Ben Ayers
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Articles by Ben Ayers
There’s Been Another Deadly Climbing Disaster in the Himalayas
Outside contributor Ben Ayers spoke with officials in Nepal about the deadly avalanche on Himlung Himal, and the search for survivors and bodies in the aftermath. Ayers has lived in Nepal for more than 20 years and oversees Outside‘s coverage of Mount Everest. There’s been another deadly avalanche on a Himalayan peak in Nepal, and the most recent disaster has killed multiple workers within the country’s mountaineering industry.
Our Nepal Expert Answers the Biggest Questions About the Devastating Floods
Himalayan regions in Nepal and China are reeling this week, following a devastating flood that swept down river valleys below the high peaks, destroying everything in its path. Videos of the devastating water and landslides has dominated social media this week. As of August 28, the death toll has risen to 580 people, but the number of missing has risen from 900 to 1,900. Ben Ayers, Outside’s longtime Himalayan expert and Mount Everest reporter, has spent the last 20 years living in Nepal.
Nirmal Purja obituary
Nirmal Purja made his name in environments where life is reduced to its most elemental, and dangerous, terms. He believed, with an almost evangelical fervour, that “with relentless self-belief, anything is possible”. He spent his life testing the limits of that belief, first in military service and later on the world’s highest and most dangerous mountains. He has died aged 43 in an avalanche on Broad Peak, an 8,051-metre mountain in Pakistan.
What Really Happened on Broad Peak, the Deadliest High-Alpine Avalanche in More than a Decade Original
Published August 10, 2026 04:00AM Nawang Thindu Sherpa’s lifeless body lay trapped at around 19,000 feet on the lower flanks of Broad Peak, where an avalanche had deposited him days earlier. A few hundred meters below, his friends Pem Dorje Sherpa and “Speed” Dawa Sherpa kicked steps into the steep snow of the broad couloir, fixing a rope behind them that they hoped would eventually help them lower his body back to Base Camp, and from there, on home to his family.
What Really Happened on Broad Peak, the Deadliest High-Alpine Avalanche in More than a Decade
Ten climbers set out to summit the notorious Broad Peak during a narrow weather window. None of them made it back alive. This is what really happened during the expedition and the harrowing body recovery mission that followed. Broad Peak Base Camp (Photo: Courtesy @chocolatemilkman27) Nawang Thindu Sherpa’s lifeless body lay trapped at around 19,000 feet on the lower flanks of Broad Peak, where an avalanche had deposited him days earlier.
Two Bodies Have Been Recovered So Far, Following the Broad Peak Avalanche
Eight climbers remain unaccounted for on Broad Peak following a massive avalanche, while rescue teams have recovered two bodies from the foot of the mountain. Broad Peak (Photo: Courtesy Sallahuddin Shah) Two Pakistan Army helicopters have been dispatched to the scene of a massive avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan that has left ten international climbers missing, including well-known mountaineer Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja, sources say.
Nirmal “Nims” Purja Missing After Avalanche in Pakistan
A massive avalanche on the 26,400-foot-tall Broad Peak has left ten climbers missing, including Nirmal “Nims” Purja. Purja climbed from the summit of Mount Everest to the summit of neighbouring Lhotse without supplemental oxygen in May 2026 (Photo: Nimsdai Purja) The summer climbing season in Pakistan’s Karakoram Mountains has taken a tragic turn after a massive avalanche on the 26,400-foot-tall Broad Peak has left ten climbers missing, including Nirmal “Nims” Purja.
7 Attempts, 6 Figures, and a Massive Pivot: How Tyler Andrews Finally Smashed the Everest Speed Record.
At 4 A.M. on May 28, 36-year-old American athlete Tyler Andrews reached the South Summit of Mount Everest for the first time in his life. His goal, the main summit, was only a few hundred feet above him. It was his seventh attempt in two years to set a speed record on the mountain—and it wouldn’t be his last. “I could see the top,” he told Outside. “It was right there. I could throw a rock at it.” Even then, he wasn’t ready to celebrate.
Here’s What a Climbing Sherpa Carries Up and Down Mount Everest
On May 22, Chhebe Bhote strolled into Mount Everest Base Camp after descending from the peak’s summit. Bhote, a climbing Sherpa with one of the Nepali expedition outfitters, spends each spring lugging heavy loads up the mountain before guiding clients to the top and back. I met Bhote just as he walked into camp, and asked him to show me the contents of his backpack. The massive bag was packed to the brim with items.
A Sherpa’s “Absolute Miracle” Survival on Mount Everest Prompts Tough Questions for the Guiding Industry
The guiding community on Mount Everest has become transfixed by the incredible story of Hillary Dawa Sherpa, the Nepali guide who went missing on May 29 at 25,000 feet, only to reappear alive near Base Camp six days later. Hillary Dawa had no access to food or water, and he had to descend from 25,000 feet to 17,500 feet by himself.
The 2026 Climbing Season on Mount Everest Has Ended in Tragedy
The busiest period in Mount Everest’s history has ended in tragedy. On May 29, the final day of the 2026 spring climbing season on the peak, a Nepali mountain guide went missing on the mountain and is now presumed to be dead.Hillary Dawa Sherpa, a high-altitude worker and guide with the Nepali outfitter Himalayan Traverse, was last seen between Camp IV at 26,000 feet and Camp III at 23,300 feet while descending the peak with a British climber.
Two Climbers Died While Descending from the Summit of Mount Everest
Two climbers of Indian origin died on Mount Everest on May 22. Both had reached the top and perished while descending. Two client climbers are dead on Mount Everest after a busy week on the mountain (Photo: Everest Live) Two climbers died on Mount Everest on Friday, May 22, amid another busy day on the summit. Outside learned of the fatalities from a liaison officer with Nepal’s Department of Tourism who is stationed at Mount Everest Base Camp.
After 32 Ascents of Mount Everest, Kami Rita Sherpa Has Learned a Lot About the Peak and the People Who Flock to It
We recently sat down with Kami Rita Sherpa, the record holder for most ascents of Mount Everest. He shares his thoughts on the mountain’s sacred reputation, the growth of the climbing industry, and what Everest hopefuls should know about the peak.
Bartek Ziemski Just Recorded a Thrilling Ski Descent of Lhotse
One of the most amazing feats of athleticism on Mount Everest this year was done by an unemployed software engineer who lives out of a van. His name is Bartek Ziemski, and he’s a ski mountaineer from Poland. If you haven’t heard of Ziemski, don’t feel bad. Ziemski’s relative anonymity in the world of high-altitude mountaineering is intentional.
Climbing Mount Everest Has Gotten Easier. But It’s Still A Punishing Challenge.
Sure, advancements in technology guiding techniques have made Mount Everest easier than in the days of Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary. Experts explain why reaching the summit is still a punishing feat of endurance, resilience, and good fortune. Hundreds of climbers reach the summit of Mount Everest every year. So, is it easy? (Photo: LAKPA SHERPA/AFP via Getty Images) Climbing Mount Everest was once seen as perhaps the most arduous activity a human could endure.
I’m Outside’s Mount Everest Expert in Base Camp. Ask Me Anything.
This spring, we are once again stationed at Mount Everest Base Camp to report on the climbing season on the world’s highest peak. Our longtime Everest reporter, Ben Ayers, is living out of a tent at 17,500 feet, and rubbing elbows with the climbers, expedition operators, mountain workers, and guides who make up the Everest industry. It’s Everest, so there’s plenty of drama, controversy, and heroic feats of mountaineering to follow.
Mount Everest Live Updates: A Speed Record Attempt Comes Up Short
After early delays, the climbing season on Mount Everest is in full swing. Nepal has issued 492 permits for Everest this season—the most in history. As of the publishing of this story, hundreds of climbers are waiting at Camps II at 21,000 feet and III at 23,000 feet for their chance to be in the first wave to push for the top. Guides told Outside they anticipate severe crowding on the route over the next few days, as more teams attempt to reach the top during the first weather window.
River Ahmad Was Nearly Killed by the Taliban. Now She’s Climbing Mount Everest.
The Taliban stopped the bus halfway to Kabul. “There were maybe 15 or 16 people on the bus,” River Ahmad told me at Mount Everest Base Camp in early May. “And I was the only woman.” It was 2014, the final year of the U.S. and NATO combat operations against the Taliban in Afghanistan, and River Ahmad was taking the bus from Ghazni province in the country’s southeast to Kabul. River had told her father she was traveling to the capital to study dentistry, and he’d agreed to buy her a bus ticket.
A Mount Everest Climber From Nepal Died in the Khumbu Icefall
Early in the morning on May 10, a Nepali high-altitude worker named Bijaya Ghimire died while climbing through the Khumbu Icefall at the foot of Mount Everest. Officials do not know of a cause of death, but believe it was the result of a medical issue and not a fall or collapsing ice. Ghimire, 35, was working for the Nepali outfitter TAG Nepal, and was on an acclimatization rotation to Camp I at 19,900 feet when the incident occurred.
A Second Climber Has Died on Mount Everest amid Preparation for the Summit Push
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This Gear Kept Me Warm, Dry, and Healthy During My Hike to Mount Everest Base Camp
I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve completed the 11-day hike from Himalayan foothills of Lukla up to Mount Everest Base Camp. The 40-mile hike takes in lush forests, picturesque villages, and some truly punishing inclines as it ascends about 8,000 vertical feet. In 2025 I wrote about how the towns, tea houses, and tourism industry along the route have changed and grown over the past few decades.
I Brought a Ton of Gear on the Hike to Mount Everest Base Camp. These 8 Items Were My Favorites.
These SUVs Make The Outside World Feel Easier To Reach A proper off-road SUV changes what a weekend can become. Pavement ending does not have to mean the trip is over, and a rough access road does not …
Flying Drones Were Doing Valuable Work on Mount Everest. Then, Nepal Grounded Them.
On Friday, May 1, a helicopter landed on the Seven Summit Treks helipad at Mount Everest Base Camp carrying dignitaries from the United States. Sergio Gor, the U.S. Ambassador to India and Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs, stooped beneath the whirring blades and stepped into the thin air at 17,500 feet. Gor, 39, had come to Base Camp to promote American drone technology in the extreme environment of Mount Everest.
Drones Were Supposed to Make Mount Everest Safer. Then the Government Stepped In.
Mount Everest season opens late, with climbers undeterred by huge ice block and high travel costs KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — An unstable ice block dangerously hanging over the key trail on Mount Everest, high travel costs and increased permit fees haven’t deterred hundreds of climbers from attempting to scale the world’s highest mountain. Around 464 climbers and an equal number of their Nepali …
Collapsing Ice on Mount Everest Injured Two Climbers and Prompted a Dramatic Rescue
There was a dramatic rescue in Mount Everest’s Khumbu Icefall in the early hours of Tuesday, May 5. Two climbers were airlifted to a hospital after an ice serac collapsed and buried them. Outside was in Base Camp and listened to radio communications during the rescue and watched it unfold. Officials with Nepal’s Department of Tourism also released a statement providing further details of the accident and rescue.
Mount Everest’s Guiding Industry Suffered the First Death of the 2026 Season
A 52-year-old guide and mountain worker died while hiking from Gorak Shep to Base Camp, marking the first 2026 fatality for the Everest industry Hikers ascend from Gorak Shep to Base Camp along the Khumbu Glacier (Photo: Heath Holden / Getty Images) Mount Everest‘s guiding industry has experienced its first fatality of the 2026 climbing season on the world’s highest peak.
You Have Questions About Everest’s Khumbu Icefall. We Have Answers.
Not an Everest expert? No problem! Our reporter answers ten simple questions about the 2026 climbing season, and why it was delayed by the Khumbu Icefall. (Photo: Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee) By now you’ve probably read a headline or seen a social media post about the lengthy delay on Mount Everest caused by dangerous ice towers in the Khumbu Icefall. Perhaps these stories and Instagram updates prompted a simple question to pop into your head: What the heck is going on?
Is There a Different Way Up Everest? 10 Simple Questions About This Year’s Delay Answered.
11 hours ago A French duo has achieved a “mountainous” feat. They now have the new world record for making the fastest trek from the French ski resort city of Chamonix to the summit of Mont Blanc and back. They’re time: 4 hours, 41 minutes, and 24 seconds. That’s two minutes faster than the previous record.
I Saved a Dying Climber on a Deadly Himalayan Peak. It Nearly Killed Me.
Nepali guide Ashok Lama is a rising star in the world of Himalayan guiding. He recently received his International Federation of Mountain Guides Association (IFMGA) certification, and has led clients to the summit of Mount Everest and other high peaks. In April, Ashok rescued two climbers from 26,545-foot Annapurna. The mission nearly cost him his own life. Here, Ashok takes Outside readers into the daring rescue mission.
Inside the Audacious Plan to Kickstart Everest Season
Officials in Nepal have hatched a bold plan to kickstart the climbing season on Mount Everest and end a lengthy delay caused by dangers in the Khumbu Icefall, the cascading glacier just above Base Camp. The plan involves helicopters, ropes, and coordination among various governmental agencies and industry groups working on the mountain. “This is one of the greatest collaborations,” Thaneswar Guragai, the general manager at Nepali outfitter Seven Summits Treks, told Outside.
I Climb the World’s Highest Peaks Without Bottled Oxygen. Here’s What It’s Like.
Hundreds of climbers are in the Himalayas this spring to attempt Mount Everest and the other peaks above 8,000 meters (26,000 feet). Very few of them, however, will climb without supplemental oxygen. Stefi Troguet of Andorra is one. Troguet, 33, recently attempted to reach the top of 26,545-foot Annapurna in Nepal. Troguet told Outside what it was like to venture into thin air without bottled O2. We launched our summit bid from Camp IV at 8:30 P.M on April 17.
Kristin Harila Is Saying Goodbye to Mount Everest with a Bold Plan to Climb It.
I recently met Norwegian climber Kristin Harila in the empty restaurant of Kathmandu’s Aloft Hotel, which is the bustling epicenter of the Mount Everest climbing scene. In 2022, I watched Harila enter the hotel lobby to the cheers of fans during her first attempt at setting the speed record for climbing the 14 peaks above 8,000 meters—a goal she accomplished in 2023.
“It‘s Damaged the Public's Trust in Us.” Everest Guides Fear the Worst After Nepal’s Hiking Scandal.
Nepal’s Mount Everest guiding industry has been thrust into the international spotlight this week amid allegations that some trekking companies filed fraudulent insurance claims worth tens of millions of dollars. One of the most damning allegations is that trekking guides also poisoned clients with baking soda as a way to trigger an unneeded helicopter rescue.
Here Are the 5 Biggest Stories We’re Following on Mount Everest in 2026
Hundreds of aspiring Mount Everest climbers are in Kathmandu this week, preparing for their acclimatization treks and the 40-mile long walk from Lukla to Base Camp. At the foot of Mount Everest, Nepal’s legendary Icefall Doctors are struggling through unseasonably deep snow to fix the route through the crevasses and ice pillars of the Khumbu Icefall leading to Camp I. That’s right—Everest season is upon us.
Mount Everest Season Kicks Off With Fraud, Flying Drones, and Record-Chasing Ascents
Arnold Schwarzenegger's son follows his famous father's footsteps with first place bodybuilding win Joseph Baena's professional bodybuilding career is off to a swinging start. Baena, 28, took home first place at the International Natural Bodybuilding Association's (INBA) Iron Gladiator competition in Southern California. When asked why he chose to compete through INBA, Arnold Schwarzenegger's son …
This Is One Key Reason Behind Everest’s Dropping Death Toll
The route between Mount Everest Base Camp and the summit is one of the most inhospitable places on the planet, and over the years, hundreds of climbers have died along the trail. But in 2025, just three climbers perished above Base Camp. This number was down from eight in 2024 and 18 in 2023. One factor for the declining death toll: Himalayan helicopter rescue pilots.
End-of-Year Construction Outlook: What to Know Heading into 2026
By Ben Ayers, AVP, Senior Economist, Nationwide As 2025 closes, the construction industry continues to face headwinds from elevated costs, labor shortages and policy uncertainty. However, signs point to cautious optimism heading into 2026, driven by fiscal stimulus and potential easing of interest rates.
Tyler Andrews Tried Five Times to Break the FKT on Mount Everest. Is It Even Attainable?
After striking out five times on the world’s highest peak, an American ultrarunner is questioning the feasibility of breaking the fastest known time from Nepal More than 100 climbers reached the Everest summit on Wednesday. (Photo: Boy_Anupong/Getty Images) In the dark of night on Monday, September 22, American ultrarunner Tyler Andrews was making his way through the Khumbu Icefall, the massive glacier at the base of Mount Everest, when disaster struck.
Tyler Andrews Tried Five Times to Break the FKT on Mount Everest. Is It Even Attainable?
No, Hundreds of Climbers Were Not Rescued on Mount Everest. Here’s What Happened. Maybe you saw a dramatic Tweet or two, or your uncle Ron sent you one of the many videos circulating on Facebook. I’m willing to bet that, at some point in the last few days, you learned that several hundred people were stranded on or near Mount Everest by a massive snowstorm that struck China and …
Tyler Andrews Will Attempt the Everest FKT This Fall. The Odds Are Against Him.
Nepal offers free climbs to 97 peaks as tourism to Everest surges Nepal will make 97 of its Himalayan mountains free to climb for the next two years in a bid to boost tourism in some of its more remote areas. It comes as permit fees to summit Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, during peak season will go up to $15,000 (£11,170) from September - the first …
Tyler Andrews Will Attempt the Everest FKT This Fall. The Odds Are Against Him.
(Photo: Chris Fisher) American ultrarunner Tyler Andrews will return to Nepal this September to chase the record for the fastest ascent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen. Andrews, 35, is heading back to the peak after mounting three separate attempts to set the FKT during the spring climbing season. The current Fastest Known Time for such a climb is 20 hours and 24 minutes, set by Nepali climber Kaji Sherpa in 1998.
Mid-Year Outlook: Key Trends Shaping the Construction Industry in 2025
By Ben Ayers, AVP, Senior Economist, Nationwide The construction industry enters the second half of 2025 facing a complex mix of economic pressures and evolving market dynamics. The Nationwide Economics team recently released its Mid-Year 2025 Construction Industry Report, which highlights several key trends: Overall Construction Activity: Spending has leveled off amid high interest rates and policy uncertainty. Nonresidential construction is particularly vulnerable to these headwinds.
Does Hiking to Mount Everest Base Camp Make You Want to Climb the Mountain?
New perk: Easily find new routes and hidden gems, upcoming running events, and more near you. Your weekly Local Running Newsletter has everything you need to lace up! Subscribe today. Ever year, several thousand hikers complete the trek to Mount Everest Base Camp. After completing the adventure, a small portion of them feel inspired to pursue an even greater challenge-climbing to the top.
Does Hiking to Mount Everest Base Camp Make You Want to Reach the Summit?
1 day ago In his latest video, Ben Ayers addresses common misconceptions about the world’s highest peak, and discusses the treatment of local workers Mainstream coverage of Mount Everest has provided a distorted view of the peak, the Himalayan mountaineering industry, and the climbers who attempt to reach the …
Is Mount Everest Really Covered in Dead Bodies and Trash?
New perk: Easily find new routes and hidden gems, upcoming running events, and more near you. Your weekly Local Running Newsletter has everything you need to lace up! Subscribe today. Mainstream coverage of Mount Everest has provided a distorted view of the peak, the Himalayan mountaineering industry, and the climbers who attempt to reach the summit.
Is Mount Everest Really Covered in Dead Bodies and Trash?
5 days ago How Drones Could Fix Mount Everest's Trash Problem Mount Everest is covered in trash, including human waste, empty oxygen cylinders and kitchen leftovers. Here's how one company is trying to clean the garbage dump by using drones. ---------- Like this video? Subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@Bloomberg-News Bloomberg News is the first word in business news. Visit bloomberg.com for the latest on global business, markets and more.
Xenon, Speed Records, and Safety
New perk: Easily find new routes and hidden gems, upcoming running events, and more near you. Your weekly Local Running Newsletter has everything you need to lace up! Subscribe today. Every climbing season is different on Mount Everest. The dynamics on the world's highest peak are shaped by a variety of forces: geopolitics, new technology, changing weather patterns, and of course the global economy. Every year, a handful of storylines help define the climbing season on the mountain.
Is the North Side of Mount Everest Safer to Climb Than the South Side?
New perk: Easily find new routes and hidden gems, upcoming running events, and more near you. Your weekly Local Running Newsletter has everything you need to lace up! Subscribe today. Every spring, climbers trudge to the summit of Mount Everest along two different routes. On the peak's southern flank, several hundred ascend the popular Southeast Ridge route, which takes in many of the landmarks that have become synonymous with the peak: the Khumbu Icefall, Western Cwm, South Col, and Hillary Step.
I Got Sick at Mount Everest Base Camp. Here's Why So Many Climbers Do Too.
New perk: Easily find new routes and hidden gems, upcoming running events, and more near you. Your weekly Local Running Newsletter has everything you need to lace up! Subscribe today. After avoiding illness during the 11-day trek from Lukla to Base Camp, our Mount Everest reporter Ben Ayers came down with the dreaded "Khumbu Cough" while living amongst the guides and climbers for several weeks.
Why Do So Many Mount Everest Climbers Get Sick? I Found Out the Hard Way.
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