Tag Archive for: Broad Peak

Celebrating the Eid Holiday!

People gathered in our base camp for today's Eid celebration.

Today, the team celebrated the Eid holiday in Pakistan, by hosting a party in which close to 30 people came! Aside from the celebrating the team did, they’ve stayed busy by exploring the sights and surrounding glaciers around base camp. Terray Sylvester checks in with todays dispatch from K2 base camp:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the 2022 Madison Mountaineering K2 expedition – it’s July 10th.

The last two days have been rest days here in base camp. Right now, the winds are high on the mountain, so we’re waiting for a summit window, resting. Yesterday, some of us went for hikes around base camp, down to Broad Peak base camp, and some of us also went up the Savoia Glacier part way which wraps around to the west ridge of K2 and offers some really beautiful views.

Today, was the Eid holiday here in Pakistan! So, we hosted a party – about 30 people came to our camp here in base camp! It was really nice.

So, it looks like tomorrow will be another rest day. We’ll probably do some ice climbing on the Godwin-Austen Glacier.

Just resting, staying healthy, spirits are high – so all is well! Eid Mubarack! We’ll be in touch.

Checking out melt ponds on the Savoia Glacier (📸: @terray_s).

Checking out melt ponds on the Savoia Glacier (📸: @terray_s).

Guide, Cacho Beiza walking with our climber, Krisli, on the Savoia Glacier yesterday, July 9th (📸: @terray_s).

Guide, Cacho Beiza walking with our climber, Krisli, on the Savoia Glacier yesterday, July 9th (📸: @terray_s).

Climber, Nelly, slicing cake during today's Eid celebration.

Climber, Nelly, slicing cake during today’s Eid celebration.

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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Acclimatization at Camp 2: Active Rest and Beautiful Views

Climber Krisli Melesk above Camp 1.

The Madison Mountaineering K2 expedition team has settled into Camp 2 (6700m/21,980ft). The team plans to take advantage of the good weather by continuing to acclimatize before heading back to base camp (4968m/16,300ft) to conclude the first rotation. Expedition guide, Terray Sylvester, checks in with today’s dispatch from K2:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the 2022 Madison Mountaineering K2 expedition – it’s Monday, July 4th.

Today our team had a great climb from Camp 1 (6065m/19,900ft) to Camp 2 (6700m/21,980ft) here on K2. We’re at about 6,600 meters – the weather is fantastic, very clear! We had great views of the Baltoro Glacier system, Masherbrum, Broad Peak, and all the other famous mountains around us. Tomorrow our plan is to take an active rest day – we’ll hike up to the base of the Black Pyramid and then descend back to camp and relax in our tents. The following day we’ll descend down to base camp (4968m/16,300ft).

So, all is well and we will be in touch!

One of our tents in Camp 2.

One of our tents in Camp 2.

Guide, Cacho Beiza approaching Camp 1.

Guide, Cacho Beiza approaching Camp 1.

Sirdar and guide, Aang Phurba Sherpa approaching Camp 2 with climber Nelly Attar.

Sirdar and guide, Aang Phurba Sherpa approaching Camp 2 with climber Nelly Attar.

Climber Nelly Attar in Camp 2.

Climber Nelly Attar in Camp 2.

First light on the north pyramid of Broad Peak - seen from Camp 1.

First light on the north pyramid of Broad Peak – seen from Camp 1.

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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K2 2016 Climbing Season Recap

K2 2016 Climbing Season Recap:

Our K2 2016 team made a great effort to climb the peak but it was not meant to be. We are thankful that nobody was injured in the avalanche that came down from high on the mountain on July 23rd and took our Camp 3 and Camp 4 deposit off the mountain.  This avalanche resulted in the cancellation of the climbing season for all teams on K2 in 2016.  We have enjoyed our time in Pakistan and feel very lucky to have experienced this incredible mountain range, the Karakorum.  Please read the National Geographic article here for more information on the recent K2 climbing season.

To Higher Places!

–Garrett Madison

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Amazing Youtube video by Petr Jan Juracka with beautiful drone shots of our 2016 K2 ascent.

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Below please also enjoy 2016 K2 climber Takayasu Semba’s photo’s from the expedition.

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K2 Summit Attempt: Climb Recap

Our team is now back down in base camp after our K2 summit attempt. Tomorrow was supposed to be our summit day, the weather currently looks perfect as predicted, clear skies and no wind. We had everything in position for our summit attempt, after about 5 weeks of preparations, we had established our high camps, had climbed to camp 3, and were looking forward to our summit. But it was not meant to be, as when we were preparing to climb from camp 1 to camp 2 on the morning of July 23, we saw a big avalanche come down the mountain. We later learned that this avalanche was massive, had started somewhere near our camp 4, and had covered nearly a third of the mountain down to the base,  taking out our camps 3 & 4, nothing was left. We were lucky that we were not in these camps when the avalanche occurred. Without our equipment for our summit attempt (tents, oxygen, ropes, food, etc) we cannot continue our climb, we are now heading home, as are all teams. Yesterday we searched the avalanche debris field at the base of the mountain, about 7000′ below where the slide began,  but found nothing,  as the debris was around 10-20 ft. deep in most areas. We will leave base camp in a couple of days and trek out,  then fly or drive to Islamabad and fly home. Even though we did not make the summit we had a great experience and and are thankful for the time we had in this beautiful mountain range. -Garrett Madison

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Massive avalanche on K2, team safe at Camp 2

Massive avalanche on K2, camps 3 and 4 totally gone without a trace: All members currently safe in camp 2. Expedition now finished as all equipment for summit attempt (tents, oxygen, ropes, food, etc) has been lost.

