Tag Archive for: Himalayas

Our climber Nelly Attar, Sirdar and Guide Aang Phurba Sherpa, plus the film crew documenting our waste clean-up and climbing expedition awaiting clear weather for a heli flight to Annapurna base camp. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The Madison Mountaineering mountain cleanup project expedition team continues to wait for a weather window that would allow them to make the move to Annapurna base camp. While they wait, the team has made the most of their time by enjoying good food and rest as they prepare for the climbing and cleaning activities ahead. Climber, Nelly Attar checks in with this dispatch from Nepal:

Hello, this is Nelly! I’m reporting live from Tatopani, today is March 28th.

We’re actually supposed to be on base camp at the moment, but because of weather conditions, we haven’t been able to fly out. So instead, we spent a rest day in Tatopani. We ate, we slept, and we’re getting ready to move tomorrow! So, it’s either a long hike up to Annapurna 1 base camp (4130m/13,549ft), or we’re going to take a chopper if weather conditions permit. Stay tuned for exciting updates! Buh-bye.

The valley leading to Annapurna Base Camp. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The valley leading to Annapurna Base Camp. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)


In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.

Instagram:

Sirdar and guide Aang Phurba Sherpa, climber Nelly Attar, and guide Terray Sylvester on the Thorang La. (Photo by Tenzi Sherpa)

Topping out at over 5,400 meters, the team enjoyed excellent weather and views during their final acclimatization hike before moving to Annapurna base camp. With good weather tomorrow, the team will make the move and begin their climbing and cleanup efforts shortly after. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester, checks in with this dispatch from the Himalayas:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Annapurna (8091m/26,545ft) and Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft) expedition and clean up – today is March 26th.

Today we woke up early and hiked from Thorung Phedi up to Thorang La (5416m/17,769ft), the main pass on the north side of Annapurna. That was a great hike! We topped out at about 5,400 meters. So with that, we are well acclimatized for the move to base camp (4130m/13,549ft). Weather dependent, we will fly into base camp early tomorrow morning and then we’ll start picking up trash in base camp and higher on the mountain, and preparing for our first rotation on the mountain.

So, everything’s going well here in Nepal and we will be in touch tomorrow!

The team ascending the Thorung La. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The team ascending the Thorang La. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)


In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.

Instagram:

Our Ojos del Salado + Aconcagua climbers enjoying a wine tour with guide, Terray Sylvester. More than 1,300 wineries are located in the Mendoza area, producing more than 75% of Argentina’s wine.

Another successful Aconcagua expedition has come to a close! The team is back to the comforts of Mendoza and has enjoyed a day of rest, good meals, and celebration after an exciting couple of weeks in South America. Congratulations to the teams on safe and successful climbs! One more expedition on Aconcagua is still to come led by legendary mountaineer, Ed Viesturs! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this departing dispatch from Mendoza:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Aconcagua (6961m/22,837ft) expeditions – today is January 16.

Today is the wrap-up day for our regular itinerary on Aconcagua, as well as our Ojos del Salado (6893m/22,615ft) and Aconcagua combination expedition. We flew out of base camp (4367m/14,327ft) yesterday via helicopter, and then drove to Mendoza (746m/2,449ft), and arrived here just in time for a late dinner – or a normally scheduled dinner according to Argentina time! Today we’ve been relaxing back here in the lovely summer temperatures of Mendoza, enjoying a wine tour, and some good meals.

So our guests will begin departing for their home countries early tomorrow morning, and that will wrap up another successful expedition on the highest peak outside of the Himalayas. Our next Aconcagua expedition starts in just a little over a week led by U.S. climbing legend, Ed Viesturs! We’ll be in touch.

Our Aconcagua climbers relaxing over breakfast in Mendoza (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our Aconcagua climbers relaxing over breakfast in Mendoza (Photo by Terray Sylvester)


In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.

Instagram:

Nelly Attar (left) and Aang Phurba Sherpa cleaning up trash above Lobuche East High Camp (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The Fall, 2023 Madison Mountaineering Himalayan season has been all time! Clear skies, perfect climbing conditions, and strong teams throughout have made for an unforgettable season… And it’s not over yet! Our teams have been climbing throughout the Khumbu region, trekking amongst giants up to Everest Base Camp, climbing on 6000m / 20,000ft peaks like Lobuche and Island Peak, and one of the crown jewels of the Himalaya, Ama Dablam.

Perfect weather, climbing conditions, and summits are part of the equation for a successful expedition – this season has been full of that with 100% summit success on Ama Dablam under weather that climbers dream of. On three separate teams, our climbers topped out on the peak of Ama Dablam, taking in the views, hugs and celebrating after achieving the goal that we’ve worked so hard for.

Our teams have descended safely out of the mountains and and returned to their homes. We are so grateful to get to share this time with friends new and old in a truly special place!

Congratulations to our climbers for a wonderful expedition! Special thanks to our rockstar Sherpa and base camp staff teams for their support – these efforts would not be possible without you!

Still to come: We have a special expedition underway in the Himalaya where the team has successfully climbed Lobuche East and Ama Dablam, with Mera Peak still to come. In addition to these efforts, the team is also cleaning up and removing much of the trash and debris that has accumulated on and around the mountains over the years. This week, the team removed 350 kilograms of waste from Lobuche peak and are continuing these efforts on and around Ama Dablam. Great work team!

The Fall 2023 season has been one for the books! We’re so proud of all of our teams and are psyched for the many years of climbing to come in the Himalaya. Looking to climb in one of the world’s great ranges? Reach out to our office to set up your next mountain adventure!

Nelly Attar picking up trash above Lobuche East High Camp (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Nelly Attar picking up trash above Lobuche East High Camp (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Cleaning up trash above Lobuche East High Camp (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Cleaning up trash above Lobuche East High Camp (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our team carrying trash out of Lobuche East High Camp to be repurposed or disposed of out of the Khumbu Valley (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our team carrying trash out of Lobuche East High Camp to be repurposed or disposed of out of the Khumbu Valley (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our team Our working near Lobuche East High Camp (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our team Our working near Lobuche East High Camp (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Loads of trash in Lobuche East High Camp (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Loads of trash in Lobuche East High Camp (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Aang Phurba Sherpa cleaning old fixed line from the climbing route on Lobuche East (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Aang Phurba Sherpa cleaning old fixed line from the climbing route on Lobuche East (Photo by Terray Sylvester)


In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.

Instagram:

On May 25th at approximately 10:25 AM local time, our team of Lhotse climbers successfully reached the summit of the world’s fourth highest peak and are returning to Camp 2! We are extremely proud of the team and this tremendous accomplishment. With that, we are pleased to present the 2023 Madison Mountaineering Lhotse summiteers list:

# NAME COUNTRY
1 Garrett Madison United States
2 Debbie Bulten Canada
3 Danah Al Ali United Arab Emirates
4 Javier “Cacho” Beiza Argentina
5 Peter Horsman Netherlands
6 Lakpa Sherpa Nepal
7 Aang Phurba Sherpa Nepal
8 Dawa Tenji Sherpa Nepal

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.

Instagram:

Photo pulled from the Madison Mountaineering archive (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

We are thrilled to announce that the 2023 Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition team has successfully reached the summit of the tallest mountain on Earth, and safely returned to their tents at Camp 4! The team all reached the top between 10:30 AM and 12:00 PM NPT (local time) and enjoyed a magnificent summit day complete with sunshine, little wind, great route conditions, and the route (mostly) to themselves.

Congratulations to the team and and a heartfelt thank you goes out to our rockstar Sherpa team and support staff! This incredible feat would not be possible without them.

Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with today’s dispatch as he tries to find the words for a truly special day on Mount Everest:

Hello! This is Garrett calling in from the South Col (7900m/25,919ft) for the Madison Mountaineering Everest (8848m/29,032ft) and Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft) expedition team. We had a great summit today on Mount Everest! Best summit day ever that I can remember.

We started about 2:00 AM after a brief snowstorm here on the South Col, made our way up the triangular face to the balcony, up to the south summit, and up to the top of the world – summit of Mount Everest, about 9:30 – 10:00 AM. It was a glorious day! The best conditions and best route conditions that I can remember, perfect weather. It was warm, hardly any wind, hardly any other climbers on the mountain. We spent about two hours total, some of us, after summit just basking in the views, warmth and enjoying being at the top of Mount Everest. So, we had eight clients, four guides and 15 Nepal Sherpas get to the top today, including Aang Phurba Sherpa. And now, we’re all back safe in Camp 4 (7900m/25,919ft)!

Our plan is to go to bed, we just had some dinner. Some of us are going to wake up in a few hours, and head off to climb Lhotse – a neighboring peak of Mount Everest, the fourth highest mountain in the world.

So, the perfect summit day! (I) can’t believe how lucky we were, it was so nice up there. So lucky in so many ways! It was a glorious day and glad we’re all back safe.

Tomorrow some of us will go to Lhotse, the rest of us down to Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft), and the following day down to base camp (5364m/17,598ft). All is well here on Everest! Check in soon.


In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.

Instagram:

Photo pulled from the Madison Mountaineering archive (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

The 2023 Madison Mountaineering Everest expedition team is primed and ready to make their summit push on the world’s highest peak! In just a few short hours, the team will emerge from their tents, dawn their packs, and leave the South Col in the direction of Mount Everest’s summit ridge which will take them to the summit. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from the South Col:

Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest (8848m/29,032ft) and Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft) expedition team. Today is May 23rd and we are up here at Camp 4 (7900m/25,919ft) on the South Col. We got up here yesterday afternoon and had a good nights sleep, a restful day recovering and preparing for our summit attempt tonight. So the weather looks great, probably the best day of the season coming up, fingers crossed.

The team is ready and our plan is to wake up in a few hours time and head out around midnight to make our summit attempt on Mount Everest! So we are doing our last minute preparations here, finishing our dinner, filling our water bottles, we’ll sleep for 2 hours before we get up and go.

Wish us luck! We’ll check in tomorrow.


In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.

Instagram:

Photo pulled from the Madison Mountaineering archive (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

The 2023 Madison Mountaineering team is safely settled into their tents at Camp 4 (C4) on the South Col, between the summits of both Everest and Lhotse. This being their high camp, they plan to take a rest day tomorrow so that they are ready to go when it becomes time to make their summit push! Weather permitting, the team aims to begin their summit push tomorrow night. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with today’s dispatch from C4:

Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest (8848m/29,032ft) and Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft) expedition. Today is May 22nd, and we are up at Camp 4 (7900m/25,919ft) on Mount Everest, also known as the South Col here at 26,000 feet or just under 8,000 meters.

We’re doing great! We had a good climb up from Camp 3 (7230m/23,720ft) today – it was a long day. We started at about 6:30 and got up here at about 3:30 in the afternoon. We’ve had dinner and filled up some hot water bottles, changed our oxygen cylinders, and we are getting ready for bed now. Our plan is to have a restful night, rest day tomorrow, and then leave tomorrow night for the summit. So, aiming for May 24th! The weather looks great, snowing right now – it’s been snowing this afternoon, but the wind is supposed to be calm on May 24th and 25th. We’re looking forward to a nice day up here tomorrow to recover, enjoy some good views, and get all prepped and ready for our summit climb tomorrow night!

All is well here at the South Col on Mount Everest!


In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.

Instagram:

Photo pulled from the Madison Mountaineering archive (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Onward and upward! Having rested up yesterday, the team got back to work today and climbed part way up the Lhotse Face to Camp 3 (C3) where they are settled into their tents for the night. With good weather, they’ll continue on up the mountain tomorrow to their high camp at 7,900m / 25,919ft. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from C3:

Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest (8848m/29,032ft) and Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft) expedition. Today is May 21st, and today we climbed from Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft) up to Camp 3 (7230m/23,720ft). We left a little after 6:00 AM and had great weather today, sunny and clear all the way up to Camp 3. Then moved into our tents, had some lunch, relaxed… We had a little bit of snow in the afternoon, some clouds, but nice weather overall, hardly any wind.

The team’s doing great and we are really excited to climb up to Camp 4 (7900m/25,919ft) tomorrow! Thank you for following along and we will check in soon.


In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.

Instagram:

Photo pulled from the Madison Mountaineering archive (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Following a full day yesterday, the team took a rest day today, enjoying good weather, food, and rest. The climbing has been smooth thus far and everyone is looking forward to the move up to Camp 3 tomorrow! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from Camp 2:

Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest (8848m/29,032ft) and Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft) expedition. We are up at Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft) and everyone is doing well!

Yesterday, we climbed up from base camp (5364m/17,598ft) through the Khumbu Icefall, across Camp 1 (6050m/19,849ft), and up to Camp 2 here. Everyone is great. We have really good weather, good route conditions and got into Camp 2 in the afternoon.

It’ll be a nice restful day, dinner, and good night’s sleep. So, today we’re just resting. Our Sherpa team is up now on the Lhotse Face at Camp 3 (7230m/23,720ft), setting up our tent platforms and getting things ready for us to move up to Camp 3  tomorrow. So the plan is move up to Camp 3 on the 21st and the weather looks good! It looks like some calm days ahead, so we are excited for the forecast and moving up the mountain to give Everest and Lhotse our best shot!

So, we’ll check in soon. All is well here on Mount Everest!


In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.

Instagram: