Episode 1 of Mountain Voices transports you to the thrilling setting of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour. The annual series pits athletes against challenging, technical routes and sends them up vertical walls of ice at lightning speeds. The venues are scenic but temperatures challenging. Climbers must master their tools and diverse competition walls. Gordon McArthur (Canada) and Eimir McSwiggan (Ireland) provide an insight into what it takes to be an elite competition ice climber, how to get involved and what keeps them coming back. Rob Adie, Competition Manager at the UIAA – International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation – explains the format of the sport, its recent evolution and ambition to be part of the competition programme at a future Olympic Winter Games. There’s tales of blood on the ice, when to execute a Figure 4 and how ice climbing differs from sport climbing.

Episode 2 of Mountain Voices focuses on the subject of avalanches and is inspired by the UIAA Safety Commission’s recent work related to electromagnetic interference in avalanche transceivers. Experienced American IFMGA Mountain Guides Marc Beverly (a member of the UIAA Safety Commission) and Zeb Blais provide an insight into the findings of the recent UIAA research particularly the do’s and dont’s when a transceiver is in both search and send mode. The podcast also discuss what causes an avalanche, the impact of climate change on avalanches and how our everyday electronic devices from phones to head cameras to GPS watches may interfere with transceivers.

Ahead of the 2024 Everest Climbing Season, Mountain Voices shines a spotlight on the world’s highest, most iconic and debated mountain. It is the 100th anniversary of Mallory and Irvine’s fated last attempt to climb Everest. They’ve come to define that heroic post first world war period of exploration in their experimental oxygen sets and (by our standards) primitive clothing.

What would define the present age? The age of commercialisation? A trophy achievement for rich individuals with limited climbing experience, blindly sliding up a rope fixed by teams of Sherpas? Is climbing Everest actually an achievement? And what is the current situation for the sherpas who support every climb? Opinions come from three expert figures:

Ed Douglas the author of numerous books on Everest and the Himalayan region including the biography of Tenzing Norgay, Chomolungma Sings the Blues: Travels Round Everest and Himalaya: A Human History.

Victor Saunders is a UIAGM guide who’s led numerous ascents around the world. His 1st ascents include Panch Chuli V and Golden Pillar of Spantik. His most recent was Sersank in 2016. Victor’s books have won prizes in Canada France and England. he’s a former president of the Alpine Club, and has made six ascents of Everest.

Young Hoon Oh, is a Korean climber and anthropologist. He has made four attempts on Mt Everest, three of which were to do with his ethnographic research and he summited in 2012. He’s also lived among Nepali for two years and he’s a contributory author of Other Everests: One mountain, many worlds, a scholarly book published in 2023.