All Ama Dablam expedition dispatches

Ama Dablam team at the puja ceremony today

Our Ama Dablam team is back in base camp after completing their 1st acclimatization rotation.  Garrett Madison, expedition leader, calls in today’s update:

Hello!  This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Ama Dablam expedition team.  Today’s October 31st, Halloween and we are back in base camp!

We had a couple of good nights, up on mountain in Camp 1 and we climbed up to Camp 2 yesterday – touched Camp 2.  We had some great views up there, fun technical climbing, and good acclimatization – sleeping up at 19,000 ft. at Camp 1.

Today we camp back down to base camp, had a nice lunch, and then did our Puja ceremony with a Buddist Lama monk from Pangboche.

Everyone’s doing well here.  We’re just resting and recovering from our time high up on the mountain and looking forward to a few rest days here in base camp.

So, all’s well here at Ama Dablam base camp.  We’ll check in soon.

Camp 1 and Ama Dablam

Camp 1 and Ama Dablam

Climbing the Yellow Tower on Ama Dablam below Camp 2

Climbing the Yellow Tower on Ama Dablam below Camp 2


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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Garrett Madison climbing around Ama Dablam Camp 1 and Camp 2

The 1st acclimatization rotation on Ama Dablam continues with the team touching Camp 2 (5980m/19,619ft) and returning to Camp 1 (5791m/19,000ft) for the night.  Team member J.B. Waterman provides today’s expedition dispatch:

This is J.B. Waterman on Madison Mountaineering’s Ama Dablam team.

Today was an epic training day – from Camp 1 at 19,000ft to Camp 2 at 20,000ft, across a serrated knife edge ridge, going up vertical walls of granite, to make it to Camp 2, and then turn around and go back.

We’re sleeping at Camp 1 tonight and then we’re gonna head back to base camp for a few days of rest and relaxation and recuperatation, so that we can go to the summit!

It was a great day.  Now it’s time to recuperate!


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 daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

A view of Ama Dablam Camp 1 from BC

Today our Ama Dablam kicked off their 1st acclimatization rotation by hiking and climbing up from base camp to Camp 1.  Team member J.B. Waterman provides today’s expedition dispatch:

Hello, this is Madison Mountaineering Ama Dablam 2021 team member J.B. Waterman.  It’s Friday, October 29th and me and the rest of the team are ensconced in Camp 1 (5791m/19,000ft) on Ama Dablam.

We hiked 4,000 vertical feet today with our packs and our gear hiking with jumaring up the rope to get to this spectacular place on the ridge.  We watched the sunset and are settling in.  We’re up at 19,000ft, getting ready to eat some dinner, and then grab some sleep.

Tomorrow we’ll head up to Camp 2, touch it, and come back to acclimatize.  It’s been pretty spectacular!


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 daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

Ama Dablam 2021 team kicking at base camp

Our Ama Dablam team enjoyed views from their acclimatization hike today above base camp. Our expedition leader, Garrett Madison provides today’s expedition dispatch:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Ama Dablam team update. Today is Thursday, October 28th and another great day here in base camp. We woke up, had breakfast, and then went for an acclimatization hike up above base camp. We had some great views and got about 2,000 feet of elevation gain before coming back down to base camp for lunch.

We organized our gear and getting ready for our first rotation on the mountain. We’re going to head up tomorrow to camp 1 for a couple of nights, so looking forward to getting up high on the mountain and hopefully some great views up there. And some fun technical climbing on the way from camp 1 to camp 2.

Everyone is doing great and we’re having an awesome time here and looking forward to another great day!


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 daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

Views from Ama Dablam base camp. (📸: Ted Hesser)

The Ama Dablam team had a training day near base camp.  Garrett Madison, expedition leader, recaps the day:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Ama Dablam expedition team.  Today we did some training here, nearby base camp.  We put on our harnesses and rigged up our ascenders, safety carabiners, and repel devices and we practiced going up vertical fixed lines and repeling down fixed lines.  It was good to review all the necessary techniques for the upper mountain.

Then we came back, had a nice lunch, and organized some gear this afternoon and had a lovely dinner.  So, a beautiful day here, great views, everyone’s feeling strong and healthy.  We are really happy to be up here at base camp.  It’s just very beautiful and relaxing.

So, we’re all doing well and looking forward to a good day tomorrow.  We’ll 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 daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

Madison Mountaineering’s Ama Dablam base camp

Our Ama Dablam expedition team is settling into their home away from home at base camp. After a scenic trek into base camp and dinner, Garrett Madison, expedition leader, recaps the day:

Hello this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Ama Dablam expedition team. Today is Tuesday, October 26th and today we hiked from the village of Pangboche in the Khumbu Valley up to Ama Dablam base camp. We rolled into our base camp midday and had a nice lunch and then settled into our personal tents and explored the camp a little bit getting things dialed in. We just had a nice dinner here, first dinner in base camp tonight.

Nice to be up here at about 15,000 feet in the mountains and we’re looking forward to a good day tomorrow. We’re going to do some training and be here at least a couple of days before heading up to do our first rotation on the route.

