After breakfast, the team left camp and began the ascent of the Great Barranco wall! This scramble provided a great morning workout as they topped out at 14,500’ with spectacular views of the plains below! Then they descend to the Karanga river and hiked up a short distance to Karanga camp.
Stats for day 4
Start: Barranco Camp, 13,066’
Finish: Karanga Camp, 13,335’
Distance: 3 miles
Who’s happy to be climbing Kilimanjaro and has two thumbs? This guy!
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:
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/WhatsApp-Image-2020-10-05-at-08.45.51.jpeg1080810Kurthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgKurt2020-10-05 15:45:332020-10-07 18:26:51Kilimanjaro Day 4
Today the team left Shira Camp and traversed the mountain, working their way up to the base of “The Lava Tower” at approximately 14,800 ft. They made a quick ascent of the lava tower, a fun scramble up with great views from the top, then descended down to Barranco Camp. From camp, the team enjoyed a great view of the Great Barranco Wall, the challenge for tomorrow morning!
Stats for day 3
Start: Shira Camp, 12,355’
Finish: Barranco Camp, 13,066’
Distance Traveled: 6 miles
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:
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/WhatsApp-Image-2020-10-04-at-09.40.54.jpeg1080810Kurthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgKurt2020-10-04 16:27:552020-10-07 18:24:41Kilimanjaro Day 3
Today, from the Machame camp the team started hiking up the trail through the forest and gained elevation very quickly, as the landscape changed from the lush forest to moor lands with large Senecio trees dotting the hillsides. They gained the Shira Plateau and enjoyed a great view over the valley below. Each day upon arriving at camp in the afternoon the team celebrates by dancing and singing with the staff, learning the dance and songs of the Chagga tribe! The team is doing great and are having a wonderful time on Kilimanjaro!
Stats for day 2
Start: Machame Camp, 9,927’
Finish: Shira Camp, 12,355’
Distance Traveled: 5 miles
(photo: Madison Mountaineering archives)
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:
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/IMG_0254-scaled.jpg17072560Kurthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgKurt2020-10-03 15:56:222020-10-07 00:09:48Kilimanjaro Day 2
This morning the team traveled by Land Crusier from Arusha through forests and coffee fields to the Machame trailhead, where they checked in with the Park HQ and sorted loads for the local porters, the Chagga people. They hiked through the lush rain forest and finished the day at the Machame Camp. Everyone is doing well and had a great first day on the climb of Mount Kilimanjaro!
Stats for Climb day 1
Start: Machame Entrance, 5,718’
Finish: Machame Camp, 9,927’
Distance Traveled: 6 miles
Hiking up to Machame Camp on Kilimanjaro
Climbing into the moorlands on Kilimanjaro
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:
A perfect Shuksan summit with weather and conditions providing a beautiful climb as reported by climb leader, Garrett Madison:
Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Mt. Shuksan climb in the North Cascades. We had a wonderful summit day today on Mt. Shuksan. Steve and I left our high camp about 4 AM and climbed up the Sulphide Glacier in the dark, watched the sunrise over the North Cascades and illuminate the summit pyramid as we approached the base of it.
We got up to the base of the summit pyramid and started climbing the rock. It was about four pitches of rock scrambling up to the summit. Great view from the top of Mt. Shuksan over Mt. Baker, Baker Lake, and the North Cascades. A little bit of smoke to the south which actually accentuated the ridgelines between all of the peaks.
So, a wonderful day! We made it back down and a very, very successful climb. All’s well! Heading back home from Mt. Shuksan.
Smoke accentuating the North Cascades ridgelines
Climbing the rock pyramid of Mt. Shuksan
Steve M. and Garrett Madison on the summit of Mt. Shuksan
Garrett Madison enjoying the view from the summit of Mt. Shuksan
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:
Under great conditions, expedition leader Garrett Madison calls in this audio dispatch from the slopes of Washington State’s Mount Shuksan:
Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Mt. Shuksan climb with Steve! We are up here at high camp. It is a beautiful day! We just feel like we are spoiled rotten because the views are as-far-as-the-eye-can-see, there are no clouds, no smoke in the sky… Just a perfect evening temperature here as we have diner and get ready to go to bed early in preparation for an alpine start, pre-dawn start to our summit climb tomorrow.
Our plan is to climb the summit pyramid on Mt. Shuksan – some 5th class rock scrambling. Then make our way all the way back down.
Having a good time up here, looking to the climb 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:
We closed out August with a great one-on-one private climb with awesome conditions on Mt. Baker.
Mt. Baker is the most heavily glaciated peak in the lower 48 contiguous United States and the second most active volcano in the Cascade Range after Mt. Saint Helens. Its location near the Canadain border and the Puget Sound of the Pacific Ocean combine to make it one of snowiest places on Earth – in 1999 it set the world record for recorded snowfall in a single season, a remarkable 29 m or 95 ft.!
This year’s snowfall and cooler than normal spring and summer have created excellent later climbing season conditions. Over the weekend, Garrett led a private client on glacier travel and expedition camping skills reinforcement culminating in a perfect summit on this 3,286 m / 10,781 ft. jewel of the Pacific Northwest.
There is still time to book your Mt. Baker climb for this month of September while the awesome conditions continue! Please contact our office to join a group climb or arrange your own private climb with one of our excellent guides that specialize in Cascade climbs.
For more inspiration, here’s Garrett’s recap of the weekend’s climb and stunning photos. Enjoy!
Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Mt. Baker climb! We got back yesterday from Mt. Baker. We climbed the Easton Glacier route and it was in fantastic shape. Great snow conditions for this time of year, not too many crevasses, and really good weather we had on our summit day. We had views of the North Cascades, of Mt. Rainier, and of the San Juan Islands. So a fantastic time up on Mt. Baker, great shape for this time of year and looking forward to more Mt. Baker climbs in September!
Mt. Baker approach hike in
Beautiful sunset on Mt. Baker
Gorgeous view of Mt. Baker from high camp
View from the tent of a Mt. Baker sunset
Excellent Mt. Baker climbing conditions
Climbing above the clouds on Mt. Baker’s glaciated slopes
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:
On the third day of their safari, our Kilimanjaro climbers caught sight of the world’s fastest land animal, the cheetah, capable of hitting a top speed of up to 80 miles per hour. The game viewing has just been spectacular. Drew reports:
@drewmaloney A mind blowing morning here in the Serengeti. We saw a male Cheetah kill a Gazelle and now a female Cheetah with her 4 cubs walk right next to our vehicle
Cheetah and cubs with giraffes on the horizon (📷: @drewmaloney)
The safari continues for our Kilimanjaro climbers. This evening they rolled on into the mighty Serengeti. Their words speak for themselves:
@drewmaloneyI have been to Africa countless times and this is my first safari. I am blown away🤯 by the beauty and majesty of the amazing wildlife. Off to the Serengeti today for two nights literally sleeping amongst the lions in tents.
Viewing elephants while on safari (📸: @drewmaloney)
Beautiful safari viewing giraffes and other amazing wildlife (📸: @drewmaloney)
Lending a helping hand to fix a flat on the Serengeti (📸: @drewmaloney)
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:
Still savoring their Kilimanjaro summit success, today our team of Drew and Jordan kicked off their Africa safari! Leaving Arusha they were driven southwest to the Tarangire National Park for some game viewing. Already they are enjoying some elephants and zebra frolicking.
