Tag Archive for: Camp 2

First Rotation – Camp 2

Camp 2

On their first acclimatization rotation, our Everest team moved up to Camp 2 in the Western Cwm today marking a personal high-point for some of the climbers at nearly 21,300 ft (6490m).  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, phones in the details via satellite phone:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest and Lhotse expedition.  We are up at Camp 2!  It is April 26th and we had a great day climbing from Camp 1 to Camp 2 today – beautiful weather, no wind, no clouds – just a perfect day up here in the mountains.  We got into Camp 2 in the afternoon.  Our Sherpa team did a great job in setting up Camp 2 for us.  We’ve got a nice dining tent with a heater, all of our personal tents are up, and great views all the way around.  It’s really great to be up here.

We spent two nights at Camp 1; restful but a little windy at times, but it was good to acclimatize at Camp 1.  We plan to spend two nights up here before heading back down to base camp before the big snow starts.

All’s well up here and we’ll check in soon.

(photo:  Everest South Col route Camp 2 from the Madison Mountaineering archives)

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:

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Ama Dablam Summit!

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:

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Summit Push – Camp 2

Jenn D and Garrett touching Ama Dablam Camp 2

The Ama Dablam team have once again completed the crux of the route, The Yellow Tower, while making the move to Camp 2 (6000m) on their summit push.  Tonight is the night!  Within the next few hours, they will start the climb to the summit.  Godspeed team!  Here’s today’s audio dispatch courtesy of team member, Moe Al Thani from his Instagram feed @moealthani:

This is Moe Al Thani calling you from Camp 2, Ama Dablam.  I can see the summit, it’s so close I can touch it.  We arrived here like within three hours since we left Camp 1 after the tough hike up to Camp 2.  We are feeling really good!

The sherpa team just fixed the fixed lines all the way up to the summit.  So now we have the go-ahead to go this evening for our summit push.  We will leave around 1 AM for an 8-9 hour summit push to the summit.  [Arabic]  Keep us in your prayers and will talk to you soon.

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:

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First Rotation – Touched Camp 2

Moe on Ama

The Ama Dablam team touched their high point so far by climbing to Camp 2 (5980m) today before returning to Camp 1 for the night.  Just before reaching Camp 2, they enjoyed some of the route’s best climbing by tackling the technical crux:  Ama Dablam’s Yellow Tower.  Tomorrow they will descend to base camp and rest up for their summit bid.  Team member Moe Al Thani returns with today’s dispatch, again courtesy of his Instagram feed: @moealthani:

This is Moe Al Thani from Camp 1.  We are back at Camp 1 after climbing to Camp 2.  It was harder than I expected.

Climbing the Yellow Tower was whatever people say and even more.  It’s really difficult, rock climbing at 6,000m with no oxygen.  However, we made it!  Now we’re back at Camp 1 and acclimatized better.

So tomorrow morning we’re going to head back down to base camp where we will enjoy internet, shower, food, and a good place to sleep.  Now that’s Heaven to me!  That’s it.  I’m really tired, we had a very long day.

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:

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Going for the summit tomorrow

The evening's glow on Aconcagua

Hi, this is Garrett calling in for the Aconcagua team.  We’re up at high camp, Camp 3 on the normal route – Cholera Camp (5945m/19,504ft).  And everyone’s doing really well.  The weather seems to be improving so we are looking forward to potentially a nice summit day.  But there’s only one way to find out.  So, we are going to wake up early at 4:00am and start climbing by 6:00am and hopefully have some good luck up there and have a great climb.  We’ll check-in soon.  Thanks!

(photo:  earlier this week at 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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Up to Aconcagua Camp 3 tomorrow

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

The plan is to move up to Camp 3 tomorrow after waiting out the winds hitting the upper mountain.  Here’s expedition leader, Garrett Madison, with the details:

Hello!  This is Garrett calling in for the Aconcagua team up here at Camp 2 on the normal route – Nido de Cóndores.  We took another rest day today as we are watching the winds up high.  It looks like the strong winds have been persistent for a couple of days but they should be dying down.  So our plan is to head up to Camp 3 tomorrow and go for the summit the following day.  Fingers crossed for good weather.  The team’s doing great up here.  Everyone’s in good spirits and we are looking forward to moving up the mountain soon!  All’s well here on Aconcagua.  We’ll check-in soon!

 

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 Camp 2

The view from Camp 2 on Aconcagua

Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, reports in from Camp 2 on Aconcagua:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Aconcagua team.  We’re up here at Camp 2.  We had a great rest day in Nido de Condores camp.  Nice day – not too windy and not as warm as yesterday but still not too cold.

We are going to see how the weather is tomorrow.  Sounds like there’s some high winds coming in by the forecast but we haven’t seen them yet – haven’t felt the high winds so we’ll see what happens tomorrow. Either we’ll move up to Camp 3 or we’ll take another rest day here at Camp 2.

Everyone’s doing well here on Aconcagua.  Check-in soon!

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 3

The view from Aconcagua Camp 2

The Aconcagua team made a carry up to Camp 3 – Cholera Camp (5974m/19,600ft.) today and are back at Camp 2.  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, phoned in today’s dispatch via satellite phone:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Aconcagua team.  We are at Camp 2 on Aconcagua.  We had a great day today.  We carried up to Camp 3 – Cholera Camp at about 19,600 ft., cached some of our equipment and came back down to Camp 2 here at Nido de Cóndores – about 18,200 ft.

We are going to rest here tomorrow.  It looks like there are some strong winds coming in tonight for a couple of days.  Climbers have come down off the upper mountain from the high camps, including some of the rangers here on the mountain, just to get out of the way of the winds.  So we will probably rest for a one day if not two depending on the high winds here.  When it clears, we will head up to Camp 3 and move forward with our plan for a summit attempt.

Everyone’s doing great here.  We’ve had good weather – high pressure […garbled…] not too cold.  The team’s doing well and we’ll check in soon.  Thanks!

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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Nido de Cóndores – Camp 2 (5585m/18,325ft.)

Camp 2 on Aconcagua

The Aconcagua team today moved up to Nido de Cóndores our Camp 2 at 5585m/18,325ft.  Here’s Garrett’s dispatch:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Aconcagua climb.  Today we climbed up to Camp 2 – Nido de Cóndores on Aconcagua on the normal route.  Everybody did great!  We got up to camp, set up our tents, relaxed a little bit, and then had a nice dinner.  Now we are getting ready to go to bed.  The weather’s pretty good up here – not too windy, sunny.  We are hoping for a good day tomorrow to do a carry to Camp 3 if weather permits, otherwise we’ll probably take a rest day at Camp 2.  Thanks for following along.  We’ll check-in soon!

Camp 2 on Aconcagua

Camp 2 on Aconcagua

The view from Aconcagua Camp 2

The view from Aconcagua Camp 2

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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Resting up at Camp 2

Camp 2 on the Cesen route

After yesterday’s big initial push up from base camp, the K2 team has been resting up at Camp 2 today and will move up to Camp 3 tomorrow.  Garrett fills us in on the details:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the K2 climbing team.  Today is July 17th, and we decided to take a rest day here in Camp 2 on the Cesen route.  The weather is great!  Litte bit of uncertainty regarding the rope fixing up high, so we decided to wait a day, give ourselves a little more time, and also rest up from the big push we did yesterday from base camp up to Camp 2 (about 4,500 vertical feet).  Our plan is to climb up to Camp 3 tomorrow.  Everybody’s doing well.  We’ll check in soon.  Thanks!

Camp 2 on the Cesen route

Our Mountain Hardwear tents at Camp 2 on the Cesen route

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