Tag Archive for: Base Camp

Climbing team at Prayer Flag Point above EBC

Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, reports on the day’s activities for the team at Everest base camp which included an acclimatization hike up to Prayer Flag Point:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Mount Everest and Lhotse expedition team.  We are in Everest base camp.  He had a good day today.  We changed our plans slightly because there was some activity in the Icefall.  We were going to go for a walk in the Icefall today, but instead, we went on another acclimatization hike – just outside of base camp to Prayer Flag Point.  We had some great views, good exercise, came back for lunch, had a restful afternoon, and had dinner.  We just finished watching Top Gun tonight – a great Amercian film.

Our Sherpa team is doing well.  They had a big day today on the mountain and we’re going to take an easy day tomorrow.  We are going to go for a little walk in the Icefall but not too far, just explore the bottom part for two hours and then back to base camp.

All’s well here with our team in base camp and we’re looking forward to another nice day here on Mount Everest.

Team acclimatization hike above EBC

Team acclimatization hike above EBC

If climbing Mount Everest is in your future, please contact our office, we would love to have you climb with us!


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 on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my Madison Mountaineering flash briefing.

Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

Team after puja ceremony

Garrett Madison phones in from Everest base camp to provide the details of today’s puja ceremony which blessed the team and provided prayers for safe passage on the mountain:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest and Lhotse expedition.  Today’s April 18th and we had a wonderful day today.

We had our puja ceremony where we gathered together in base camp and had a Buddhist Lama come up and ask the mountain for safe passage.  It was a very nice ceremony and a beautiful day here – warm and sunny with some singing and dancing after the ceremony.  We had a restful afternoon and a nice dinner and a good movie tonight – a comedy – and now we’re heading to bed.

Everyone’s doing well here at base camp and tomorrow we’re looking forward to a foray up into the Icefall to climb up a couple of hours and check out the route and then back to base camp.  The weather is looking good, the team’s doing well, and we’re looking forward to another great day here is base camp.

Puja day in Everest base camp

Puja day in Everest base camp

If climbing Mount Everest is in your future, please contact our office, we would love to have you climb with us!


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 on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my Madison Mountaineering flash briefing.

Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

More skills training on the Khumbu Glacier just below EBC

Everest guide, Terray Sylvester reports on the day’s skills training from Mount Everest base camp.

Hi, this is Terray calling in for the 2021 Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition.  It’s Friday, April 16th.

Today we woke up to beautiful sight of fresh snow on base camp and the Khumbu Glacier and the mountains above us.  We had a great breakfast of eggs and bacon and french toast with Vermont maple syrup and then we headed down for our second day of skills training on the glacier just below base camp.  We practiced ladder-crossing techniques, fixed-line ascent, and repelling again.  We’ll have one more of skills training before our Puja on the 18th.

Let’s see what else happened today…  Earlier this morning our former NFL wide-reciever Mark Pattison, who’s climbing Everest and Lhotse with us, was having some fun tossing around a football with some of our Sherpa staff and other members of our climbing team.  In the evening the clouds parted so we had great views of alpenglow on Nupste and farther up the valley.  Now the stars are coming out and the team is settled in watching another movie.

We’ll head to bed soon and we’ll be in touch!

More skills training on the Khumbu Glacier just below EBC

More skills training on the Khumbu Glacier just below EBC

More skills training on the Khumbu Glacier just below EBC

Ronan M. honing his skills

More skills training on the Khumbu Glacier just below EBC

More skills training on the Khumbu Glacier just below EBC

Practicing ladder-crossing on the Khumbu Glacier just below EBC

Practicing ladder-crossing on the Khumbu Glacier just below EBC

More skills training on the Khumbu Glacier just below EBC

Kristin B. getting in some more training and skill building

If climbing Mount Everest is in your future, please contact our office, we would love to have you climb with us!


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 on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my Madison Mountaineering flash briefing.

Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

Skills practice in the Khumbu Icefall

Time for some climbing skills practice at EBC.  Terray recaps the day:

Hi, this is Terray calling in for the 2021 Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition.  It’s April 15th.

Today we had our first day of skills practice down on the ice pyramids of the Khumbu Glacier just below our base camp.  We practiced descending fixed-lines and repelling.  We’ll have two more days of skills practice before we head on up to Camps I and II.

The weather was great today – we seem to be in a pattern of beautiful sunny skies in the morning which last until mid-afternoon and then we had a light snow fall.  And now it’s just slightly overcast and the team is relaxing after dinner watching The Blues Brothers.

