Everest 2024 Archives

Hello, from the Khumbu Valley! The spring, 2024 Himalayan season is underway and our team has begun their trek towards Everest Base Camp. After traveling from around the world and arriving in Kathmandu, the team settled into their hotel rooms before conducting a gear check, orientation, and enjoying a nice welcome dinner as a team! The following morning after a big breakfast at the Yak and Yeti hotel, our team gathered on the helicopter pad and awaited their lift to Lukla – the starting point for where we’ll begin the trek to Everest Base Camp. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from Phakding:

Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest (8848m/29,032ft), Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft), Nuptse (7861m/25,791ft) expedition team! Today is April 14, Sunday, and today we flew from Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft) to Lukla (2860m/9,383ft) by helicopter to start the trek. We trekked to the first village, Phakding (2610m/8,562ft), where we had an afternoon lunch and dinner. We had beautiful views today – so nice to be up in the Khumbu Valley where the air is fresh, the views are magnificent, and the people are wonderful.

So, we’re excited to be in the mountains heading uphill towards Everest Base Camp (5364m/17,598ft) and beyond. Everyone’s doing well and we’ll check in soon tomorrow from Namche (3440m/11,290ft)!

Team photo outside of our team hotel, the Yak and Yeti!

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 Madison Mountaineering mountain cleanup project expedition team kept themselves busy in base camp today, cleaning up much of the trash in and around base camp! Of the cleanup efforts so far on Lobuche East, Ama Dablam, and Mera Peak, today’s effort amounted to our largest cleanup day to date! The team will continue to remove trash and waste tomorrow in surrounding areas. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Annapurna Base Camp:

Hello from Annapurna I Base Camp (4130m/13551ft)! Today we organized our largest cleanup yet here at the planet’s 10th highest peak. Our five-person cleanup crew was assisted by our guide and camp staff and, of course, our climber Nelly Attar, with whom we’re collaborating for this climbing and cleanup initiative. We wrapped up today’s cleanup late this afternoon as snow was starting to fall. Tomorrow morning we’ll wake up early and set out down the Mistri Khola drainage to pick up trash along the historic approach trail to the north side of Annapurna, which is now also a somewhat popular trekking route. From there we’ll send our first batch of waste out of the mountains to be recycled and otherwise disposed of. 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:

– 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: