2022 Everest expedition dispatches

Camp 2 (📸: @terray_s)

Our Everest team has safely moved up to Camp 2 in the Western Cwm to kick off their summit push!  Everest guide Terray Sylvester sends this expedition dispatch via Garmin inReach Mini:

Hello from Camp 2!

Our Everest and Lhotse climbers ascended from base camp to our advanced base camp (aka Camp 2) here at 21,300′ (6500m) yesterday in great weather. We’ll rest here now before climbing to Camp 3 (7230m/23,720ft), where we’ll spend a night before continuing up to Camp 4 (7900m/25,919ft) at the South Col.

The team is feeling good!

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:

We are pleased to announce that the first team of the 2022 Madison Mountaineering Everest expedition successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest (8848m/29,029ft) on May 15, 2022, at approximately 4:25 AM NPT (local time).

Congratulations to the whole team and especially Mr. Kenton Cool who has now made 16 summits, more than any other foreign (i.e. non-Nepali) climber.

# Name Country
1 Ms. Rebecca Louise Smith 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
2 Mr. Elia Saikaly 🇨🇦 Canada
3 Mr. Kenton Cool 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
4 Mr. Pasang Kaji (PK) Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
5 Mr. Dorji Gyalzen Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
6 Mr. Chheten Dorjee Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
7 Mr. Chowang Dorjee Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
8 Mr. Kami Rita Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
9 Mr. Dawa Jangbu Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
Mount Everest

All the preparations are done and have led up to this moment.  Our Everest team is catching a few more hours of sleep before they start up the mountain on their summit push!  Everest guide Terray Sylvester outlines the plan in today’s expedition dispatch:

Hello!  This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest and Lhotse expedition.  It’s May 13th.

We are just going to bed in preparation for the first day of our summit push, which will actually start at about 1am tonight.  We’ll have breakfast at midnight and then we’ll set off out up into the Icefall and on to Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft).  From there we plan to take a rest day and then we will start making up the Lhotse Face to Camp 3 (7230m/23,720ft) and Camp 4 (7900m/25,919ft) and hopefully on to the summit (8848m/29,029ft) in a little less than a week.  The forecast looks good and spirits are high with the team.  Everyone’s pysched to get going and start our summit push.

So, it’s good night here in base camp and we’re looking forward to getting the climbing started.

We will be in touch as we make our way up the mountain!


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:

Climber Saskia Jacobson practicing the use of the oxygen mask (📸: @terray_s)

Summit push preparations are in full swing at Everest base camp.  Here’s Everest guide Terray Sylvester with a recap of the day’s activities at base camp and the plan for what’s next:

Hello!  This is Terray calling in for the 2022 Madison Mountaineering Everest and Lhotse expedition.  It’s May 12th.

Today we did some preparation for our summit push.  We did an instructional oxygen system talk here in base camp and we sorted food for our high camps.  The weather forecast still looks good for our departure, not tomorrow but the following morning early, pre-dawn.

Spirits are high and we’re all looking forward to getting started up the mountain

We will be in touch!

Guide Rob Smith providing instruction on the oxygen system (📸: @terray_s)

Guide Rob Smith providing instruction on the oxygen system (📸: @terray_s)

Climber Todd Ammerman gives the O2 mask two thumbs up! (📸: @terray_s)

Climber Todd Ammerman gives the O2 mask two thumbs up! (📸: @terray_s)

Climber Cameron Kenny trying on his oxygen mask (📸: @terray_s)

Climber Cameron Kenny trying on his oxygen mask (📸: @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:

Josh Garrison departing for EBC (📸: @terray_s)

The “dropback” rest period is complete and the team has returned to base camp.  Here’s Everest guide Terray Sylvester with a recap and the plan for what’s next:

Hello!  This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest and Lhotse expedition.  It’s May 11th.

Today our climbers flew back from Namche Bazaar where they were resting for a few days pre-summit attempt. Great weather for the flights, really beautiful scenery. We settled back into base camp and had a nice dinner of pork chops, roast pumpkin, mashed potatoes, green beans, carrots, and fruit salad for dessert.

Now, we are settling in to watch “Gladiator“! Our summit plans have taken shape and in all likelihood we will leave base camp within the next couple of days, aiming for a summit in just a little over a week.

So, all is well here in base camp. It’s a beautiful warm and misty night.

We will be in touch!

Sara Safari leaving Namche for EBC (📸: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/terray_s/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@terray_s</a>)

Sara Safari leaving Namche for EBC (📸: @terray_s)

Cockpit view (📸: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/terray_s/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@terray_s</a>)

Cockpit view (📸: @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:

Guide Cacho Beiza and climber Josh Garrison spinning a prayer wheel in Namche Bazaar (📸: @terray_s)

The Everest team finished their last dropback rest day in Namche Bazaar and will fly back to Everest Base Camp tomorrow as reported by Everest guide Terray Sylvester:

Hello!  This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest and Lhotse expedition.  It’s May 10th.

Today our climbers enjoyed their final rest day in Namche.  Tomorrow we’ll fly back up to base camp to begin preparations for our summit push.

All is well here in Namche and 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:

Climbers Carter Beck and Saskia Jacobson spinning prayer wheels (📸: @terray_s)

Today our Everest team had a chance to experience more of the unique culture of Nepal while continuing their dropback rest period before the upcoming push for the summit.  Everest guide Terray Sylvester provides today’s expedition dispatch:

Hello!  This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest and Lhotse expedition.  It’s May 9th.

Our climbers are still resting in Namche as part of their dropback.  We’ll fly back to base camp on Wednesday, the 11th.

Today we hiked up to Khumjung, a village just a little ways above Namche.  We visited the monastery there where the monks were in the process of reading the Kangyur.  It is a 108 volume set of scriptures that tells the life of The Buddha.  It happens just once a year and the reading rotates from monastery to monastery around the valley.  So it was kind of a special occasion to catch it there.  We listened to part of that and we also looked at the reputed Yeti scalp, which is in the monastery there in Khumjung.  Then we walked back and had lunch in Namche.

Now we are just relaxing before bed.  All in all it was a really pleasant day and we’re looking forward to another one tomorrow.

We’ll be in touch!

Approaching Khumjung (📸: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/terray_s/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@terray_s</a>)

Approaching Khumjung (📸: @terray_s)

Buddhist scriptures in the monastery at Khumjung (📸: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/terray_s/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@terray_s</a>)

Buddhist scriptures in the monastery at Khumjung (📸: @terray_s)

The mani stone walls in Khumjung, some of the longest in the Khumbu (📸: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/terray_s/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@terray_s</a>)

The mani stone walls in Khumjung, some of the longest in the Khumbu (📸: @terray_s)

Decorations in Khumjung (📸: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/terray_s/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@terray_s</a>)

Decorations in Khumjung (📸: @terray_s)

Walking above Namche (📸: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/terray_s/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@terray_s</a>)

Walking above Namche (📸: @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:

The team having lunch at Sherpa Barista (📸: @terray_s)

Still soaking up the “rich, thick air” in Namche Bazaar, our Everest team continues their dropback period.  Here’s Everest guide Terray Sylvester with today’s dispatch:

Hello!  This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest and Lhotse expedition.  It’s May 8th.

Today we had another rest day in Namche.  Folks took it easy, just like yesterday – haircuts, massages, hamburgers for lunch down at the Sherpa Barista, and some hikes and walks around town. Tomorrow we will have another rest day here.

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

Climber Carter Beck getting a haircut and beard trim

Climber Carter Beck getting a haircut and beard trim (📸: @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:

A sunny morning at Namche Bazaar

The team continues to relax in Namche Bazaar as part of their “dropback” period.  Everest guide Terray Sylvester provides today’s expedition dispatch:

Hello!  This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest and Lhotse expedition.  It’s May 7th.

I’m calling in from Namche Bazaar.  Our Everest and Lhotse climbers are on the first day of their dropback here.  We flew down from base camp yesterday and we’ll be here for a few more days resting and recuperating and preparing for our summit push.

It was a good day today – beautiful weather here in Namche, just a little bit of rain in the evening.  But, really nice to wake up among the trees and greenery.  People enjoyed the good food in town today – hamburgers and pastries, got hair cuts, massages, …  So it’s been a really pleasant day!

We’ll be here for a few more days before flying back to base camp.

We’ll be in touch!

The team enjoying breakfast at the Panorama Lodge

The team enjoying breakfast at the Panorama Lodge


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:

Climbers Josh Garrison, Sara Safari, Saskia Jacobs and Cameron Kenny arrive in Namche

The team flew down to Namche Bazaar and has started their “dropback” period where the lower elevation will give their bodies time to recover from altitude.  Everest guide Terray Sylvester provides today’s expedition dispatch:

Hello!  This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest and Lhotse expedition.  It’s May 6th.

Today our climbers flew down from base camp (5310m/17,421ft) to Namche Bazaar (3440m/11,290ft).  It was a bit cloudy in the morning which delayed helicopter flights but all of us took off from base camp by about 3:30pm / 4:00pm and made it down to Namche not too long after.  So, we will rest here for a few days before flying back up to base camp to begin our summit push.

People are feeling well and looking forward to the excellent coffee, hamburgers, pizza, pastries, and other good things to enjoy here in Namche before we get back up to base camp.

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: