Tag Archive for: Kathmandu

Cleanup expedition complete in the Khumbu!

Last team dinner in Kathmandu!

The Madison Mountaineering Gokyo Ri, Lobuche East and Island Peak environmental restoration expedition team has concluded their time in the Khumbu! After a beautiful trek out of the valley and one final celebratory dinner together, the team said their goodbyes and began the journey back to their home countries. It was a hugely successful trip to the Khumbu Valley made possible by an awesome team of climbers, Sherpa’s, porters and guides. The team put boots on the summit of both Lobuche East and Island Peak, as well as Gokyo Ri and removed around 76 kilos of trash while doing so! Awesome work to the team. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this closing dispatch from this post-monsoon season in Nepal:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Gokyo Ri, Lobuche East and Island Peak expedition – today is November 6th.

Today, we flew back from Luka (2860m/9,383ft) to Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft). Over the last several days, we enjoyed a really beautiful hike back down the Khumbu Valley from Island Peak (6189m/20,305ft). The weather was excellent – clear blue skies and beautiful fall colors on the hillsides.

And then, yeah, since we’ve arrived back in Kathmandu, we’ve been getting sorted out, taking showers, getting repacked. We just finished up our final dinner at Le Sherpa restaurant here in Kathmandu. And then early tomorrow morning, our first guests will start to depart for their home countries.

So, all in all, it was a really great trip! Successful summits on the Lobuche East (6119m/20,075ft) and Island Peak, as well as Gokyo Ri (4750m, 15,583ft.) And we cleaned up a total of about 76 kilos of trash, which is a good amount! That was mostly from Gokyo Ri and Lobuche East. But then the heavy snow put a stop to our cleanup efforts for this trip. However, we will continue to look for cleanup opportunities this fall, and of course, in future climbing seasons.

So all is well here! It was an excellent expedition. And looking forward to coming back to Nepal in the future!

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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Beautiful trekking so far in Nepal!

Starting the trek in Luka!

The Madison Mountaineering environmental restoration expedition team is checked into their lodge in Namche Bazaar! Namche serves as the main hub in the Khumbu region of Nepal and is an exciting place for trekkers and climbers alike to spend time acclimatizing, visiting cafes, and taking in the views as they move higher up the valley. The weather has been excellent so far and team spirits are high! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Namche:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Gokyo Ri, Lobuche East, and Island Peak environmental restoration expedition – today is October 21st.

We’ve had a couple great couple of days here in Nepal! Yesterday, we flew from Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft) to Lukla (2860m/9,383ft) via heli. We had some of the clearest skies that I’ve enjoyed during any heli flight into the mountains. Excellent views of Everest (8848m/29,032ft) straight ahead of us as we approached Lukla. Then we hiked on down to Phakding (2610m/8,562ft).

This morning, we hiked from Phakding to Namche (3440m/11,290ft) again under clear, blue skies and warm, sunny temps. Now, we’re getting ready for dinner here at the Panorama Lodge in Namche Bazaar. It’s a clear night, and there’s lots of fresh snow on the mountains. So, it’s really pretty here in Nepal right now.

Everything’s going well so far, and we will be in touch tomorrow!

Getting ready to board the heli in Kathmandu!

Getting ready to board the heli in Kathmandu!

Approaching Namche Bazaar

Approaching Namche Bazaar

Warm welcome at our lodge in Namche!

Warm welcome at our lodge in Namche!

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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Environmental restoration expedition is off!

Welcome dinner in Kathmandu!

Here we go! Another environmental restoration trip is underway in Nepal. We are thrilled to have this special team come together in support of the Madison Mountaineering Foundations efforts to remove waste and restore the environment in high-altitude climbing destinations worldwide. Now together in the bustling city of Kathmandu, the team has conducted their gear check, enjoyed a welcome dinner, and headed out into the city to tour some of its most sacred places. With good weather tomorrow, we’ll fly to Lukla to officially begin the trek! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Nepal:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Gokyo Ri, Lobuche East, and Island Peak environmental restoration expedition – today is October 19.

Over the last two days, all of our climbers arrived here in Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft), and today we headed out for our city tour. We visited Pashupatinath and Boudanath, two of the UNESCO World Heritage sites here in Kathmandu. It was a beautiful fall day here in the Kathmandu Valley. Clear, sunny skies, warm, pleasant temperatures, and actually we had great views of some of the mountains to the north! We could see some snowy peaks up in Ganesh Himal and Langtang areas, and some peaks in the Everest zone as well.

This evening, we headed out for our welcome dinner at La Sherpa restaurant here in Kathmandu, and now we’re just heading to bed. We’re looking forward to our helicopter flight up into the Khumbu Valley early tomorrow morning. We’ll fly to Lukla (2860m/9,383ft), and then begin trekking to Phakding (2610m/8,562ft).

Everything’s going really well here in Nepal, and we’ll be in touch tomorrow.

Good times at Pashupatinath! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Good times at Pashupatinath! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Bhoudhanath Stupa (photo by Terray Sylvester)

Bhoudhanath Stupa (photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our team touring Pashupatinath (photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our team touring Pashupatinath (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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Hello, from Tibet!

The view after crossing the border into Tibet! (Photo by Chris Thompson)

We’re excited to share that the Madison Mountaineering Cho Oyu team is in Tibet! The team received their visas last week after a wonderful few days of trekking in the Langtang region. That said, they were all psyched and ready for the next part of the journey into Tibet, and onwards to Cho Oyu. After an adventurous border crossing by road, the team settled in for their first nights stay in Tingri. Here, they’ll take a rest day and get prepared for the move into their base camp! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this exciting dispatch from Tibet:

Greetings! This is Garrett checking in for the Madison Mountaineering Cho Oyu (8,188m/26,864ft) expedition team.

We are in Tingri (4348m/14,268ft)! We crossed the boarder from Nepal into Tibet today. It was a very exciting crossing by road with lots of landslides we had to walk around on the way, but we made it in!

We’re very happy to be up on the Tibetan Plateau here in Tibet, China and moved into our hotel here in Tingri. We had a nice dinner and are going to take a rest day tomorrow, do some hiking as we get prepared to move up to base camp (4,800m/15,750ft) here in a few days time.

Everyone’s doing well and we’re really excited to be here and have the expedition underway! We’ll check in soon.

Here we go! Across the Nepal - Tibet border (Photo by Chris Thompson)

Here we go! Across the Nepal – Tibet border (Photo by Chris Thompson)

The team waiting at the border crossing (photo by Chris Thompson)

The team waiting at the border crossing (photo by Chris Thompson)

The team fueling up with Tibetan cuisine! (Photo by Chris Thompson)

The team fueling up with Tibetan cuisine! (Photo by Chris Thompson)

Navigating a landslide on the way to Tingri (photo by Chris Thompson)

Navigating a landslide on the way to Tingri (photo by Chris Thompson)

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 to Kathmandu tomorrow!

After a week of trekking in the Langtang Valley, the team is excited to head back to Kathmandu!

The Madison Mountaineering Cho Oyu expedition team has finished their time trekking and is headed back to Kathmandu shortly to receive their Chinese visas! With those in hand, we’ll officially be off and on our way to Cho Oyu, the worlds sixth-highest peak. It’s been time well spent in this beautiful region of Nepal acclimatizing, taking in fresh air and mountain views, and getting to know the team! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from Nepal:

Hello! This is Garrett checking in for the Cho Oyu (8,188m/26,864ft) expedition team.

Today is Tuesday, September 16th and we just finished our Langtang trek! We spent a week up in the Langtang Valley trekking up around the Langtang village (3430m/11,253ft) and some of the higher peaks. Beautiful trek up there, very lush, green, very wet – the monsoon is still lingering at this time of the year.

We just returned down. We’re going to drive back to Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft) tomorrow and hopefully our Chinese visas will be issued the following day, and we can drive into Tibet!

So, everyone’s doing well. We had a very fun time up there trekking, good exercise, good acclimatization, some good views, and just a nice all around experience. So, all is well here in the Langtang Valley of Nepal 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:

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Trekking in the Langtang Valley!

The team together in the Langtang Valley!

The Madison Mountaineering Cho Oyu expedition team is staying busy while we await our Tibet visas! In the beautiful Langtang Valley, the team is taking advantage of higher elevations and the processing time needed at the Chinese Embassy to build some acclimatization, camaraderie amongst the team, and take in the views! Our thoughts are with those impacted by the civil unrest in Nepal this week. We look forward to the time when we will head back to Kathmandu, collect our Tibet visas, and start the journey to Cho Oyu! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from Langtang village:

Hello! This is Garrett checking in for the Madison Mountaineering Cho Oyu (8,188m/26,864ft) team.

Tonight, we are in the Langtang Valley staying in Langtang village (3430m/11,253ft). We got out of Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft) a couple of days ago during the civil unrest and drove up here to be in the mountains, to trek and gain some acclimatization, get some good mountain views and fresh air! It’s been great being up here, not many trekkers, beautiful scenery, very lush, green. We’re hoping to spend a few days more up here trekking higher, hopefully getting some great views and acclimatization, all building for our Cho Oyu program.

We’re going to head back to Kathmandu when things calm down, hopefully obtain our Tibet visas, and be able to head into China in maybe a weeks time!

So, all is well here. Everyone’s doing very well. We’re just fortunate that all of our team, our Nepali friends, our colleagues, everyone’s doing okay and got through the difficult time earlier this week with the protests and riots.

So, everyone’s doing okay here in Nepal. We’ll check in soon!

Crossing a suspension bridge during the trek!

Crossing a suspension bridge during the trek!

Denisa and Aang Phurba Sherpa!

Denisa and Aang Phurba Sherpa!

Clouds filling the valley during todays trek

Clouds filling the valley during todays trek

The valley is green and lush, with a constant roar of the rushing river.

The valley is green and lush, with a constant roar of the rushing river.

On the trail!

On the trail!

The team together outside one of the guesthouses that fill the valley.

The team together outside one of the guesthouses that fill the valley.

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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Cho Oyu expedition is underway!

Cho Oyu

Here we go! The Madison Mountaineering Cho Oyu expedition team has gathered together in Kathmandu. While we wait for our visas, the team is headed out of the big city and into the Langtang Valley for some trekking and acclimatization. Energy is high amongst the team and we’re psyched to get the expedition underway! In just a few days time we’ll be on the road to Cho Oyu. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from the Langtang Valley:

Hello! This is Garrett checking in for the Madison Mountaineering Cho Oyu (8,188m/26,864ft) expedition, 2025.

We have all arrived in Nepal. Today, we drove out of the city of Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft) to the Langtang Valley! We’re going to spend about a week trekking in the Langtang Valley up to some higher peaks, acclimatizing, getting some exercise, and hopefully enjoying some fresh mountain air, and nice views.

Everyone’s doing well here. It’s been a great start to the trip, although we’re very sorry for the protests in Kathmandu which turned violent yesterday and thinking of the people who lost their lives.

But, happy to be here in Nepal and on our way to Langtang. After which, hopefully we’ll have our Chinese visas and we can drive into Tibet to start the Cho Oyu expedition!

All is well here 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:

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Heading home after success on Mount Everest!

Celebratory team dinner back in Kathmandu!

Our Mount Everest team just returned to Kathmandu after a successful summit on May 23rd. They enjoyed a perfect summit day with no crowds—a rare gift on the world’s highest peak—and had the top of the world entirely to themselves!

But that’s not all…

  • Lhotse Team: Summited on May 22nd, just one day before Everest.
  • Makalu Team: Reached the summit on May 11th.

It’s been a remarkable spring season for Madison Mountaineering, with successful ascents on three of Nepal’s highest peaks!

None of this would have been possible without our incredible guide staff—Terray, Cacho, Conan, and Aang Phurba—and our exceptional Sherpa team, whose strength and support make everything we do possible.

We are beyond proud of these achievements and grateful for the teamwork and dedication that define every Madison Mountaineering expedition.

Highlights from Mount Everest: Summit Day on May 23rd

Our team reached the top of the world under challenging conditions—with high winds deterring many other climbers that day. Thanks to careful preparation, peak fitness, and expert leadership, we made it happen.

  • Our two ‘Everest Express‘ climbers reached the summit in under one month—a fast, efficient ascent.
  • Susan Agar made history, becoming the oldest American & British woman to summit Everest at 66.5 years old!
  • We had the summit all to ourselves, enjoying an unforgettable, crowd-free experience.

