Pre-Departure Day!

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering Archive.

Our bags are packed and we’re jonesing to get this expedition going! With good weather tomorrow, our team expects to depart from Chile en route to Union Glacier, Antarctica. The team plans to spend the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying a nice dinner this evening, before their expedition begins on the ice! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with todays pre-departure dispatch from Punta Arenas:

Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson (4892m/16,050ft) expedition. We are in Punta Arenas (34m/112ft); just got all of our luggage checked in for our flight to Antarctica and fingers crossed we’ll be flying out tomorrow morning from Chile to Antarctica! So, we’re really excited to go out and have a nice dinner tonight and the expectation of a flight tomorrow.

So, we’re ready to go! Can’t wait to get down there and start our climb soon!

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:

/0 Comments/by

Mount Vinson Expedition Kickoff!

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering Archive.

The 2022 / 2023 Mount Vinson season is underway for the first of two, Madison Mountaineering teams! Our team has arrived in Chile where they’ll spend the coming days preparing to depart on their expedition to one of the most remote and pristine places on Earth. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with todays dispatch from Punta Arenas, Chile:

Hello, this is Garrett checking in for the Mount Vinson (4892m/16,050ft) expedition team! We are in Punta Arenas (34m/112ft), Chile and we are preparing to head to Antarctica the day after tomorrow. We’ve been doing our gear checks, packing up last minute items, and I’m very excited! Fingers crossed for good weather. Hopefully we will get to fly to Antarctica on Thursday, and start our expedition to the highest peak in an Antarctica!

Please follow along on the dispatch page, I’ll check in soon. Thanks!

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:

/0 Comments/by

Ojos Expedition Wraps Up!

Our climbers John, Joe and Kris on the summit of Cerro Doña Inez! Photo: Terray Sylvester

Our Ojos del Salado expedition is nearing its conclusion, complete with multiple summits, amazing food, incredible views and many memories to take away! The team is all safely off of Ojos del Salado and will return to Copiapó shortly. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with one final dispatch before the team departs back home in the coming days:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the 2022 Madison Mountaineering Ojos del Salado expedition – it’s December 19th.

Yesterday was our summit attempt on Ojos! The day started windy and pretty cold actually, but conditions improved quite a bit as we climbed higher and we had just spectacular views of the surrounding Atacama and all the volcanoes near us here. We made it to the summit crater at about 6,700 meters, and at that point we made the difficult, but I think correct decision to turn around to ensure our climbers safety on the descent. It was a tough decision, but the wise one.

Now we’re back in base camp! Our team is all happy and healthy, and we’re packing up and preparing to drive back to Copiapó. That will wrap up our itinerary! Right now, our climbers are deciding whether they’ll fly directly home, or whether they’ll head over to the coast nearby and spend a few days relaxing on the beach.

All in all, it was a great expedition! Beautiful scenery, great food and we got to soak in hot springs as well. We summited two other volcanoes: Cerro Doña Inés at about 5,000 meters and Cerro San Francisco at over 6,000 meters. And, all over our climbers set new personal altitude records which was gratifying too.

So, that’s a wrap and can’t wait for the next one!

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:

/0 Comments/by

Primed for the Summit Push!

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering archive. Photo: Ted Hesser

The Madison Mountaineering Ojos del Salado team took an active rest day today, going for a hike above base camp and preparing for their summit push ahead! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with a brief update from base camp:

Hello from Ojos Base Camp (5251m/17,227ft)! Today we went for an acclimatization hike above camp, then spent the afternoon resting and packing for tomorrow’s summit push. Since the “road” is passable to Camp 1, we’ll begin our ascent by driving that high. The forecast looks good and the team is excited for tomorrow’s climb. 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:

/0 Comments/by

Carry to Camp 1 is Complete!

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering archive.

The Madison Mountaineering Ojos del Salado expedition team completed their first carry up to camp 1 today, touching 20,000 feet and returning to their base camp. Tomorrow, the team plans to move up to Camp 1, and hopefully make their summit push the following day! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with another brief update from Atacama Camp:

Hello from Ojos del Salado Base Camp (5251m/17,227ft)! Today we hiked above Tejos Hut (Camp 1) while acclimatizing for our summit push. Since we’re currently able to drive to about 19,000′, we touched 20,000′ during our hike today then returned to our base camp at the Atacama Hut. We had a lunch of seafood soup and are relaxing until dinner.

All is well here. 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:

/1 Comment/by

Arrival in Atacama Camp!

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering archive. Photo: Ted Hesser

The Madison Mountaineering Ojos del Salado expedition team has arrived in Atacama Camp, which will serve as their base camp on Ojos del Salado! After one final soak in the hot springs, the team hit the road towards the next stop on their journey, with views galore of the surrounding volcanoes. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with a brief update from Chile:

Hello from Atacama Camp (5251m/17,227ft)! After a leisurely morning featuring another soak in the hot springs at Laguna Verde, we drove here to Ojos del Salado Base Camp, AKA Atacama Camp. We set up camp and ate a lunch of cheese and fresh veggie quesadillas. Now we’re resting and taking in the views of the surrounding volcanoes.

All is well! Hasta mañana!

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering archive. Photo: Ted Hesser

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering archive. Photo: Ted Hesser

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:

/0 Comments/by

Sunny Skies on Cerro San Francisco!

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering archive. Photo: Ted Hesser

Today, the Madison Mountaineering Ojos del Salado expedition team took full advantage of beautiful weather, after a bout of rain and snow in the day prior. The team successfully reached the summit of Cerro San Francisco at 19,744 feet and is now back in the comforts of their camp, preparing to continue their journey tomorrow. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in from Laguna Verde with todays dispatch:

Hello from Laguna Verde! Today we climbed Cerro San Francisco (6018m/19,744ft). The weather was perfect, with light winds and sunny skies. From the summit at 19,744′, we enjoyed excellent views of the Argentinian Atacama and neighboring volcanoes including the spectacular Incahuasi (6638m/21,778ft) and our main objective: Ojos del Salado (6893m/22,615ft).

We were back in our camp here at Laguna Verde by 4 p.m. for a lunch of chicken asado and fresh, homemade salsa. Tomorrow we’ll move to base camp at Ojos!

The team is doing well. 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:

/0 Comments/by

Lakeside at Laguna Verde!

Eating well in Chile!

The Madison Mountaineering Ojos del Salado expedition team enjoyed an active rest day today, making the most of their time waiting out a storm by doing an acclimatization hike, eating good food and soaking in the hot springs! Everyone is in good spirits and looks forward to their next acclimatization climb tomorrow. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with today’s dispatch from Laguna Verde:

Hello from Laguna Verde! A storm system has been bringing rain and snow to this zone of the Andes. So today we decided to take an active rest day. We hiked partway up Mulas Muertas Volcano (5910m/19,390ft) this morning, then enjoyed a lunch of steak and guacamole before soaking in the hot springs here in our lakeside camp.

Tomorrow’s forecast looks good for our ascent of Cerro San Francisco (4940m/16,207ft). The team is all well and looking forward to it! 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:

/0 Comments/by

En Route to Laguna Verde!

Our climbers John, Joe and Kris on the summit of Cerro Doña Inez! Photo: Terray Sylvester

After a successful acclimatization climb yesterday, the team is on the road today en route to Laguna Verde where they’ll camp for the night and enjoy hot springs and spectacular views of the night sky and surrounding Andes. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with todays dispatch from Chile:

Hello, this is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Ojos del Salado (6893m/22,615ft) expedition! It’s Monday, December 12th.

Yesterday we completed our first acclimatization ascent. We went up Cerro Doña Inés (5075m/16,650ft), a volcano at just over 5,000 meters. We had a beautiful climb, the team did great, everyone was feeling healthy and strong, and the weather was just perfect! We had only light winds and spectacular views of the Pedernales Salt Flat and the surrounding, brilliantly colored terrain of the Atacama.

So right now, we’re driving to Laguna Verde. We’ll camp their tonight and enjoy the hot springs! And then tomorrow, we’ll hopefully complete our second acclimatization ascent of Cerro San Francisco (4940m/16,207ft).

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

The rugged beauty of the Atacama. Photo: Terray Sylvester

The rugged beauty of the Atacama. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Appetizers!

Appetizers!

Our climbers John and Kris toasting a successful day in Chile! Photo: Terray Sylvester

Our climbers John and Kris toasting a successful day in Chile! Photo: Terray Sylvester

A view of the Atacama Desert from the summit of Cerro Doña Inez. Photo: Terray Sylvester

A view of the Atacama Desert from the summit of Cerro Doña Inez. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Climbing Cerro Doña Inez. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Climbing Cerro Doña Inez. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Our chef, Juan Carlos, making the magic happen. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Our chef, Juan Carlos, making the magic happen. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Preparing for asado in camp at Pedernales Salt Flat.

Preparing for asado in camp at Pedernales Salt Flat.

Alpenglow on Cerro Doña Inez. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Alpenglow on Cerro Doña Inez. Photo: 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:

– 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:

/0 Comments/by

Success on Cerro Doña Ines!

Today the team ascended the 16,650 foot volcano, Cerro Doña Ines as part of their acclimatization efforts! Tomorrow, the team will continue on and enjoy a well-deserved dip in the hot springs at Laguna Verde. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester, checks in via Garmin inReach Mini with todays dispatch:

Hello from Pedernales! Today we enjoyed a scenic and successful acclimatization ascent of Cerro Doña Ines (5075m/16,650ft), and then returned to our camp here on the Pedernales Salt Flat for a second night. Although the Atacama is austere, we’ve had some excellent wildlife sightings, including flamingos, vicuñas, and many guanacos. From the summit of Doña Ines we enjoyed a spectacular view of the multi-hued mountains of the Altiplano.

The team is doing very well and we’re all looking forward to the hot springs at Laguna Verde tomorrow! Hasta mañana.

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:

/0 Comments/by