We have begun our First Rotation! Today our climbers and guides departed Everest base camp at 3 AM . They will climbed up through the Khumbu Icefall to Camp 1, arriving in the morning. Our plan is to rest for the remainder of the day at Camp 1 and then spend the night here. Our plan for tomorrow is to go for an acclimatization hike up the Western CWM (valley) tomorrow and then spend another night in Camp 1. All is well here on Camp1.
Today is our 4th day in Everest base camp, we are now settled here for this 2018 expedition. We have been training for the Khumbu Icefall by practicing various climbing techniques such as ascending fixed ropes, rappelling, and crossing ladders. We will continue training the next few days before we make our first ‘rotation’ to Camps 1 & 2. Tomorrow is our Puja ceremony. All is well here in base camp.
Resting In Dinning Room
Yesterday our team arrived in Mount Everest base camp! It was nice to finally arrive at our home for the season. After, over a week of trekking through the beautiful Khumbu valley we are here now. We were greeted by our Nepal Sherpa staff and then had a relaxing afternoon moving into our personal tents. Today we said good bye to our trekkers and Island peak climbers as they left us to head onto their next destination. We had a leisurely morning and took much needed hot showers. Then, went on a walkabout around the small city of Everest base camp. The weather has been great today and we are enjoying the spectacular views of Mount Everest, Mount Lhotse, and Mount Nuptse from our camp. Everyone is well and we are happy to be settled into our home for the next 5 – 6 weeks.
We have had 2 great days on the trail trekking up towards Everest base camp. The weather has been cool and moist which is a pleasant suprise as normally its warm and dusty during the first half of the trek. Our friends at the Panorama lodge in Namche gave us a blessing before we said our good byes, then we made our way to the Tengboche monastry for a short visit and then to the Rivendell lodge for the night. Today, we had our first glimpse of Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse, then trekked to the village of Pangboche for a blessing with the high lama, and onwards to the village of Dingboche where we will stay for 2 nights. Everyone is doing well!
Today we awoke to clear skies in the village of Namche ,enjoyed a wonderful breakfast in the Panaroma Lodge and then went on an acclimatization hike up to Everest View Hotel. Mount Everest was hidden behind some clouds but Ama Dablam was visible and also part of Mount Lhotse. We enjoyed some lemon tea as we admired the view and then descended back to Panaroma Lodge in Namche. Everyone is doing well as we slowly make our way up the Khumbu valley towards Mount Everest !
Today we had breakfast at 7 AM in the sunrise lodge in the village of Phakding. Afterwards we made our way through the lush valley and across suspension bridges to the village of Namche, the capital of t he khumbu. We just finished a marvelous dinner at the Panorama lodge and are ready to fall fast asleep! Another great day in the khumbu as we trek closer to Mount Everest!
Today we flew early this morning from Kathmandu to Lukla, and then had a hearty breakfast in the Paradise lodge. We set off and enjoyed a casual day trekking up the Khumbu valley to the village of Phakding. It is wonderful to be enjoying the fresh mountain air and exercising after the long journey to Nepal from the USA. All members of our trekking and climbing team are doing well! The team heading up the trail!
The Madison Mountaineering team has trekked to the village of Namche Bazaar! Yesterday we arrived into the village after a challenging 4,000 vertical foot hike from Phadking. This remote village is located within the Khumbu area at 3,440 metres (11,286 ft) and is nestled quietly in the hills. The crew rested, drank tea and chatted it up with other trekkers and climbers in the Panorama Hotel. The trek was as beautiful as a hike could possibly be, through mountain villages, past small tea houses along the river and across high suspension bridges. This morning we took an acclimatization hike up to the Everest View Hotel and were rewarded with spectacular panoramic views of Mt. Everest, Ama Dablam and many other giants, reminding us of the wild country ahead of us. We will now rest up and continue to acclimatize our bodies as we push further into the mountains tomorrow. Enjoying the scrumptious food here in Namche Bazaar before we are back on the trails. Garrett and Sid are some of the best chefs on the mountain, so the team will be well taken care of!
Check out this article written by Outside if you have not already!
Team Photo:
Namche Bazaar:
Namche Bazaar:
Mt. Everest, Lhoste, and Ama Dablam:
Trekking into Namche Bazaar: 
Team Photo: