The Madison MountaineeringCho Oyu expedition team is back in base camp after completing their first acclimatization rotation on the mountain! By climbing to some of the higher camps, we become better acclimated to the increased altitude and lower oxygen levels. Now back in base camp, the team will rest up, recover, and wait out some weather before heading up once again! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this brief dispatch from Cho Oyu:
First rotation complete! Back in base camp now and waiting out some weather.
Looking up the route towards the summit behind the clouds!
Our Mountain Hardwear tents on a beautiful, sunny day in Tibet!
Looking up at Cho Oyu from one of our camps on a perfect day in the Himalayas!
Climbing under clear, blue skies.
Looking back on the route towards one of our camps.
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https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHOTO-2024-09-25-03-47-18-1.jpg12001600Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-09-25 10:47:502024-09-25 16:47:47First rotation in Tibet is complete!
We are thrilled to announce that the entire Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team has successfully reached the summit of the world’s eighth-highest peak! Standing at 8156m / 26,759ft, the team ascended the northeast ridge route which culminates in a peak that towers steeply above its surrounding landscape, and is a dominant feature when viewed from afar. The team enjoyed a beautiful morning on the summit, taking in the views and sharing a special moment together from the top. The team has safely descended all the way down to Camp 2 and will continue their descent down to base camp tomorrow. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this celebratory dispatch from Camp 2:
100% success on Manaslu (8156m/26,759ft)! This morning just before 5 a.m. our entire team touched the top of the eighth highest peak. That includes our three guests, four climbing Sherpas, and myself. We left Camp 4 (7450m/24,445ft) around midnight and were one of the first teams to summit today. That was important because the narrow route to Manaslu’s true summit — a high point on a knife edge ridge — can be crowded. The weather was excellent: we left Camp 4 in light snowfall but emerged from the clouds at about 7,800m. At the top we were treated to clear, starry skies and, importantly, completely still air with zero wind. In the distance to the south we could see lighting flickering in the clouds over the Himalayan foothills. At dawn, we could make out the Annapurna (8091m/26,545ft) and Dhaulagiri (8167m/26,795ft) massifs off to the west. After a short break at Camp 4, we descended to Camp 2 (6400m/21,000ft) in good form. We’re going to enjoy some well-earned rest here tonight, then drop back to base camp (4859m/15,944ft) tomorrow. Here’s the complete summit list:
#
Name
Country
1
Chie Takeshita
Japan
2
Sara Myers
USA
3
James Morris
USA
4
Siddhi Tamang
Nepal
5
Temba Sherpa
Nepal
6
Ming Dorchi Sherpa
Nepal
7
Tenzi Sherpa
Nepal
8
Terray Sylvester
USA
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:
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We are in Camp 4 and in position for our summit push! The Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team reached their high camp today and are prepared to make their bid for the summit. The team climbed from Camp 3, moving strongly and swiftly through the clouds before settling into their tents for the night with excitement in knowing that with good weather tomorrow, they’ll go for the summit. We are so proud of the team for their hard work and look forward to the climbing ahead! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Camp 4:
Hello from Camp 4 (7450m/24,445ft)! Today we climbed here from Camp 3 (6800m/22,310ft). We were in clouds most of the day, but we climbed above them in the afternoon and now we have excellent views from here in camp. The team is doing well. We’re resting from today’s push and preparing for tomorrow’s summit bid. Despite the clouds, the weather is excellent: no wind and very little precipitation. 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:
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.“
The Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team reached Camp 3 today behind a light blanket of clouds. Upon reaching their camp, the clouds burned off opening up spectacular views of the route and mountain above, as well as other Himalayan peaks rising out of a sea of clouds below them. The team is doing great and looks forward to continuing their summit push tomorrow! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Camp 3:
I can’t think of a better way to spend a Monday morning than the way we just spent it! We left Camp 2 (6400m/21,000ft) at about 7:30 this morning and arrived in Camp 3 (6800m/22,310ft) a couple of hours later. Conditions were perfect for our ascent here! We were in a light cloud layer which kept the temperatures down. But now that we’ve settled into Camp 3, the skies have cleared above us, so we have excellent views from Camp 2 up to the east pinnacle. We have great views of the route up to Camp 4 (7450m/24,445ft) and the massive north face of Manaslu. We can see a few mountains out in the distance towards Tibet, east into Nepal, but below Camp 2 is a carpet of clouds.
So, it’s a really nice day here! We’re about 6,600 meters, just over 6,600. We’re going to spend the rest of the day resting and then we’ll move to Camp 4 tomorrow if all goes as planned.
All is well here in Nepal and 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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHOTO-2024-09-22-23-36-28.jpg12001600Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-09-23 06:34:352024-09-23 13:56:55Above the clouds in Camp 3!
The Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team has reached Camp 2 and settled in for the night! The team moved swiftly between camps, making good time with cool temperatures as they climbed to around 6,400 m/21,000 ft. The team plans to continue their summit rotation tomorrow by moving up to Camp 3, positioning themselves one camp closer to going for the summit. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Manaslu Camp 2:
Today, we left Camp 1 (5700m/18,700ft) a bit after sunrise and had a nice climb up to Camp 2 (6400m/21,000ft)! We moved very well, just four hours to Camp 2. Unfortunately, it was cloudy with a little bit of precipitation which meant we didn’t have much in the way of views, but the upshot of that was that the temperatures were lower, so it wasn’t too hot as we climbed to Camp 2.
So, now we’ve settled into our tents. We’re going to relax here for the rest of the day before moving to Camp 3 (6800m/22,310ft) tomorrow! 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:
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.“
The Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team has arrived in Camp 1, marking the start of their summit rotation! The team’s hard work was on display today, as they moved strongly and efficiently up to their first camp. With good weather tomorrow, the team plans to continue on up to Camp 2! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Camp 1:
Hello from Camp 1 (5700m/18,700ft). With our ascent here from Base Camp (4859m/15,944ft) after lunch today, our summit push is underway! The team moved very efficiently on the way here. Now we’re watching the evening sun on the mountains around us and settling in for dinner. 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:
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.“
The Madison MountaineeringCho Oyu expedition team is about to begin their first rotation on the world’s sixth-highest peak! The team has spent the last few days settling into their base camp, reviewing technical skills, packing for their rotation up to Camp 2, and taking part in a Puja ceremony! The Puja ceremony is a crucial piece to all of our 8,000-meter expeditions, asking the mountain for safe passage before going up. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from Tibet:
Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison MountaineeringCho Oyu (8188m/26,864ft) expedition here in Tibet on the sixth-highest mountain in the world in China! Today is September 21st.
We had our Puja ceremony yesterday, it went very well asking the mountain for safe passage. A Tibetan monk came up and officiated the ceremony with us! Tomorrow we’re planning to head up on our first rotation to acclimatize on Cho Oyu up to Camps 1 and 2. It’s been a little snowy the last few days, but hopefully, we’ll get a break in the weather. The team’s doing great! We’re really excited to be here. There’s just a handful of teams and a few climbers each here on the mountain, so pretty small compared to some of the other peaks we’ve been on this year. But, all is going well here!
We’re thinking of our team on Manaslu (8156m/26,759ft) in Nepal, the eighth-highest peak in the world. They’re starting their summit rotation tomorrow heading up to Camp 1, hopefully summiting around September 25th or 26th. So, fingers crossed and they’ll be in our prayers!
All is well here and we’ll check in soon!
Madison Mountaineering Cho Oyu 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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHOTO-2024-09-21-04-07-14-1.jpg12001600Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-09-21 11:08:162024-09-21 16:49:02First rotation on Cho Oyu coming up!
The Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team is ready to go! Acclimatization is done, their final preparations are complete, and the team plans to depart on their summit rotation soon. The team is excited and ready to start their climbing! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Manaslu base camp:
Today we passed another pleasant day here in base camp (4859m/15,944ft). Today was a rest day, we also worked on our final preparation for our summit push! We sorted out food for our upper camps and worked through our packing list, made sure that all of our devices are charged, and all the other little items that we need to do before we head back up the mountain.
