Tag Archive for: Broad Peak Camp 3

Waiting patiently

Photo pulled from the Madison Mountaineering archive. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The Madison Mountaineering Karakoram expedition teams are now safely back together again in base camp! After a strong effort on Broad Peak, the team descended back down the mountain along with the other teams, due to poor weather and route conditions. The team is all in good spirits and waiting patiently! Both the K2 and Broad Peak expedition teams hope for a weather window to make another attempt soon. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from K2 Base Camp:

Hello again from the foot of K2 (4968m/16,300ft)! We’re still playing the expedition waiting game here, watching our forecast for a weather window with winds low enough for a summit bid on K2 (8611m/28,251ft). While we wait, we’ve been going for hikes, and practicing our technical skills and ice climbing on the towers of the Godwin-Austen Glacier.

Our Broad Peak (8051m/26,414ft) climbers have returned to base camp, after they – and the other teams on the mountain – were turned around by poor weather and deep snow above Camp 3. We’re looking for a window for them to make another attempt.

We’ll be in touch!

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:

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Update from Broad Peak

Photo pulled from the Madison Mountaineering archive. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The Madison Mountaineering Broad Peak team pushed higher on the route today, working to fix lines toward the summit. However, due to tough conditions on the mountain, they made the decision to turn back. Now safely back at Camp 2, the team is resting and will evaluate their next steps soon. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester shares this update from K2 Base Camp:

Today our Broad Peak (8051m/26,414ft) team attempted to re-establish the route above Camp 3. Working with the three other teams on the mountain, they broke trail through new snow and re-fixed several hundred meters toward the col between the central and south summits of the mountain. Unfortunately, our team, and the others, were turned around by stormy, low-visibility conditions and route-finding challenges. They’re now safely in Camp 2 while we reassess their options. I’ll be in touch with another update 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:

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Summit push on Broad Peak soon!

Broad Peak as seen from high on K2. Photo pulled from the Madison Mountaineering archive. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The Madison Mountaineering Broad Peak expedition team is in position to make their summit push! The team has crawled into their tents for the night and looks to go for the summit soon, when the weather allows. Stay tuned for more updates to come from the Karakoram! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this brief dispatch from K2 Base Camp:

Hello again from K2 Base Camp (4968m/16,300ft)! Today our Broad Peak (8051m/26,414ft) climber moved to Camp 3, preparing for a summit push tonight or tomorrow night, weather dependent. Meanwhile our K2 (8611m/28,251ft) climbers spent an active rest day hiking on the Savoia Glacier by base camp. The team is well. We’ll be in touch 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:

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Summit bid underway on Broad Peak!

Broad Peak

We’re keeping busy in the Karakoram as our K2 expedition team awaits an opportunity to make their summit bid! The team took to areas surrounding base camp today to pick up more trash, bringing the season total to 275 kg / 605 lbs that will be properly removed from the mountains and disposed of. Meanwhile, our Broad Peak expedition team began their summit bid, climbing straight to Camp 2 and with plans to move to Camp 3 tomorrow! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from K2 Base Camp:

Today was another warm, sunny day in K2 Base Camp (4968m/16,300ft). We took advantage of the dry conditions — with no snow covering the ground — to complete our final trash cleanup session. This time we focused on lower K2 Base Camp and the terrain between base camp and the Gilkey Memorial, picking up an additional 67 kilos / 148 lbs of trash. That brings our grand total for this season’s cleanup to almost exactly 275 kg / 605 lbs!

I’m very proud of our team for collecting that much waste. This effort was spearheaded by our climber, Ryan Mitchell. All of our other climbers, as well as our entire Sherpa and high altitude porter team, and our base camp staff, also participated.

Now we plan to turn over the trash to the staff of Central Karakoram National Park, who will transport it back to Askole (3040m/9,974ft). Once there it will be sorted and disposed of out of the mountains.

Today our Broad Peak (8051m/26,414ft) climber started his summit bid by moving to Camp 2 with his sherpa team. Weather permitting, they’ll move to Camp 3 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:

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