We are proud to present the list of summiteers from the 2025 Mount Everest expedition:

# Name Country
1 Mr. Garrett Christian Madison USA
2 Dr. Susan Margaret Agar USA
3 Mr. Steven Andrew Pigott USA
4 Mr. Gregory Neal Taylor USA
5 Mr. Dean Michael Poulakidas USA
6 Dr. Thomas Blake Higgins USA
7 Mr. Ryan T Podolsky USA
8 Ms. Caroline Danielle Leon Australia
9 Mr. Claudio Javier Beiza Argentina
10 Mr. Aang Phurba Sherpa Nepal
11 Mr. Siddhi Bahadur Tamang Nepal
12 Mr. Kamdorji Sherpa Nepal
13 Mr. Mingdorchi Sherpa Nepal
14 Mr. Tenzi Sherpa Nepal
15 Mr. Dorchi Sherpa Nepal
16 Mr. Dorji Sherpa Nepal
17 Mr. Pemba Sherpa Nepal
18 Mr. Lal Kumar Tamang Nepal
19 Mr. Mgima Tasi Sherpa Nepal
20 Mr. Dawa Sundar Sherpa Nepal
21 Mr. Dawa Sange Sherpa Nepal
22 Mr. Chhaungima Sherpa Nepal
23 Mr. Asta Bahadur Rai Nepal
24 Mr. Chhayang Jyabu Bhote Nepal
25 Mr. Dawa Nurbu Sherpa Nepal

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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Great day of training on the Khumbu Glacier!

Descending fixed lines with the Khumbu Icefall in the distance (photo by Terray Sylvester)

It was an excellent day of training on the Khumbu Glacier! Situated just outside our base camp, our team kitted-up, fueled with a nutritious breakfast, and took to the ice under crystal-clear, blue skies. The team reviewed technical skills that are needed to climb Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu. By reviewing these skills now, the team can move swiftly and efficiently while navigating different sections of the route. Everyone did great, and is looking strong and ready to get the climbing underway! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from Everest Base Camp:

Hello! This is Garrett checking in for the Madison Mountaineering climbing team here at Everest Base Camp (5364m/17,598ft).

Today we did training outside of Everest Base Camp! We set up a course and practiced ascending vertical fixed-lines, descending or repelling vertical lines, and working with out crampons on the ice. It was a glorious day, beautiful views all around. The team did really well, it was a great first day on the ice practicing all of the technical mountaineering skills we’ll need to climb the peak.

All is well here at Everest Base Camp! Everyone’s doing great and we’ll check in soon.

Expedition leader, Garrett Madison working with Chip, one of our climbers (photo by Terray Sylvester)

Expedition leader, Garrett Madison working with Chip, one of our climbers (photo by Terray Sylvester)

Guide, Conan Bliss and climber, Susan (photo by Terray Sylvester)

Guide, Conan Bliss and climber, Susan (photo by Terray Sylvester)

Climbers, Alex and Kristin ascending fixed lines (photo by Terray Sylvester)

Climbers, Alex and Kristin ascending fixed lines (photo by Terray Sylvester)

Aga, a member of our Makalu team, training on the Khumbu Glacier (photo by Terray Sylvester)

Aga, a member of our Makalu team, training on the Khumbu Glacier (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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Skills training in the icefall!

Technical skills review in the lower Khumbu Icefall!

After saying ‘so-long’ to our trekking team today, our Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu teams took to the lower Khumbu Icefall to practice technical skills that they’ll use as they climb different sections of the routes. It was a beautiful day in Everest Base Camp with the sun shining down on us and comfortable temperatures at over 17,000 feet. Nuptse towers high above the team and there are spectacular views in every direction you look – it’s quite the training ground! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from Everest Base Camp:

Hello! This is Garrett checking in from Mount Everest Base Camp (5364m/17,598ft) with our Everest (8848m/29,032ft), Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft), Makalu (8463m/27,766ft) teams – today is April 23rd.

Our trekking team is heading down from base camp to head back to Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft) after a marvelous trek and a night here at base camp with all of us. The rest of us are settling in, had some showers, good meals, and we’re heading out to do some training in the lower icefall today. So, we’re looking forward to some skills work, technical practice.

Everyone’s doing well here, enjoying some beautiful weather, sunny skies, and just magnificent views all around. All is well here at Everest Base Camp and we’ll check in soon!

Climbers reviewing technical skills under beautiful, blue skies!

Climbers reviewing technical skills under beautiful, blue skies!

Practicing ascending fixed-lines with Nuptse towering high above.

Practicing ascending fixed-lines with Nuptse towering high above.

A section of todays training ground with Everest Base Camp behind.

A section of todays training ground with Everest Base Camp behind.

All smiles in Everest Base Camp!

All smiles in Everest Base Camp!

A perfect training ground right out our tent doors!

A perfect training ground right out our tent doors!

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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