Tag Archive for: Everest Express

Full Steam Ahead!

The team together following our Puja ceremony (photo by Terray Sylvester)

The Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition team has been hard at work in Everest Base Camp! Following the first rotation on Lobuche East, the team welcomed our express climbers, continued their technical trainings and acclimatization efforts, and took part in the Puja Ceremony where we ask the mountain for safe passage. Meanwhile, our Sherpa team loaded up and left for Camp 2 where they’ll start to establish our higher camps. It won’t be too long before we start the move up for our next rotation! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from Mount Everest:

Hello! This is Garrett checking in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest (8848m/29,032ft) expedition.

We’ve had a great couple days training here in base camp (5364m/17,598ft) practicing ascending fixed-lines, traversing, arm repelling, descending. (We’ve) enjoyed some great weather here, some really good technical training, which also helps us with our acclimatization.

Our Sherpa team went up to Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft) today and established our campsite there, and is building Camp 2 in preparation for us to move up in a weeks time, approximately. So, everything’s going smoothly here!

We’re glad the Khumbu Icefall is open, and the route is clear, navigable, and seems very safe. So everything is going full steam ahead here on Mount Everest!

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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Weekend Update from Mount Everest

Summit photo atop Lobuche East!

The Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition teams have been keeping busy all over the Khumbu Valley! Over the weekend, our main team successfully summited Lobuche Peak, which is where we hold our first acclimatization rotation. Meanwhile, the Everest Express team flew from Kathmandu to Pheriche and are working their way up towards Everest Base Camp. Not too far away as the crow flies, we also had successful summits on Island Peak! Wherever the teams were at, we enjoyed excellent weather and had lots of fun in such a special place. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from the Himalaya:

Hey! This is Garrett checking in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest (8848m/29,032ft) expedition team.

Our main team returned back to Everest Base Camp (5364m/17,598ft) after climbing Lobuche Peak (6119m/20,075ft) with great conditions and great views up top – a nice way to continue working on skill development, and getting some acclimatization and training in!

Our Island Peak (6189m/20,305ft) team just summited Island Peak. Congrats to Sandra and CR!

Myself and three of our express climbers are now in Lobuche (4940m/16,210ft) heading to Everest Base Camp! So we’ll all be together in Everest Base Camp tomorrow.

The weather’s been great; blue skies, clear views. We’re just patiently keeping an eye on the Khumbu Icefall route, that currently has an impasse, watching and waiting, as the ice fall doctor team continues to try to find a safe way up through the difficult section.

All is well here at Everest Base Camp in Nepal! We’ll check in soon.

Technical training in Everest Base Camp

Technical training in Everest Base Camp

Technical training in Everest Base Camp

Technical training in Everest Base Camp

Technical training in Everest Base Camp

Technical training in Everest Base Camp

Excellent views while climbing Lobuche East!

Excellent views while climbing Lobuche East!

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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Team moves up to Everest Camp 3

Today private guides Brent and Geoff moved up to Camp 3 with climbers John and Anders in three hours. The route conditions and weather made for a quick ascent. Tomorrow they will depart at 8am and continue the ascent to Camp 4 and prepare for their summit push on Everest and Lhotse. We are excited to have our team in summit position and will be up all night here at base camp to monitor their progress.

Our main team spent today resting at Camp 2 and will move up to Camp 3 early tomorrow morning. Mountain winds are expected to decrease and allow our climbers to be well positioned for clear summit days on Everest and Lhotse. The weather has been clear and sunny the past few days with little to no precipitation. All of our high camps have been stocked with oxygen and supplies by our strong Sherpa team.

To the top!

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Beautiful weather at Camp 2 today

Camp 3

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Moving between Camp 1 and 2

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Mount Everest and Lhotse summit rotation launches!

Our Mount Everest and Lhotse summit rotation has launched! At 2am this morning our climbing team departed Everest base camp and began the ascent though the Khumbu Icefall. Now resting at Camp 2, our entire team will rest and prepare for the next move to Camp 3. Weather forecasts are predicting for increased wind over the next couple says so we will hold till the conditions settle down. We are all in good spirits and health and excited to continue our journey to the top of the world.