The weather was great today! Another beautiful sunny morning and then a few rain showers this evening. We’re just about to sit down to dinner and then have another restful night here in base camp! All is well and 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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHOTO-2024-09-20-04-31-08.jpg10681600Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-09-20 11:29:552024-09-20 15:18:59Primed and ready for the summit push!
The Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team spent the day reviewing their oxygen systems and down suits, which they’ll use on their summit push! Today was somewhat of a rest day, albeit a productive day nonetheless as the skills reviewed are important to be familiar with as we climb above 8,000 meters. With this review behind us, the team is now one step closer to heading off on their summit push! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Manaslu base camp:
Today we’re taking a rest day here in base camp (4859m/15,944ft) since at this point we have completed our acclimatization on the upper mountain. This morning has been very beautiful – blue skies and warm temps. We’ve been walking around base camp in sandals! Yesterday evening was also really nice. We watched the full moon rise over Saula Himal (6235m/20,456ft), it’s the mountain range just across the Nubri valley from us to the east.
We also have ticked off a couple of important tasks this morning! We started the day by going over our oxygen systems to make sure our climbers are totally familiar with masks, regulators, and cylinders we’ll be using during our summit push. We had what we call a down suit party where everyone puts on their down suits and we make sure they’re adjusted properly and everyone’s familiar with all the features so that we’re good to go once we start climbing in the colder temps above Camp 2 (6400m/21,000ft), above Camp 3 (6800m/22,310ft).
So, it’s been a productive day here! We’re about to sit down to dinner and then we’ll watch a movie, and we’ll be in touch tomorrow! All is well here in Nepal.
Our climber, Chie, practicing with our oxygen system.
Our climber, James, practicing with our oxygen system.
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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHOTO-2024-09-19-05-11-56.jpg16001200Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-09-19 12:11:232024-09-19 15:04:32Getting ready to go up!
The Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team has made their way back to base camp after finishing up their final acclimatization rotation before making their summit push! The team had great weather overall on the mountain, with great views of the route, the mountain above, and the far-off peaks and valleys surrounding them. The team is feeling great and looks forward to a few days enjoying the comforts of their base camp before getting back on the mountain and going for the summit! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from the Himalayas:
Today we woke up early in Camp 2 (6400m/21,000ft) and descended back to base camp (4859m/15,944ft). We arrived just before lunch, had a good meal, and then everyone spent the afternoon taking showers, starting on some laundry, and getting settled back in our cozy box tents here in base camp.
With that, we’ve wrapped up our acclimatization before our summit push. At this point, we’ve spent three nights in Camp 1 (5700m/18,700ft) and two nights in Camp 2. It seems like the whole team is doing really well! Everyone was feeling good higher on the mountain, feeling strong. So, I’m looking forward to a good summit push!
We’ll probably spend three to four days here in base camp and then hopefully start up toward the summit! But, it all depends on the weather and conditions on the mountain.
This last rotation was a lot of fun, in large part because we had such great weather! Yesterday afternoon and today we had really clear skies, which meant we could see out into the hills of Tibet and far down the Nubri valley, which is surrounded by glaciated peaks out toward the Ganesh range, and then even out toward Shishapangma (8027m/26,335ft), far in the distance.
So, all is well here! We’re just about to have dinner and watch a movie. It’ll probably be another Indiana Jones film, and then we’ll go to bed! We’ll be in touch tomorrow.
The team descending back to base camp at the end of a successful acclimatization rotation. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)
Our climbers, Chie and Sara, in their tent at Camp 1. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)
Approaching Camp 1. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)
Climbing through the icefall below Camp 2. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)
Sara with Siddhi Tamung, a member of our Sherpa team, during the rotation. (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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHOTO-2024-09-18-05-12-15.jpg13642048Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-09-18 12:12:492024-09-18 15:18:51Acclimatization is complete!
