Tag Archive for: Everest Base Camp

Blessings at the Pangboche Monastery

Nima Sange Sherpa hiking to the Pangboche Monastery with Lobuche East and Island Peak climbers Erik and Mike. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The Madison Mountaineering Himalayan expedition teams continued their journeys today toward their respective destinations. Our Ama Dablam team parted ways from our Everest Base Camp, Lobuche East, and Island Peak climbers and looks forward to settling into their base camp tomorrow! Together, the team visited the Pangboche Monastery for a blessing from the Lama before saying their goodbyes as we all go our separate directions up the Khumbu Valley. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Nepal:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Ama Dablam (6812m/22,349ft) climb here in the Khumbu Valley of Nepal – today is October 26th. Today we woke up in Deboche (3820m/12,532ft) and walked up to Pangboche village (3985m/13,074ft). We had a cup of tea in the morning sunlight at the Namaste Lodge, and then we walked up to the monastery here in town where we received a blessing from one of the Lamas. The monastery here in Pangboche is the oldest one here in the Khumbu Valley and it’s really a nice place to spend a couple of hours. Then we descended back into town and moved into the lodge where we’ll spend tonight. Tomorrow morning we plan to hike up to Ama Dablam base camp (4600m/15,100ft).

Also today, we split off from our Everest Base Camp (5364m/17,598ft) trekkers. After the blessing they headed up to Pheriche (4371m/14,340ft) where they’ll spend two nights before moving higher up the valley toward Everest Base Camp, Lobuche East (6119m/20,075ft), and then back over to Island Peak (6189m/20,305ft).

So, all is well here and we’ll be in touch tomorrow!

Arriving in the Pangboche monastery. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Arriving in the Pangboche monastery. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Everest Base Camp trekker Miga visiting the monastery in Pangboche. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Everest Base Camp trekker Miga visiting the monastery in Pangboche. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our guest, Erik, spinning prayer wheels at the monastery. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our guest, Erik, spinning prayer wheels at the monastery. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

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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Visit at the Tengboche Monastery!

The team making their way from Namche Bazaar to Deboche! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The Madison Mountaineering Himalayan expedition teams continued up the valley today with stops along the way at the Tengboche Monastery and the neighboring bakery. Now settled into the lodge for the night, we’re looking forward to a good night’s sleep and another good day tomorrow! One of our team members is now on their way toward Gokyo Ri, but will soon be reunited with our team in just a few days on Lobuche and Island Peak! The views have been excellent and our team is in good spirits as we move further into the mountains! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Nepal:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the 2024 Madison Mountaineering autumn programs here in the Khumbu Valley of Nepal.

Today we walked from Namche Bazaar (3440m/11,290ft) to the village of Deboche (3820m/12,532ft). It was another beautiful day here in Nepal! Along the way, our guest who is heading to Gokyo Ri (5340m/17,519ft) and then looping back to climb Lobuche East (6119m/20,075ft) and Island Peak (6189m/20,305ft), he split off. He’ll head up into the Gokyo Valley to Dole (4038m/13,248ft) today. The rest of us, our Ama Dablam (6812m/22,349ft) team and our EBC (5364m/17,598ft) trekkers, plus Island Peak and Lobuche East climbers, we all continued past Tengboche Monastery here to Deboche. At Tengboche (3867m/12,687ft), we had a nice visit in the monastery and received a blessing from the Lama there and then we relaxed and had some nice drinks, coffee drinks, hot drinks, and pastries at the bakery adjacent to the monastery. Now we’re settling into our lodge and looking forward to dinner in a few hours.

So, all is well and we’ll be in touch tomorrow!

En route to Deboche. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

En route to Deboche. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our Everest Base Camp trekker Miga with Madison Mountaineering Office Manager Mike Sanders, Nima Sangye Sherpa, and Ama Dablam climber Joe! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our Everest Base Camp trekker Miga with Madison Mountaineering Office Manager Mike Sanders, Nima Sangye Sherpa, and Ama Dablam climber Joe! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Visiting Tengboche Monastery. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Visiting Tengboche Monastery. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Ama Dablam climber Kat completing a “kora” — or circumambulation — of Tengboche Monastery. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Ama Dablam climber Kat completing a “kora” — or circumambulation — of Tengboche Monastery. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

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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Active rest in the heart of the Khumbu!

The team hiking above Namche Bazaar in excellent weather! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The Madison Mountaineering Himalayan expedition teams spent today exploring the beautiful Namche Bazaar! A major hub in the Khumbu Valley, Namche has much to offer including cafes, bars, shopping, and more. After fueling up at breakfast, we ventured out under a beautiful blue sky and started walking through the village on our way to the Everest View Hotel. Together, the team topped out on the ridge and were greeted with crystal clear, unobstructed views of Himalayan peaks in any direction you looked! The team is in high spirits and we look forward to moving deeper into the Khumbu Valley. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Nepal:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering fall programs here in the Khumbu Valley of Nepal – today is October 24th. This morning we woke up to beautiful, clear, sunny skies here in Namche Bazaar (3440m/11,290ft) and we went for an acclimatization hike up to the Everest View Hotel. Along the way, we had excellent views of all the major peaks that you can ever see from the Everest View Hotel: Everest (8848m/29,032ft), Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft), Nuptse (7861m/25,791ft), Taboche (6495m/21,309ft), and one of our objectives for this trip, Ama Dablam (6812m/22,349ft)! Then we descended back down into town and spent the afternoon relaxing in Namche Bazaar, right in the hub of the, the heart of the Khumbu Valley. Our guests have been enjoying sports massages offered by Lehara, the charity that operates here in Namche Bazaar. And, we’ve had some great meals at Sherpa Barista and other restaurants around town! We’re just about to settle into dinner and then we’ll head to bed.

Tomorrow, our plan is to continue moving up the valley. Our EBC (5364m/17,598ft) trekkers and Ama Dablam climbers will continue past Tengboche Monastery (3867m/12,687ft) to Deboche (3820m/12,532ft) and our guest who is heading to Gokyo Ri (5340m/17,519ft) and then on to Lobuche East (6119m/20,075ft) and Island Peak (6189m/20,305ft) will take a left, head up past Phortse (3840m, 12,598ft) to the town of Dole (4038m/13,248ft).

So, all is well here and we’ll be in touch tomorrow!

Views of Ama Dablam. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Views of Ama Dablam. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse rising in the distance behind the Everest View Hotel. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse rising in the distance behind the Everest View Hotel. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Good times in the sun on our active rest day! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Good times in the sun on our active rest day! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Sirdar and guide Aang Phurba Sherpa relaxing with our guests Kat, Joe and Thierry at the Everest View Hotel! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Sirdar and guide Aang Phurba Sherpa relaxing with our guests Kat, Joe and Thierry at the Everest View Hotel! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

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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Phakding to Namche

Our climbers Thierry, Rob and Joe crossing the famous Hillary Suspension Bridge! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The Madison Mountaineering Himalayan expedition teams continued on today, trekking up to Namche Bazaar and crossing the famous Hillary Bridge along the way. Blue skies and pleasant temperatures fueled the team as we walked, step by step up the trail taking in excellent views of the mountains above and river below. With a day of active rest to come, we’re excited to enjoy the comforts of Namche before venturing further into the Himalayas. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Nepal:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the autumn Madison Mountaineering programs here in the Everest region of Nepal – today is October 23rd. Today we walked from Phakding (2610m/8,562ft) up to Namche Bazaar (3440m/11,290ft). Some of the highlights of today’s trek included entering Sagarmatha National Park and crossing the famous Hillary suspension bridge on our way up the hill to Namche. It was another beautiful day here in the Khumbu Valley! We had excellent views of Kusum Kanguru (6367m/20,889ft) – a really nice, snowy, craggy peak high above the Dudh Koshi River. And now from Namche Bazaar, we’re looking over at Kongde Ri (6187m/20,299ft) which is another very majestic peak here in this part of the valley.

We’ve settled into our lodge and our guests are relaxing at Sherpa Barista Cafe, which is a great restaurant here in Namche, and we’re looking forward to a great dinner later tonight! Also, many of our guests have signed up for sports massages with a local charity called Lehara, which provides economic opportunities to local women here in the valley. So, those massages are a nice benefit of being in Namche!

Tomorrow, we’re looking forward to an active rest day! We’ll hike up to the Everest View Hotel where if the weather is as clear as it was today, we’ll have excellent views of Everest (8848m/29,032ft), and Nuptse (7861m/25,791ft), and Ama Dablam (6812m/22,349ft), and other peaks in the upper Khumbu Valley.

So, all is well here in Nepal and we’ll be in touch tomorrow!

The team enjoying lunch in Jorsalle on the way to Namche. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The team enjoying lunch in Jorsale on the way to Namche. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our guests Mel and Tom on the scenic trails en route to Namche. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our guests Mel and Tom on the scenic trails en route to Namche. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Cliffs carved with Buddhist mantras along the trail. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Morning light in the Khumbu Valley. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Morning light in the Khumbu Valley. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

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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A perfect day to fly!

