Tag Archive for: K2 advanced base camp

Photo from Madison Mountaineering Photo Archive

The team has completed their first rotation on K2, and are now resting up and enjoying themselves in base camp (4968m/16,300ft). Here’s expedition lead, Garrett Madison, with today’s dispatch from K2 base camp:

Hello! This is Garrett checking in for the Madison Mountaineering K2 Expedition Team. Today is Wednesday, July 6th and the team is all back down in base camp.

The team had a great second night at Camp 2 (6700m/21,980ft) completing the first rotation – it was two nights at Camp 1 (6065m/19,900ft), two nights at Camp 2, and a night at Advanced Base Camp (5303m/17,400ft), so a total of five nights up on the mountain. We’re all back in base camp and had a great afternoon – showers, laundry, a nice dinner, and a movie! So, looking forward to a good nights rest. Everyone’s doing well here!

Tomorrow, some of our sherpa team will do a trip up to Camp 3 (7250m/23,800ft) with some oxygen. But, we’re all doing well here on K2. It’s been cloudy today and yesterday, but hopefully some good weather’s coming tomorrow and the next day. Looking forward to hopefully some more good weather in the future!

All is well and 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:

View of K2 and the Cesen route from hike to ABC

The K2 expedition team has arrived at advanced base camp (5303m/17,400ft) and is preparing to move higher up the mountain to Camp 1 (6065m/19,900ft) and Camp 2 (6700m/21,980ft) in the coming days as part of their first rotation. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, checks in via Garmin inReach Mini with this brief update:

Just arrived in advanced base camp (5303m/17,400ft), everyone is doing well. We are planning to climb from advanced base camp (5303m/17,400ft) to Camp 1 (6065m/19,900ft) tomorrow.


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:

Prayer flags hanging in base camp far below the summit of K2 (📸: @terray_s)

The team is ready to start the first rotation and begin making their way higher up on K2! This week, they plan to spend nights at advanced base camp, Camp 1, and Camp 2.  Here’s expedition lead, Garrett Madison, with today’s expedition dispatch from base camp on K2:

Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering K2 expedition team – today is June 30th.

We had a good day here in base camp (4968m/16,300ft) getting organized sorting gear for our first rotation. We’re planning to head up tomorrow to advanced base camp (5303m/17,400ft) and the following day up to Camp 1 (6065m/19,900ft) for a couple of nights and then up to Camp 2 (6700m/21,980ft) for a few nights.

Everything’s looking good here – the mountain’s in great shape, the weather’s good, the team’s doing really well. We did some training and everybody’s feeling solid, so we’re looking forward to getting up higher on the mountain, having some good views, and then back here in base camp about a week from today.

All is well here on K2, check in soon.

Our climbing team posing for a photo during an acclimatization hike on June 29, with the spectacular icefalls of K2 behind them. (📸: @terray_s)

Our climbing team posing for a photo during an acclimatization hike on June 29, with the spectacular icefalls of K2 behind them. (📸: @terray_s)

Expedition Leader Garrett Madison working with climber Piers B. during a skills refresher session on June 28. The ice pinnacles on the Godwin Austen Glacier next to base camp are a great venue for reviewing fixed line climbing techniques. (📸: @terray_s)

Expedition Leader Garrett Madison working with climber Piers B. during a skills refresher session on June 28. The ice pinnacles on the Godwin Austen Glacier next to base camp are a great venue for reviewing fixed line climbing techniques. (📸: @terray_s)

Our climbers on an acclimatization hike above the Godwin Austen Glacier near K2 base camp on June 29. (📸: @terray_s)

Our climbers on an acclimatization hike above the Godwin Austen Glacier near K2 base camp on June 29. (📸: @terray_s)


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:

USA Independence Day dinner celebration with our team and friend Mike Horn

Expedition leader Garrett Madison and the team wish Americans everywhere a happy Independence Day from K2!

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the K2 expedition team.  Today is the Fourth of July!  Happy Independence Day to all the Americans on our team and elsewhere.  Today we went for an acclimatization hike up to advanced base camp.  Great weather, nice views, nice to stretch our legs, and get some fresh air.  We made it back in time for lunch and then this afternoon we had a small party with some other members from other teams in camp here to celebrate our holiday back in the United States.  Tomorrow we are planning on more training here in base camp.  All’s well on K2.  We will check in soon.  Thanks!

View of K2 and the Cesen route from hike to ABC

View of K2 and the Cesen route from hike to ABC

On the way up to ABC – K2 on the left

Going through the small icefall on the way to ABC

USA Independence Day dinner celebration (left to right: Garrett, Gina, Rick, Mike Horn, Brian, Louis, Victor, Valerio, Conan, Elizabeth)