Tag Archive for: Lhotse

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:

Sirdar, Aang Phurba Sherpa hiking with climber, Nelly Attar below the Thorung La. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The Madison Mountaineering mountain cleanup project expedition team continued their acclimatization efforts today by moving up to Thorung Phedi, passing through the Muktinath shrine again under beautiful weather, sharing good conversation, many smiles, and laughs along the way. It won’t be long before the team arrives in base camp where climbing and cleanup efforts will get underway! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester, checks in with this dispatch from Nepal:

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 25th.

Today we hiked from Ranipauwa (3700m/12,140ft) up through the Muktinath shrine and up to Thorung Phedi where we’ll spend the night at about 4200 meters. We’re just continuing to acclimatize before we move to Annapurna base camp (4130m/13,549ft).

All is well here! We had a little bit of rain and snow yesterday afternoon, but today was beautiful. Tomorrow, we’re planning to hike up to Thorung La (5416m/17,769ft) over 5000 meters, and then we’ll begin descending back down into the bottom of the Kali Gandaki Valley, and eventually catch a helicopter to base camp.

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

Climber, Nelly Attar spinning a prayer wheel in the famous Muktinath shrine. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Climber, Nelly Attar spinning a prayer wheel in the famous Muktinath shrine. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Sirdar, Aang Phurba Sherpa and guide, Terray Sylvester relacing in Thorung Phedi. (Photo by Nelly Attar)

Sirdar, Aang Phurba Sherpa and guide, Terray Sylvester relacing in Thorong Phedi. (Photo by Nelly Attar)


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:

Acclimatizing above Muktinath with views of Dhaulagiri! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The mountain cleanup project expedition team spent today acclimatizing in Muktinath, visiting the area’s sacred shrine, and taking in the views of the surrounding Himalayas! Everyone is in great spirits and looks forward to continuing their move towards base camp tomorrow. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester, checks in with this dispatch from Nepal:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Annapurna (8091m/26,545ft) and Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft) expedition plus cleanup – today is March 24th.

Today we acclimatized above Muktinath (3762m/12,343ft) here in the Mustang region of Nepal. We started by going up to the famous Muktinath Shrine which is very sacred to Buddhists and Hindus, and then we hiked another few hundred meters up into the hills.

It was a beautiful day with excellent views of Dhaulagiri (8167m/26,795ft)! It was really fun and spectacular to visit the Muktinath Shrine where there are 108 sacred fountains that people bath in, and two pools that people bath in as well.

So now we’re just resting and tomorrow we’re looking forward to moving up to Thorong Phedi where we’ll spend the night tomorrow evening! We’ll be in touch.

Climber, Nelly Attar approaching Muktinath. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Climber, Nelly Attar approaching Muktinath. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Sirdar Aang Phurba Sherpa bathing in the sacred fountains of Muktinath. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Sirdar Aang Phurba Sherpa bathing in the sacred fountains of Muktinath. (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:

Taking a lunch break in the village of Dana, en route to Jomsom.

The mountain cleanup project expedition team is coming ever closer to their first climbing and cleanup objective, Annapurna 1. Navigating their way through the Kali Gandaki River Gorge, the team enjoyed an exciting and scenic drive with views all around of towering cliffs and the river below. A few days of acclimatizing is planned for the team over the next few days as the team prepares to continue higher on the way towards Annapurna! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester, checks in with this dispatch from Nepal:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Annapurna 1 (8091m/26,545ft) and Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft) expedition – today is March 23.

Yesterday we drove from Pokhara (822m/2,697ft) to the little town of Jomsom (2743m/8,999ft) on the border of Mustang, just to the west of Annapurna 1 and to the east of Dhaulagiri (8167m/26,795ft). The drive was very scenic! The Kali Gandaki River Gorge is one of the deepest gorges on the planet because it’s between two 8,000-meter peaks. We had a great dinner last night and we woke up this morning to clear, sunny skies and excellent views of Nilgiri North (7061m/23,166ft) and Tilicho Peak (7134m/23,406ft).

From here we drive to Kagbeni (2804m/9,199ft) and then we’ll trek up to Muktinath (3762m/12,343ft). We’ll acclimatize for the next few days before heading over to Annapurna base camp (4130m/13,549ft) where we’ll start preparing for our climb and also start picking up trash. This expedition is a combined climbing and trash cleanup trip!

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

Members of the team at breakfast in Pokhara.

Members of the team at breakfast in Pokhara.

Views of Nilgiri North and Tilicho Peak from the team's tea house in Jomsom!

Views of Nilgiri North and Tilicho Peak from the team’s tea house in Jomsom!


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:

Breakfast in Pokhara!

After a few days spent in Kathmandu organizing gear and preparing for this special project, our team is back on the move! The team flew to Pokhara, the second most populous city in Nepal, and has an exciting drive to look forward to with new sights to take in in all directions. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester, checks in with this dispatch from Nepal:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Annapurna (8091m/26,545ft) and Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft) cleanup expedition – today is March 22nd. We just woke up here in our pleasant lakeside hotel in Pokhara (822m/2,697ft) and we’re getting ready to drive from here in Pokhara, to Jomsom (2743m/8,999ft) in the Kali Gandaki Valley on the west side of Annapurna.

For the next week, we’ll be acclimatizing by hiking up toward the Thorong La (5416m/17,769ft), the main pass on the north side of Annapurna, and then we’ll head to base camp after that.

So, all is well here and we will be in touch tomorrow!

Filing onto the plane!

Filing onto the plane!

Views of Kathmandu including the famous Boudhanath Stupa, while departing for Pokhara.

Views of Kathmandu including the famous Boudhanath Stupa, while departing for Pokhara.


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:

Efforts from phase 1 of the Mountain Cleanup Project last fall (photo by Terray Sylvester)

We are very excited to announce the commencement of phase two of our Mountain Cleanup Project! After a successful fall season in 2023 cleaning up trash from Lobuche East, Ama Dablam, and Mera Peak, we’re kicking off the second phase of the project on Annapurna and Lhotse. The team has all arrived in Kathmandu, enjoyed a welcome dinner together, and are preparing for their departure in a few days time! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester, checks in with this dispatch from Nepal:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Annapurna (8091m/26,545ft) plus Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft) expedition – today is March 19th. Yesterday our climber, Nelly Attar, arrived here in Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft) and we had a nice welcome dinner at a tasty Arabic restaurant near our hotel, The Yak and Yeti. Today, we’re doing a gear check and organizing items for our departure to Annapurna in a couple of days.

We’re excited for this expedition! This will be the second phase of the trash cleanup project that we started last fall in the Everest region. Last fall we picked up trash on three popular 6,000-meter peaks over there: Lobuche East (6119m/20,075ft), Ama Dablam (6812m/22,349ft), and Mera Peak (6476m/21,247ft). This spring, we’re focusing on Annapurna and Lhotse.

So, all is well here in Kathmandu and we’ll stay 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:

Kristen, Sange and Terray near the top of Island Peak (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

It’s with great excitement that we get to share that the Madison Mountaineering Everest Base Camp, Lobuche, and Island Peak team have safely returned following their final climb on Island Peak and are off the mountain. Everyone is doing great, and looking forward to enjoying their final few days in the Himalaya as they descend down the beautiful Khumbu Valley that has been home the last few weeks. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this celebratory dispatch from the Himalaya:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest Base Camp trek, (5364m/17,598ft) plus Lobuche East (6119m/20,075ft) and Island Peak (6189m/20,305ft) climbs – today is November 5th.

Today we had an excellent climb on Island Peak! We left base camp at about midnight and enjoyed a fantastic sunrise just as we were coming up onto the summit ice fields on Island Peak. We had excellent views of Makalu (8463m/27766ft) in the distance, Baruntse (7162m/23,497ft) across the valley, plus the upper ridge line of Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft) and the south face of Lhotse, and the rarely seen northern aspects of Ama Dablam (6812m/22,349ft) which are very spectacular.

After the climb we descended down to base camp and walked down to Chukhung (4730m/15,520ft). We just wrapped up dinner here and are looking forward to a good night of sleep. Tomorrow we will descend to Pangboche (3985m/13,074ft), with a stop at the bakery in Dingboche (4410m/14,470ft). So, we’ll be in touch tomorrow! All is going well here in Nepal.

Climbers on the summit of Island Peak (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Climbers on the summit of Island Peak (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Descending toward base camp with Ama Dablam and other peaks in the distance (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Descending toward base camp with Ama Dablam and other peaks in the distance (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

On the summit icefields of Island Peak / Imja Tse (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

On the summit icefields of Island Peak / Imja Tse (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:

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

The Madison Mountaineering team has settled into their base camp and is primed and ready to make their summit push on Island Peak! The team continues to have excellent weather, with hopes of more perfect weather and climbing conditions on their final objective tomorrow. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Island Peak Base Camp:

Hello from Island Peak Base Camp! This morning we trekked here from Chukhung (4730m/15,520ft) with dramatic views of the south face of Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft), the northerly aspects of Ama Dablam (6812m/22,349ft) and, beside our base camp, the beautiful Imja Lake (5004m/16,417ft) with icebergs floating in it. The team is doing well. We’ve packed our kit for the climb and now we’re resting in preparation for an early start. We’ll be in touch tomorrow evening!


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 by Terray Sylvester)

Rested up and recovered after a stellar climb on Lobuche East, the Madison Mountaineering team was back on the trail today headed in the direction of their final climb, Island Peak! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this brief dispatch from the Himalaya:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest Base Camp trek, (5364m/17,598ft) plus Lobuche East (6119m/20,075ft) and Island Peak (6189m/20,305ft) climbs – today is November 3rd.

We moved from Dingboche (4410m/14,470ft) to Chukhung (4730m/15,520ft) today on our way up to Island Peak! It was another beautiful day with great views of the valley, above Dingboche, excellent views of Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft) and Island Peak and Ama Dablam (6812m/22,349ft) off to our right. Tomorrow we will move to Island Peak base camp! We’ll be in touch then.


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 topping out on Kala Patthar with excellent views of Mount Everest (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The Madison Mountaineering Everest base camp trekking team reached their high point today, ascending Kala Patthar which is considered a trekkers peak that overlooks Everest base camp and with 360 degree views of the mountains, valleys and glaciers all around. The team could not have asked for better weather and took their time while they soaked up the sun and views at over 18,000 feet. Expedition guide, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from the Himalaya:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest base camp (5364m/17,598ft) trek, and Island Peak (6189m/20,305ft) and Lobuche East (6119m/20,075ft) climbs – today is October 29th.

Today we trekked from Lobuche village (4940m/16,210ft) to Gorak Shep (5164m/16,942ft). We had a nice lunch and then we hiked up to the top of Kala Patthar (5644m/18,519ft), which is higher than 18,000 feet – about 5,500 meters which would make it just about as high as the third highest peak in North America, but here of course, it’s just a foothill among giants. However, we had excellent views of Everest (8848m/29,032ft), Nuptse (7861m/25,791ft), Pumori (7161m/23,494ft), and even just a peak of Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft)! It can be pretty cold on Kala Patthar at times, but we got really lucky with the weather. We were able to bask in the sun for a little while, take some pictures, and then we hiked down to Gorak Shep where we’ll spend the night!

Tomorrow we’ve got another exciting day! We’ll go to Everest base camp and then we’ll start trekking back down the Khumbu Valley. So, we’re all doing well here in the Khumbu and I’ll be in touch tomorrow!

Everest and Nuptse, with Lhotse just barely visible (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Everest and Nuptse, with Lhotse just barely visible (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: