Did This Indian Couple Fake Their Everest Summit?

By most accounts, the 2016 Everest climbing season was one for the record books. After two years of cancellations, and several years of unusual activity on the mountain, this was about as close to a "normal" year as we've seen in some time. Of course, that doesn't mean that everything went exactly by the book, as we're now discovering. Reports now indicated that one Indian couple may have faked their summit photos, calling into question the validity of their claims.

This story broke on Buzzfeed yesterday, where the captivating story of Dinesh and Tarkeshwari Rathod has been called into question. The couple said that they had reached the summit of Everest back on May 23, realizing a lifelong dream that both had shared. The duo were married back in 2008, and reportedly delayed starting a family until after they topped out on the tallest mountain on the planet. Their story, which includes both serving as police officers back home, garnered headlines across the planet. 

Now, just a few weeks later, cracks have started to appear in their story. The photos that were used to document their summit appear to be doctored, faked, or stolen. One image that was used to show their approach to the summit appears to have been taken directly from the International Mountain Guides website, while others seem to have been obviously photoshopped. As if that wasn't enough, the clothes that the couple are seen wearing on their way up the mountain are different from the outfits that they have on in the summit photos. Anyone who follows Everest closely knows that you don't change your clothing during a summit push.

Even more curious, even though Dinesh and Tarkeshwari claimed to have summited on May 23, they didn't declare their success until June 5. They also reportedly did not arrive in Base Camp until May 4. That isn't nearly enough time to acclimatize and prepare for a summit push, unless they had already done so on another major peak in the area. That doesn't appear to be the case here.

Apparently, there are even indications that the couple have faked summits in the past too, which the Buzzfeed article goes into as well. This all seems to point at yet another Everest fraud, indicating that things have indeed gotten back to normal. 

The Everest 2016 Climbing Season in Numbers - 450+ Summits on the South Side

The spring climbing season in the Himalaya came to an end a few weeks back, and to say it was a successful season would be an understatement. But just how successful was it? We now have some numbers from Everest to help put things in perspective.

According to The Himalayan Times, the Department of Tourism for the Nepali Government has released its climbing numbers for Everest this year, and it was an astounding rebound following two years of interrupted operations on the mountain. This year, there were 456 successful summits from the South Side of the mountain, of which 199 were foreign climbers from 29 different countries. The other 257 climbers were Sherpas who were part of the support teams that assisted in getting clients to the top. Sadly, there were also five deaths this spring season as well.

In a sure sign that things are returning to normal on the world's highest peak, tourism officials issued permits for 289 expedition climbers, and 457 high-altitude porters and guides. Those permits were spread out across 34 different teams. That means, of the foreign climbers who came to Nepal to attempt Everest this year, about 90 were unable to make it to the top.


The youngest climbers to summit in 2016 were Balkar Singh and Stanzin Laskit, who are 19 and 18 respectively. The oldest climbers were Young Heo of South Korea who is 62, and New Zealander Lydia Margarate Bradey, who topped out at the age of 55.

The report goes on to say that there were 45 successful summits by female climbers, with Maya Sherpa being the lone woman from Nepal to summit. Furthermore, the busiest day of the season was May 19, when 209 people reached the top.

For the commercial teams that operate in Nepal, this was a much needed successful season that can best be described as "normal." In 2014 the season was canceled after an avalanche claimed the lives of 16 porters, and last year the April 25 earthquake killed another 21 people on Everest, while bringing widespread devastation to the rest of the country. In terms of sending a message to climbers that Everest is safe, secure and open for business, the guide companies couldn't have asked for a year that was so free from drama. Lets hope the trend continues.

Video: Climbing the Hillary Step on Everest

During the spring Himalayan climbing season this year there was a lot of talk about the Hillary Step on Everest, and whether or not it has been effected by the 2015 earthquake in Nepal. Early on, there were some reports that portions of the step may have collapsed, making it easier to get up, but later it was speculated that the one meter of snow that was deposited on it was probably altering the perception of approach to the summit. This video takes us high up the mountain to the Hillary Step, giving us a good idea of what it is like to overcome this critical portion of the climb, which ultimately grants access to the top. The clip is a few year old, but it still gives us a good look at this legendary part of the climb.

Karakoram 2016: K2 Ramps Up, Nanga Parbat Reopens

The spring Himalayan climbing season is over, and the teams of climbers that made it one of the most successful in recent memory have departed Nepal for home. Now, the mountaineering world turns its attention to the Karakoram, as climbers descend on Pakistan to attempt K2, Nanga Parbat, and other major mountains in the region. That summer season is now starting to ramp up, with a significant amount of attention now focused squarely on the second tallest mountain in the world.

According to ExWeb, there will be 33 teams of various sizes operating in Pakistan this summer. They'll be focused not just on K2, but also the Gasherbrums, Broad Peak, Nanga Parbat, and a host of other mountains that are not a part of the 8000-meter club. That will make this one of the busiest seasons in the Karakoram and western Himalaya as well, with some significant expeditions planned.

But it is the continued commercialization of K2 that is receiving a good deal of attention. ExWeb estimates that more than 100 climbers will attempt the "mountaineer's mountain" this summer, which is a larger number than has been seen in the past. Most are a part of a commercial team with Madison Mountaineering, Kobler & Partner, and Seven Summits Treks leading the way.


100 climbers on K2 is a significant number to say the least. While that isn't anywhere close to the number of alpinists on Everest (550+ are said to have summited this year alone), it is a lot of people on a mountain that is widely considered to be the hardest and most dangerous climb on Earth. It is most definitely not a mountain that you want to be caught in a traffic jam on, but that could be a real possibility with this many people making the attempt. Hopefully everyone will stay safe throughout the season.

Meanwhile, over on Nanga Parbat the mountain is opening up again after seeing no summits since 2013. That's when a group of armed gunmen attacked the camp, killing 11 people. Since then, no summer permits have been issued for the mountain, but that will change this year. A couple of small teams are headed to NP with the hope of demonstrating that it is safe to climb, and ready to begin welcoming mountaineers back to its challenging face.

At the moment, these teams are mostly still en route to their various Base Camps or still planning to set out for Pakistan. But things will start to pick up soon. It should be a very interesting season to watch unfold, with K2 remaining the crown jewel. Expect numerous updates on the progress of teams in the weeks ahead.

Video: Mammut's #Project360 Goes to the Summit of Mt. Everest

We've covered Mammut's #Project360 a couple of times in the past. That's the outdoor gear manufacturer's attempt to bring some of the world's most iconic peaks to the Internet using a high tech camera system that captures images in 360º fashion. After the very successful climbing season in Nepal this spring, #Project360 can now add Mt. Everest to the list. Lakpa Sherpa and Pemba Rinji Sherpa, along with support from Kusang Sherpa and Ang Kaji Sherpa, managed to take Mammut's cameras to the top of the mountain, capturing the entire South Side route in the process. The video below gives us a glimpse of their adventure and the challenges that were overcome to capture the footage, which is already online at the #Project360 website.

How Ski Mountaineer Kit Deslauriers Came to Support the Himalayan Stove Project

Last fall, ski mountaineer Kit Deslauriers was in Nepal to climb the 8485-meter (27,838 feet) Makalu when she became ill with High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE). Seeking some relief, she descended to Yangri Kharka, a village located at 3657 meters (12,000 feet). While there, a local family took her into their home, allowing her to recover before returning to the mountain. While there, the family shared their food, making several meals a day inside their cramped house. While watching them in the kitchen, Kit noticed that dangerous levels of smoke were created, choking the small space with unhealthy fumes. That left her wondering what could be done to combat this serious issue. 

Recently, Deslauriers shared the details of her story at The North Face Never Stop Exploring blog. In that article she talks about the generosity of the family she came to know so well in Nepal, and how their daily exposure to dangerous smoke moved her to seek an alternate method for preparing their meals. This led her to the Himalayan Stove Project, a nonprofit organization that has been working to achieve that same goal for a number of years now.

As Kit points out in her story, a new clean cook stove and chimney, delivered and installed, costs just $150. In the greater scheme of things, that isn't a lot of money, and she has personally pledged to pay that amount for the five homes in Yangri Kharka that she interacted with directly. She is also calling on friends, fans, and others to help fund the HSP to install 135 more stoves in the Makalu Valley, bringing safe and clean cooking to all of the homes in that region. 

The Himalayan Stove Project is an organization I've written about several times here on The Adventure Blog. That's because I think it is an important foundation that is doing important things for the people of Nepal. The HSP has a proven track record of success in that country, and it is great to see such a high profile athlete as Kit Deslauriers getting behind their efforts. 

Melissa Arnot Becomes First American Woman to Summit Everest Without Oxygen

Amongst the very busy Everest climbing season that just wrapped up there were a number of impressive individual accomplishments. For instance, on May 23 alpinist Melissa Arnot reached the summit of the world's highest peak for the sixth time in her illustrious career. But what set this particular summit apart from the others, is that it was accomplished without the use of supplemental oxygen, giving Arnot the distinction of being the first American woman to successfully accomplish that feat.

One of the most accomplished female mountaineers in the world, Melissa has been climbing and guiding on Everest for years. She had hoped to summit without oxygen last year, but that attempt was brought to an abrupt end due to the massive earthquake that occurred on April 25. She has been training and planning for a second attempt ever since.

When asked about her accomplishment, Arnot said “Climbing Everest without supplemental oxygen has been a goal of mine for a long time. When you succeed at reaching your goal, it makes you reflect on the hard days, the work, and lessons I’ve learned along the way. I’m incredibly fortunate to have this experience.”


Her sixth summit of the world's tallest mountain breaks her own record for the most by a non-Sherpa female climber as well. And since she is just 32 years old, it seems likely that she'll at least attempt to climb the mountain a few more times before she's done. But her next project will be an attempt at reaching the highest points in all 50 U.S. states in just 50 days, which will get underway later this summer.

There is some question about whether or not Arnot is actually the first American woman to climb Everest without the use of oxygen however. As National Geographic Adventure points out, Hawaiian born climber Francys Assentive accomplished the same feat back in 1998, but she – along with her husband Sergei – both died on the descent. For many, a successful climb requires the mountaineer to safely get up and down the mountain. Arnot is definitely the first American woman to do that.

Congrats to Melissa on this amazing accomplishment. We're looking forward to following her on that 50 in 50 adventure, which gets underway in just a few weeks.