It’s time to celebrate! The Madison MountaineeringK2 expedition team has all arrived safely back in base camp after successfully reaching the summit of the world’s second-highest peak on the day prior. A big ‘congratulations’ goes out again to the whole team – climbers, guides Sherpa team, Pakistani high altitude porters, and base camp staff. Every member is an important piece to the puzzle and this climb wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and dedication of everyone involved! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this brief dispatch from K2 base camp:
All members are back in base camp (4968m/16,300ft) now!
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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20220707_K2_R5_TerraySylvester_0223.jpg8401200Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-07-30 13:37:402024-07-30 15:35:18Back in Base Camp!
Here we go! One month ago, our team arrived in Islamabad and has since traveled to the upper reaches of an Unclimbed Peak and to Camp 2 on K2 for their acclimatization rotations. Acclimatization, which is crucial to success at high altitudes along with technical training is done, and now it’s time to head up the mountain! Our teams have left the comforts of base camp and are en route to the summits of K2 and Broad Peak. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from base camp:
We are excited to report that we are starting our summit pushes today! Matthew Holt is heading up to Broad Peak along with some of our Nepal Sherpas and Pakistani porters aiming at the 27th of July for a potential Broad Peak summit. The K2 team is heading out this afternoon to advanced base camp (5303m/17,400ft) and eyeing the 28th, 29th, or maybe 30th of July as a potential summit day.
It looks like we finally got some great weather in the forecast and fingers crossed that we’ll have some great route conditions up there. The team is very excited! We’ve been having fun here in base camp (4968m/16,300ft), keeping ourselves occupied with lots of hikes, climbing activities, and fun social activities – movies. But, we’re ready to get the final summit push underway! So, all is well here in base camp 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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20230703_K2_R5_TerraySylvester_0212.jpg10001500Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-07-24 06:16:592024-07-24 14:03:54K2 and Broad Peak summit pushes are underway!
Despite windy conditions high on K2, the Madison MountaineeringK2 expedition team is in good spirits and staying plenty busy in base camp while we await a weather window! Our Unclimbed Peak climbers share stories and reflect on an amazing climb, while the K2 team shares details of their first rotation and the route to Camps 1 and 2. All together now, we’re watching the weather and are ready to go when a window opens up! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from base camp:
We finished our Unclimbed Peak project, climbing very high on a beautiful new line on a sub-peak nearby K2, almost 7,000 meters. (We) had epic views up there and just a great experience on a beautiful mountain – great day out!
The last few days we have been in base camp (4968m/16,300ft) getting ready for our K2 summit push. It’s been windy up high, so we have been waiting in base camp and staying busy with ice climbing, day hikes, and explorations around the area, keeping our fitness up and our spirits up!
Everyone is doing well here and we are just getting ready to go for a summit push once the weather looks good, maybe in a week or so. All is well here in K2 base camp and we will 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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20230711_K2_R5_TerraySylvester_0308.jpg10001500Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-07-19 17:20:442024-07-19 19:04:28Preparing for the K2 summit rotation!
The Madison MountaineeringKarakoram expedition teams have settled into their base camp at the foot of K2! The team enjoyed excellent views of some of the world’s great peaks like the Trango Towers, Masherbrum, and Gasherbrums throughout the five-day trek from Askole. Now in base camp, the team has begun technical skills review and organizing for the climbing ahead. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from base camp:
The team is doing well! We did training today. Tomorrow we’re going for an acclimatization hike up to advanced base camp (5303m/17,400ft). The weather has been great and we’ve been enjoying our time here settling into base camp, taking showers, having great meals, watching movies, and getting organized and ready for the climbing ahead!
We’re happy to celebrate the American Independence Day here! Great evening here with the team and we’re looking forward to some good days ahead. We’ll check in soon! All is well here at K2 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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20220628_K2_R5_TerraySylvester_0037.jpg8001200Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-07-04 14:51:252024-07-04 15:27:55Settled into K2 Base Camp
The Madison MountaineeringKarakoram expedition teams are nearing their base camp at the foot of K2! The trek has been excellent so far with great views of awe-inspiring peaks and time well spent together as a team. It won’t be long until we’re settling into our base camp tents, beginning skills review, and organizing equipment for the climbing to come! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from the Karakoram:
Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the K2 (8611m/28,251ft) expedition team along with our Unclimbed Peak team and Broad Peak (8051m/26,414ft) climber. We are trekking to base camp (4968m/16,300ft)!
We’ve had a great trek so far. We’re at Goro 2 Camp (4285m/14,058ft), just before Concordia (4570m/14,993ft). We’ve had great weather, amazing views of all the surrounding peaks, and looking forward to arriving in K2 Base Camp in a day or two.
All is well here! We’re having a great time and will 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:
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.“
The sun is setting on the 2023 Madison MountaineeringK2 expedition with the team’s arrival back in Skardu! The team trekked out from K2 base camp over the last few days taking a different path than they did on the trek in, this time over Gondogoro Pass. After settling into their rooms in Skardu, the team enjoyed much needed and well deserved hot showers, before gathering together to celebrate the end of another great expedition!
Tomorrow, the team hopes to fly back to Islamabad for the final leg of their journey before heading their separate ways, back to everyone’s home country. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from Skardu:
Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison MountaineeringK2 (8611m/28,251ft) expedition. Today is July 31st and we are back in Skardu (2220m/7283ft)!
The whole team trekked out from K2 base camp (4968m/16,300ft) over the Gondogoro Pass and down to the village of Hushe (3050m/10,000ft) over the last three days. Today we arrived by Jeep into Skardu. We got in this afternoon, took a much needed hot shower, and then sorted some gear and had a very nice celebration dinner with all of our Pakistani and Nepal staff.
Our plan is to try to fly to Islamabad tomorrow! Everyone’s doing well, down safely, and we’re all in good spirits! Looking forward to heading home.
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:
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.“
The 2023 Madison MountaineeringK2 expedition team has all arrived safely back in base camp and are settled into their tents for the night. They plan to begin their trek out of the Karakoram on the morning of July 29th after some well-deserved rest. There will be a full recap to follow from the team in the days ahead. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this update from K2 base camp:
Our entire team is now safely back in base camp (4968m/16,300ft). We will begin trekking out day after tomorrow (morning of the 29th).
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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/20220628_K2_R5_TerraySylvester_0037-1.jpg8001200Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2023-07-27 14:59:182023-07-27 16:50:29K2 team safely back in base camp
With the recent snow on the upper reaches of K2, our team has made the prudent decision to abort their summit push. While ascending from Camp 3, the team experienced deep snow that accumulated in the days prior and had not fully consolidated. While the whole team made a strong effort to reach K2‘s summit, it was not meant to be. We are so thankful that our team is safe and look forward to receiving them back into base camp soon. The team is making their descent now and is expected to arrive back in base camp later today.
We are very proud of the entire teams effort and special thanks to our Sherpa team who played an integral role in the expedition, fixing lines above Camp 3 and to the summit. Congratulations to Siddhi Ghising and Ahmed Hussain who are both members of our rope-fixing team and did reach K2‘s summit at 8611m/28,251ft!
Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from K2:
Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the K2 (8611m/28,251ft) expedition team – today is July 27th.
Today our team made their summit attempt and reached the bottleneck on K2 above Camp 4 (7681m/25,200ft) and decided to turn around due to deep and unconsolidated snow, and several soft snow avalanches. So, they are on their way down and everyone’s doing fine. They’re below Camp 3 (7250m/23,800ft) now on their way to Camp 2 (6700m/21,980ft), and we’re looking forward to welcoming them back into base camp (4968m/16,300ft) later this afternoon!
They had a good climb, good effort getting up to the bottleneck where they decided to turn around around 3:00 AM along with some other teams due to the risk. We’re happy they made the safe call and will be back in base camp later today.
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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/20220722_K2_R5_TerraySylvester_0211.jpg8001200Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2023-07-27 05:05:402023-07-27 07:34:16Summit Push Called Off
Our summit rotation is on and the team has settled into their tents at Camp 1! With good weather tomorrow, the team plans to continue their push up the Abruzzi Ridge. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from Pakistan:
Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison MountaineeringK2 (8611m/28,251ft) expedition. Today is July 23rd and our team is on the summit rotation and up at Camp 1 (6065m/19,900ft) now and planning to move to Camp 2 (6700m/21,980ft) tomorrow. However, it’s been tough weather recently and the rope fixing team has been delayed in Camp 2 for a couple of days, waiting to move up to Camp 3 (7250m/23,800ft) where they would be fixing Camp 4 (7681m/25,200ft) and beyond. So hoping that tomorrow’s a better day and good weather, good route conditions so the fixing team can move up, our team can move up, and all the other climbers on the mountain who are making their summit rotation at this point. So fingers crossed that!
All is well here at K2! We are here hoping for good weather and praying for some great route conditions up there for the team. This is Garrett Madison checking in from Base Camp (4968m/16,300ft) – all is well.
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:
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.“
After five nights spent on K2 during their acclimatization rotation, the team has safely and successfully descended back down to base camp! We had a great rotation up on the mountain, familiarizing ourselves with the route and acclimatizing to the altitude that we’ll experience during the summit rotation. The team plans to spend the next few days resting and preparing to make their summit push! With good weather in the forecast, the team will look to head back up the mountain soon, only this time going for the summit. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from K2 Base Camp:
Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison MountaineeringK2 (8611m/28,251ft) expedition. Today is July 19th and our team is all in base camp (4968m/16,300ft) resting and doing well! Yesterday the team came down from Camp 2 (6700m/21,980ft), descending all the way from Camp 2 to Base Camp after concluding a great rotation – five nights of acclimatizing up on the route between Advanced Base Camp (5303m/17,400ft), Camp 1 (6065m/19,900ft), and Camp 2.
The weather has been really nice! Sunny skies, it’s warmed up quite a bit, and we are just getting ready to strategize for our final rotation – our summit push, which hopefully will come in a few days time. We’re watching the weather forecast and working with other teams, coming up with a good plan for fixing the final ropes from Camp 3 (7250m/23,800ft) to Camp 4 (7681m/25,200ft), and onto the summit!
So everyone is doing well here in K2 Base Camp 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:
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.“
