Tag Archive for: Himalayas

Summits on Everest!

The route as seen from Camp 4.

It comes with great excitement to share that the Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition team successfully reached the summit and are back in Camp 4! All climbers who left on the summit push from the South Col reached the world’s highest point. Upon reaching the top, the team took in the moment with a brief celebration, hugs, high-fives, and a few photos before turning back and descending down the route. Awesome job, team! We are so proud of you.

But we’re not done yet! A few climbers and guides are staged in Camp 4. They plan to take a rest day tomorrow and leave for the summit on May 27th! More to come from Mount Everest… Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from the South Col:

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

We are all up at the South Col at Camp 4 (7900m/25,919ft) on Mount Everest. And today, we’re so proud of our main team that summited, led by Cacho, J.P, Aang Phurba Sherpa, along with eight climbers. That’s Rich, Brandon, Andy, Ashley, Pratyay, Frank, Francisco, and Tom. All the climbers who were up here at the South Col went for the summit and made it, along with the guide team and 16 Nepal Sherpas, 16 of our stellar Sherpas. We’re so proud of them! So that’s, I think 24 members from the Madison Mountaineering team, Sherpas and climbers, 26 maybe who summited.

Myself, along with Jeff Arnold, Terray Sylvester, and Reid Tileston are up here at the South Col now, along with Siddhi, Ardi, and Hada Sherpa. We’re getting ready to go for our summit attempt. We’re probably going to aim for the morning of the 27th at this point.

So everyone’s doing well, everyone’s safe, everyone’s happy. And we’re just so excited our main team all made it to the top, 100% success for everyone that was up here at the South Col and left to go for the summit attempt. Great job, team!

Fingers crossed we’ll some good weather and conditions for the last four of us and our Sherpa team here on the 27th! All’s well here at high camp 4 on Everest, 26,000 feet, 8,000 meters. We’ll check in 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 our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

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Summit Push Happening Soon!

Mountain Hardwear Trango tents in Camp 3

The Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition team is primed and ready for their summit push. Situated in Camp 4 at the South Col, our main team has plans to get an alpine start and hopefully be standing on the summit by mid-morning! Meanwhile, the rest of our team is down in Camp 3 and will make the move to Camp 4 tomorrow. The weather has improved and the team is ready to go. 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) team.

We are split into two teams at the moment. Our main team, with Cacho, J.P, and Aang Phurba is up at the South Col (7900m/25,919ft). They got up there yesterday to Camp 4 (7900m/25,919ft). They battled some high winds, but they did great getting into high camp. And they are going for the summit tonight! They’re gonna set out around 1:00 p.m. Hopefully, summit at about 9 or 10 a.m. on May 25th.

Our plan here, myself, Terray, Reid, and Jeff, is to climb up to Camp 4 tomorrow, and hopefully, greet our team and congratulate them on the way back down! And then, we’ll go for the summit in the next day or two, 26th or 27th of May.

So, all is well here on Mount Everest! Seems like the winds are starting to subside, and the weather is improving. Fingers crossed and Godspeed.

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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Teams in Camp 3 and Camp 4 on Everest!

The view from Camp 3.

Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition teams are tucked into Camps 3 and 4. The summit push is near; climbers are psyched and ready to go! The main climbing team reached the South Col today, and the rest of our guides and climbers will join them there shortly. Stay tuned for the summit push! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from Mount Everest:

Hey! This is Garrett here with Terray, Reid, and Jeff in Camp 3 (7230m/23,720ft) on Everest (8848m/29,032ft).

We climbed up from Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft) to Camp 3 today. We had a nice day, great views, and we’re tucked in here, just getting ready to have some dinner,

Our main team: Cacho, JP, Aang Phurba, and all the other climbers powered up from Camp 3 to Camp 4 (7900m/25,919ft) today, got to the South Col. It was a windy one for them, but they did great. They’re up there, resting and recovering; probably gonna rest tomorrow. Hopefully, the winds will start to subside, and we’ll have some good weather for the summit push.

But everyone’s doing well, and we’re psyched to be here, good views all around! Check in 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 our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

 

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Healthy and Feeling Strong!

Alpenglow on Lhotse

The Madison Mountaineering team’s summit rotation is going smoothly so far! With teams in both Camp 2 and Camp 3 at the moment, they’ll come together in Camp 4 again in just a few days time. Sunny skies have made for excellent views while the team climbs higher up the mountain. That combined with a strong team and acclimatization has everyone in good spirits and excited for the days ahead. 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) team.

It’s May 22nd and our main team climbed up from Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft) to Camp 3 (7230m/23,720ft) today. They made great time! (They) got up there in about four hours, settled into Camp 3. Myself with Terray, Reid, and Jeff are in Camp 2. We’re heading up to Camp 3 tomorrow, just one day behind them. The next day, they’re heading up to Camp 4 (7900m/25,919ft), and we’ll be up in Camp 3. And the following day, we’ll all be up in Camp 4 together.

Weather looks great! It’s been a little windy, but clear skies, great views, and everyone is doing really awesome, very solid. So, very thankful that everyone’s healthy and feeling strong. Check in soon.

Climbing through the Khumbu Icefall with Pumori behind.

Climbing through the Khumbu Icefall with Pumori behind.

Dawn in the Khumbu Icefall

Dawn in the Khumbu Icefall

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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Moving to Camp 3

Looking up the route with Everest and Lhotse towering high above.

The Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition team moved swiftly through the Khumbu Icefall and into Camp 2 a few days ago. Now, they are prepared to continue the move on up to Camp 3 soon! They’ve enjoyed great weather and route conditions so far, and hope for more of the same as they climb higher and higher towards the summit. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from Camp 2:

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

We are up at Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft) and the team is doing excellent! Good weather, good conditions, and we’re starting our move up to Camp 3 (7230m/23,720ft) tomorrow, and then up to Camp 4 (7900m/25,919ft) the next day. We’re targeting May 25th for summit day.

So, a lot of people have been summiting the last few days and making their way down. So hopefully it won’t be too crowded for us, and we’ll have some good weather and good conditions up there. Check in 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 our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

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Summit rotation about to begin!

Oxygen systems briefing in Everest Base Camp.

The Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition team is about to begin their summit rotation! In a few short hours, the team will emerge from their base camp tents, shoulder their packs, and begin their final rotation on the mountain. The team has put in the work, and are feeling strong and ready! To start, we’ll climb through the Khumbu Icefall to Camp 2. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from Everest Base Camp:

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

We are off tonight, heading up from base camp (5364m/17,598ft) on our way up the mountain towards Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft). We’re tentatively targeting May 25th for a summit date. So we’ll get up to Camp 2 over the next couple days and recheck the weather forecast, reevaluate, fine tune our summit plan.

But everyone is doing great! The team is in good spirits. Everyone’s very healthy, well nourished, strong, and excited for what lies ahead. So, fingers crossed, we’ll get lucky with some good weather and good conditions. And looking forward to the climb ahead! We’ll check in 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 our daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

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Back in Everest Base Camp!

Returning back to Everest Base Camp after a successful acclimatization rotation.

The Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition team made it back to their base camp safe and sound, marking the end of their acclimatization efforts on the mountain. With clear skies overhead, the team made their way down from Camp 2, through the Khumbu Icefall and into Everest Base Camp. Next up, the team will rest, recover, and start to prepare for their summit rotation! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from the Himalaya:

Hello! This is Garrett checking in from Everest Base Camp (5364m/17,598ft).

We had a great first rotation up to Camps 1 (6050m/19,849ft) and 2 (6500m/21,325ft), touched Camp 3 (7230m/23,720ft) yesterday. Great views up there, and made our way down to base camp today.

The team’s all back here. We just had dinner, resting up. Actually, Terray and Reid stayed up at Camp 2 and slept at Camp 3 last night, and made it back down to Camp 2 today. So they’re doing great, and we’ll check in with them tomorrow.

But, all’s well here! The weather’s cleared up, so we got some nice views. Everyone’s happy to be down, and we’ll check in soon!

Headlamps line the Lhotse Face under a clear night sky.

Headlamps line the Lhotse Face under a clear night sky.

