfully summited Everest
Visited the wreck of the Titanic
Conducted a scientific dive in the summit caldera lake of the 19,700-foot Masaya volcano, the world’s highest lake
Life-long SCUBA diver and accomplished mountaineer
Commercial, instrument, multiengine and seaplane-rated pilot with over 2,500 flight hours

I hope you enjoy the episode and perhaps consider reading his book, The Sky Below: A True Story of Summits, Space, and Speed.
Climb On!
Alan
Memories are Everything
https://www.alanarnette.com/blog/2026/02/06/podcast-with-scott-parazynski/