The Happiness Quotient

"Do you think great expense and risk should be undertaken to remove bodies from Mount Everest?" The Indian government mounted an expensive and risky expedition to retrieve the remains of mountaineers who had perished on Mount Everest the year before. NY Times journalist John Branch tells us about his fascinating story that delves into the significant cultural and social significance of the Hindu families who grieved the loss of their loved ones. 

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qFQw1Y-2m4c

Deliverance From 27,000 Feet by John Branch:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/18/sports/everest-deaths.html

Our sponsor, Musa Masala:
https://musamasala.com

Everest Mystery poll question:
https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxiXLttvZznaGXehZ1IE_iJMCZZJkiTkZO

Interview with mountaineer Willi Steindl, who witnessed over 70 people stepping over Muhammed Hassan as he lay dying in the Death Zone on K2.

The death of Mohammad Hassan on K2 has sent shockwaves through the mountaineering community. At 2:15Am on July 27 the Pakistani porter fell near the bottleneck at 8200 meters, found hanging upside down more than 5 meters below the path. 

Hassan was a porter with no climbing experience, having risked his life to earn the higher wages paid to high altitude porters, in order to support a sick mother and a family… He was woefully outfitted, lacking a down suit, or proper climbing equipment.  

My guest today was the FIRST to reach the DEEPEST point of the ocean, known as Challenger Deep. In 1960 US Navy lieutenant Don Walsh and  Swiss oceanographer and explorer Jacques Piccard piloted the bathyscaphe Trieste 35,797 ft BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE SEA, when it
became the first crewed vessel to reach the bottom  the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in Earth's seabed.

My conversation with Don Walsh could not have predicted that such a disaster as the Titan submersible would have taken place. Eerily, Don and I discussed the logistics of preparing a vessel to dive to such depths, the safeguards, the rigorous testing.

Please stick around the the poll question near the end.


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Angela Benavides is a High-Altitude Mountaineering and Climbing journalist for Explorers Web - https://explorersweb.com/

PLEASE SUPPORT the families of Sherpa and mountain workers who have died while working in the mountains, check out this video: https://youtu.be/Htd_l89ejJY

The two Polish climbers mentioned in the video who flew in from Kathmandu to rescue Carlos Soria on Dhaulagiri are Bartek Ziemski and Oswald Pereira.

As of May 18 there are over 200 summits of Mount Everest with hundreds of others still moving forward to make their attempt to climb to the summit of Mount Everest.

There are eight deaths as of May 18th, including for Sherpa, an Indian woman attempting to become the first to climb Everest with a pace maker, a Moldovan climber named Victor Brinza fell ill at South Col and passed away.

The weather is holding. Families around the world anxiously await news from their loved ones to hear a report from the mountain 

And if any of you watch my shorts, you’ve heard about new records Kami Rita Sherpa has summited Everst for the 27th time, he is 53 and the holder of the record for most summits of Everest

And Kenton Cool has summited Mount Everest for his 17th time, becoming the person with the most summits for a non Nepali.

And a 16 year old climber from China….The Chinese girl Sui Cho Yuan successfully reached atop Everest via the south slope at 5:42am on May 15



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WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A SHERPA OR MOUNTAIN WORKER DIES ON A MOUNTAIN CLIMBING EXPEDITION? 

TODAY I HAVE DAVID MORTON HERE TO talk about The Juniper Fund, its beginnings,  and the important work they’re doing in Nepal to help the families of Sherpa who have lost their lives guiding and working in the mountains.

For Sherpa throughout the Khumbu Region of Nepal, the dangers of guiding climbers to the world’s highest peaks like Mount Everest, with the ever-present possibility of accidents, avalanches and the extremes of weather and altitude became no more evident than last month when a serac fall took the lives of three Sherpa in the Khumbu Icefall of Everest. Ab0ut one-third of the more than 300 deaths on Everest over the past hundred years  have been of Sherpa guides, according to the Himalayan Database, a mountaineering record-keeping body. 

In 2014 after the tragic avalanche there that claimed the lives of 16 sherpa and high altitude porters, massive strikes in Base Camp and beyond forced the hand of the government to increase the life insurance on a death there to $15000….however, the strength of the Nepal rupee has significantly diminished and that amount is now worth far less since it is paid in rupees. 

Many times these mostly men who die in the mountains are the sole or primary breadwinners for their families and those survivors have precious few resources to fall back on. In 2014 I visited several families while filming a documentary on Everest  that took a drastic turn after the avalanche. It was a deeply moving experience for me and my friends who were taking part in the expedition. 

A year before that two longtime friends and Himalayan guides, David Morton and Melissa Arnot Reid, started a non profit organization called The Juniper Fund, set up to help a couple families they knew who had their primary breadwinner lose his life during expeditions they were on.

For more information about The Juniper Fund visit their website:
https://www.thejuniperfund.org

HERE'S MY FULL CONVERSATION with Alan Arnette on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/WIk67aEg0sI

There’s Been Loss of Life and Intense Drama on Annapurna and in the Mount Everest and 8000 meter peaks region of the Nepal Himalaya. 

A veteran climber is dead, another miraculously rescued, and multiple others are lucky to be alive after a tragic few days in the Himalayas.

As the deadliest of the 8000 meter peaks Annapurna has of late become an object of desire for a wider and larger group of the new era of mountaineers, ticking off peaks on their checklist.

In recent years, guides have supplied high levels of support and supplemental oxygen to make the peak more accessible to less experienced climbers. Of the 395 total summits, 129 (33 percent) have occurred in the past three years.

HERE'S AN INTERVIEW with one of the world’s most respected chroniclers of Mount Everest, Alan Arnette WHO is reporting on this spring’s Everest and Himalayan climbing season for OUTSIDE ONLINE 

We’ll talk about the miraculous rescue effort on Annapurna where Indian climber Anurag Maloo was found alive after spending three days inside a crevasse on Annapurna. Angela Benavides of Explorers Web has reported that Maloo was 50 meters in the crevasse, found barely alive by a rescue team led by Adam Bielecki - mind boggling….defying all odds…hope to bring more on that soon.

As well as the loss that sent shockwaves through the himalayan climbing community, the ever popular and 10-time Everest summiter, Noel Hanna of Ireland, 56, died in his tent at Camp 4 after summiting without supplemental oxygen. 

We also discuss the summit of Manaslu by Felix Berg, as well as the sherpas expanding role in the world of 8000 meter peak guiding. And Alan has written a book.


YOU CAN FIND ALAN’S BLOG at alanarnette.com 

Doug Peacock's award winning book is: WAS IT WORTH IT? A WILDERNESS WARRIOR'S LONG TRAIL HOME

Doug Peacock is an American naturalist, author, and filmmaker who is best known for his work in conservation and activism on behalf of grizzly bears in the American West.

Here is my VIDEO version of the interview with Doug:
https://youtu.be/eYltXSGI0LM

MORE about Doug Peacock here:
https://dougpeacock.net/

You need a copy of this book! Find it here:
https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwib0r3V1_T9AhW55uMHHbI6BeoYABAAGgJ5bQ&ae=2&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESbeD2gisjHru--HzCA31EZbLWoOjL2LZNCxv7-JvbcbdvpqS-3BR21xD02Vv6iOCbNlPelaHdP_9dBSpiconV54SaT4JUr-pB1ppmpYRmIOPVsGSOgOOFWTp8rHa03NWVwSegv5bHzOr_XObSlck&sig=AOD64_3wNJ38YXKpxymm7aJok3Bgvg9OVA&q&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwi897TV1_T9AhUkjIkEHTejBXsQ0Qx6BAgGEAE&nis=8&dct=1

For the audio only version of this episode please use this link:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/268133/12507653

Doug is the founder and chairman of the board of Save the Yellowstone Grizzly. During his service as a Green Beret medic in the Vietnam War. After the war, Doug suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and found solace in the wilderness, much like he did when he was a boy growing up in northern Michigan, exploring swamps and forests and remote places - After the war he devoted himself to observing and documenting grizzly bears in their natural habitat.

Doug was a long time friend of the late Edward Abbey, who wrote THE MONKEY WRENCH GANG, where Peacock’s essence and spirit and passion was immortalized in the character known as George Washington Hayduke. 

Sir Doug, is the author of several books, including "Grizzly Years: In Search of the American Wilderness”..... He has also worked as a consultant on several documentaries, including "Grizzly Country" and "In the Path of the Grizzly."  Doug says bringing a gun into grizzly country will get you more into trouble than out of it…just look at the cover of his book, need I say more on that. Suffice it to say, grizzly bears saved his life…he has devoted his life to protecting theirs. 

Doug is a dog lover, a cat lover, father of two children - his amazing wife and life partner Andrea founded Elk River Books with cousin and friend Marc Beaudin….in Livingston, Montana - where, bye the way, my brother had previously lived, making complete the connection of how Jeff and Doug were pals. …you know, if Jeff had never left Livingston I’d be willing to bet a nickel he’d still be alive….

Doug continues to work desperately towards protecting grizzly bears and their habitat through his writing, speaking engagements, and activism….and…talking to guys like me who read his book….and just had to tell everyone about it

Here’s my inspiring conversation with Doug Peacock about his book WAS IT WORTH IT: A WILDERNESS WARRIOR’S LONG TRAIL HOME  published by Patagonia.yes that Patagonia


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Stephen Venables became the first British mountaineer to climb Mount Everest without the use of supplementary oxygen in 1988, establishing a new route on the Kangshung Face with Ed Webster, Robert Anderson and Paul Teare. 

