History

Peter Aufschnaiter.

Remembering Peter Aufschnaiter

Peter Aufschnaiter was an Austrian climber who lived an...
Searchers find a sleeping bag of the team in 1973.

The 1973 Chivruay Pass Mystery: What Really Happened to the 10 Skiers Who Died in the Soviet Arctic

In January 1973, 10 students from the Kuibyshev Aviation...
illustration of a man being flogged

How Escaped Convicts Found Freedom — and Family — Among Australia’s First Peoples

Australia was, for many decades, the open-air prison of...
Wolfgang Gullich making the first free solo ascent of Separate Reality in Yosemite.

Remembering Wolfgang Gullich, Who Redefined Sport Climbing

Today, German climber Wolfgang Gullich would have turned 65....
Pasang Dawa, Herbert Tichy, and Sepp Joechler.

The First Ascent of Cho Oyu, 71 Years Ago

On October 19, 1954, climbers topped out on Cho...
Cho Oyu from the Nepalese side.

The Hard Side: A History of Climbing Cho Oyu From Nepal

The sixth-highest mountain in the world, Cho Oyu is...
illustration of two white men with south seas islanders

Why Author Herman Melville Was ‘The Man Who Lived With Cannibals’

When you think of Herman Melville, you probably think...
portrait of Marc-Andre Leclerc looking up

Marc-Andre Leclerc’s Solo Climb of Mount Robson’s Emperor Face

Marc-Andre Leclerc loved mountains for the adventure, not for...
Vladislav Terzyul.

Flashback: Vladislav Terzyul’s 2004 Disappearance on Makalu

In the 1980s, Vladislav Oleksandrovych Terzyul of Ukraine emerged...
The Southwest Face of Everest.

Looking Back: The 1988 Ascent of Everest’s Southwest Face

In the autumn of 1988, a team of Slovak...
The outline of a shark from beneath

We Still Don’t Understand the 1916 Shark Attacks That Inspired ‘Jaws’

The year 1916 was a fantastic summer on the...
Doug Scott on the summit of Everest.

50 Years Ago: The First Ascent of Everest’s Southwest Face

On Sept. 24, 1975, Doug Scott and Dougal Haston...
A man with a club beside a tree, illustration

How Arab Traders Hid the Secrets of Cinnamon from Europe

At this point, it's fairly common knowledge that the...
Maciej Berbeka during the winter ascenr of Broad Peak in 2013.

Looking Back: The 2013 Broad Peak Tragedies

By 2013, Broad Peak had almost 20 fatalities, making...
The Rocky Mountain Locust, or 'Melanoplus spretus.'

The 1874 Rocky Mountain Locust Plague That Blotted Out the Sun

In the late 19th century, settlers pushing into the...
The Shroud of Turin

Medieval Manuscript Adds More Proof That Shroud of Turin is Fake

The Shroud of Turin is a length of linen...
An image of something mechanica on the Titanicl underwater

Unseen Footage Shows Discovery of Titanic Wreck

It's been 40 years since a team from Woods...
A scene showing a boat, men and trees

Where Was the Lost Kingdom of Punt? New Clues Point to the Horn of Africa

Ancient Egyptian pharaohs, including the famous Hatshepsut, sent sea...
A snowy campsite on Pobeda.

Pobeda: The Snow Leopards’ Most Dangerous Summit

Pobeda Peak (7,439m), also known as Jengish Chokusu or...
Ulugh Muztagh from the south.

Great Tales in Mountaineering History: Ulugh Muztagh, 1985

Ulugh Muztagh (6,973m) is an extremely remote peak on...
Nazis excavating a site.

Ahnenerbe: The Nazi Obsession with Pseudo-Archaeology

Steven Spielberg's portrayal of the Nazis in the Indiana...
Two crosses and a spear head

Exploration Mysteries: The Tucson Artifacts Hoax

On a typically balmy mid-September day in southern Arizona...
Zdenek Hruby.

Remembering Czech Alpinist Zdenek Hruby

Zdenek Hruby climbed some of the world’s highest peaks...
A broken skull on a windowsill

Why Do These Cozy British Farmhouses Display Ancient Skulls?

The average home -- manor, farm, or otherwise --...

Sign up for ExplorersWeb Emails