Pete Athans

Pete’s name has been synonymous with the exploration of Mt. Everest for nearly three decades. He has led numerous expeditions to the world’s highest peak mountain and has summited a record setting seven times. Peter is a strong advocate of Sherpa culture and has documented their talents at high altitude in books, periodicals, films and presentations. He is Director of the Khumbu Climbing Center and works to improve the competence, safety and professionalism of all Nepalese high altitude climbers. However, Everest is only one of Pete’s varied achievements. With more than three decades of Himalayan exploration behind him, he has taken a strong interest in the exploration of both the physical and cultural landscapes of Tibet and Western China, their untrammeled peaks and unique cultures. He is a board member of the Himalayan Cataract Project, which brings eye care to cataract patients in Nepal. Concurrently, Peter and his family began the work of encouraging literacy in Nepalese children with the “Magic Yeti Library” project. They have bi-lingual libraries operating in six villages in the Everest region and in the restricted, mythical Kingdom of Upper Mustang in North Western Nepal. In addition to filming and writing, Peter studies Himalayan Archaeology and has been working with the Nepalese government in exploring ancient cave dwellings in North West Nepal. His work with National Geographic Television and PBS on archaeological discoveries in Nepal’s Kingdom of Mustang have been seen by tens of millions of people globally. His third film in the Mustang series, “Cave People of the Himalaya,” premiered on PBS February 15th, 2012. Moreover, National Geographic Magazine presented a prominent feature article on the caves project discoveries in December of 2012. With global recognition for his team’s innovative research, his project has been recognized by and supported with funds from the National Science Foundation. Currently, Pete has been active working to rebuild Nepal after the devastating earthquakes in April and May of 2015. Not only has he been instrumental in distributing life saving medical and shelter materials, he has also been involved in construction projects, overseen by Unesco architects, focused on creating homes with local materials and using earthquake resistant features. His work has been featured on the PBS series “Nova” recently, the highest rated program of it’s kind this season, “Himalayan Megaquake.” Pete has been recognized by the Nepalese Government and awarded “Good Will Ambassador” status for his  post-earthquake efforts. He is an accomplished speaker and has contributed to dozens of books, periodicals and films featuring exploration in the Himalaya. Pete is frequently interviewed by broadcasters such as NPR, PBS and National Geographic on current topics about Nepal and Mount Everest.