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Celebratory photo with our Ghurka neighbors! 

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Relaxing in our dining tent the evening before taking off on our summit rotation

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Happy Birthday Ellen!!

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Anders, Brent, Geoff and John taking off for Camp 2

Lhotse summit rotation

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Rope fixing Sherpas reach the summit!

Yesterday, 2 of our top fixing Sherpas in partnership with the British-Gurkha team (Sherpas and Nepali climbers) were able to reach the summit around 2:15 PM.  We are very happy that our plan succeeded, and now climbers will begin making attempts on the peak.  Our 2 Sherpas who aided in the rope fixing effort today are Lakpa Dandi and Tashi Sherpa, 2 of the 7 rope fixing Sherpas to reach the summit.

As we are now in the final phase of our Mount Everest expedition, our sights are set on climbing to the summit of the world’s highest peak, and for some of us after that also climbing to the top of the world’s 4th highest peak, Lhotse.  We have completed our acclimatization rotations on Everest, reaching Camp 3 and spending several nights at Camp 2 (21,300’) on each of our rotations. Our Sherpa team has stocked all of our high camps with essential equipment for our climb including tents, oxygen cylinders, food, etc.  We are now well rested after spending the last week in base camp or down in Namche at the comfortable Panorama lodge.  We are now waiting in base camp for a favorable weather forecast.

The current weather models show that high winds will arrive over Everest in the next day or two, so we will wait until these winds pass before making our summit attempt. Some teams may try to summit in the next day or shortly after, we prefer to wait for a better forecast before making out attempt. Our main team hopes to be ready to climb on the tail end of this wind event, perhaps as early as May 22nd if the winds do indeed drop down by then.

Currently we are all resting in base camp and passing the time watching films, reading books, going for short hikes, occasional camp maintenance projects, reviewing our climbing kit and oxygen systems, and of course coming together as a team for meal times in our dining tent.  We will continue to monitor the weather forecasts, and hopefully begin our summit attempt in a few days time, stay tuned!

Garrett Madison

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Rope fixing Sherpas

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Rope fixing Sherpas

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Rope fixing Sherpas

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Rope fixing Sherpas

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Rope fixing Sherpas

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Rope fixing Sherpas

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Rope fixing Sherpas

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Preparing for Everest 2017 summit rotation

Our Everest 2017 summit rotation is preparing to launch! Weather and route fixing conditions are clearing up as we load the high camps with oxygen and supplies. Over the past couple days we have enjoyed a few rest days at base camp. Some of our climbers have ventured off on day hikes around EBC or up toward Pumori. Today the weather was overcast with snowfall for most of the day. Conan (guide) will be helicoptering back up with John as the weather clears after spending a few days in Namche. We are all excited to start this next rotation and make our summit push. Stay tuned!

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Camp 1 looking back toward Pumori

Everest 2017 summit rotation

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Camp 2 looking up toward the Lhotse face

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Evening shot at EBC

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Happy team at Camp 2 on their second rotation 

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Audrey and Garrett enjoying the beautiful views at Camp 2!

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Making the ascent between Camp 1 and 2

Everest 2017 summit rotation

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Alina and Sid testing out their Mountain Hardwear down suits 

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Summit Sherpa fixing team delayed due to weather

Today we received news that the summit Sherpa fixing team will be descending down to base camp due to weather delays. With this information, guides Brent and Geoff made the descent to base camp this afternoon with Anders and John. Arriving back into base camp early evening. It is now being discussed among the main expedition teams at base camp that summit fixing will commence on the 16th and 17th based on current weather forecasts. Our guides and expedition leaders are pushing for as early a fixing as possible.

Now that the majority of the team is back at base camp we will enjoy some rest and relaxation together. Tomorrow morning our team in Namche will be helicoptering back to base camp after spending 4 nights at the Paradise Lodge. Arriving back to base camp this afternoon, Conan John and Allan will be boarding the same helicopter from base camp and travel down to Namche for a few days.  All team members are going to take advantage of a few personal days before summit rotation. Right now it sounds like the team will move up on the night of the 13th toward the summit. Variables such as changing weather forecasts and the fixing of both Mount Everest and Lhotse will determine when the team takes off.

Over the next few days the weather forecasts are calling for snow and light winds. We have been watching movies and enjoying the company of the many fascinating people here on Everest this season. Life is good!

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Dinner was on fire!

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summit Sherpa fixing

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summit Sherpa fixing

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summit Sherpa fixing

 

 

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Sherpa route fixing team en-route to the summit

Our climbers are in good health and spirit on Mount Everest as a joint-effort Sherpa route fixing team makes their way to the summit. At base camp we received good news today, the line fixing to the summit will continue tomorrow and should be completed over the next 2-3 days on Everest. Tomorrow guides Brent and Geoff will move up to Camp 3 with Anders and John. If the weather conditions and fixing go as planned, they will move to Camp 4 the follow day.

Up at Camp 2, our Everest Express team (Conan, Allan and John) are on their first rotation and will be returning to base camp on the 9th. They then plan to fly to Namche by helicopter upon arriving back to base camp to rest and recover before their summit rotation.

A few members of our main climbing group are down in Namche now. Sangeeta, Drew, Alina and Billy will be resting and up at Paradise Lodge for the next few days before coming back for their summit rotation. We are hearing that they are enjoying the delicious bakeries and mountain luxuries in Namche.

The past couple days it has been quite at base camp, lots of reading and resting up with the remaining climbing team. We have been receiving steady snowfall in the afternoons, typically it clears up in the evening with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. The moon shines so bright you can see everything, it’s spectacular!

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Garrett and team moving up to touch Camp 3

Sherpa route fixing team

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High altitude rest break

Sherpa route fixing team

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On the ascent toward Camp 3

Sherpa route fixing team

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Happy climbers

Sherpa route fixing team

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Moving through the Khumbu Icefall

Sherpa route fixing team

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Mount Everest 2017 Guide Conan Bliss

Everest 2017 Guide Conan Bliss :

Growing up in Colorado left an indelible imprint on Conan as a boy.  The mountains beckoned.  At an early age, he enjoyed sojourns in the Rocky Mountains with his father, Robert, being exposed to all sorts of inclement weather, steep pitches and exciting adventure.  Rather than turn to more docile pursuits, he carried forth in the hills as a young man, seeking more diverse and intriguing climbing, regardless of whether a route was a well known classic or an obscure piece of unknown rock.

As a climbing guide, his path has taken him around the globe, from the trade routes of the North Cascades, the cold reaches of Alaska, the airy peaks of the Andes, to the shimmering heights of the Himalayas and Karakoram.  He has no favorite peak, no favorite route, as every climb is different and unique in its own right.  To him, the essence of the climb is the the symbiotic energy of the climbers and the mountain, so the same peak will be a different climb each day, week, and season.

Outside of work, Conan enjoys traveling the world with his girlfriend, Gesine, as well as other more domestic pursuits such as cooking and woodworking.  They are looking forward to their new home base at the foot of the Alps this summer.

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Everest 2017 Guide Conan Bliss

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Team makes safe descent through the Khumbu Icefall

Today our main climbing group made a safe descent through the Khumbu icefall and back into base camp. This concluded their second rotation on Mount Everest. Some of our climbers are planning to helicopter down to Namche for 4 nights to rest and recoup at lower elevation before our summit rotation. We are planning to spend at least a week resting and preparing logistics before our main team will push toward the summit.

Guides Brent and Geoff are preparing to move up on their summit rotation with John and Anders in a few hours. They will climb to Camp 2 and wait for the green light from the summit route fixing team. The summit of Everest is expected to be fixed over the next 2-3 days followed shortly by Lhotse. If the weather forecasts are true, our four-man team will be among the first to reach the summit of Everest and Lhotse this year.

Conan Bliss and Everest Express climbers John and Allan are currently at Camp 1 and will make the ascent to Camp 2 tomorrow. They will return to base camp in 2 days time and then follow our main group for their summit rotation. Stay tuned!

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Hanging out between Camp 1 and 2

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Khumbu Icefall

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Khumbu Icefall

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Happy Birthday Alina!!

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Making the ascent through the Khumbu Icefall

Khumbu Icefall

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Khumbu Icefall

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