Tag Archive for: Khumbu Icefall

Our team acclimatizing above Camp 1 during an active rest day on April 23! (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

With the bulk of our collective team all in the Khumbu region, the teams are well on their way towards the objectives forthcoming! Our first wave of climbers have had great climbing conditions so far, as they navigated their way through the complex terrain of the Khumbu Icefall and are now spending time acclimatizing in the Western Cwm. After a few days of technical training in Everest Base Camp, our second wave of climbers is on their way to start their first rotation on Lobuche! Expedition guide, Terray Sylvester, checks in with this update from Nepal:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest (8848m/29,032ft), Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft) and Nuptse (7861m/25,791ft) expedition – today is April 24th.

Today our first wave of climbers here in Nepal moved from Camp 1 (6050m/19,849ft) to Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft). They plan to spend two nights at Camp 2, and then return to base camp (5364m/17,598ft). That will complete their first acclimatization rotation! The’ve had great conditions so far. They had particularly good climbing conditions two days ago when the moved to Camp 1 up through the Khumbu Icefall. They were essentially the only team in the icefall that night, which made for really pleasant, smooth climbing without any lines!

Meanwhile, our second wave of climbers just left base camp. They hiked down to the village of Lobuche (4940m/16,210ft) today, and tomorrow they’ll move up to the Lobuche high camp, and then hopefully summit Lobuche peak (6119m/20,075ft) the following day. They spent the last two days practicing their technical skills here on the ice towers next to base camp.

So, all is well here in Nepal and we’ll be in touch tomorrow!

The "second wave" about to depart for Lobuche! (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

The “second wave” about to depart for Lobuche! (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Lhotse climber, Karl Yoder, near the top of the Khumbu Icefall! (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Lhotse climber, Karl Yoder, near the top of the Khumbu Icefall! (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Our team in the Western Cwm! (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Our team in the Western Cwm! (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Our "second wave" of climbers training near base camp!

Our “second wave” of climbers training near base camp!

Technical training near base camp!

Technical training near base camp!


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:

The team climbing into the Khumbu Icefall! Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering archive (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

The first rotation for our Mount Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse teams is underway through the Khumbu Icefall! The team got an alpine start out of base camp and will move up to Camp 1 for the first time on this years expedition. After a few days of rest and training in base camp, the team is psyched and ready to start making their way higher up the mountain! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, checks in with today’s dispatch from the Himalayas:

Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest (8848m/29,032ft) expedition ‘first wave.’ Today is April 22nd, it’s 2:00 A.M and we’re headed out from base camp (5364m/17,598ft) to start our first rotation up to Camps 1 (6050m/19,849ft) and 2 (6500m/21,325ft). Our plan is to go up through the icefall to Camp 1 today and spend a couple of nights there, and then up to Camp 2 for a couple of nights!

It snowed yesterday and it looks like it’s cleared a little bit tonight. We’re excited to head up to the icefall, it looks like we’ll be the only team at the moment climbing up, with a little fresh snow on the route and hopefully a beautiful day ahead! We’ll check in when we’re down in a few days.

Our next wave with Cacho is arriving in base camp later today! 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:

Our 'second wave' of climbers on top of Kala Patthar this afternoon, after hiking to Gorakshep!

While snow fell over base camp, our first team rested today and prepared for their first rotation through the Khumbu Icefall! They plan to wake up around midnight to start their climb towards Camp 1, knowing that they may push back their plan another day due to the fresh snowfall. Not far away, our second team reached Gorakshep and hiked up Kala Patthar. Despite the limited views, the team is in good spirits and psyched for the days ahead! Expedition guide, Terray Sylvester, checks in with today’s dispatch from the Khumbu:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the 2023 Madison Mountaineering Everest (8848m/29,032ft), Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft) and Nuptse (7861m/25,791ft) expeditions – today is April 21st.

Today we took a rest day here in base camp (5364m/17,598ft) while we packed and prepared for our first rotation up to Camp 1 (6050m/19,849ft) for two nights, and then Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft) for two nights, and then back down. However, this evening it’s snowing hard in base camp, so there’s a chance we’ll wake up at midnight and defer the beginning of that rotation for another day.

Meanwhile, the other group of climbers here in the Khumbu Valley is in Gorakshep (5164m/16,942ft)! Today they hiked up Kala Patthar (5644m/18,519ft) – great acclimatization hike even though their views were limited due to the storm. And tomorrow they plan to move to base camp!

We’ll be in touch 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:

The team climbing into the Khumbu Icefall! Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering archive (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Today, the team made their first trip into the Khumbu Icefall to start to get a sense of what moving through the beautifully complicated terrain will be like on future rotations as they make their way higher up the mountain. Further down the valley, our second team has arrived in Lobuche, and is set to meet the rest of the team in Everest Base Camp (EBC) in just a few days! Expedition guide, Terray Sylvester, checks in with today’s dispatch from EBC:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest (8848m/29,032ft), Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft) and Nuptse (7861m/25,791ft) expedition – today is April 20th.

Today our team here in base camp (5364m/17,598ft) got up early and hiked maybe a fifth to a quarter of the way up to Camp 1 (6050m/19,849ft). So we went part way into the Khumbu Icefall – it’s a really nice way for our climbers to start to get acquainted with the terrain that we’ll climb through in the dark in a couple of days when we head up to Camp 1 before dawn.

Meanwhile, our other group here in the Khumbu Valley hiked to Lobuche village (4940m/16,210ft). They’ll stay there tonight, and then they’ll move to Gorakshep (5164m/16,942ft) tomorrow, and hopefully make it to base camp the day after that!

We had a little light snow this evening and we might get a little bit more snow tomorrow, but for the group here in base camp, tomorrow will be a rest day. All is well here in Nepal! We’ll be in touch tomorrow.

Climber, Debbie Bulten, descending out of the icefall with Sange Sherpa. (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Climber, Debbie Bulten, descending out of the icefall with Sange Sherpa. (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Climber, Rick Irvine, rappelling in the icefall. (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Climber, Rick Irvine, rappelling in the icefall. (Photo: 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:

Woohoo!  Our Everest and Lhotse expedition team all summited Mount Everest today!  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, calls in from Mount Everest’s South Col high camp with the happy details:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest and Lhotse expedition team.  Today is May 20th.

Today we summitted Mount Everest!  The whole team:  all nine (9) clients, four (4) guides, and our whole team of Sherpas summitted Mount Everest today around 7:00 to 8:00am.

We had some great views from up there, good route conditions, we had the whole route to ourselves, hardly another climber up there, and we made our way back down to high camp.  The whole team made it safely back to high camp by mid-afternoon.

We’ve been resting up and we’re getting ready to go for our Lhotse attempt.  A few of us are going to set off tonight around midnight and head off towards Mount Lhotse.  The rest of the team will sleep here at the South Col Camp 4 and pack up tomorrow morning, and head down to Camp 2.  So, we’ll all be heading down to Camp 2 eventually tomorrow afternoon.

Great job today to our whole team!  100% success!  We all made it up to the summit of Everest and down safe.  I’m very proud of this team.  I couldn’t be happier.  They earned it.

We’re keeping our fingers crossed for Lhotse tonight.  Hopefuly it works out for those of us going for the double header – Everest/Lhotse combination.

So, checking in for Madison Mountaineering.  We’ll check in tomorrow.

(photo from the Madison Mountaineering archives)


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:

Camp 4

The Everest and Lhotse expedition team is staged to head up from Camp 4 (7900m/25,919ft) to the summit very soon now!  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, checks in via Garmin inReach Mini with this brief update:

Good morning from C4! Having brkfast now, inst oatmeal then dehy eggs, yum! But hardly any wind!..everyone doing well at the moment:) we’re the only team here! Resting up to probably head up tonight around 1:00am.

(photo from the Madison Mountaineering archives)


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:

The route up the Lhotse Face above Camp 3, over the Yellow Band and left over the Geneva Spur (📸: @terray_s)

The team is safely in place on Mount Everest’s South Col at Camp 4.  It’s now just over 24 hours before they will start out for the summit – weather permitting.  Everest guide Terray Sylvester sends today’s expedition dispatch via Garmin inReach Mini:

Hello from Camp 4 (7900m/25,919ft) on the South Col of Mount Everest!

Today we had beautiful weather as we moved up from Camp 3 (7230m/23,720ft). There were no other teams on the route. So we moved efficiently without traffic jams and made great time. Along the way we had spectacular views back down the Western Cwm and of some of Everest’s giant neighbors, including Cho Oyu.

We plan to rest here tomorrow before heading for the summit.

We’ll be in touch!

(photo from the Madison Mountaineering archives, 📸: @terray_s)


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:

Tents at Camp 3 and the Western Cwm below it (📸: @terray_s)

The Everest and Lhotse expedition team has climbed from Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft) up the Lhotse Face to Camp 3 (7230m/23,720ft) on their summit push.  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, checks in via Garmin inReach Mini with this brief update:

Greetings from C3. Everyone made it up here today and doing great! Planning to climb to C4 tmrw. A little windy but all good.


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:

Mount Everest and Lhotse (📸: @terray_s)

On their summit push, the Everest and Lhotse expedition team strategically took another rest day at Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft).  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, checks in via Garmin inReach Mini with this brief update:

All is well in C2. Our main team is planning to move to C3 tmrw, targeting the 20th. Kenton & team all safely in EBC.


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:

The team getting comfortable with their down suits before the climb to Camp 3 the following day

Our Everest team has extended their rest period at Camp 2 to time their summit attempt for the best-forecasted weather.  Everest guide Terray Sylvester sends this evening’s expedition dispatch via Garmin inReach Mini:

Hello from Camp 2!  All is well.

Our team rested here today, reading, napping and admiring the scenery, including a paraglider(!) who launched from the South Col. Our forecast indicates we’ll have the best summit weather if we rest here one more day before climbing higher. So our plan is now to move to Camp 3 on the 17th.

We’ll be in touch!


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: