Summit Murder Mystery Series

We’d hacked and slashed our way through the jungle, inch by inch, for the better part of three hours. Every step we’d taken had been earned, from the trailhead at the base of the Andes range where the Peruvian jeep convoy dropped off our thirty-man detachment alongside the Urubamba River, to where we stood now a few miles into the Amazon. Although not exactly technically challenging by a seasoned climbers standards, the combination of the slight incline, humidity and exertion of hiking through the dense bush over the last few miles had even the most hardened member of our escort dripping sweat and feeling it now. There was no other option thought. In order to maintain the element of surprise, it had been determined as the only acceptable route of approach.  “A few clicks out, if the Intel was good.” Alex said as he trudged along next to me, wiping the sweat from his brow and swatting the buzzing insects away with his shemagh.   “Hope we aren’t too late.” I said, som...

I don’t really know what comes to mind for you when you think of a very fit person, but I’m pretty sure that you will not disagree with me when I say that any person who climbs Mt. Everest is likely to be fit… like scarily fit. Having conquered Mt. Everest six times, professional mountain climber Melissa Arnot knows a thing or two about getting fit. Having also set a world record for being the first woman to successfully climb the mountain without using supplemental oxygen, there is no denying that Arnot is basically the definition of #fitspo. In a rare interview with POPSUGAR , Arnot shared some seriously good tips for how normal people, like you and I, can reach our fitness goals. You may not be climbing the tallest mountain the the world, but no matter if your goal is to run 2km without stopping, complete a marathon, or go on a challenging weekend hike, these tips will help you to get there. 1. Set small goals For Arnot, climbing Ev...

Shantha Thiagarajan K Sivakumar , havildhar attached to the Madras Regimental Centre in Wellington, is the first person in Tamil Nadu to have climbed the Mount Everest as part of an army mountaineering expedition this May. He is presently posted at II Madras in Sikkim. On his first visit, after the expedition, to his home town Lovedale near Ooty, K Sivakumar talks to TOI's Shantha Thiagaragan on his inspiration and challenges faced in climbing Mount Everest. What gave you the inspiration to climb Mount Everest? I joined the army in 2001. In 2004, I was sent to Mountaineering Training School in Gulmarg, Kashmir, for six months training. I passed out with 80 per cent score in the training. Initially, I drew inspiration from other army personnel in the training. But my motivation was heightened when I got posted at the same training school as my instructor for four years. During those years, I got the chance to climb six peaks in Ladak, Utharanjal and Himalay...

Shantha Thiagarajan K Sivakumar , havildhar attached to the Madras Regimental Centre in Wellington, is the first person in Tamil Nadu to have climbed the Mount Everest as part of an army mountaineering expedition this May. He is presently posted at II Madras in Sikkim. On his first visit, after the expedition, to his home town Lovedale near Ooty, K Sivakumar talks to TOI's Shantha Thiagaragan on his inspiration and challenges faced in climbing Mount Everest. What gave you the inspiration to climb Mount Everest? I joined the army in 2001. In 2004, I was sent to Mountaineering Training School in Gulmarg, Kashmir, for six months training. I passed out with 80 per cent score in the training. Initially, I drew inspiration from other army personnel in the training. But my motivation was heightened when I got posted at the same training school as my instructor for four years. During those years, I got the chance to climb six peaks in Ladak, Utharanjal and Himalaya ...

by Suzanne Ahearne Monks with EEG monitors. Credit: University of Victoria For decades, scientists have brought monks and others into their labs to measure their brain activity while meditating. Now, for the first time, scientists trekked to the remote Mt. Everest region of Nepal to record the brain activity of meditating Tibetan Buddhist monks in their own monasteries. They came back with new findings about the human brain—and the benefits of meditation. The study was conducted in May of this year as par...

Maria Popo President of a Tech Company. Founder of a Non-Profit. Leader of the Unnervingly Brilliant. I recently climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, one of the seven summits and the highest peak in Africa at 19,341 feet. Here are my post-climb observations. 8. Climbing one of the seven summits makes you “skinny.” I wanted to be sure I could physically make it to the top of the mountain and survive the experience, so I became a running, spinning, kickboxing, weightlifting fool for at least eight weeks before the climb. I lost over ten pounds finally becoming my version of skinny. 7. Climbing one of the seven summits makes you cool. You’re cool if you do something that seems slightly stupid and physically difficult, so upon my return I posted photos of the trek. The unanimous feedback was that I am incredibly impressive and inspirational! 6. Skinny and cool lasts less than six weeks. The weight is now back. My social media friends have since moved o...