THIS EPISODE IS ON YOUTUBE IN VIDEO FORM AT:
https://youtu.be/9bocQEfDriI

Everest and Beyond - TEDxOxford: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiz3en5JLcY

Please visit our sponsor Musa Masala - Expert Advice On Safe, Healthy & Culturally Aware Mountain Travel at: 
https://musamasala.com/

Rebecca Wood was the chef, trusted keeper, and diviner at Zac Brown’s renowned Southern Ground Nashville studio for nearly a decade. While she was intimately familiar with the ghosts and secrets of the converted church that housed the studio, her passion was cooking for the musicians recording there, curating choice down-home meals and menus from family recipes. The heart of The Studio Mama Cookbook is a collection of these menus, each created for an artist who worked
 at the studio. It’s a combo plate of music, food, people, and stories. 

More about Rebecca and how to get her awesome Studio Mama cookbook:
https://www.heartsinthemix.com/

Just what is Manaslu and why are so many people flocking to it? Thom dives in with thoughts on the death of professional skier Hilaree Nelson on her attempted ski descent, as well as the commercialization of the mountain and just how the game has been changed since drone footage captured 'the real' summit in 2021.

LINK TO YOUTUBE VERSION:
https://youtu.be/EIPCyKi5zEo

Jay Blakesberg, one of THE US’s most accomplished live music and pop culture photographer’s has released another self published book called RETRO BLAKESBERG: Volume One: The Film Archives (SEE THE LINK IN THE SHOW NOTES)....the book features highlights spanning the years from the 70’s into the early 2000’s when film was king, before the digital age, when a photographer WAS A PHOTOGRAPHER - from the first photograph he ever sold for $15 thru tours with Phish, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones

Tons of Grateful Dead - enough so that he’s made a couple books

Green Day,  The Flaming Lips,  Snoop Dog, Primus

If you want to purchase a copy of Jay’s amazing book or to have a look at his other published books and photo gallery, find him on Instagram at @JayBlakesberg and @RetroBlakesberg, or on his website at https://www.rockoutbooks.com/

Thom Pollard sat down with Everest Chronicler Alan Arnette to talk about all things Everest. In this first of a several part episode with Alan, we talk about all the current state of affairs on Everest, and what the future looks like for Everest. Is climate change changing the game on 8,000 meter peaks?

Visit Thom's YouTube channel for this conversation with Alan Arnette as well as a bunch of other Everest-related material:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEk3e_XGyNnqwK2ZlxH7fEA

Alan Arnette's website: https://www.alanarnette.com/
Alan's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/AlanArnetteClimbs 

origins explained

Taken from Wade Davis' 20 March 2004 talk at the 100th Annual Banquet of The Explorers Club at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York CIty. 

Wade Davis' website:
https://daviswade.com/

You might be here looking for something about Mount Everest. You might hate this episode. But, you might like it.  

For the YouTube version of this episode:

https://youtu.be/dIfmhdKNcTQ

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Matt Irving is a professional director of photography. In May 2022 he filmed the historic tenth ascent of Everest by a woman, Lhakpa Sherpa. His views and insight of seeing Everest from an observant eye is refreshing.

Matt Irving's Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/irving_matt...

News from Ukraine - Watch. Know. Decide. Breaking news from Ukraine. News observation. Important information.

Twitter: @u24_news
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@u24_news
Web: https://u24.ua/

For more about Thom Dharma Pollard, about personal coaching or his inspirational presentations, virtual or in person, look for him at eyesopenproductions.com

To join his mailing list for A Course In Happiness, email him at thom.dharma.pollard@gmail.com

Sanctity Of Space - A film about the alchemy of landscape and people amidst the mountains of Alaska 

A conversation with co-directors Renan Ozturk and Freddie Wilkinson about the decade long journey of creating the film, from concept to completion

US Theaters starting May 6th - Showtimes and Updates:
https://greenwichentertainment.com/film/the-sanctity-of-space/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sanctityofspace/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sanctityofspace

For podcast episode of this conversation on The Happiness Quotient:

Jochen Hemmleb follows up on recent video with Mark Synnott about reports that the body of Sandy Irvine had been discovered, possibly removed (video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glMT08zmAP0 ). Jochen has written extensively on this topic and is as knowledgeable as any person in the world about the Mystery of Mallory & Irvine. He has personally interviewed many key players from the Chinese expeditions that report having seen the bodies. 


Jochen Hemmleb's website: 
https://www.jochenhemmleb.com/english/mundi/index.php

Mark Synnott's Salon article about the camera and Sandy Irvine:
https://www.salon.com/2022/04/08/the-third-pole-mount-everest-mark-synnott-mystery-china/

The Happiness Quotient podcast: https://thehappinessquotient.buzzsprout.com/

Thom's Patreon for exclusive content:
https://www.patreon.com/thehappinessquotient

The ultimate Earth Day observation:  following is a conversation with a modern day Charles Darwin, biologist, herpetologist, Adjunct Professor of Biological Science at Florida State University Dr. Bruce Means. We discuss a March 2021 expedition in which Means and writer/climber Mark Synnott traveled to a virtual Shangri-la in the deep, mysterious and ever dangerous jungles of Guyana to study an unclimbed tapui, where new species were discovered. 

American climber Alex Honnold is featured in the National Geographic film and article, both released in April 2022.

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