We posted last week about Air Zermatt and Fishtail Air of Nepal providing the first Himalayan standby helicopter rescue service in history. Or Twitted. Or Something. Regardless, they've already completed their first two missions. One, a recovery of the body of Danish climber Philip Ulrich lost on Kyajo Ri. It was the first human sling (where a rescuer is dangled off a rope) rescue in the Himalayas. The other rescue was of seven people on Manaslu; a Korean climbing team and their sherpas from 7,000 meters. Pretty impressive. Read about it on ExWeb. (photo: Fishtail Air)

Here's an interesting idea. If you're out of cell phone range and can't call in your rescue after getting lost hiking in Tuolumne Meadows, you should probably carry the Rescue Balloon. While only a concept, the idea is solid. Even if it doesn't exist yet, there's nothing stopping you from taking a couple helium balloons on your next hike just in case you get lost. Those cool silver kind with Batman or Hanna Montana on it. If you get lost, just let them out with some fishing line and, bam, instant rescue. But seriously, if they can get the weight down, not a bad idea to be able to send up a balloon if you're lost. Check it out.

Via Yanko Design.

Steve House, one of the world's leading Alpinists, was hurt climbing in Canada and evacuated with multiple "multiple life-threatening traumatic injuries" on March 25th. He was taken to a hospital in Calgary, then flown to Oregon where he is recovering. House was attempting an ascent of Mt. Temple in Banff National Park when he fell 80 ft. Via Adventure Travel News.

UPDATE: Evidently the fall happened last month. We're a bit late on this. Our bad. This is from his Facebook page:

The rumors are true. I pitched off of the Greenwood-Locke route on the north face of Mt. Temple. I went for a memorable 80-footer. Got rescued by the most-excellent canadian warden service. Injury list: 5 broken ribs, 2 broken in 2 places, collapsed rt lung, 2 minor fractures in my pelvis, and five minor fractures of various bits of my spine. Sounds worse than it is. 100% stable.

Sad news from Mt. Shasta. The body of the Canadian climber missing on Shasta since Sunday was recovered today. Thomas Bennett, the 26-year-old climber, was last seen on Sunday by his climbing partner, Mark Thomas. They had spent the night bivouced near the summit, after being caught by a storm climbing down Saturday. Bennett collapsed as they resumed their descent on Sunday, and Thomas was forced to leave him behind in a snow cave with food and water and go for help. Reports point to a pulmonary embolism as possible cause of death. SacBee has more information about the story.