Tag Archive for: Base Camp

The move up to Camp 1

Evening at Aconcagua Camp 1 (5052m/16,575ft)aconcagua

Team member Sid Pattison provides today’s expedition dispatch as the team moves up to Camp 1 on Aconcagua:

Well the team made it up to Camp 1 (5052m/16,575ft) in good style today.  We are up here, we got to reap the benefits of food and water we brought up the other day.  Now, after dinner the team is sitting around watching a lovely sunset under clear skies in the shadow of an alpenglow summit of Aconcagua.  We shall rest well tonight!  This is Sid Pattison signing off!

Aconcagua Camp 1 (5052m/16,575ft)

Aconcagua Camp 1 (5052m/16,575ft)

Sunset from Aconcagua Camp 1 (5052m/16,575ft)

Sunset from Aconcagua Camp 1 (5052m/16,575ft)

By the way, it’s not too early to start making your plans to join us on other expeditions in the 2020 season!  Contact our office for details.

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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Carry to Camp 1

Aconcagua catching the evening light

Our Aconcagua team made a carry of gear up to Camp 1 and returned to base camp today.  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, provides this dispatch:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Aconcagua expedition.  We had a great day doing a carry up to Camp 1 on Aconcagua today.  It was sunny in the morning, clear, cold and we got up to Camp 1 – it was a little windy – cached our gear, our food, equipment, and personal items that we are going to retrieve when we move up to Camp 1 in a couple of days time.

Beautiful evening here in base camp, the stars are out, we had a wonderful dinner.  We’re just relaxing, getting ready for bedtime and looking forward to a rest day tomorrow.

All’s well here on Aconcagua.  Check-in soon.

Plaza de Mulas base camp

Plaza de Mulas base camp

Carrying loads to camp 1 from base camp

Carrying loads to camp 1 from base camp

Garrett & Sid in base camp with the peak behind

Garrett & Sid in base camp with the peak behind

By the way, it’s not too early to start making your plans to join us on other expeditions in the 2020 season!  Contact our office for details.

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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Rest day at Aconcagua base camp

On the trek to Aconcagua base camp

The team had a rest day at Aconcagua base camp and is preparing to make their first carry up to Camp 1.  Here’s expedition leader, Garrett Madison, with today’s dispatch:

Hello!  This is Garrett checking-in for the Aconcagua expedition.  Today is January 29th and we had a nice rest day here at Plaza de Mulas base camp.  We organized gear today, did our medical checkups with the doctor, and strolled around camp.

We are looking forward to another great day tomorrow.  Our plan is to get up and go for carry to Camp 1 and return to base camp.

Everyone’s doing great and we’re enjoying ourselves here at Aconcagua base camp.

 

By the way, it’s not too early to start making your plans to join us on other expeditions in the 2020 season!  Contact our office for details.

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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Plaza de Mules Base Camp

Climbers camping on a mountain in ArgentinaAconcagua 1/10 (C) Kurt Hunter 2010

Today the team reached Plaza de Mules base camp and got settled in.  The sat phone dispatch is a bit garbled but you can certainly make out that they like the comforts of the base camp:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Aconcagua expedition.  Today is January 28th and today we trekked from Confluencia camp up …[garbled]… great today and we are looking forward to taking a rest day tomorrow …[garbled]… clouded up a little …[garbled]… sun this afternoon …[garbled]… when we were in camp, but GREAT basecamp setup here — hot showers, excellent food, very relaxing and comfortable dinning tent, and great personal tents.  So, we’re really comfortable here and everyone’s doing really well.  Looking forward to a fun day tomorrow.

(photo:  Madison Mountaineering archive)

By the way, it’s not too early to start making your plans to join us on other expeditions in the 2020 season!  Contact our office for details.

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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Acclimatization Rotation Complete

Ama Dablan

Conan Bliss, expedition leader, checked-in today with an update on the Ama Dablam expedition:

The Ama Dablam team arrived back at BC after a successful acclimatization rotation. We stayed 2 nights at C1 and made a climb up to C2, ascending the famous Yellow Tower yesterday. Tomorrow we’ll have a rest day then plan our summit push on the 2nd, weather permitting.

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First rotation up next

Training around Ama Dablam base camp

Expedition leader, Conan Bliss, checks in with today’s update:

The Ama Dablam team is enjoying another training session this morning at BC. We’ll relax this afternoon and get packed for our two-night acclimatization rotation starting tomorrow (29th/30th). We’ll stay both nights at C1 and plan to climb to touch C2 on the 30th. We’ll check back in on the 31st when we are back in BC.

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Base Camp established!

Ama Dablam base camp

Expedition leader, Conan Bliss, checks in with today’s update on the Ama Dablam expedition:

The Ama Dablam team arrived at BC yesterday (October 25 – local). It was a snowy evening but clouds are breaking today. We had a fun and productive morning doing rope training. Tomorrow we’re planning an acclimatization hike to Yak Camp and will spend the next 2 nights in BC. Weather permitting we aim to climb to C1 on the 28th or 29th for two nights. Thanks for checking in.

Ama Dablam base camp

Ama Dablam base camp

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Team prepares to depart K2 Base Camp

Approaching the summit of K2

All of our climbers and equipment are off the mountain and we are preparing to begin the 100 kilometer trek from K2 Base Camp to Askole, down the Baltoro Glacier past the Great Trango Tower and back to where we began our journey nearly 6 weeks ago.

On July 22nd, we had an incredible, and very rare, summit day on K2. All 8 of our clients who began the summit rotation made it to the top along with 3 guides, 9 Nepali Sherpas and 4 Pakistani HAP (high altitude porters). In terms of total team size reaching the summit, I have been told by our liaison officer here with us that we have set a record! We were very fortunate to have had perfect conditions as we climbed to the top of K2 and then back down to our Camp 2. The last couple of days here in Base Camp we have been breaking down camp and packing up for the long trek out.

It’s been an incredible experience here in the Karakorum, and we are all thankful that we finished the climb without any accidents or injuries / fatalities as some other teams sadly experienced this season on K2.

K2 summit

K2 summit

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K2 team all safely back at Base Camp

All of our K2 team members are safely down from the mountain and at Base Camp (4995 m/16,388 ft)! Fantastic effort by all. We will have a full recap after a well deserved rest!

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Wave 2 Ready to head up tomorrow AM!

Main K2 team heading off

Garrett called in with an audio dispatch this evening from K2 Base Camp:

Hi! This is Garrett Madison calling from the K2 expedition. Today is July 16th and we just finished up dinner here in Base Camp and we are ready to move up to Camp 1 tomorrow morning! We are going to head off at 05:00 AM. The weather is looking good, the route conditions are looking solid, and the Sherpas are excited to be climbing with us as well! So all’s good here on K2 and we will check in again soon.

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