It was impressive to see five of the remaining 1953 Everest Expedition at Sir Edmund Hillary's funeral in Auckland, New Zealand.

Sir Ed Hillary will always live in the hearts and memories of the thousands of Sherpas who know him. As a tribute I wish to share with you some parts of Sir Ed Hillary's life that has touched me and my family personally.

"They should have signs and stuff and trash cans outside," said Pham, who climbs regularly in the safety of a San Francisco gym. "I don't think they even clean your rocks off for you out there."—What?

My friend Rob and I, along with our three guides and the other six members of our group had already put on our "crampon compatible" mountaineering boots, gaiters and rain gear. We were part of a program called Summit For Someone, a fund-raiser for Big City Mountaineers. Big City Mountaineers (BCM) takes at-risk students on mentoring trips in wilderness settings.

Although Mt. Everest is the highest peak in the world, she is still a fragile "Mother Goddess" in terms of global warming. The first Eco-Everest Expedition 2008 will study the effects of global warming on the Himalayan Glaciers and to document the high risk to the people and the land in case of a glacial lake outburst flood...

I would like to introduce a selection of outdoor projects I filmed. Projects include TV commercials shot in Zion and Yosemite, TV adventure series and a full-length documentary for the Outdoor Life Network about a first ascent in Baffin Island, where I climbed with three climbers documenting their progress to the summit. My website: http://www.bigwalls.net

November, 2006. Shawangunk Mountains, New York. Damn! The shiny Black Diamond cam slipped from my fingers. I watched as it sailed down, bounced off the cliff and disappeared into the leaves on the talus. I was nearly at the end of the second pitch of Beginner's Delight, one of those wonderful, easy climbs found only at the Gunks, and had been feeling pretty pleased with myself. I'd gotten up the first tricky (tricky 5.3, Bill?) jam crack, led the famed traverse, and had been trying to impress my long suffering belayer (daughter Karen) with my expertise in placing cams for protection (an art I had practiced exactly once before). Oops, I thought, now I'm looking stupid. She's going to be less than uber impressed with old Dad for dropping one of our brand new cams. "Oh, well," I told her, trying to recover a bit of lost dignity, "We'll just finish the climb and go back to the bottom and retrieve it."

Climbing up Hyalite this beautiful December day with friends Geoff Heath and Carlos Buhler. Geoff an accomplished all-rounder; Carlos, world class. Me a "recreationalist" who has had the good fortune to know these guys and tag along. I haven't been out much these past few years and feeling the effects of age sixty. They cruise "Dribbles" while I hack my way up and manage to peel off the steep second pitch. Thanks for the catch Carlos.