Dispatches
After our banner season on Mount Everest this past spring all I wanted for our K2 expedition was a safe return for everyone, and perhaps a chance at a summit attempt. After my first successful expedition to K2 in 2014, I led expeditions again in 2015 & 2016 that were unsuccessful, no climbers from any teams reached the summit those years because of inclement weather and avalanches. I had one climber seriously injured by a falling rock in 2015 (Kami Sherpa) and fortunately he made a full recovery. The spectre of K2’s wrath haunts me, for I know it can unleash destruction and death of such magnitude never before seen in the climbing community. In 2013, the year before my first trip to K2, a father and son vanished from Camp 3. The father was a well known mountain guide with a vast depth of experience, however, on K2 the stakes are elevated significantly, making Mount Everest at times seem tame. When I was on K2 in 2016, we had already made one trip to sleep at camp 3 and on our summit attempt we were preparing to climb from Camp 1 to Camp 2 when a massive avalanche came down from above. We were protected on the Abruzzi ridge, but the avalanche swept down from somewhere near Camp 4 (the shoulder) to the base of the mountain, taking with it everything that was in our Camp 3. Some of us climbed up to Camp 3 to take a look and there was only the remnants of an avalanche passing through, if our team and the other teams climbing on our schedule had been there that morning it would not have been survivable, a minimum of 60 casualties.
Pre K2
Prior to K2 this season, I was on Mount Everest and led the rope fixing effort to the summit, for all teams, and a record number of climbers ascended during the good weather window that followed. In addition to our team climbing Everest a few of us also climbed Mount Lhotse (4th highest). It couldn’t have gone better for us on Everest, and I was wondering how long my luck would hold out. Because my Sherpas had fixed the lines up to the summit of Mount Everest, I knew this would be good practice for them on K2. Upon completion of the Everest season in early June we refilled our oxygen cylinders, packed our tents, ropes, and other equipment and headed to Islamabad, Pakistan. The process for obtaining climbing permits and tourist visas to climb K2 in Pakistan is much more complicated and time consuming that for Mount Everest, we had been working on that for nearly 6 months. We assembled in Islamabad on June 20, then flew to Skardu where we traveled by jeep to the village of Askole where we began the 70 mile trek to base camp.
The Trek
During the trek to K2 base camp the weather was not good, we had a lot of rain and snow that slowed us down. Upon reaching K2 base camp (16,500’) there was 2 feet of snow on the ground and it was wet, making all of our tents, clothing and equipment wet. After being there for a couple days the sun appeared and we were able to dry out! We rebuilt our entire base camp after the snow melted to our specifications, installing a big dining tent with gas heaters, a shower tent, and toilet tents, and then went about our training before embarking on our first rotation.
K2 & Base Camp
First Death on K2
We climbed up to Advanced Base Camp (17,500’) to sleep, then climbed to Camp 1 (20,100’) on the Abruzzi ridge for 2 nights. On our way up a climber from Canada fell to his death. We saw him come right by us as we were on the steep slope below Camp 1, and we could tell that he was already gone. We learned that he was rappelling an old fixed line just below Camp 2 that broke. I’ve seen this happen before to a German mountain guide on Ama Dablam just below Camp 2, it was very sad.
At that point we had to reassess the situation, the fixed lines put in earlier by the Japanese team to Camp 2 could not be trusted. I tasked our Sherpa team to re fix the route from Camp 1 to Camp 2 with our semi static kernmantle ropes, a much stronger and more expensive alternative to the cheap polypropylene (Korean) rope that the Japanese team had used. I am very proud of what our Sherpas accomplished that next day, they were able to re fix the entire route from Camp 1 to Camp 2 with our ropes as we climbed behind them. We spent 2 nights at Camp 2 acclimatizing and climbed partway up the Black Pyramid on the good ropes that our Sherpas fixed, then descended to base camp the following day to rest and recover.
Rest in Base Camp
As we rested and recovered in base camp our Sherpas worked tirelessly carrying loads of oxygen, tents, food, ropes, and other equipment higher on the mountain, and fixing ropes to Camp 4 and above. We had 12 Nepal Sherpas who regularly work with me on Everest, and 5 Pakistan high altitude porters (HAPs) which are the Pakistan equivalent of our Nepal Sherpas, they worked together in preparing the high camps and climbing route for us.
