First Non-stop Ski Descent Of Everest

In the crazed world of the Everest Circus with its bizarre culture of micro-distinction (a term coined, I think by Ed Douglas), the latest act in the ring is the first non-stop ski descent of the mountain by 38-year-old Slovenian Davo Karnicar.

He started at the top and skiied down to the bottom in five hours, while the descent was captured by strategically-places cameras (including one on his helmet) and inevitably broadcast on the internet. 'I feel only absolute happiness and absolute fatigue'' said Karnicar after the descent, thus dumbfounding those who'd expected him to be incredibly depressed and as fresh as a daisy.

The expedition web site - click here to see it - is actually pretty impressive and there are a load of archived Real Player video clips for you to look at if that's your bag and someone else pays for your connection. There is something fundamentally impressive about being able to watch live coverage of an Everest ski descent, however you feel about the ethics of the media furore over the mountain.

For Stat Dweebs

• Karnicar climbed Everest from the south, Nepali side and skiied back down the same way including a descent of the Hillary Step.

• Karnicar lost two fingers to frostbite in 1996 trying the same thing.

• Pierre Tardivel skiied from the South Summit in 1992, but the 100 metres above that was virgin in ski terms

• OUTDOORSmagic suggests you take ski lessons before attempting ski descents of peaks above 8000 metres