The Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team has arrived in base camp! Upon reaching their temporary home, clouds in the sky parted ways and revealed the summit high above – the team’s first sight of the summit on the trip so far. Expedition leader Terray Sylvester checks in with this exciting dispatch from base camp:
Hello from Manaslu Base Camp (4859m/15,944ft)! Today we hiked here from Sama Village with excellent views of the lower Manaslu Glacier and the Nubri Valley far below us. In the afternoon, the summit (8156m/26,759ft) emerged from the clouds as we settled into camp. We just wrapped up dinner and our first movie of the expedition: Back to the Future. 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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHOTO-2022-09-08-04-06-27.jpg8001200Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-09-06 15:40:052024-09-06 17:42:21Hello from Manaslu Base Camp!
The Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team is prepared to make the move up to base camp tomorrow! After several days of acclimatizing in the lower valleys, the team is in good spirits and ready to continue on. Today’s hike presented awesome views at every turn in the trail and new sights are sure to reveal themselves as we move higher into the alpine tomorrow. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from the Himalaya:
Today we went on our final acclimatization hike before moving up to Manaslu Base Camp (4859m/15,944ft). We hiked halfway up the trail to base camp with great views of waterfalls and Birendra Lake below us, as well as Samdo Peak (5177m/16,984ft) behind us. Then we came back down to Sama Village for lunch.
We’re resting this afternoon, packing, taking showers, and tomorrow morning we’ll wake up early and move up to base camp! We’ll be in touch tomorrow.
The magical trails of the Nubri Valley, below Manaslu! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)
Great views of Birendra Lake far below the route to Manaslu Base Camp! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)
Climbers, Sara and Jimmy hiking today. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)
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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHOTO-2024-09-05-03-21-37.jpg12001600Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-09-05 10:21:442024-09-05 14:53:08Tomorrow to Base Camp!
Today the Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team continued their acclimatization efforts in the areas surrounding Sama Village. The day started with clear and sunny skies, revealing spectacular views of the valleys and mountains surrounding the small village. Energized by the sun and with ever-growing excitement for the journey ahead, the team set off and toured the Punggen Valley and paid a visit to the Punggen Gompa, the oldest monastery in the area. Upon starting their journey home for the day, the team was invited for a visit into the home of one of the Buddhist nuns where they shared tea and cheese, a welcome surprise, and end to another great day in the Himalayas! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Nepal:
Today we took a really nice acclimatization hike up into the Punggen Valley, which is not far from Sama Village where we’re staying. The hike leads up along the torrent that comes out of the Punggen Glacier, and then through really beautiful pastureland where yaks and horses are grazing, and then up to the Punggen Gompa which is the oldest monastery in the Manaslu area.
As we were walking back from the monastery, one of the Buddhist nuns who lives in that whole monastery complex invited (us) into her house and treated us to butter tea, which is a very traditional drink here in the mountains of Nepal as well as fresh yak milk and yak cheese – actually those came from a nak, it was nak milk and nak cheese. A nak, N-A-K, is the female version of a yak, all yaks are male.
Then we walked back down to Sama Village. So, all in all it was a really pleasant day! Tomorrow we’re looking forward to another acclimatization hike up towards base camp (4859m/15,944ft). We’ll be in touch tomorrow!
A sunny morning in Sama Village!
The team at the entrance to the Punggen Valley.
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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHOTO-2024-09-04-07-17-18.jpg13652048Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-09-04 14:14:222024-09-04 16:12:22Touring the Punggen Valley
The Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team had a lovely day acclimatizing and exploring Samagaun and the surrounding areas! The team paid visits to a high alpine lake along with several monasteries, making for time well spent at over 3,500 meters while our climbers get used to lower levels of oxygen. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Nepal:
Today we had a really nice day! We had a sunny morning and so we went for an acclimatization hike up to Birendra Lake above town, and then we visited the local monasteries. Then we finished off that hike by heading farther up the Nubri Valley toward the next village, Samdo. It’s really nice here right now, everything’s very green and lush with lots of wildflowers because of the monsoon rains. With the beautiful, sunny day we had great views around the area including up to almost the summit of Manaslu itself.
We just finished dinner and we’re heading to bed soon. Tomorrow, we’ll wake up early and hopefully go for another acclimatization hike down the valley toward the Pungen Monastery. We’ll be in touch tomorrow!
Our climber, Chie, lighting butter lamps in Pema Decho Ling Monastery in Samagaun.
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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHOTO-2024-09-03-07-15-11.jpg10671600Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-09-03 14:06:482024-09-03 14:51:38Acclimatization day in Samagaun!
Our 2024 Manaslu expedition team has moved from the bustling city of Kathmandu into the mountains, now at the foot of Manaslu. The landscape is quite different, but the excitement continues to grow as it won’t be long before Manaslu first comes into view. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Nepal:
Today we headed over to the domestic airport in Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft) and caught a helicopter out of Kathmandu and up the very spectacular Budhi Gandaki River Valley and into Samagaun (3530m/11,581ft) – Sama Village at the foot of the mountain! It was a spectacular flight with lots of waterfalls along the way and really pretty views of the terraced hillsides of Nepal which are very green right now thanks to all the monsoon rain.
So now we’re in Sama and we’re just about to have dinner and relax! Over the next few days, we’ll be acclimatizing here before moving up to base camp (4859m/15,944ft). All is well and we will be in touch tomorrow!
Guide, Terray Sylvester en route to Sama Village with our climber, Sara and the rest of the team.
Views from the helicopter on the way to Sama Village!
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:
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.“
The Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team spent the day touring the exciting city of Kathmandu, which is Nepal’s capitol city. Home to several UNESCO World Heritage sites, the team visited and learned about these sacred places and visited a popular painting school before turning in for the evening. With some more good sleep and the gear check behind us, the team is excited to continue the expedition soon! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Nepal:
Today we had a nice tour around Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft)! We visited two UNESCO World Heritage sites. We started at Pashupatinath, which is the most important Hindu temple in Nepal, and one of the more important Hindu temples out there anywhere. Then we headed over to Boudhanath Stupa where we visited Buddhist monasteries near the stupa and then visited a Thangka painting school which is a traditional kind of Tibetan Buddhist painting.
We’ve been relaxing since then and we plan to wake up early and fly to Samagaun (3530m/11,581ft) at the base of the mountain tomorrow morning weather permitting. So, all is well here and we’ll be in touch tomorrow!
Touring Pashupatinath with our local cultural guide. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)
A boy swimming in the Bagmati River at Pashupatinath. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)
Butter lamps in a Buddhist monastery in Baudha, Kathmandu. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)
Pashupatinath temple. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)
Visiting a Thangka painting workshop near Boudhanath Stupa. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)
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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHOTO-2024-09-01-03-33-59.jpg13662048Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-09-01 10:32:432024-09-02 22:46:13City tour in Kathmandu
The 2024 Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition is underway! After a long day of travel from their home countries, the team all gathered together in Kathmandu where we conducted a gear check, orientation, and welcome dinner before getting some rest for the days ahead. We are excited to begin this journey together, and with good weather, we will be heading into the mountains soon! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Kathmandu:
Today our team touched down in Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft)! We did gear checks, an orientation, and we just wrapped up a great dinner here in downtown Kathmandu. It was a beautiful day – the monsoon has not yet ended so we had a little bit of rain in the afternoon and an atmospheric lighting storm, but the whole morning was sunny with beautiful clouds and clear air around the Kathmandu Valley.
The team’s in good spirits! Tomorrow we’ll do a city tour, and then hopefully we’ll fly up to Sama village (3530m/11,581ft) at the foot of Manaslu on Monday. But, 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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/PHOTO-2024-08-31-07-18-54.jpg12001600Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-08-31 14:17:522024-09-02 01:03:51Manaslu expedition team is together in Kathmandu!
Our Manaslu (8156m/26,759ft) team is now safely off the mountain and heading home. We are grateful they were lucky to have missed the avalanches reported in recent days. All equipment has been carried down from our high camps, and the base camp (4859m/15,944ft) crew is beginning to pack up.
Due to the lingering monsoon and heavy precipitation in western Nepal, as well as the continuous snowfall and bad weather, the route conditions on Manaslu are unsafe for us to proceed. There have been multiple avalanches in recent days causing fatalities and injuries. We are saddened by the events that have transpired and our hearts go out to those who have lost a loved one in these events.
The Madison Mountaineering team went into this expedition very excited to climb to the true summit of Manaslu. However, the mountain had other plans. We are thankful we can walk away and return to climb another day.
Up next is our Ama Dablam expedition beginning October 20th in Nepal. Our fingers are crossed for good weather and route conditions… Stay tuned!!!
Prayer flags among foliage during the 2022 Madison Mountaineering Manaslu expedition. (📸: Terray Sylvester)
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.“
There was an avalanche reported on Manaslu on September 26th – we are still learning the details around what’s transpired. The Madison Mountaineering team is all safe in base camp and is providing assistance where they can. Our thoughts go out to those affected by these recent events. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester, checks in from Manaslu base camp:
This morning we received the incredibly sad news of an avalanche above Camp 3 (6800m/22,310ft) on Manaslu. We’re very saddened by this and we’re still learning details of what’s happened. We’ve been providing resources as needed and as we can.
But we also want to say that fortunately, our entire sherpa team, our climbers and our guide team are all safe on the lower mountain and in base camp (4859m/15,944ft). So, our team is out of harms way and we’re providing assistance as we can.
We’ll post updates on our social media accounts and here on our blog as necessary in the days and hours to come. 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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/PHOTO-2022-09-08-04-06-27.jpg8001200Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2022-09-26 08:02:412022-09-27 18:08:05Madison Mountaineering Team Safe on Manaslu
The team spent another stormy day nestled into base camp, but enjoyed a good meal, and are looking forward to better weather in the days ahead! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester, checks in from Manaslu base camp:
We spent today in base camp (4859m/15,944ft) preparing for our summit push. Then we had dinner, it was pizza, watched a movie, and we’re just heading to bed! Today was another good day. Still stormy – rainy and snowy here in base camp, but it looks like the clouds are going to start to part tomorrow.
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:
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.“