Summit Attempt
A good weather window was forecast by our meteorologist for July 20-21, so we prepared to put ourselves in position for a summit attempt. We climbed up to ABC, Camp 1, then Camp 2. However, that night at Camp 2 the weather deteriorated and we had wind gusts all night with 2 feet of snow outside our tent in the morning! After talking by radio with our Sherpas in Camp 4 who were working on fixing lines up higher on K2, we nearly called off our attempt. We were all packed up and ready to head down from camp 2 when I called them one last time on the radio and spoke about the conditions. They said they had over 3 feet of snow (1 meter) at Camp 4 but that the weather was nice and they were going to try and continue working to fix lines toward the summit. We had a team meeting at Camp 2 just as some of us were about to begin the descent, and we decided to hold a day at Camp 2 and reassess the following morning. I’m really glad we stopped and had a team discussion and decided to wait a day because after that the weather was much better, we climbed to Camp 3 and the following day to Camp 4.
Camp 3
We had discussed where to position our Camp 3 several times before the summit attempt as myself and a few others who knew about the disappearance of the father and son team in 2013, as well as the complete loss of our Camp 3 in 2016, were worried about the safety of that slope. Sleeping on an avalanche prone slope was not something that we wanted to be doing; worrying all night about being buried alive in an avalanche, where the debris are carried off a cliff. We decided that if we positioned our Camp 3 much farther to ‘climbers left’ near the ridgeline, as opposed to the traditional location which is far out on the broad glacier slope on the northeast side of the mountain, that we would be much less exposed to a potential avalanche. As we approached Camp 3 I was relieved to see that it was indeed on the ridgeline and did not appear to be exposed to snow avalanches. As I lay in my sleeping bag before going to bed that night with John and Geoff next to me in our tent, I would be lying if I said we weren’t all a little nervous. However, the next morning we were in good spirits as we climbed up to Camp 4.
To the Summit
That night we woke up and departed Camp 4 (25,500’), our high camp, at 9 PM in a blizzard. We were in a cloud and it was snowing and wind gusting, but with our headlamps on we could see the route and we climbed up to the shoulder, within an hour we were above the cloud and it was a starry night! We could see K2 in the moonlight, as well as neighboring Broad Peak with climbers headlamps heading up from high camp on their summit bid. As we climbed up the shoulder of K2 we had to break trail in knee deep snow, at times it was thigh deep, we saw the Serac (ice cliff) towering high above us and blacking out the stars. While ascending the bottleneck, spindrift came down on us frequently and we had to keep our hoods up to prevent the snow from going down into our suits!
As we approached the traverse I saw one of our Sherpas (Siddhi) who I have climbed Everest and other peaks with numerous times out front breaking trail and pulling the fixed ropes out of the snow as it had been buried by the recent snowfall. After he made the ‘traverse’, a short but precarious section where a nearly 10,000’ (3,000m) drop is below, he was climbing up the steep and icy slope when a small avalanche broke off and the slope around him slid away. By the beam of my headlamp I watched and expected to see Siddhi slide away and down the ‘bottleneck’ where many unfortunate climbers have met their end on K2, but the rope and anchors held him, and he continued climbing up. After that we made our way up to the bench to take a rest break.
Above The Traverse on summit day
After 7 hours of climbing we took a break to change our oxygen cylinders, to eat and drink, and to admire the view as the sun rose over the Karakorum. It was spectacular! From here the only climbing afterward is the moderate snow slope leading to the summit. We broke trail in knee deep snow all the way to the summit of K2, it took about 3 hours and was monotonous work, but we had views all around and knew we would be successful. Once on top we savored the moment, some of us cried, others hugged, called Mom from the satellite phone, and we rejoiced in the success of our collective effort. Then we began the descent.
At the top with some of our climbing Sherpas
Death on the Descent
As we made our way quickly and efficiently from the summit to the ‘bench’ rest break, we stopped to see who might be below us. Sure enough, the Japanese team was making their way up our fixed ropes very slowly and spaced about 40 feet (12m) apart. As they ascended our lines up the steep and icy terrain they had their full body weight on the ropes, making it impossible for us to rappel our lines to descend. I was a little upset. This team had hardly contributed to our rope fixing effort and was now using our ropes and effectively blocking us from descending, it would take at least several hours for them to climb past us and we would end up sitting and waiting, using up our oxygen and getting very cold as the sun went down, this would be a bad situation.