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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Up and back from Camp 3

Taking a break on the Lhotse Face.

The Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition team logged some strong work today and climbed all the way to Camp 3, which sits on the Lhotse Face. The team had great views while climbing the fixed lines, moved strong and steady up the route. While most of our team is now back in Camp 2 with plans to continue their descent soon, one of our climbers, Reid Tileston, is spending the night in Camp 3 as he prepares for his summit attempt without supplemental oxygen. A huge shoutout to our Sherpa team who is aiding the rope fixing team so that the route can be fixed up to the summit! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from Camp 2 on Mount Everest:

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

We are back in Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft) after climbing up and touching Camp 3 (7230m/23,720ft) today. It was a great climb up to Camp 3; fun climb, great views, good technical practice, good acclimatization. We spent about an hour up there at Camp 3, 7,000 meters / 23,000 feet, admiring the views. We saw some other friends up there from other teams, and then came back down here to Camp 2 in the afternoon.

A couple of our members, Terray, Reid, and Siddhi are spending the night up at Camp 3, as Reid is building more acclimatization for his no oxygen attempt later this season. So, just talked to them on the radio. They’re doing great, having some dinner, getting ready for bed, and they’re gonna come down tomorrow.

So, it’s a little windy up high. We’ve got some Sherpas carrying loads up to the South Col (7900m/25,919ft) to help the rope fixing team! They’re carrying up some ropes to aid in their efforts.

We’re gonna head down for a rest! So all good here. Everyone’s having fun and enjoying the mountain. We’ll check in soon!

Sirdar and guide, Aang Phurba Sherpa on the Lhotse Face.

Sirdar and guide, Aang Phurba Sherpa on the Lhotse Face.

Looking up at Mount Everest from the Lhotse Face.

Looking up at Mount Everest from the Lhotse Face.

The view from Camp 3 looking in the direction of Camp 2, Camp 1, the Khumbu Icefall, Everest Basecamp...

The view from Camp 3 looking in the direction of Camp 2, Camp 1, the Khumbu Icefall, Everest Basecamp…

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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Getting ready to move again!

Looking up at the Lhotse Face.

The Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition team took another active-rest day in Camp 2 today. The storm let up and skies cleared for some time, revealing views of the peaks that surround them in the Western Cwm. With another day on Everest under their belts, the team plans to climb to Camp 3 tomorrow, and then return back down the mountain. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from the Himalayas:

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

We are up at Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft). We had another great day up here; rest day, and we went for a hike up the west shoulder, got some good views above base camp (5364m/17,598ft). The sun came out, and it was warm and clear. We got to see Everest, Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft), Nuptse (7861m/25,791ft).

Tomorrow, we’re gonna go up and try to touch Camp 3 (7230m/23,720ft)! Fingers crossed, we get some good weather and conditions for that acclimatization climb.

So all’s well here, and we’ll check in tomorrow after our hike up to Camp 3!

Sunny skies in Camp 2.

Sunny skies in Camp 2.

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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Made it to Camp 2

Dinner time in Camp 2

The Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition team climbed from Camp 1 to Camp 2 today, through the Western Cwm. With snow falling most of the day, the team quickly settled into their tents upon their arrival. Warm tea, a nutritious meal, and the comfort of a warm dining tent with the team was welcomed after another good day of climbing on Mount Everest! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from Camp 2:

Hey! This is Garrett checking in from Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft) on Everest (8848m/29,032ft), 21,300 feet, almost 6,500 meters.

We had a great day of climbing up from Camp 1 (6050m/19,849ft). Everyone did well. It’s been snowing nonstop the last three days! So, been fun to be up here in a snowstorm. But, hopefully it’ll clear up tomorrow, we’ll get some nice views of Everest, Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft), and Nuptse (7861m/25,791ft). And then, go for a short hike to acclimatize. And then the following day, we’ll try to touch Camp 3 (7230m/23,720ft), and then head down the day after that.

So, everyone’s doing great up here! We just had a good dinner. We got to tuck in our sleeping bags here shortly, get warm, and get some good rest before tomorrow.

Alright, all’s well here on Everest! We’ll check in soon.

Camp 2

Camp 2

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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