The Antarctic skiers may still be on the ice, and the major winter climbs are still getting underway, but it is never too early to start looking ahead to the spring season on Everest. With that in mind, Alan Arnette has already started to produce plenty of great content that will help get us ready for another busy year on the world's tallest (and most popular!) mountain.Among the stories that Alan has already posted is an excellent look at the various routes up Everest, of which the South Col is the most popular, but not the only way to go. He also has a great tutorial on how to communicate from the mountain – or any remote place for that matter– sharing what has worked for him on his various expeditions in the past. There is also an inside look at the Himex Base Camp, which is always one of the best on the mountain.
I particularly enjoyed Alan's interview with climber Bill Burke, who will attempt to summit Everest twice this year, once from the South and once from the North, at the age of 70 no less. In the interview, Burke talks about his experiences on the mountain – this will be his sixth year in a row there – and his motivations to climb. He also touches on the logistics of this upcoming double-summit attempt, and a whole lot more.
Those who are considering Everest themselves will benefit from Alan's "Getting Into Everest Shape" post from back in late December, while armchair mountaineers will probably prefer to keep an eye on his Everest 2012 page, which will be updated regularly as the season gets rolling along, keeping us all well informed of where the various teams are on the mountain.
It may still be more than two months before the start of the festivities on Everest, but it will most certainly be here before we know it. As always, I'm sure it'll be one of the highlights of the year, and I look forward to a busy and interesting season ahead.
