Everest.Lives

Austrian outfitter Lukas Furtenbach has been dreaming of the Himalayas since childhood, inspired by postcards from his uncle, a doctor on Reinhold Messner’s expeditions. Years later, Furtenbach turned that obsession into a radical business model: running expeditions on the world’s deadliest mountains that are safer, faster, and more successful than ever before.By fusing modern medicine with cutting-edge technology, he’s built a thriving operation for elite clients—one that relentlessly pushes the limits of what’s possible, and, critics argue, what’s ethical.In this episode, we talk with Lukas about his career and his vision for a new way to climb Mt. Everest. We explore the uncomfortable tension at the heart of the industry: climbers are drawn by real risk, while operators are tasked with eliminating it.

Everest has always stood at the crossroads of myth, power and ambition. In this episode, author and climber Ed Douglas unpacks the forgotten colonial history of Everest, from military invasions and mystical misconceptions to the birth of the expedition industry as a tool of Empire.We dive into how the mountain was claimed, named, mapped, monetised, and how these power dynamics still echo today.

What do you do when someone lies about climbing Everest? You call Billi Bierling, director of the Himalayan Database and the unofficial referee of Himalayan mountaineering. She’s spent years verifying summits, busting myths, and holding climbers accountable, all from a tiny flat in Kathmandu. On this episode we talk frauds, fame, useless records, and why Everest still matters.