A 42-year-old record may fall this summer when two British balloonists attempt to shatter the world-altitude mark for manned balloon flight. Andy Elson and Colin Prescot are waiting for a weather window during which they hope to pilot the QuinetiQ 1 to 132,000 feet (40,000 meters)—the very edge of space.
Erik Weihenmeyer reached the top of the world; but he never caught even a glimpse of the famous view. He is the only blind person to stand on Everest's peak. Tom Foreman talks with Weihenmeyer about the challenges and rewards of reaching the top, sans vision.
Swedish mountaineer Renata Chlumska will embark on a 480-day solo expedition around the periphery of the United States, paying homage to her fallen fiancé, Göran Kropp, who passed away in a rock-climbing accident southeast of Seattle.
Using the ancient Polynesian technique of wayfinding—navigating by natural signs revealed in the wind, waves, and stars—a group of native Hawaiians is planning a ritualistic voyage to the outermost islands of Hawaii, a remote and uninhabited wilderness that once was a fishing and spiritual sanctuary of their forebears.
Yesterday, climber Ed Viesturs summited Pakistan's Nanga Parbat, the world's ninth highest mountain. The feat makes Viesturs the first American to climb 13 of the 14 world's 8,000-meter (26,000-foot) peaks—without the use of supplemental oxygen.
Climber Peter Athans has stood atop Mount Everest an astonishing seven times, a feat unsurpassed by any Western climber. National Geographic News recently spoke with "Mr. Everest" about the mountain's allure and the legacy of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on the 50-year anniversary of their historic climb.
In 2000, rock climbers Beth Rodden,Tommy Caldwell, and companions traveled to the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan for an ultimate climbing test. Instead, they were kidnapped by armed rebels. Beth and Tommy discuss the six-day ordeal that pushed their limits on Inside Base Camp With Tom Foreman.
Seven mountaineers reached the pinnacle of Mount Everest today, the first to summit the world's highest mountain this climbing season. The summit followed days of severe winds that hindered the effort.
Heidi Howkins is a mother in her mid-30s. Her smile comes easy. Her eyes flash with intensity. And she plays in the devil's backyard. How else can one describe her obsession with climbing one of the world's most deadly mountains? This interview aired on the National Geographic Channel's Inside Base Camp With Tom Foreman.
Three adventure cyclists have completed an epic 49-day, 1,400-mile (2,250-kilometer) bicycle trek along the frozen Yukon River and Bering Sea, pedaling from Dawson City, Yukon, to Nome, Alaska. The expedition sought to relive a vivid chapter of early gold rush history following the trail of two early 20th-century adventurers.
For some mountaineers, the top of the world also represents the peak of human ambition. But when things go badly high on Mount Everest, as they often do, difficult moral dilemmas play out in dramatic fashion on a global stage.
The Palmers have experienced reality—National Geographic-style. The suburban family of five from New Jersey went to live for nine days as members of the semi-nomadic Rendille tribe in the northeastern Kenya desert. Their trials and triumphs were captured in the premiere of the National Geographic Channel's new series, Worlds Apart.
Jet-stream winds of up to 70 miles per hour (120 kilometers per hour) have trapped several climbing expeditions on the slopes of Mount Everest, including a group sponsored by the National Geographic Society to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of the world's tallest mountain.
National Geographic's 50th Everest Anniversary Expedition team is safely back in Base Camp and preparing for their attempt to ascend the mountain. On their journey to and from Camp III the team encountered howling Everest storms, avalanches, and treacherous shifting ice in the Khumbu Icefall. They've also been saddened by the news of the season's first climbing fatality.
When Western mountaineers first set their sights on the world's highest peak, they found in the Sherpas a people ideally suited to the rigors of high-altitude climbing; unfailingly positive, stout at altitude, and seemingly resistant to cold. Full story and photo gallery