The whole team starting the journey up the Khumbu Valley! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The Madison Mountaineering Himalayan expedition teams awoke early to their alarm clocks this morning with excitement for the day ahead of them. After checking out of the hotel and hauling our duffel bags downstairs, we loaded the bus and we’re on our way to begin the next leg of the journey – an exciting helicopter flight from the capital city to Lukla! After lifting off and flying high above the city below, the city streets soon disappeared and turned into steep terraced hillsides, which later revealed crystal clear views of the Himalayas as we climbed higher and higher into the sky. Full of excitement from an awesome flight and with bellies full after a nice breakfast, we hit the trail en route to our first stop on the way into the Khumbu. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Phakding:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the fall 2024 Madison Mountaineering programs in the Khumbu Valley. Today we flew from Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft) to Lukla (2860m/9,383ft) – we took helis! It was a beautiful flight, maybe one of the clearest flights that I’ve ever had coming into Lukla. We had great views of the mountains all the way in, landed in Lukla earlier this morning, then we had a nice breakfast at the Paradise Lodge, and walked here to Phakding (2610m/8,562ft)! And again, the weather was just fantastic all day – really nice temperature and good views of the hills and higher peaks around us.

We just had lunch and now we’re settling in with the nice white noise of the Dudh Koshi River, not too far away. We’re looking forward to another good day tomorrow when we’ll walk from Phakding up to Namche Bazaar (3440m/11,290ft)! We’ll be in touch then.

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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Hello from Nepal!

The team at their welcome dinner tonight!

The Madison Mountaineering team is back in Nepal this season with several different teams trekking and climbing around the Himalayas! After a long day of travel, everyone has arrived and is looking forward to the days ahead after some rest and final preparations. Together, we’ve gone through a gear check and orientation, capping off the day with a fun dinner at a nice restaurant nearby the hotel. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Kathmandu:

Hello! This is Terray calling in from Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft) for the Madison Mountaineering programs in Nepal’s Khumbu Valley this fall – today is October 20th. Over the last 48 hours, our guests have been arriving in Kathmandu. Today, we kicked off our fall programs with an orientation and gear checks here at the Yak and Yeti Hotel, and then we just wrapped up a really nice welcome dinner at Mezze restaurant in the downtown core of Nepal’s capital city, just a block from the former royal palace.

We have guests heading out on a variety of programs! We have our Ama Dablam (6812m/22,349ft) climbing team, we have guests heading to Everest Base Camp (5364m/17,598ft), and we have some people who will trek to Everest Base Camp and then climb Island Peak (6189m/20,305ft) and Lobuche East (6119m/20,075ft). We have some folks who are heading out on the three passes loop up into the Gokyo area, and then looping back in toward Everest Base Camp and some of the popular 6,000-meter peaks in the area.

So we have a lot of activity underway here in Nepal and we’re looking forward to a really great season! Tomorrow we plan to do our pre-expedition city tour here in Kathmandu, and then the following day hopefully, we’ll start making our way up toward Lukla (2860m/9,383ft). So, all is well here in Kathmandu and 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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City tour in Kathmandu!

Members of our Fall Khumbu Valley programs pose for a team photo with a sadhu (Hindu holy man) at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The Madison Mountaineering team ventured out into the bustling city of Kathmandu today for a tour of some of its most important sites! After a wonderful visit to both the Pashupatinath and Boudhanath Temples, the team was free to do as they liked and spent the rest of the day walking the city streets, resting, and packing for the move tomorrow! With good weather in the forecast, we’ll meet on the helicopter pad for our flight to Lukla where the trek officially begins. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Kathmandu:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the fall 2024 Madison Mountaineering Khumbu Valley programs, our Ama Dablam (6812m/22,349ft) climb, Everest Base Camp (5364m/17,598ft) treks, and Island Peak (6189m/20,305ft), Lobuche East (6119m/20,075ft) climbs.

Today, we visited Pashupatinath Temple and Boudhanath Temple here in Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft). That was our usual city tour before we fly out to the Khumbu Valley. It was a beautiful, sunny fall day here in Kathmandu and we had a really nice time visiting those two UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Tomorrow morning, we’ll wake up early and take helicopters up to Lukla (2860m/9,383ft) if all goes as planned and if the weather allows us to fly. So far the forecast is looking good! So, we’ll be in touch tomorrow.

The Madison Mountaineering team during our city tour at Pashupatinath Temple. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The Madison Mountaineering team during our city tour at Pashupatinath Temple. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Members of the team snapping photographs at Boudha Stupa. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Members of the team snapping photographs at Boudha Stupa. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

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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Down to Camp 2!

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

The Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition team descended from Camp 4 today on Mount Everest, down the Lhotse Face and over 4,000 vertical feet back to Camp 2. Now back in the Western Cwm and the comforts of a heated dining tent, the team recounts the memories from yesterday’s summit day. Again, we are so proud of the entire team and their accomplishments this season! Climber, Courtenay Roche checks in with this celebratory dispatch from Camp 2:

Hello, friends of Madison Mountaineering! Courtenay here with a very exciting post-summit dispatch. As you probably heard from Garrett yesterday, all of our climbers and our amazing Sherpa team summited Everest (8848m/29,032ft) at 8:00 AM on Thursday, May 23rd – a day none of us will soon forget!

After basking in the warmth of our accomplishments and our -40 degree sleeping bags in Camp 4 (7900m/25,919ft) on Thursday night, it was time to head down the mountain. As my childhood idol and friend of Madison Mountaineering Ed Viesturs famously says, “Getting to the top is optional, getting down is mandatory.” Well, we have used his directive and have made it safely down to Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft) losing over 4,000 feet of elevation in just a few hours.

I’m currently dispatching from the comfort of our heated Camp 2 dining tent – a luxury after four days of freeze-dried meals up high on the mountain! We are all certainly eager to be reunited with our base camp (5364m/17,598ft) friends and the amenities tomorrow. Thank you for following along with our many expeditions this season. We’ve got just one more dispatch to go!

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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Resting in Camp 2

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

The Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition team moved swiftly through the Khumbu Icefall, making good time and settling into their camp while they await their next move. The team plans to take a rest day before moving up to Camp 3 sitting over 2,000 feet above them on the Lhotse Face. Situated in the middle of the Western Cwm, Camp 2 is positioned at the foot of Himalayan giants in every direction you look – a dramatic place to call home even if just for a few nights! Climber, Hannah Wise checks in with this dispatch from Camp 2 on Mount Everest:

Hello! This is Hannah Wise calling in with tonight’s dispatch. A quick recap, yesterday we climbed through the icefall for the second time. We moved faster than last time, but it’s pretty crazy how much it changes week over week. Less ladders this time around which was great, but the icefall was making more noise which was a little scary! We then climbed over Camp 1 (6050m/19,849ft) and climbed straight to Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft). It was super hot, so a few stops near the end made for a much-needed break.

We spent today resting at Camp 2. Everyone is doing well! Tomorrow we’ll ascend up the Lhotse Face to Camp 3 (7230m/23,720ft) and spend the night there before we move on to Camp 4 (7900m/25,919ft).

This is Hannah, checking out!

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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Mountain Cleanup Project Expedition Conclusion

The team on the summit of Lhotse! From left: Nelly Attar, Kam Dorji Sherpa, Tenzi Sherpa, Terray Sylvester. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

We are so proud of this team… We’re excited to present photos from the summit day on Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft) for the Mountain Cleanup Project expedition team! In the last few weeks, the team has been focused on cleaning up the camps on and around both Annapurna (8091m/26,545ft) and Lhotse – two of the world’s 14 8,000-meter peaks. All in all, the team has collected and will properly dispose of over 400 kilos of trash. On May 14, the team topped out on the world’s fourth-highest peak in excellent weather, a great way to cap off this special expedition! Introducing the Mountain Cleanup Project expedition team’s Lhotse summiteers:

# Name Country
1 Nelly Attar Lebanon
2 Terray Sylvester United States of America
3 Tenzi Sherpa Nepal
4 Kam Dorji Sherpa Nepal

The team has all arrived safely back in base camp. There have been many highlights so far this season in the Himalayas – the work this team has done being one of them! Congratulations on a wonderful season in the Himalayas to the Mountain Cleanup Project expedition team.

Climber Nelly Attar celebrating on the summit! She became the first Lebanese person to summit Lhotse. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Climber Nelly Attar celebrating on the summit! She became the first Lebanese person to summit Lhotse. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The final steps to the summit of Lhotse! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The final steps to the summit of Lhotse! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

In the Lhotse Couloir with Cho Oyu in the distance (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

In the Lhotse Couloir with Cho Oyu in the distance (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The team approaching the base of the Lhotse Couloir with Mount Everest in the background (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The team approaching the base of the Lhotse Couloir with Mount Everest in the background (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Strong winds on Mount Everest (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Strong winds on Mount Everest (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Pre-dawn glow on the clouds above Kam Dorji Sherpa. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Pre-dawn glow on the clouds above Kam Dorji Sherpa. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

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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