Everest 2012: On Assignment for National Geographic's Maxed Out on Everest story
In April 2012 I was sent to Everest Base Camp by Nat Geo to produce, photo edit, and blog daily content for our web hub and new ipad app called “Field Test Everest,” as well as to oversee the photography for the related print story commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the first Americans on Everest. I also participated in the Mayo Clinic’s study of the physical and mental effects of our team’s athletes at altitude.
As fate would have it, our NG photographer/climber Cory Richards had to be emergency evacuated the afternoon I arrived in Base Camp. In a split second decision I jumped on the helicopter with him to get medical help. Ultimately Cory wasn’t able to return to Everest, but I returned to Base Camp 5 days later to work with photographer Andy Bardon and other team members on our ongoing coverage.
Fun fact: during this expedition, climber Conrad Anker proposed launching a National Geographic Instagram account fed exclusively by the climbers. It was new territory for Nat Geo in 2011—and became an early foundation for the brand’s social storytelling at scale.
North Face climber Emily Harrington (left) reading the K2 story in National Geographic while I work on the next digital post in our media tent at Everest Base Camp. Photo © Andy Bardon.
Most of our team at Everest Base Camp (17,500') including North Face athletes, writer Mark Jenkins, and staff from the Mayo Clinic and Montana State University. Mayo was studying the affects of altitude on athletes, and MSU was there to get a new measurement of Everest.
Good friend and extraordinary mountaineer Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner (right) at Everest Base Camp. I was the Photo Editor on the NGM story about Gerlinde's K2 expedition. She made history becoming the first woman and 13th climber to summit all 14 8,000 meter peaks without oxygen. She wasn't a part of our Everest team, but was there on her own expedition. Photo © Andy Bardon.
A screengrab from our Field Test Everest Hub where we updated our viewers daily with photos, video, audio, weather, history, interviews, blogs, google hangouts (as shown) and more. (Unfortunately, hub link currently broken on NG site.)
Top Photo: Everest Base Camp (17,500 feet). Yellow expedition tents in the foreground, housing about 6-900 climbers and support staff. Everest is on the left and the famous, sometimes deadly, Khumbu Ice Fall runs up the middle.