So, in other news, our Island Peak climber successfully summited the mountian today.  He had trekked with us to base camp and then decended back down the Khumbu Valley, turned left at Dingboche and headed up to Island Peak.  It seems like he had a good climb with one of our guides.

So all is well and we’ll be in touch.  Bye!

Sirdar Aang Purba enjoying the icefall skills building

Sirdar Aang Purba enjoying the icefall skills building

Skills building exercise in the Khumbu Icefall

Skills building exercise in the Khumbu Icefall

A grinning Mark P building his fixed line skills

A grinning Mark P building his fixed-line skills

Skills building exercise in the Khumbu Icefall

Skills building exercise in the Khumbu Icefall

Skills building exercise in the Khumbu Icefall

Skills building exercise in the Khumbu Icefall

If climbing Mount Everest is in your future, please contact our office, we would love to have you climb with us!


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 on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my Madison Mountaineering flash briefing.

Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

The team enjoying a nice meal at EBC

The Everest team made an acclimatizing hike today and guide Terray Sylvester provides the details from Everest base camp:

Hello, this is Terray calling in for the 2021 Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition.  It’s Wednesday, April 14th.

Today we did an acclimatization hike up to Pumori base camp – a little over 1,000 ft. above our base camp here on the Khumbu Glacier.  We had beautiful weather and from Pumori base camp there we had, of course, great views of Pumori itself but also Mount Everest, the Khumbu Icefall, Lhotse, the South Col, the North Col, and the south face of Nuptse.

Then we came back to camp, had lunch – it was salmon and fresh vegitable and other dishes.  Then we rested until dinner; we just wrapped that up.  That was pork chops with sauteed mushrooms, pasta, and a desert of mangos.

Now the team is cozy in the dinning tent, we’ve got the movie screen on and we’re watching a James Bond movie.  So spirits are high and tomorrow we’ll do some training here on the glacier; fixed-lines, ice climbing, repelling.  We will do a few days of training before we start our first rotation to Camp I and Camp II around the 20th.

All right!  We’ll be in touch!

Hiking up to Pumori Base Camp

Hiking up to Pumori Base Camp

The view of Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse from Pumori base camp

The view of EBC, Everest, Lhotse, and the west shoulder of Nuptse from Pumori base camp

Hiking back down from Pumori base camp to EBC

Hiking back down from Pumori base camp to EBC

Trekking team back in Kathmandu celebrating Nepali New Year!

Trekking team back in Kathmandu celebrating the Nepali New Year!

If climbing Mount Everest is in your future, please contact our office, we would love to have you climb with us!


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 on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my Madison Mountaineering flash briefing.

Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

Team arriving Everest Base Camp

Our Everest team enjoyed their first full day at base camp and the trekkers have started their return trip.  Terray Sylvester, Everest guide, phoned in today’s update from the communications tent at base camp:

Hello!  This is Terray calling in for the 2021 Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition.  It’s April 13th – our first full day in base camp.  We arrived in base camp yesterday to a warm welcome from our base camp staff and then, this morning, our trekking team headed out.  Some of them are walking back down to Lukla.  We have one trekker that’s going to climb Island Peak on the way.  The rest of the team got helicopters flights right here out of base camp and had a scenic flight back down the Khumbu Valley.

It was a beautiful day for most of the day and then we had light snow in the afternoon.  Our climbing team had hot showers and then rested in the afternoon in prepration for an acclimitization hike to Pumori base camp tomorrow.

After that, we will have a few days of training as we prepare for our first rotation up through the Khumbu Icefall.

Okay, we’ll be in touch!

Climbing Kala Patthar

Climbing Kala Patthar

The view trekking from Gorakshep to EBC

The view trekking from Gorakshep to EBC

Trekking from Gorakshep to EBC

Trekking from Gorakshep to EBC

Team arriving Everest Base Camp

Team arriving Everest Base Camp

Team arriving Everest Base Camp

Team arriving Everest Base Camp

Base camp staff welcoming the arriving team

Base camp staff welcoming the arriving team

Base camp staff welcoming the arriving team

Base camp staff welcoming the arriving team

Arrival at Everest Base Camp

Arrival at Everest Base Camp

If climbing Mount Everest is in your future, please contact our office, we would love to have you climb with us!


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 on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my Madison Mountaineering flash briefing.

Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

Team celebration dinner in Kathmandu

With all of the team safely back in Kathmandu, our 2020 Ama Dablam expedition is concluding.  Thank you for following along.  The following team members successfully and safely obtained the summit of Ama Dablam (6812m / 22,349ft) on November 11, 2020, at approximately 11:30 AM NPT (local time):

# Name Country
1 Mr. Garrett Madison USA
2 Mr. Mohammed Al-Thani Qatar
3 Ms. Jennifer Drummond USA
4 Mr. Ted Hesser USA
5 Mr. Chase Merriam USA
6 Mr. Elia Saikaly Canada
7 Mr. Aang Phurba Sherpa Nepal
8 Mr. Siddhi Bahadur Tamang Nepal
9 Mr. Mingmar Sherpa Nepal
10 Mr. Ming Dorchi Sherpa Nepal
11 Mr. Pasdawa Sherpa Nepal
12 Mr. Pasang Dawa Sherpa Nepal
13 Mr. Pasang Kaji Sherpa Nepal

Here is expedition leader, Garrett Madison, with the expedition recap:

Hello, this is Garrett Madison calling in for the Ama Dablam team expedition.

We are all back in Kathmandu now at the Hotel Yak & Yeti.  We summited Ama Dablam together on November 11th.  We had a beautiful, clear, perfect day upon the summit.  Some of us went all the way down to base camp, others stayed in Camp 2 that night, and the following day we all descended to base camp, had a celebration lunch, and then helicoptered back to Kathmandu!

We just had our team celebration dinner and some members are heading off tonight back home and others will be here for a few days.  It’s been a wonderful, successful, and safe expedition here in Nepal.  We’re very happy that we got to come and experience the wonderful people with warm hearts.

We are looking forward to returning to Nepal next spring for Mount Everest!

Camp 2 on Ama Dablam

Camp 2 on Ama Dablam (📷: @tedhesser)

Summit push below the Dablam

Summit push below the Dablam

Nearing the Ama Dablam summit

Nearing the Ama Dablam summit

Jenn D. topping out on Ama Dablam

Topping out on Ama Dablam (📷: @aang_phurba_mountaineer)

Chase M. on the summit of Ama Dablam with Everest and Lhotse in the background

Chase M. on the summit of Ama Dablam with Everest and Lhotse in the background

Ama Dablam Summit

Ama Dablam Summit (📷: @aang_phurba_mountaineer)

Celebration on Ama Dablam summit

Celebration on Ama Dablam summit (📷: @aang_phurba_mountaineer)


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 on select expeditions

Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

Ama Dablam summit track in Google Earth

Congratulations to the entire Madison Mountaineering 2020 Ama Dablam (6812m) team and crew!  100% summit success!!  Details and photos to follow.  Meanwhile, enjoy this coverage of the summit effort from The Himalayan Times.  Most of the team is safely resting at Camp 2, while others have safely descended all the way down to base camp.


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 on select expeditions

Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

Team member Moe Al Thani on Ama Dablam

First day of the summit push, the Ama Dablam team made the move from base camp to Camp 1.  Courtesy of his Instagram feed, team member @moealthani provides the recap of the day in this expedition dispatch:

Hi guys!  This is Moe Al Thani calling you from Camp 1 (5800m).  It’s freezing cold, I’m wearing my big down jacket, enjoying the most beautiful sunset in the world.  Behind me is Ama Dablam, it’s so close I can almost touch it but at the same time it seem so far.

Just want to let you all know that we’re doing amazing, we’re doing great!  The oxygen and the air is thin, but we’re all strong over here.  So, we are looking forward our move to Camp 2 tomorrow and we’ll keep you posted!


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 on select expeditions

Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

Heading around the puja to begin the summit push

The summit push is on!  Garrett and the Ama Dablam team just left base camp moments ago heading for Camp 1.  You can follow their progress on this real-time map:  https://madisonmountaineering.com/maps/ama-dablam-2020/.  Here’s Garrett’s message as they were leaving base camp this morning:

Well, it’s November 9th and we are off this morning on our Summit Rotation for Ama Dablam!

We just had breakfast, packed up, and walked around the puja – doing one last ceremony as we head off here up towards Camp 1.  It’ll be a six hour, seven hour hike today to Camp 1.  And then the plan is Camp 2 tomorrow night and then wake up around midnight and go for the summit!

So hopefully, we’ll be back down here in a few day’s time.  All’s well here and we’re looking forward to gettin’ up on the mountain!


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 on select expeditions

Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map: