Tag Archive for: Kathmandu Valley

Mules laden with supplies on the trail to base camp. (📸: Terray Sylvester)

Today, our second wave of climbers made the helicopter flight from Kathmandu to Samagaun – we’re excited to have them join us in base camp in the next few days! The team already settled into base camp is resting and preparing for their move up to Camp 1. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester, checks in from Manaslu base camp:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the 2022 Madison Mountaineering Manaslu (8156m/26,759ft) expedition – it’s September 14th.

Today, our second wave of climbers took a helicopter from Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft) to Samagaun (3530m/11,581ft). They plan to acclimatize there and then move up to base camp (4859m/15,944ft), hopefully soon. Meanwhile in base camp, our other climber has been resting after acclimatizing for the move to Camp 1 (5700m, 18,700ft).

So, all is well here! We just finished dinner, are watching a movie and are heading to bed soon. We’ll be in touch!


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:

Photo taken from Madison Mountaineering archive.

Today, the team departed from the lowlands of Kathmandu Valley and arrived at the next stop on their way to Manaslu (8163m/26,781ft)! The helicopter flight to Samagoan (3530m/11,581ft) followed a beautiful river up through a gorge, passing many waterfalls along the way. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester, checks in with today’s dispatch from Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft):

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the 2022 Madison Mountaineering Manaslu expedition – today is September 2nd.

Today we took a helicopter from Kathmandu to the village of Samagoan at about 11,500 feet. It was a beautiful flight with fantastic views of waterfalls and the spectacular gorge of the Budhi Gandaki River. We’ll spend a few days acclimatizing here and then we’ll move up to base camp (4,800m/15,750ft) – just a days walk away from us.

So, all is well here! We’ll be in touch.


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:

The brilliant costumes of Hindu ascetics known as "sadhus" at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu. (📸: @terray_s)

The team spent the day relaxing and visiting some of the sites in the beautiful city of Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft)! With good weather tomorrow, the expedition will continue to the next stop of Samagoan (3530m/11,581ft), the gateway to Manaslu (8163m/26,781ft). Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester, checks in with today’s dispatch from Kathmandu:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the 2022 Madison Mountaineering Manaslu expedition – it’s September 1st.

Today we spent the morning exploring some of the sites here in Kathmandu Valley. We visited two of the valleys seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We started off the day at Boudhanath Stupa, which is one of the biggest Buddhist stupa’s in the world. Then we went over to Pashupatinath Temple which is very sacred to the valley’s Hindus. Then we got a great lunch at Fire and Ice, now we’re just relaxing until we hopefully fly out tomorrow. If the weather allows, we will fly to the village of Samagoan, just to the northeast of Manaslu tomorrow morning.

So, all is well! Beautiful weather here in the Kathmandu Valley at the moment. We’ll be in touch.

Monkeys at Pashupatinath Temple. 📸: Terray Sylvester

Monkeys at Pashupatinath Temple. 📸: Terray Sylvester

Boudhanath Stupa, one of the world's largest Buddhist stupas. 📸: Terray Sylvester

Boudhanath Stupa, one of the world’s largest Buddhist stupas. 📸: Terray Sylvester

A Ganesh statue at Pashupatinath Temple. 📸: Terray Sylvester

A Ganesh statue at Pashupatinath Temple. 📸: Terray Sylvester

A thangka painting demonstration at Boudhanath Stupa. 📸: Terray Sylvester

A thangka painting demonstration at Boudhanath Stupa. 📸: Terray Sylvester

Boudhanath Stupa. 📸: Terray Sylvester

Boudhanath Stupa. 📸: 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: