Tag Archive for: Alpine Start

Summit Rotation Delayed

Photo pulled from the Madison Mountaineering archive (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

After an alpine start to their day, the team is back in Everest Base Camp (EBC) due to a collapse in the icefall. Our team is all safe and back to their beds, with hopes that the route gets reopened soon, so that they can move up the mountain tomorrow. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this brief update from EBC:

Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Mount Everest (8848m/29,032ft) expedition team. Today is May 18th, it’s about 2:30 in the morning here at Everest Base Camp (5364m/17,598ft). We set out two or three hours ago for our first rotation to move up to Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft), but after leaving base camp and just about getting into the icefall, we encountered some climbers coming back down who had tried to go up, and had encountered a collapse in the icefall where the route was broken about half the way up.

So, we’re going to rest today and hopefully the icefall doctors can get up there and repair that section of the route that’s broken, and then our plan is to go again tomorrow. So, one day behind our anticipated schedule, but everyone’s doing well here! Good practice, good dry run this morning, looking forward to getting some sleep and then going for it again 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

Go Time!

Expedition leader, Garrett Madison teaching the team how to use our oxygen system. (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

All the training and preparation is done, and there’s only one thing left to do! The team is settled into their base camp homes for a few more hours of shut eye before they depart out of base camp, and once again, onto the mountain. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison lays out todays plan as the team gets an alpine start in just a few short hours:

Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest (8848m/29,032ft) and Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft) expedition. Today is May 17th and tonight we are starting our summit rotation, heading up from Everest Base Camp (5364m/17,598ft) to Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft). We’re departing in a few hours time, around 1:00 AM. Hopefully we’ll have a smooth climb up through the Khumbu Icefall and get up to Camp 2 mid day.

So, we’re looking forward to kicking things off here! The weather looks great, crowds have thinned, we’ve done all of our training and preparation, and we’re ready to go! So, very excited to be headed up the mountain and attempting to summit Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse.

Guide, Scott Webster and climber, Stevie Hornik. (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Guide, Scott Webster and climber, Stevie Hornik. (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Climber, Danah Al Ali practicing technical skills near base camp. (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Climber, Danah Al Ali practicing technical skills near base camp. (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Climber, Eva Perglerova ice climbing near base camp. (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Climber, Eva Perglerova ice climbing near base camp. (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Guide, Cacho Beiza (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Guide, Cacho Beiza (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Climber, Rich Draves practicing ice climbing near base camp. (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Climber, Rich Draves practicing ice climbing near base camp. (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Climbers, Stevie Hornik and Peter Horsman practicing with oxygen equipment. (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Climbers, Stevie Hornik and Peter Horsman practicing with oxygen equipment. (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Climbers, Erwin Visser and Rich Draves practicing with oxygen equipment under the instruction of Garrett Madison. (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Climbers, Erwin Visser and Rich Draves practicing with oxygen equipment under the instruction of Garrett Madison. (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

Summit Success on Mt. Rainier!

Standing on the summit of Mt. Rainier!

This last Tuesday at 5:55 AM, the Madison Mountaineering Mt. Rainier expedition team reached the the summit of Tahoma at 14,417 ft (4,394 m) – the highest point in the state of Washington! We had 100% success rate for the team and everyone is now safely down from the alpine. All went well this week on Mt. Rainier!

Sunrise on Mt. Rainier!

Sunrise on Mt. Rainier!

Summit push in the early morning hours on Mt. Rainier!

Summit push in the early morning hours on Mt. Rainier!

Crevasses on one of the glaciers this last week on Mt. Rainier!

Crevasses on one of the glaciers this last week on Mt. Rainier!

Beautiful day on Mt. Rainier!

Beautiful day on Mt. Rainier!

Members of the team at camp in Ingraham Flats.

Members of the team at camp in Ingraham Flats.

Descending the disappointment cleaver route after reaching the summit on Mt. Rainier!

Descending the disappointment cleaver route after reaching the summit on Mt. Rainier!

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

Climbing team safely arrived in Camp 2

After a alpine start this morning our climbing team safely arrived in Camp 2 this afternoon. Waking up at 11:30pm our team had a quick breakfast before taking off into the icefall. The weather conditions were clear through the night with snow rolling in throughout the morning. Garrett reports from Camp 2 that the team is tired but all in good condition after the big push. The plan is to rest tomorrow at Camp 2 then touch Camp 3 the following day. In total spending 4 nights on the mountain for this second rotation before coming back down to base camp.

Brent and Kent are acclimatizing here at base camp and will go on a hike toward Pumori tomorrow morning. They plan to climb to Camp 1 the following day. The summit window for Everest will be arriving shortly, stay tuned as we journey to the top of the world!

.

IMG_2941

/2 Comments/by

Alpine Start Toward Everest Camp 1

It’s an early morning as our team gears up for an alpine start toward Everest Camp 1. It is now 2 am and the team is having a light breakfast and grabbing lunch snack packs before taking off into the Khumbu Icefall toward Camp 1. Backpacks and gear were packed before dinner and the stars and moon are out in full. The weather looks great for the ascent and everyone is excited to begin this next stage of their journey.

Yesterday we went up into the Khumbu Icefall for a 3 hour trip up toward the ladders for continued ice practice. All members of the team did very well and moved up and down the fixed ropes with ease. Garrett will be able to send brief messages and pictures via satellite connection and I will upload from base camp. To the top!

 

Screen Shot 2016-04-20 at 1.45.08 AM

.

Screen Shot 2016-04-20 at 1.45.17 AM

.

Screen Shot 2016-04-20 at 1.45.32 AM

.

Screen Shot 2016-04-20 at 1.45.42 AM

.

Screen Shot 2016-04-20 at 1.45.54 AM

.

Screen Shot 2016-04-20 at 1.46.03 AM

.

Screen Shot 2016-04-20 at 1.46.16 AM

.

Screen Shot 2016-04-20 at 1.46.28 AM

/0 Comments/by

Whymper Peak Summit! – Chimborazo Volcano

Congratulations to our Ecuador Volcanoes team for their successful Whymper Peak Summit today at 6,268 m (20,564 ft)!! Luke, Zack and Estalin have reached the summit of Chimborazo, Ecuador’s highest peak! Chimborazo’s location along the earth’s equatorial bulge makes its summit the farthest point on the Earth’s surface from the Earth’s center (aka closest to the sun). This challenging climb with many technical challenges provided spectacular views across the many glaciated peaks in the Andes mountain range. Today on this crystal clear day, we could see Colombia in the north and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Our team is now back in Quito where they enjoyed their celebration dinner. Estalin, Luke and Zack are enjoying their last couple days in the capital city of Quito, experiencing the rich culture and beautiful Spanish colonial architecture.

Thank you Estalin Valladolid for the beautiful photos across Ecuador and great leadership throughout! Cheers team!

.

Luke and Zack starting to walk to Base Camp Stubel near Chimborazo.

20151126_141202.jpg

.

Rise and shine! Alpine start on Chimborazo summit day.

20151127_035444.jpg

.

Luke and Zack on their final push to the summit of Chimborazo!

20151127_062259.jpg .

Last steps to the summit of Chimborazo, in the background you can see Veintimilla Summit at 6,230 m (20,440 ft).

DCIM118GOPRO

.

Whymper summit at 6,268 m (20,564 ft) In the back on the right you can see Cotopaxi!

DCIM118GOPRO

.

Cloud layers rolling in over Luke and Zack.

DCIM118GOPRO

.

Descending from Veintimilla Summit at 6,230 m (20,440 ft).

DCIM118GOPRO

Descending from the summit of Whymper peak, the background Ilinizas,  Cotopaxi, Cayambe and Antizana.

20151127_075035.jpg

.

After the summit of Chimborazo, Luke Zack, and Estalin eating rabbit and guinea pig in Quito.

20151128_113115.jpg

/0 Comments/by

Burke Khang Summit Ridge

Yesterday Garrett & Sid, along with four of our climbing Sherpas went up from Camp 1 to work on fixing lines to the summit ridge. This was a slow and important step as we prepare the route for our climbing teams ascent. The route from Camp 1 follows the ridge line to the right, hard climbing but without the objective hazard (icefall, avalanches) that the less steep ‘climbers left’ potential route offers. We accomplished a lot, the lines are now just a few hours from the summit. Today Bill, Sid, and Phurba Rita Sherpa are heading up from Camp 1 to put in a small Camp 2, just below the summit ridge. Our plan is for the climbers here in Camp 1 to wake up and leave around 2 AM, an ‘alpine start’ and to climb up and join the three climbers who are in Camp 2 around 6 AM, then continue together towards the summit. We still have a bit of route setting work ahead, hopefully just a few hours along the summit ridge to the top! The climbing team is ready for this ascent and our group is in good health.

 

Here we go everyone, this is what we have been waiting for! News from the mountain will be released as soon as it is received here on the dispatch page.

.

View of climbing route & Burke Khang summit from Camp 1:

BK1

/2 Comments/by