-Garrett Madison

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K2 climbing team at Camp 1 with harsh weather conditions

Expedition leader Garrett Madison called in this morning to report that the team has safely reached Camp 1 and are now pinned down with harsh weather conditions. The team will wait and see if the weather stabilizes before moving higher on K2.

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This is a wind graph that we use to make data driven decisions on K2. Michael Fagin and team at West Coast Weather provide our expeditions around the world with advanced forecasting models. Michael Fagin has a background in weather forecasting for major expedition groups that climb K2 and other climbing venues. He is experienced in climate data retrieval and analysis for clients around the world.

K2 Wind Graph

*Forecast issued on July 22, 2016 and weather needs to be monitored as the weather patterns can and do change over time.

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Our climbers and guides climbing to Camp 1.

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Our international expedition prepares for K2 Summit rotation

In one day or so our international expedition of four climbers, two guides and six Sherpas will be leaving on their third and final climbing rotation, their K2 summit rotation. We expect the summit rotation to take six days to summit and return to K2 Base Camp.

Beautiful photos taken by Stuart Erskine.

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This is the first time we’ve seen K2 in a week or so as it has been non-stop fog and blowing snow.

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Broad Peak, the Godwin Austin Glacier and K2 Base Camp from partway up K2 Glacier.

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K2 glacier looking up to K2.

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K2 glacier and K2 in the middle, with Angle Peak to the left and Broad Peak to the right.

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At K2 Base Camp we’ve had snow, fog and rain for over a week now since July 13, 2016. This is our first nice day of weather and we are experiencing a lot of avalanches. This avalanche coming high off K2 from the bottleneck at over 27,000 ft has some serious propulsion and just misses the top of K2 Base Camp. The debris goes all the way across the valley towards the base of Broad Peak.

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Life is a balance. Stuart, a rock and K2.

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Stuart and his Sherpa climbed up onto the K2 glacier to the base of K2 to ponder their upcoming summit bid and contemplate safe passage on the mountain.

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USA International K2 Expedition are having a 7-8 day break

The Madison Mountaineering USA International K2 Expedition are having a 7-8 day break between their second rotation that got them up as high as Camp 3 at 24,500 ft on K2 and their final K2 summit rotation. During that rest time it’s important for the guides, climbers and Sherpas to eat well, stay healthy and active.

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Photos taken by K2 2016 climber Stuart Erskine

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Climbers, Guides, Sherpas and Porters at Camp 3 at 24,500 ft or 7,550 meters in the morning during their second rotation. Everyone is getting ready to head back down to K2 Base Camp after the weather conditions changed and high summit winds started for the next 6-10 days. Broad Peak the 12th highest mountain in the world at 8,051 meters or 26,414 ft high is in the background right. The high summit winds are obvious on the summit of Broad Peak in this photo and K2 is 560 meters or 1,837 ft higher than Broad Peak.

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Garrett and Simba climbing down part of the Black Pyramid from Camp 3 to Camp 2 on K2.

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Climbers, Sherpas and Porters resting part way down from K2 Camp 3 at 24,500 ft and on their way to Advance Base Camp (ABC) at 17,500 ft. K2 is so steep, rocky and icy that 80 to 90 percent of the 7,000 ft climb down has to be done by repelling on fixed ropes for most climbers which will take about 8 to 9 hours. This is normally followed by a 2 to 3 hour trek from ABC at 17,500 ft to K2 Base Camp at 16,500 ft, all in the same day.

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An avalanche across the valley from Broad Peak Base Camp. Avalanches, rock and ice fall are regular occurrences each day during the climbing season in the Karakoram Mountain Range. The mountains are very steep and the constant changes in temperature, weather and ground conditions creates a lot of falling debris which can be very dangerous for climbers and their support teams.

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Anyone have the phone number for the K2 Fire Department?

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During this rest day the two guides and four climbers walked down to Broad Peak Base Camp which is about three hours round trip. Broad Peak is the neighboring mountain to K2 and is the 12th highest mountain in the world at 8,051 meters or 26,414 ft high. In this photo the Madison Mountaineering team is enjoying some hospitality from a climbing team attempting to climb Broad Peak, in their dinning tent.

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Our four climbers and two guides with the staff from Broad Peak Base Camp when we trekked down to visit their Base Camp.

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Our chef Antony and his kitchen staff are barbecuing some fresh chicken for supper.

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