Summit Murder Mystery Series

80-year-old Japanese man becomes oldest to climb Mount Everest Yuichiro Miura (R) poses with his son Gota Miura (L) for photographers during a press conference in Tokyo on March 22. Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN) -- An 80-year-old Japanese man on Thursday became the oldest person to reach the top of Mt. Everest, officials said. Yuichiro Miura reached the top of Everest Thursday morning with his physician son Gota, mountaineering official Gyanendra Shrestha said from the base of Everest. Miura's achievement eclipses that of a Nepali man who climbed Everest at age 76 in 2008. The oldest woman to climb Everest is also a Japanese. She was 73 when she reached the top last year. Miura broke his hip in an accident two years ago, and he underwent heart surgery in January. "I am still healthy and strong. I think I have a good chance to reach the summit of Everest," he said via phone earlier this month. To prepare, Miura walked three times a wee...

First Everest climbers from US reminisce 4 men reunite 50 years later BERKELEY, Calif. — It might be hard to conceive now, in an era of extreme sports and ultra-light equipment, but there was a time when Americans who set out to conquer mountains engaged in a pursuit that was as lonely as it was dangerous. But four men — Norm Dyhrenfurth, now 94; Jim Whittaker, 84; Tom Hornbein, 82, and Dave Dingman, 76 — remember. The leather boots that stayed wet for weeks. Oxygen canisters that weighed 15 pounds. The shrugs of indifference most of their countrymen gave a half-century ago to what it would take to get a U.S.led mountaineering expedition to the top of Mt. Everest. "Americans when I first raised it, they said, "Well, Everest its been done.  Why do it again?"  Dyhrenfurth recalled Friday as he and three other surviving members of the 1963 expedition gathered in the San Francisco Bay area for a meeting honoring the 50th anni...

Moshi, March 4, 2013 — WHILE admitting that getting to the top of Africa's highest peak was not easy, seven-year old Aaryan Balaji from India has just achieved the feat and lived to tell his story. He sets the record for being the youngest climber to reach the Uhuru Summit on the world's tallest free standing mountain after braving the chilly weather, pounding rain and fever-inducing heights. "The paths up the mountain were muddy and slippery, the rains, mist and fog were scary but I was determined and thanks to the experienced guides the mission was successful," said Balaji who already holds a certificate of being the youngest adventurer to scale the Atlas range of mountains peaking at the world's highest point. Balaji may be holding a number of outdoor expedition records but he admits that scaling Mount Kilimanjaro was not easy and he couldn't believe it when he managed to reach the Uhuru Summit at 5,895 metres above sea level. This hasn...

Ranulph Fiennes Unable to Continue Expedition After Developing Frostbite The 68-year-old explorer hoped to become the first person to cross the frozen continent in winter later this year, but pulled out of the journey after suffering the injury during training. A spokesman for the expedition, dubbed the "Coldest Journey on Earth", said Ranulph Fiennes had fallen while skiing in a blizzard and attempted to fix his binding with his bare hands. His five team-mates are attempting to extract him to South Africa, but have agreed to embark on the 2,000-mile without him, beginning on March 21. Tony Medniuk of the Coldest Journey expedition told the BBC: "In seeking to reattach his binding he felt that he couldn't get it on and had to take his glove off in very cold conditions and exposed his hand to snow and as a consequence he has contracted frostbite. "After five years of preparation, a small slip like th...

This is a fantastic article that I though was worth sharing.  I couldn't have said these things better myself.  in Sha When I told people I planned to climb Kilimanjaro, their reactions were similar to when I started a business – a mix of indifference, awe, envy, and subtle questioning of my sanity. I know that many serious climbers don’t consider Kilimanjaro a real climb, but for me reaching 19,340 ft. was an eye-opening experience and proof that I could push my limits. While I was preparing for the climb, the parallels between mountaineering and founding a company became very interesting. While I am not sure if being an entrepreneur made me a better climber, or vice versa, there is tremendous overlap between the personalities of people who want to be entrepreneurs and people who want to climb Kilimanjaro. What separates those who dream of success and those who actually succeed? It really comes down to how...

I'm thrilled to share this new review from one of my favorite reviewers The Midwest Book Review.  Thank you very much to editor-in-chief James A. Cox for a wonderful review! “The country can wait when family is on the line.   “Murder on Kilimanjaro” is an entry into Charles G. Irion & Ronald J. Watkins’ Summit Murder Mystery series.   Scott Devlon is hired to be the president’s guide as he looks for his lost son on the top of Africa’s tallest mountain, Kilimanjaro.   Finding that this guidance job goes beyond being bizarre because it’s for an American president, there may be more that hangs in the balance than a son, a president, or his country.   “Murder on Kilimanjaro” is well worth considering for lovers of mystery and suspense.”   – The Midwest Book Review If you would like to read and review any of the books in my Summit Murder Mystery series or Hell Series, please contact my publicist Jennifer Howell at jennifer@irionbooks.com! ...

200 paragliders to fly off Mt. Kilimanjaro and fundraise $1M for East Africa charities Some events only happen once in a lifetime. While we’ve seen hundreds if not thousands Kilimanjaro charity climbs, we’ve certainly never seen 200 paragliders jump from the peak of Africa’s 19,341 foot summit in the name of charity. It will be a world-record breaking event. Three years of preparation will culminate in the largest Kilimajaro fundraising event of its kind with the 200 paragliders and support team set to start their climb up Mt Kilimanjaro on January 27 th , 2013. The project is appropriately dubbed ‘Wings of Kilimanjaro’. Paragliding pilots and passengers from around the world will aim to reach the summit and then jump off the mountain paragliding down. Normally, this type of activity is banned by the Tanzanian Government – but determination has made it possible and the team received a one-time special permission. ...