Everest 2019 Spring Recap

Climbers nearing the summit on May 23rd

Congratulations to our Everest 2019 spring team in successfully climbing the world’s highest peak, but more importantly making it down safely! In contrast to what the media has portrayed, our experience on summit day was a pleasant one, due to a strong and experienced team. Our guides and Sherpas not only installed the fixed lines to the summit, which ‘opened’ the route on May 14th for all climbers on the south side of the mountain but also supported our climbers in a seamless climb of Mount Everest. The challenge of climbing Everest, coupled with the added uncertainty of the weather and other climbers on the route, can create adverse conditions. However, our team of professionals orchestrated a perfect expedition under the circumstances.

 

Climbers celebrating at the summit

Climbers celebrating at the summit

The Everest summit ridge on May 23rd

The Everest summit ridge on May 23rd

In my 12 expeditions to Everest, this was one of the finest teams of hard working, competent, positive, and pleasant Nepal “Sherpas”, many of who I have climbed with for the last 5 years. Big thanks for these incredible guys who helped us make our extraordinary success possible!

Madison Mountaineering rope fixing team on Everest summit day

MM rope team on summit day

Now our attention turns to the world’s second highest peak, K2. Today, our advance team of 100 porters and 2 Pakistan high altitude climbers left the village of Askole to begin the 100 km trek to K2 base camp.

K2 supplies headed to base camp

K2 supplies headed to base camp

Over 100 porters and staff leaving Askoli for K2

Over 100 porters and staff leaving Askoli for K2

We are excited to meet our climbing team in Islamabad in mid-June and make our way to ‘Chogori’, the savage mountain.

Our autumn Himalayan season following K2 will be action-packed, with our first ever Expedition to Everest in the fall!  We also have expeditions attempting Ama Dablam, as well as an unclimbed peak! Previously, we have had very high success on these peaks in the autumn. For climbers looking to climb the highest peak in Oceania, we also have a Carstensz Pyramid climb. We invite you to join us if climbing in the Himalaya or Oceania is on your ‘to do’ list this autumn!

Our Mount Vinson expeditions also have some availability, if climbing in Antarctica is on your mind, contact us for details!

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A toast to a safe, successful climb

A toast to a safe climb at our base camp with the Khumbu Icefall behind

With the Everest season quickly wrapping up, here’s expedition leader, Garrett Madison, with a final dispatch from the 2019 Mount Everest base camp:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Everest team.  Today most of our crew helicoptered down to Kathmandu and they are at the Yak & Yeti hotel, relaxing and enjoying a nice comfortable stay and a great dinner.  Myself, Conan and Stuart along with Joyce are still here in base camp with our Sherpa team – just packing up the camp and we are hoping to head out tomorrow down to Kathmandu.

 

But, it’s been a great season for us.  We have a very high success and safely all around with our team.  It was a challenging season, very windy on the mountain and cold this year with a narrow summit window.  And unfortunetly, there was a notable loss of life with climbers the last week on the mountain.  But we are happy to be down safe and looking forward to heading home soon.  All’s well here at base camp.  Thanks for following along!

Descending down from C2 with the Sun about to rise over Everest

Descending down from C2 with the Sun about to rise over Everest

Walking down the Western Cwm between C2 and C1

Walking down the Western Cwm between C2 and C1

Climbers descending the icefall

Climbers descending the icefall

A toast to a safe climb at our base camp with the Khumbu Icefall behind

A toast to a safe climb at our base camp with the Khumbu Icefall behind

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Everyone safely back to base camp

All climbers, guides, and Sherpa from the 2019 Madison Mountaineering Everest expedition have safely returned to base camp.  More details and recap of the climb coming soon…

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Safely down the Lhotse face to ABC

The Everest team has safely descended down the Lhotse face from the South Col to advanced base camp (ABC), Camp 2.  Here’s Garrett with the sat phone dispatch from 6500m Camp 2:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Everest climbing team.  Today is May 24th.  We all made it down to Camp 2, our advanced base camp here on Mount Everest.  We has a very good day coming down from the South Col high camp.  We climbed down past Camp 3 on our way to Camp 2.  We all made it safe, all the climbers, guides, and Sherpa.

 

So, we are here and we just had a nice dinner and we’re tucked into our tents now for a good night’s rest.  And tomorrow our plan is to depart Camp 2 at 6:00 AM and head down through the Khumbu Icefall to Everest base camp.  So, all’s well here and we’re looking forward to checking in from base camp tomorrow.  Thanks!

(photo:  Madison Mountaineering archives)

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Main Team Summits Mount Everest!

Congratulations to our Everest team for reaching the top of the world! All of the team is now safely back at Camp 4 on the South Col.  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, provides the happy news:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Everest team.  Today is May 23rd and today we summitted Mount Everest!  [garbled] We left about 9:30 PM from our high camp here at the South Col near 26,000 ft. and climbed through the night up the Triangular face to The Balcony and then up the South East ridge over the rock bands to the South Summit and then crossed the summit ridge, up the Hillary Step and then the summit!  We reached the summit just after 5:00 AM with the last of our members reaching the summit about 8:00 AM.

