Tag Archive for: Kathmandu

Weekend Update from Mount Everest

Summit photo atop Lobuche East!

The Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition teams have been keeping busy all over the Khumbu Valley! Over the weekend, our main team successfully summited Lobuche Peak, which is where we hold our first acclimatization rotation. Meanwhile, the Everest Express team flew from Kathmandu to Pheriche and are working their way up towards Everest Base Camp. Not too far away as the crow flies, we also had successful summits on Island Peak! Wherever the teams were at, we enjoyed excellent weather and had lots of fun in such a special place. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from the Himalaya:

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

Our main team returned back to Everest Base Camp (5364m/17,598ft) after climbing Lobuche Peak (6119m/20,075ft) with great conditions and great views up top – a nice way to continue working on skill development, and getting some acclimatization and training in!

Our Island Peak (6189m/20,305ft) team just summited Island Peak. Congrats to Sandra and CR!

Myself and three of our express climbers are now in Lobuche (4940m/16,210ft) heading to Everest Base Camp! So we’ll all be together in Everest Base Camp tomorrow.

The weather’s been great; blue skies, clear views. We’re just patiently keeping an eye on the Khumbu Icefall route, that currently has an impasse, watching and waiting, as the ice fall doctor team continues to try to find a safe way up through the difficult section.

All is well here at Everest Base Camp in Nepal! We’ll check in soon.

Technical training in Everest Base Camp

Technical training in Everest Base Camp

Technical training in Everest Base Camp

Technical training in Everest Base Camp

Technical training in Everest Base Camp

Technical training in Everest Base Camp

Excellent views while climbing Lobuche East!

Excellent views while climbing Lobuche East!

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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Checked in at the Panorama Lodge in Namche!

One of the many suspension bridges on the trail to Everest Base Camp!

The Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition team checked into one of our favorite places to stay in the Khumbu Valley today, the Panorama Lodge in Namche Bazaar! With no shortage of good weather and excellent vibes, the team is doing great and looking strong on the trek so far. We’ll spend two nights in the bustling village of Namche to acclimatize before packing our bags and continuing on up the valley! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from Namche Bazaar:

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

Today, we trekked up to the village of Namche Bazaar (3440m/11,290ft). We’re really happy to be here, staying in the Panorama Lodge with our good friends, Mingma Sherpa and his family. We’ve stayed here for many years and it’s just wonderful to return every year, and get to be with them and enjoy their beautiful lodge, and the town of Namche!

Great views today, some epic suspension bridges we crossed over. A few other teams and yaks on the trail, but we’re looking forward to a hike up to the Everest View Hotel tomorrow; hopefully get a view of Everest if it’s clear! And visit the Sagarmatha Next Foundation building that we work with with with our nonprofit, the Madison Mountaineering Foundation.

So, the team’s doing well! We’re happy to be here. We are having some great weather. We’re just heading uphill, living the dream!

We’ll check in soon.

All smiles and prepared to cross another suspension bridge.

All smiles and prepared to cross another suspension bridge.

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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2026 Mount Everest Expedition Team is off!

Team photo in front of the Yak and Yeti Hotel.

It’s good to be back! The 2026 Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition team has begun their journey to the highest point on Earth. The team gathered together in Kathmandu after long flights from their homes around the globe. With gear checks done and a welcome dinner shared, we’ll continue the adventure, step by step towards Mount Everest. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison kicks off the expedition with this inaugural dispatch from Kathmandu:

Happy New Year from Kathmandu, Nepal (1400m/4,600ft)!

Our team is here, and we are excited to be flying into Lukla (2860m/9,383ft) today. The first wave of our team flew by helicopter just a few minutes ago, and the rest of us are heading out shortly. So, fingers crossed for good weather; and we’ll be up in the Khumbu Valley with some clear skies and great mountain views. 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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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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