Kosovo Camp

Kilimanjaro climbers jumping for joy!
Follow the team’s progress with our real-time tracking map

Earlier today, our Kilimanjaro team trekked the 2.7 miles below the southern face from Karanga Camp to our high camp on the Mweka Ridge:  Kosovo Camp (4870 m / 15,978 ft).

We like to pass by the popular, and often very crowded, Barafu Camp and take an extra hour of climbing up to Kosovo Camp.  This much quieter camp positions us for a slightly shorter summit day.  After an early dinner, the team will hit the sack early to get some much-needed rest to be ready for tomorrow’s early morning, alpine start of SUMMIT DAY!

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 Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates

– Instagram:

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Karanga Camp

Climbing the Barranco Breakfast Wall on KilimanjaroDrew Maloney
Follow the team’s progress with our real-time tracking map

En route to Karanga Camp, expedition leader Garrett Madison catches a pocket of cellular coverage and provides today’s audio expedition dispatch:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Kilimanjaro expedition team with Drew and Jordan.  Today’s day four and we left our camp at Barranco this morning and climbed up the Great Barranco Wall.  Just topped out!  Beautiful views above the clouds and we are heading to Karanga Camp for tonight.

Everyone’s doing well.  We’ve got the mountain all to ourselves.  It’s pretty nice being up here on Kilimanjaro.  We’ve had good weather and more good weather in the forecast.  So, hopefully in the couple of days, we’ll have clear skies for our summit day.

We will check-in soon!

Kili Climbing Confidence!

Kili Climbing Confidence! (photo: Drew Maloney)

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 Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates

– Instagram:

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Lava Tower and Barranco Camp

Celebrating arrival at the Lava Tower on Kilimanjaro with headstands!
Follow the team’s progress with our real-time tracking map

Today our Kili team hiked up from Shria Camp to the Lava Tower at 4636 m / 15,210 ft.  The Lava Tower is a 300-foot high volcanic plug formation just below Kilimanjaro’s Western Breach that offers an amazing view for those that scramble their way to top.  So our team did and what a view.

After a nice lunch, they headed down among the giant Dendrosenecio kilimanjari to Barranco Camp’s 3981 m / 13,060 ft for the evening.

Tomorrow morning they will tackle the Barranco Breakfast Wall before crossing southeast to Karanga Camp.

Hiking from Shira Camp to the Lava Tower on Kilimanjaro

Hiking from Shira Camp to the Lava Tower on Kilimanjaro (photo: Drew Maloney)

The Western Breach and the Lava Tower of Kilimanjaro

The Western Breach and the Lava Tower of Kilimanjaro (photo: Drew Maloney)

Top of the Lava Tower on Kilimanjaro

Top of the Lava Tower on Kilimanjaro (photo: Drew Maloney)

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 Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates

– Instagram:

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Shira Camp!

The view from Kilimanjaro's Shira Plateau
Follow the team’s progress with our real-time tracking map

Another beautiful day on the mountain with our team reaching Kilimanjaro‘s Shira Plateau at 3845 m / 12,615 ft.  The day’s hike covered about 3 miles while gaining nearly 3,000 ft. in elevation.  Heading out of Machame camp at 8:30 am, our speedy team pulled into Shira Camp just in time for lunch!

Tonight they are hoping to catch a glimpse of the Perseid meteor shower in the crystal-clear dark skies above their 12,615 ft perch.  And tomorrow they will ascend up to the Lava Tower at 4636 m / 15,210 ft before dropping back down through the giant Dendrosenecio kilimanjari to Barranco Camp’s 3981 m / 13,060 ft for the evening.

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 Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates

– Instagram:

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Hitting the Trail!

MM Team at Kilimanjaro's Machame Gate trailhead
Follow the team’s progress with our real-time tracking map

Our Kilimanjaro team hit the trail this morning and climbed their way over six miles through the Cultivation and Rainforest climate zones from the trailhead at the Machame Gate (1814 m / 5,950 ft) up 1,217 vertical meters or ~4,000 ft. into the Heather and Moorland climate zone of Machame Camp (3022 m / 9,915 ft).

We received one shot from the trailhead and it didn’t fail to capture the excitement of beginning the trek up the highest free-standing mountain in the world!

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 Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates

– Instagram:

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Team Arrives Arusha

Garrett and Kili climbers in Arusha

Our Kilimanjaro team has all arrived in Arusha, Tanzania and is stoked to begin the expedition.  Here’s team leader, Garrett Madison, with today’s dispatch:

Well, hello from Tanzania! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Kilimanjaro expedition. Today is Sunday, August 9th, and we arrived over the last couple of days here in Tanzania.

It’s been an interesting experience traveling internationally from the United States, given the current situation in the world. But we’ve had smooth travels. We arrived with no problems. Everyone is healthy and rested up.

We went over to a hot springs today in Moshe and did some swimming around. Had a nice time there, and we’ve done our gear checks. We are looking forward to heading to the trailhead tomorrow morning to start our program. Tonight we are going to go out for a team dinner, get a little food here in town.

Everyone’s doing well, and we’re very excited to head up to Kilimanjaro and begin our expedition!

Kili climbers arrive Tanzania

Kili climbers arrive Tanzania

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 Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates

– Instagram:

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Kilimanjaro Kicks-off on 8/8

The climb up Mount Kilimanjaro

Our initial 2020 Kilimanjaro expedition and safari kicks-off this Saturday, August 8th.  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, and the team of climbers are excited to return to Tanzania and reach the Roof of Africa!  Follow their progress with our daily dispatches.

Our expeditions to Kilimanjaro are truly an experience of a lifetime in journeying to Tanzania and undertaking one of the Seven Summits. Climbers experience first-hand the five ecosystems and game parks that Kilimanjaro towers-over as we climb the mountain slopes on our way to the summit. For those in good shape who can trek a few hours per day, Kilimanjaro is an accessible mountaineering objective. Although Kilimanjaro is considered a non-technical climb, roughly 1/3 of the visitors do not reach the summit. While some circumstances are out of the climbers and guides control, a lot of this has to do with the expertise of the climbing company one chooses. Our guides are among the finest in the world, through our expertise and adherence to safety, we have a 100% success rate on Kilimanjaro over the last seven years.

By the way, it’s not too early to start making your plans to join us on Kilimanjaro or any of our other expeditions in the 2021 season!  Contact our office for details.

Approaching the summit of Kilimanjaro

Approaching the summit of 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:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates

– Instagram:

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100% Sunset Summit Success on Mt. Rainier!

Climbers on the summit of Mt. Rainier for the sunset!

We have returned to the mountains in style with 100% Sunset Summit Success on Mt. Rainier!  Here’s climb leader Garrett Madison with the details from Camp Muir as the team makes it’s way back down to Paradise:

Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mt. Rainier climb! Today is July 29th, and we are heading down from high camp at the Ingraham Flats on Mt. Rainier.

Yesterday we had a wonderful sunset summit at 8:30 pm. We stood on top of Columbia Crest and watched the sunset over western Washington. The whole team made it – 100% success. Beautiful evening weather and great route conditions all around. We made it back to camp late last night, had dinner, and went to bed around midnight.

Today we are just savoring the summit and the views as we head down Mt. Rainier. We are all very fortunate to have had a safe and successful climb, and we’re looking forward to getting down for a nice celebratory meal.

Terray and team approaching the crater rim near the summit

Terray and team approaching the crater rim near the summit

View from Columbia Crest, 14,411 ft.

View from Columbia Crest, 14,411 ft.

Shadow of the mountain at sunset

Shadow of the mountain at sunset

View from Camp Muir looking up at the route

View from Camp Muir looking up at the route

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Rainier 2020 is Underway!

The view from Camp Muir on Mt. Rainier2020 by Madison Mountaineering

It’s official:  we are finally back in the mountains, Rainier 2020 is underway!

Following all of the protocols of Washington State’s Safe Start and the CDC guidelines, our first climb since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has begun.  Climb leader, Garrett Madison, and the team excitedly began the hike up to Camp Muir (3105m / 10,188ft) on Mount Rainier yesterday morning.

The group hiked in style up to Camp Muir and captured this photo just before sunset with the peaks of Mt. Adams and Mt. Saint Helens in the distance.  Today the team will review and practice climbing skills including crampon techniques, ice axe use, self-arrest techniques and rope-team travel.  In the afternoon they will ascend up to Ingraham Flats (3383m / 11,100 ft) and hit the sack early to catch some sleep before the very early morning alpine start of the summit attempt.

Stay tuned!!

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Virtual Everest 2020 – Support the Sherpas

Climbers on the Lhotse face

Normally, at this time, our Everest climbing team would have just finished two nights at Namche Bazaar and trekked on to the village of Deboche where they would be spending the evening with our friends at the Rivendell Lodge and looking forward to six more days on the trail towards Everest Base Camp.

But as you know, this terrible COVID-19 pandemic has changed just about everything for all of us.  Our thoughts are with everyone impacted from the dire to the inconvenienced.  Included in that are all of our Nepal staff, including Sherpa and other mountain workers who depend on the spring climbing season for such a large percentage of their annual income.  Income that is used to support their families, buy food, pay school costs, maintain their homes, and more.  This year’s loss of income will be a considerable hardship for many of them.

While Madison Mountaineering will be doing what we can to lessen the loss, we need your help!  Please consider making a generous donation to the GoFundMe campaign we have established to assist our impacted Nepal staff.  All proceeds will be distributed directly to them.

Also, friend of Madison Mountaineering, Alan Arnette, who for many years has been providing excellent daily coverage of the Everest climbing season (and other climbing expeditions year-round) has this year created a wonderfully entertaining fictional day-by-day ‘coverage’ – Virtual Everest 2020 – that we hope you will follow and enjoy!

We will get through this together and be climbing again soon!

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