Himalayan Database Maintains Record of Mountaineering Successes

Billi Bierling records information from climbers who have reached Himalayan summits. She gathers the details in restaurants in Kathmandu, away from the mountain routes. The information is entered into the Himalayan Database. The database has served as the main register of mountaineering results for 60 years.

Bierling asks climbers about routes, dates, and conditions during each ascent. The answers are added to existing entries that date back to earlier decades. The records cover successful climbs on peaks that include Everest and other major summits. Each new report is checked against previous entries before it is stored.