 

So, it was a nice day – a little windy and a little chilly up there – but everybody did really good.  The most important thing is that everybody made it back down to high camp this afternoon.  So, we are all back in high camp, safe and sound.  We are looking forward to descending down to Camp 2 tomorrow night and then base camp the following day on May 25th.  All’s well here at high camp!  Thanks for checking in.

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Main Everest Team Summits!!

We are pleased to announce the following members of the 2019 Madison Mountaineering Everest expedition successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest (8,848 m / 29,029 ft) on May 23, 2019, at approximately 6:30 AM NPT (local time).

# Name Country
1 Ms. Nadhira Alharthy Oman
2 Ms. Nelly Attar Lebanon
3 Ms. Joyce Azzam Lebanon
4 Mr. Sherief Elabd Egypt
5 Mr. Wojciech Falkowski Poland
6 Mr. Chad Gaston USA
7 Mr. Elia Saikaly Canada
8 Ms. Mona Shahab Saudi Arabia
9 Mr. Garrett Madison USA
10 Mr. Conan Bliss USA
11 Mr. Stuart Robertson United Kingdom
12 Mr. Aang Phurba Sherpa Nepal
13 Mr. Phurba Ridar Bhote Nepal
14 Mr. Pasdawa Sherpa Nepal
15 Mr. Lakpa Bhote Nepal
16 Mr. Siddhi Bahadur Tamang Nepal
17 Mr. Ming Dorchi Sherpa Nepal
18 Mr. Kul Bahadur Thapamagar Nepal
19 Mr. Phree Chhombi Sherpa Nepal
20 Mr. Sher Bahadur Thapamagar Nepal
21 Mr. Dorchi Bhote Nepal
22 Mr. Nima Lhaten Lama Nepal
23 Mr. Prem Magar Nepal
24 Mr. Tenzi Sherpa Nepal
25 Mr. Lenduk Lhomi Nepal
26 Mr. Dawa Nurbu Sherpa Nepal
27 Mr. Pasang Dawa Sherpa Nepal
28 Mr. Chhiring Bhote Nepal
29 Mr. Pasang Kaji Sherpa Nepal
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Alexa, ask Madison Mountaineering for status!

Sounds like the 2019 Everest team is on the summit!!!  Listen for yourself:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01I8UQN5E?ref=cm_sw_em_r_as_dp_Fx7lsWCZC23IX

We will provide more details as we have them!  Stay tuned.

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Tonight’s the Night!

Camp 4

This is it.  Because, tonight’s the night the past seven weeks in Nepal and preceding months of planning, preparing, and training have been building up to.  We go for the summit of Everest tonight!!!  It’s now morning in Nepal and the team will be spending the day resting and getting psyched for the final push up to the summit.  So, from the home office in Seattle, WA USA and from friends, family, and well-wishers all over the world we say, Go get it team – climb strong, be careful, make your mark and get up and down safely! Here’s Garrett Madison on the South Col of Mount Everest via satellite phone just minutes ago with today’s expedition dispatch:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Everest team!  We are up at the South Col, high camp, on Mount Everest – nearly 26,000ft. or 8000m.  Everybody is doing great!  We got up here yesterday evening, had a nice dinner, tucked into our tents, and had a restful night sleeping on oxygen.  Today we just had breakfast, we’re up, moving around, sleeping, resting, breathing oxygen.

 

We are planning to leave this evening at 9:00 PM for our summit attempt.  Hopefully reaching the top the next morning, which will be May 23rd.  So, everybody’s doing great up here, the team did excellent coming up to high camp yesterday.  Everyone’s doing great today, in good sprits and we’re looking forward to leaving tonight and giving it our best shot to climb to the top of the world!  Alright, thanks for checking in!  We’ll call in tomorrow.  All’s well here at high camp on Mount Everest.

(photo:  2018 Everest Camp 4 from the Madison Mountaineering archives)

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Team at Camp 4

Just received a sat phone call from Garrett.  The team is tucked in at Camp 4 on the South Col of Everest.  Everyone did really well today on the climb up from Camp 3.  They may take a rest day and then go for the summit on the 23rd.  The sat phone call is very garbled and we will be working on a transcription and will update this dispatch soon:

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Camp 3 on the Lhotse face

Camp 3 on the Lhotse face

Our Everest team made the move up to Camp 3 on the Lhotse face today and looks to be in position for a summit attempt on May 22nd.  The weather is looking good and the team is feeling strong and healthy.  Garrett Madison, expedition leader, provides this update:

Helllo, this is Garrett calling in for the Everest climbing team.  Today we left Camp 2 at 5:00 AM and climbed up the Lhotse face to Camp 3.  We made it to Camp 3 by about 9:30 AM.  Everyone did great!  We set up our tents, moved into camp, had some ramen noddles, and then relaxed before dinner.  Our plan is to move up to Camp 4 tomorrow.  The weather’s looking really good right now.  Everybody is doing great – feeling healthly and strong and enjoying the good weather and nice views from up here at Camp 3.  We’ll check in soon.  Thanks!

(photo:  Everest Camp 3 – Madison Mountaineering archives)

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