Everyone is doing great here. It has been such a wonderful trek in so far, over the last five days coming in from Lukla up through Namche, Deboche and Pangboche, staying with the Sherpa families that we see year after year and reconnecting with all of the Nepalese people that are so important to us and help us make this all possible.

Everyone is having a great time.  We’re feeling healthy and we’re just soaking up all this fresh air and clear mountain views and snow-capped peaks. So, all is well here at Ama Dablam base camp and we’ll check in soon. Thanks


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 daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

The 2021 Ama Dablam team receives blessings as they depart Namche and the Panorama Lodge

The first views of Ama Dablam were had today as the team took an acclimatization hike from the Panorama Lodge in Namche Bazaar up to the Everest View Hotel (3962m/13,000ft).  Garrett recaps the day:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Ama Dablam expedition 2021.

We had a great hike up to the Everest View Hotel and had amazing views of Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, as well as other peaks.  We enjoyed some tea there and had a beautiful clear day.  We came back down to Nachme for lunch and then had a relaxing afternoon, a nice dinner here in the Panorama Lodge, and we’re going to head off towards Deboche.

We are looking forward to heading up the valley and passing through the Tengboche Monastery and then down into the rhododendron forest to the Rivendell Lodge tonight.

Everyone’s doing well, we’re so happy to be here, and enjoying this beautiful mountain valley of Nepal.

We’ll check in soon!  Thanks.

View of Ama Dablam

View of Ama Dablam

Ama Dablam team at the Everest View Hotel

Ama Dablam team at the Everest View Hotel

View of peaks from Everest View Hotel (courtesy of Dawa Steven Sherpa)

View of peaks from Everest View Hotel (courtesy of Dawa Steven Sherpa)

Climber J.B. Waterman poses with local Sherpa woman above Namche

Climber J.B. Waterman poses with local Sherpa woman above Namche


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 daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

Ama Dablam 2021 team trekking to base camp

Today our Ama Dablam team continued their trek to base camp by reaching the Khumbu capital of Namche Bazaar.  Here’s expedition leader, Garrett Madison, with a recap of the day:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Ama Dablam expedition team.  Today’s Friday October 22nd and today we trekked up the Khumbu Valley over suspension bridges, crossing river gorges along raging rivers, and passing waterfalls up to village of Namche Bazaar, the iconic capital of Khumbu.

We rolled into Namche this afternoon, had a coffee, and explored the town a little bit.  We are getting ready for dinner here in the lodge.  We’re really happy to be back here with our good friends and are looking forward to a nice day tomorrow to do an acclimization hike.  Everyone’s doing well and we’re so happy to be here in the Khumbu Valley of Nepal and enjoying some nice weather, good views, and fresh air.

We’ll check in soon!

One of the many suspension bridges on the route to Ama Dablam base camp

One of the many suspension bridges on the route to Ama Dablam base camp

Stupas dotting the trail to Ama Dablam base camp

Stupas dotting the trail to Ama Dablam 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 daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

Ama Dablam team arrives in Lukla

Our 2021 Ama Dablam expedition kicked off yesterday with the team arriving in Kathmandu, Nepal.  This morning they flew to the mountain village of Lukla to begin the trek to base camp.  Here’s expedition leader Garrett Madison with the details:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Ama Dablam expedition.  Today is October 21st and we arrived in Lukla, Nepal after a flight from Kathmandu this morning.  It was a beautiful flight up, clear skies, saw a lot of mountains.  And now we are trekking up the Khumbu to our first village,  Phakding.  Tonight we’re going to stay and then tomorrow work our way up to Namche.  Everyone’s doing well on the team, we’re excited to be up here in the mountains with some fresh air and some clear mountain views.

We’ll 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 daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai felicitates team leader Garrett Madison and Prince of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulla Al Thani for a successful expedition to Mt Ama Dablam at Hotel Yak and Yeti in Kathmandu, on Saturday, November 14, 2020. Photo: THT

Nice announcement in The Himalayan Times today about our Ama Dablam expedition:  https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/minister-bhattarai-felicitates-qatar-prince-for-successful-amadablam-expedition/

KATHMANDU: Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai felicitated team leader Garrett Madison and Prince of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulla Al Thani at Hotel Yak and Yeti for a successful expedition to Mt Ama Dablam (6812 metres).

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai felicitates team leader Garrett Madison and Prince of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulla Al Thani for a successful expedition to Mt Ama Dablam at Hotel Yak and Yeti in Kathmandu, on Saturday, November 14, 2020. Photo: THT

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Bhattarai felicitates team leader Garrett Madison and Prince of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulla Al Thani for a successful expedition to Mt Ama Dablam at Hotel Yak and Yeti in Kathmandu, on Saturday, November 14, 2020. Photo: THT

Mountaineer Madison has summited Mt Everest for 10 times.

Managing Director at Himalayan Guides, Iswari Paudel said successful Expedition with high profile royal family member explored positive message.

On the occasion, Himalayan Guides Nepal and Madison Mountaineering were thankful to the entire team for the support and other local businesses as well as the country during these uncertain times.