All Everest expedition dispatches

Team returning up to base camp

Our Mountain Hardwear tents at EBC

Garrett reports, while the team is returning up to base camp from their drop back phase, Kenton Cool and climbing member, Michael, are heading up to Camp 2 to start their summit rotation:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for Everest team update.  Today we had a restful day in Everest base camp.  A couple of our members returned back from Namche, Chad and Wojciech.  And the other members are planning on returning to base camp tomorrow.  We will have at least a few days here before we think about heading up on our summit rotation.  Tonight, Kenton and Michael are going to head up to Camp 2 in preperation for a potential summit attempt somewhere in the next few days, weather pending.  All’s well here on Mount Everest!

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Wind up for the summit push

Garrett rocking the Mountain Hardwear Absolute Zero Suit at Camp 2

Things are starting to wind up for the summit push!  Most of our climbing team will be heading back up to base camp tomorrow from Namche.  And as soon as the winds die down up high, preparations for the summit attempt will continue.  The next two weeks are what it’s all about!!  Here’s Garrett’s audio dispatch from base camp:

Hello, this is Garrett checking in for the Everest team.  All’s well here in Everest base camp.  Our Sherpa team is up at Camp 2, resting currently, waiting for the winds to die down and they are planning to make a carry up to the South Col on May 12th.  Our climbers are all resting down in Namche at the moment.  And everyone’s doing okay!  So all’s well here in base camp and we’ll check in again soon!  Thanks.

The view of Everest Camp 1

Camp 1

Our Mountain Hardwear tents at EBC

Our Mountain Hardwear tents at EBC

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Summit rotation on the mind

While most of the team is still breathing in the richer air down at Nachme Bazaar, a few members have hiked back up to Everest base camp.  But wherever they are, everybody has the upcoming summit rotation on the mind!  Our members in Nahcme will be heading back up to base camp in the next few days.  The weather should be cooperating to allow the high camps to be stocked and the fixed lines to be put in place to the summit, opening the summit bids just as the team returns from the drop back and settles back into base camp.  Everyone is raring to go!

While we wait for the big dance to start, enjoy some recent photos taken around base camp, courtesy of expedition leader, Garrett Madison.

The Khumbu Icefall in the evening Sun

The peaks behind EBC

Base camp in the evening

Base camp at sunset

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Drop Back begins

Good sized avalanche near EBC

Today, the “drop back” begins for the Everest team.  The drop back is part of the acclimatization rotations where the team members descend down the Khumbu Valley to enjoy the “thick” air of the lower elevations to give their bodies a chance to rest and recover after the high-altitude rotations up the mountain.  This gets them fully ready for the summit push which will be coming up next.  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, has today’s dispatch from base camp where he is overseeing operations:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Everest climbing team.  Today our team started the first day of the “drop back” where we go back down valley to rest and recover in preparation for our summit rotation.  Some members were able to fly to Namche, where they are staying at the Panorama Lodge.  And other members of our team have hiked down valley to Pheriche on their way to the village of Debuche for a few nights.  All’s well here in base camp.  Our Sherpa team is heading up tonight to Camp 2 to start working on carrying loads to the South Col.  We are just waiting for the winds to drop down up high on the mountain so we can get back to work for rope fixing towards the summit.  All’s well here on Everest, we’ll check in soon!

(photo:  good sized avalanche nearby Everest base camp this morning, posed no danger)

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Team at base camp

View of Nuptse from Camp 2

The team is back at base camp after completing the second rotation.  The winds up at Camp 2 provided a perfect training environment for conditions that could be encountered when the team is high on the summit ridge.  Here’s Garrett from base camp this morning:

Hello!  This is Garrett with the Everest climbing team.  We’re back down in base camp today.  We all came down from Camp 2 this morning through the Khumbu Icefall.  Everybody’s doing great.  We had a fun four nights up at Camp 2.  It was pretty windy and we got to climb up on the Lhotse face in some high winds as well.  Which is great preparation for us leading up to our summit rotation where we will be up on the summit ridge of Everest hopefully in a few week’s time.  You never know what to expect up there.  So it was a good rotation, challenging, but everyone did really well.  Happy to be down.  Thanks!

Climbing up to the Lhotse face

Climbing up to the Lhotse face

Sun coming up over Everest summit

Sun coming up over Everest summit

Camp 2

Camp 2

View of Nuptse from Camp 2

View of Nuptse from Camp 2

 

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Lhotse face climbing

With the wind still blowing somewhat, the Everest team was able to do some Lhotse face climbing as part of this second rotation.  Garrett provides these details via sat phone:

Hello this is Garrett calling in for the Everest climbing team.  Today is May 5th and we had a great day up here on Mount Everest.  We got up early, left the camp at 3pm and climbed up partway up the Lhotse face towards Camp 3.  Then we came back down to Camp 2 and had a nice lunch, dinner, and now we are tucked in.  Looking forward to heading down tomorrow.  We didn’t go all the way to Camp 3 because it was really windy and there was a little bit of rockfall on the Lhotse face so we safely decided to come back to Camp 2.  All’s well here, everyone’s doing great, morale is high and we’re looking forward to heading down to base camp tomorrow.

(photo:  Madison Mountaineering archives)

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Winds dying down

The team reports in from Everest Camp 2 with this dispatch:

Hello this is Garrett calling in for the Mount Everest climbing team.  Today is May 4th and we are up at Camp 2.  It was a great day today.  The winds died down a bit, it snowed a litte, but the Sun came out – which is nice.  We took a walk up towards the Lhotse face in our down suits and back.  Tomorrow our plan is to head back up the Lhotse face [garbled] perhaps to Camp 3, if the weather permits.  Then the following day we’re going to head to base camp.  Everybody’s doing great up here at Camp 2, just enjoying the beautiful scenery and looking forward to a [garbled] today tomorrow.  Thanks for checking in!

(photo:  Madison Mountaineering archives)

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Windy at Camp 2

Close up of Everest and Lhotse from Gokyo Ri

It’s been windy at Camp 2 but the Everest team is doing well, having fun, and hopeful that the conditions will improve by tomorrow.  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, called in this dispatch by satellite phone:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in.  We are up here at Camp 2!  All’s well.  It’s been a windy day.  The winds picked up around 2am last night and they have continued pretty consistently through out the day and it’s still pretty breezy.  So we spent the day fortifying our camp making sure that your tents are in good condition.  We’ve been enjoying a few good meals and good conversation and making the best of it.  It’s good training for the South Col on a windy day.  So we are having fun up here and after the winds die down there might be a little snow in the forecast, so we’ll wait to see if that materializes.  Tomorrow we will try to go for a hike up the Lhotse face, if the weather permits.  All’s well here and we’ll check in soon.  Thanks!

(photo:  from the Madison Mountaineering archives)

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From base camp to Camp 2

Everest Camp 2

In the first day’s push of the second rotation, the team climbed all the way from base camp to Camp 2 at the far end of the Western Cwm.  Here’s Garrett’s report via satellite phone:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Everest climbing team.  We had a great day!  And we are up at Camp 2 and all settled in here.  We had a nice dinner and we’re going to take a rest day tomorrow.  Some exciting news:  our Sherpa rope fixing team, eight of our top Nepal Sherpas, were able to fix lines to the South Col today to Camp 4!  Dispite the high winds, they got to Camp 4 with the fixed ropes.  So now the route is open all the way to the South Col for other teams to carry loads and acclimitize.  Everyone’s doing great up here at Camp 2!  Sounds like there might be a little bit of snow in the forecast, but there’s clear skies at the moment.  We will keep our eyes on that and everyone’s doing well.  So, we’ll check in soon.  Thanks so much!

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Second Rotation

Sunset on Everest Base Camp

In just a few hours, the Everest team will be starting their second rotation up the mountain to continue the acclimatization process.  Just before heading to bed, expedition leader, Garrett Madison, provided this update:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Mount Everest climbing team.  Tonight we are going to head out from base camp around 2am and climb up through the Khumbu Icefall and then the Western Cwm to Camp 2!  Our plan is to get up to Camp 2 and spend a few nights up there.  Hopefully climb up the Lhotse face and touch Camp 3 (7230m/23,720ft), as well.  It looks like a little snow in the forecast, but not too much, so we are excited for a late night departure and to see what the mountain brings!  We’ll check in soon.  Thanks.

The view of the Khumbu Icefall from EBC

The view of the Khumbu Icefall from EBC

'Chicken Sizzler' dinner at EBC

‘Chicken Sizzler’ dinner at EBC

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