8000er

2003 Andrew shared a permit with a number of friends for his climb on this mountain in the post monsoon of 2003. Although climbing independently of the others, who were supported by Sherpas and guides, Andrew quickly made his own…

1994 After his successful rescue of a Swedish climber from high on K2 in 1993, Andrew was invited to join a Swedish expedition to Broad Peak in the northern summer of 1994. An attempt on a new route on the…

Andrew’s ascent of two 8000 metre peaks in the space of just a week set new records in the field of high altitude mountaineering, all the more so given that one of the summits was a first Australian ascent. The…

1999 Lying to the south of Broad Peak in the Karakorum ranges, these two 8000 metre summits form part of the Gasherbrum massif that includes Gasherbrum 3, 4 and 5, although only Gasherbrums 1 and 2 tower into the rarefied…

2005 Despite being the first of the 8000 metre peaks to be climbed (by the French in 1950), Annapurna has the lowest number of ascents and by far the worst reputation of any 8000 metre mountain. It is a technical…

1995 One of the toughest and most dangerous of the 8000ers, Nanga Parbat did not give up her summit easily to Andrew. His first attempt on the mountain was via what is probably the most difficult of all routes in…

2002 2002 saw Andrew and his old Everest climbing friend Trajce Aleksov join forces to make a last minute, lightweight, oxygenless attempt on this less frequented member of the 8000 metre club. With a stunning twin summit buttress and a…

1997 1997 saw Andrew join an Australian Army Alpine Association (AAA) expedition to attempt the first Australian ascent of Dhaulagiri. Whilst it was the second attempt for the AAA, it was Andrew’s first time to the peak. Joining a team…

2004 After his successful second ascent of Mt Everest in the pre-monsoon of 2004, Andrew planned to follow up his success with ascents of both Cho Oyu and Shishapangma. Despite sharing a permit and basecamp with another Australian team, Andrew…

2008 Makalu became the 13th summit in Andrew’s quest to climb all fourteen big ones, when he reached its summit alone on 21st May, 2008. After a long period of acclimatisation, Andrew joined two former climbing partners, Hector Ponce de…