Even if you do all the work fixing ropes on a mountain you can’t stop others from using them. On Everest, the Expedition Operators Association (EOA) has done a good job of collecting a small fee from each climber to fund the rope fixing project, where generally one or two teams takes the responsibly and is reimbursed for expenses associated in the effort such as the cost of rope, ice screws & carabiners, additional Sherpas, oxygen, etc. On K2 no EOA exists, so only by cordially asking other teams for contributions can a team taking on this effort be reimbursed. However, only my team and Dawa Sherpas team were in a realistic position to climb the mountain. The other teams arrived at base camp with the expectation that someone else would do the hard and dangerous work (and take the financial burden) of putting up the fixed ropes, and they would follow.
As we gathered at the ‘bench’ rest break we discussed what we should do. Waiting 4+ hours was out of the question. Fortunately, myself and others on our team had carried over 200m of extra rope, which we began fixing as we descended around the Japanese team. As we passed them I couldn’t believe how disorganized they were. Some of them were good climbers and looked okay on the route but some were really struggling, and I dreaded what would become of them as I continued down with my team. After passing the Japanese team we descended the ‘traverse’ and ‘bottleneck’ reaching our Camp 4 that afternoon. We packed up and continued our descent to Camp 2 arriving just before nightfall.
The next morning as we began packing up at Camp 2 for our final descent to base camp we learned by radio that not all the Japanese had returned to Camp 4 after their summit. Our Pakistan liaison officer in base camp called us and said that one of the Japanese climbers was still high on the mountain. We were not in a position to go back up, so we continued our descent to base camp arriving that afternoon for a celebration dinner. That evening we heard the news that the Japanese climber who had not returned to high camp was the last in their team coming down from the summit in the dark, and had become tangled up in the ropes on the traverse, then had fallen. Nobody would be going back up for him.
I was saddened but also frustrated by the lack of team work the Japanese team demonstrated. When I climb we don’t leave anyone behind. If someone is struggling we help them. We try to make good decisions and turn around if we are too tired to continue up to the summit and down in good style. Unfortunately, this is not the mentality of many teams I encounter on big mountains, especially on Mount Everest and K2, where generally most of the 10+ fatalities on Mount Everest each season are preventable if only climbers made it their priority to climb together as a team, rather than as individuals where it’s every man for themselves.
Heading Home
After two days packing up in base camp we trekked out 70 miles over 4 days to Skardu, then had a big celebration dinner with all of our climbers, guides, Nepal Sherpas and Pakistan staff. It was a grand affair! I was really happy that 8 of our 10 clients made the summit, along with 3 guides (myself, Geoff Schellens, Robert Smith), as well as 10 of our Nepal Sherpas and 5 of our Pakistan HAPs. The Pakistan HAPs were very excited to have reached the summit for the first time after numerous attempts. Bashir, who is from the nearby village of Hushe, I have known for several years and he kept thanking me again and again that night. This was his 8th K2 expedition working as a high altitude porter and his first summit. Generally, teams that hire Pakistan high altitude porters only use them to carry loads to Camp 4. They are offered a chance to go for the summit, but without oxygen it’s nearly impossible. I brought enough extra oxygen for all 5 of our Pakistan HAPs (along with additional masks & regulators) for them to attempt the summit with us, and they were all successful including the youngest person from Pakistan to climb K2.
With Bashir, Pakistani high altitude porter at our celebration dinner
Back in Islamabad the ministry of Sport and the Pakistan Alpine Club had a press conference for us where we received our official summit certificates, we had a fun time giving interviews for Pakistan television networks. Promoting mountaineering (sport) as well as tourism is very important for Pakistan. The feeling was good vibes all around. As we retired to the very comfortable Serena hotel for our last night in Pakistan, we savored the feeling of having completed a successful expedition where not only all members who embarked on the summit attempt reached the top but more importantly we all returned safely. I can only hope my good luck continues a little longer!
-Garrett Madison, Expedition Leader
Our guides, Billy and Sid led our 2019 Mt. Rainier team of climbers of Aaron, Scott, Nate, and Tom to the top of Mount Rainier with 100% success on September 12th! At the base of the mountain the weather was rainy but as they climbed above the clouds they were met with challenging but nice conditions with cold temps and low wind.
The Mt. Rainier NPS climbing rangers described shape of the our Disappointment Cleaver route as:
…significant rerouted recently to reduce the number of ladder crossings and widening crevasses. The new trail is poorly defined due to a combination of fewer climbers and large snow penitentes. These massive penitentes and complex route-finding are contributing to long days on summit attempts with many groups taking 12-16 hours round-trip from high camp. In particular, many climbing parties are having difficulties finding the new route where it trends left from the top of the Cleaver toward Camp Comfort above Gibraltar Rock. Eventually, around 13,300′, the new route regains the old track and a better defined bootpack (until it becomes obscured by new snowfall with incoming autumn storms).
It was a great way to cap off our Cascades climbing season! Congratulations to the team for persevering and successfully and safely making what is typically described as the most difficult endurance climb in the lower 48 states!
Washington state high point: Check!!
Rest break en route to the summit
Late season suncups cover the upper mountain
Stunning views above the clouds!
The sweet taste of success!
Our 2018 Mont Blanc team recently returned from the French Alps after having a great time climbing Western Europe’s highest peak! Our climbers met in the historic mountain village of Chamonix, France, and from there ventured into the high country, spending two nights at the Albert Premier hut to acclimatize and train in mountaineering technique. We climbed the Tête Blanche, a glaciated peak with an exposed rock scramble at the summit. After 3 days up high in the alpine zone, we descended back to Chamonix. Everyone enjoyed a restful evening and great dinner in town.
The following morning we had a leisurely start and then took the famous Aiguille du Midi tram up to the top station, and enjoyed a traditional French lunch overlooking the Alps. Donning our technical climbing gear, we roped up for the descent out of the ‘ice tunnel’ from the station. Slowly we climbed down the very exposed snow arête. The slopes drop away on either side, down to the glacier below. From here we traversed the glacier to the Cosmiques refuge, a climbers hut perched on the edge the cliff overlooking Mont Blanc, and the Chamonix valley far below. After we discussed our plan for the summit attempt and enjoyed a nice dinner, we hit the sack in preparation for an early alpine start!
We awoke just after midnight, had a quick breakfast in the hut then turned on our headlamps and went outside to put on our crampons & rope up. We began the climb climbing the first of the 3 peaks in the ‘tois mont’ or ‘triple summit’ route, Mont Blanc du Tacul. After switchbacking up the glaciated terrain we encountered a large crevasse with a ladder in place to cross. After this section we soon passed by Mont Blanc du Tacul and ventured towards Mont Maudit, a more challenging and higher consequence part of the climb. Climbing up Mont Maudit involved crossing some crevasses on narrow snow bridges and also using our crampons on hard ice as we ascended over the peak on onward towards the final summit, Mont Blanc.
We climbed the final snow slopes to the top of Western Europe’s highest peak and reached the summit at 9 AM! The views were phenomenal and we snapped many summit photos while savoring our success. We then began the descent back down from Mont Blanc, over Mont Maudit, and Mont Blanc du Tacul back to the Cosmiques refuge for dinner. As we sipped celebratory beverages after dinner we recounted our climb of Mont Blanc and our good fortune in climbing other summits and having great weather throughout. Thanks to all of our climbers for participating in a fantastic week in the French Alps, and especially to guides Victor Saunders and Kris Erickson who helped make this a great program.
Lead guide Jayar Storms provides this report of this week’s success on Eldorado Peak:
Regardless of some variable weather, we had a highly successful trip!
Continuing from our adventures on Mt. Baker, our trip began on Thursday with a brief river crossing followed by a sudden incline up the side of the valley which persisted for a few hours before spitting us out at the bottom of a talus field. We ascended the talus field for multiple hours, at the top of which was a high mountain meadow where we camped for the first night. That night, from camp, we were fortunate to be able to view a black bear about a quarter mile down valley foraging for berries.
In the morning, we found ourselves in a somewhat of a white out. We packed up camp and headed across a ridge to our left, down the other side and up a small talus field and a glacier with multiple crevasse crossings to high camp. Our prior knowledge of this season’s route proved very helpful in guiding us in to camp. We rolled out our things for the rest of day two and got up at 6:00 am the next morning for the summit push.
Although the sun was out by the time we left, the continuous thick cloud cover kept the snow cold and stable. In order to avoid some crevasses, we took the more direct south face onto the east ridge. We reached the summit, snapped a few pictures and just as we were packing our things, the clouds parted, revealing the beautiful mountainous landscape around us. It was a spectacular moment!
We made a quick down-climb down the east ridge and south face and were back at camp before the snow could get too soft. Later that day we walk out across to the other side of the glacier to get a back shot of Eldorado Peak and to do some additional snow school. When we got back we had a nice celebratory dinner, and headed off to bed early in preparation for the trek out in the morning.
We made an early start the next day raising at 3:00 am, packing up camp and beginning our hike to the trailhead. We made quick work of the glacier, weaved through the smaller talus field and back over the ridge. We descended through the high mountain meadow and back through the primary talus field. Once we got back down the valley and across the river we found ourselves at the trailhead before noon.
It was a pleasure spending eight days with Chris in the mountains and we can’t wait for him to come back and visit us.
Jayar and Winter Storms checking in from Mt. Baker.
We met with our clients Chris and Karen at their hotel in the Greater Seattle area on Sunday the 25th, and proceeded to the trailhead from there. At the trailhead we were met with some light rain. Rain continued for the majority of the approach but was never more than our rain layers could deal with. We found a comfortable location to camp that was close to fresh water and out of the wind.
Monday morning we all got up early, enjoyed a quick breakfast and headed up the glacier for snow school where Karen and Chris very quickly picked up the basics of snow travel. Unfortunately due to a recent injury to her foot, Karen opted to stay behind for the summit attempt. We commend Karen for making a hard decision and listening to her body.
The remainder of our party left camp at 1:00 am on Tuesday morning for the summit attempt. An unexpected amount of crevasses on the glacier slowed our pace and left our route rather circuitous. We used many techniques to get up the route including short roping, running belays, short pitching, and some rappelling to maneuver a crevasse. The added crevasse work effected our schedule and we decided to turn around at 9,700 ft, just at the top of the pumice ridge. Our descent was swift and smooth with Chris handling some technical terrain incredibly well. We returned to high camp before 2:00 pm and rested for the remainder of the afternoon.
Wednesday morning we all got up at 6:00 am, packed our things and made quick work of the return to the trailhead. Everyone is in high spirts! Karen is off to the airport and Chris is preparing for our next adventure. We will be leaving for Eldorado Peak tomorrow.
We will check back in after we get back from Eldorado!
Driving up through a hazy smoke lining the valley near Mount Rainier, our 2019 Climb for Conservation team launched from Paradise en route for Camp Muir (10,188 ft). After a enjoyable day learning climbing skills with Garrett Madison, including techniques for cramponing, use of the ice axe and self-arrest, rope team travel, we tucked into our sleeping bags at Camp Muir. The next morning we woke up at 7am, ate breakfast and moved up toward Ingraham Flats at 11,100 feet to set up high camp. Around 2pm we geared up and started our summit ascent, first challenge being the rock climb over the Disappointment Cleaver. While the sun came down over the mountain the temperature quickly dropped below freezing as we continued to move higher on the mountain.
As the sun was setting across the horizon we reached the summit at 4,392m / 14,411ft. Climbers quickly made their way to sign the summit book inside a large metal box before roping up again and making our descent. The wind picked up to 25mph or so and all climbers were ready to move toward our warm tents and dinner back on the Ingraham flats.
To view our Washington programs for summer 2019, please click HERE.
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Please enjoy a few of our top photos from this climb! 🙂
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Photo by David Kernan
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Photo by David Kernan
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Photo by Jason Korb
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Photo by Christiane
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Photo by Christiane
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Photo by Christiane
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Photo by Christiane
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Lead guide, Sid Pattison, provides this expedition recap of summit day:
Well another great Kilimanjaro trip is in the books, our entire team summited at 6:45am on August 4th. It was a cold morning but we all kept moving and stayed warm. The sun crested the horizon as we made our final steps to Uhuru Peak, the third and highest of Kilimanjaro’s three summits.
Getting here had been a great trip through the many wonders that Kili has to offer. As we started in the rain forest on the lower flanks of the mountain we ate lunch with monkeys playing above our heads, curious as to what brings us here. The next day, as we climbed up and out of the thick jungle into the stunted trees of the Erica zone, this zone allowed us gorgeous views across the mid flanks of the mountain and up to the summit! This would be our first view of the mountain, from the mountain. There was a palatable shift as we gazed up at how much we had to climb. Undaunted and undeterred the team pushed on, through the hidden moorlands, up to the Lava tower to acclimatize and past Barafu camp to the higher Kosovo Camp. From here we prepared for our midnight rise and early morning summit.
We rose at 11pm on August 3rd and quietly readied ourselves for a big day. Bags packed, boots tied, headlamps ready we were off. Up we went, switch-backing our way up the mountain, rock and scree gave way to snow and ice as we approached Stella Point, where our crew looked across the crater, standing above and across from Africas only glaciers. From Stella Point the crew had to dig deep to finish the final 1.5 hour climb across the crater rim. Together we climbed slowly but surely, “Pole Pole” (pronounced ‘Polay Polay’ it means slowly, slowly in Swahili) as our African guides would say to the summit. Upon arrival hugs were shared, handshakes of appreciation and ultimate feelings of satisfaction. The funny thing about any summit is that always accompanying these feelings is the tempering understanding that we are only half way, we still must get down, and it generally isn’t easy.
As we made our way down from the summit, back to Stella point we watched people digging hard like we had just been doing, their slow steps, the looks in their eyes telling the story of giving everything the have hoping the summit comes soon. After Stella Point, in the sun we shed layers, drank water were finally able to relax a bit before the final descent to camp. As we walked back into camp our staff sang and congratulated us on our climb. We relaxed and drank cold juice. It was then time for the big 18km, 10,000ft descent. Pulling into the Mweka gate at 6:00, we were greeted by many of our staff.
Today my legs are sore but I’m always happy to have another successful climb under my belt. Thanks again to our local staff of guides, porters and cook staff. They really do a great job and make the experience on the mountain amazing!
Head guide Sid Pattison reports:
Karanga, meaning “peanut”, seems to undersell this camp. Big views all the way down to the plains below and the towering Kilimanjaro above.
Since leaving Machame Gate we have trekked through rain forest, arid dry lands, hidden moorlands and scrambled up the Baranco Wall. Today at 4000 m / 13,220 ft. the crew is feeling good, eating well and staying hydrated as we prepare for our summit bid tomorrow night after our morning hike to our high camp: Kosovo Camp (4860 m / 15,950 ft.).
Our local staff has been endlessly helpful and entertaining. There really is no comparison when it comes to how committed these guys are to this mountain and helping us along our journey to the roof of Africa.
Wish us luck for a clear and pleasant summit day!
Hiking to Karanga Camp
The View from Karanga Camp
Kili providing the backdrop to Karanga Camp
The towering Kilimanjaro from the Baranco Wall
The K2 team is back in Islamabad and heading home! After our successful climb of K2 we trekked over 100 kilometers from K2 base camp to the village of Askoli, along the Baltoro glacier past the iconic Trango Towers, then drove by Jeep along the Braldu river gorge to Skardu where we spent the night and had a celebration dinner with our whole team of climbers, Pakistan staff and Nepal Sherpas. Yesterday we flew from Skardu to Islamabad.
We had a very successful expedition with 8 of our K2 clients reaching the summit on July 22nd, along with 3 mountain guides, 9 Nepal Sherpas, and 4 of our Pakistan high altitude porters. We were very fortunate to have a perfect day on top, with great views all around, and little wind at the summit.
I attribute our success to hard work, a little luck, and a lot of preparation! It’s been a great season for us in the Karakorum mountain range!
Our K2 summit celebration cake
Geoff, John, and Garrett in the tent high on K2!
Straight from head guide, Mark Tucker, here is the full recap of summit day on Mt. Elbrus:
We got pretty lucky with the weather — except for it trying to blow us off the summit ridge! And then after we descended the fixed lines (that are installed annually to protect against a fall on the steep terrain) we hit some white-out conditions, but just for a bit. Aside from that, I guess you could call it a beautiful day on the mountain!!! Which it was.
We started with a bit of help from a snow-cat at 02:00 AM moving up the lower part of the climb.
After a few hours of climbing, we were welcomed by a beautiful warming sunrise. We were fortunate to witness the very unique sight of the mountain’s shadow being cast on the horizon by the rising Sun. The beautiful hues of pinks, blues, and greys were enough to take your breath away. Or was it because were were working so hard at 17,000’? 🙂
The team did a fantastic job taking care of themselves and climbing strong. On the last bit to the top, the wind was blowing so hard that the team gathered even more strength to crawl to the summit! We hunkered down for a quick couple of photos.
Everyone did an awesome job heading down safe, healthy and yes, a bit tired!
