Tag Archive for: lobuche

Into the Khumbu!

The team ready to set off on the trek to Everest Base Camp! Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Climbers and trekkers alike have left the comforts of the Yak and Yeti hotel in pursuit of their journey towards Everest Base Camp, Lobuche, Lhotse and Mount Everest! The team awoke early this morning in excitement for what lies ahead, boarded helicopters, and lifted off from Kathmandu en route to the famous Lukla airport. Their trek got underway following a stop for breakfast to fuel up, taking in first sights of the beautiful Khumbu Valley. Now in Phakding, the team is resting up and prepared to continue on towards Namche Bazaar tomorrow. Expedition guide, Terray Sylvester, checks in with today’s update from the Himalayas:

Hello, this is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest (8848m/29,032ft) expedition! Today is April fourth.

Today we woke up early and took helicopters from Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft) to Lukla (2860m/9,383ft). We had great weather, beautiful sunny skies, and excellent views of Everest and the surrounding peaks. We had breakfast in Lukla, and then walked to Phakding (2610m/8,562ft). We arrived in time for lunch and just in time to (inaudible) rain shower…

Tomorrow, we plan to walk to the famous town of Namche Bazaar (3440m/11,290ft)! We’re looking forward to that. All is well here in the Khumbu! We’ll be in touch tomorrow.

Among the clouds on the helicopter flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Among the clouds on the helicopter flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Climbers trekking across one of the many suspension bridges in the Khumbu Valley. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Climbers trekking across one of the many suspension bridges in the Khumbu Valley. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Climber spinning one of the many prayer wheels that you encounter when in Nepal. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Climber spinning one of the many prayer wheels that you encounter when in Nepal. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, talking with the team during a break on their first day of trekking! Photo: Terray Sylvester

Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, talking with the team during a break on their first day of trekking! Photo: Terray Sylvester

Walls of mani stones line the trail with prayer and meditation along the trek. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Walls of mani stones line the trail with prayer and meditation along the trek. Photo: 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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Himalayan Expeditions Underway!

The first wave of Madison Mountaineering climbers! (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

The 2023 Madison Mountaineering spring Himalayan season is officially underway! After settling into the Yak and Yeti hotel and resting up after their long flights, members of the team greeted each other over a welcome dinner and retreated back to their rooms for more rest and relaxation for the days ahead. With gear checks complete and bags repacked for the expedition, the anticipation is really starting to set in for the team, who with good weather tomorrow, will fly to Lukla and start making their trek towards Everest Base Camp! Expedition guide, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Kathmandu:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the 2023 Madison Mountaineering Everest (8848m/29,032ft), Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft), and Nuptse (7861m/25,791ft) expedition.

All of our climbers who will be part of our first wave going into the Khumbu have arrived here in Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft)! We had a great welcome dinner last night, and then today our climbers headed out for a city tour! We visited Pashupatinath Temple and Boudhanath Stupa. Pashupati is a Unesco World Heritage site and the most important Hindu temple in the city. And, the Boudhanath Stupa is one of the largest Buddhist stupa’s in the world – it dates back to the fourth century.

So, today our team is relaxing in Kathmandu and we’re looking forward to our flights to Lukla via helicopter early tomorrow morning. The weathers great, really sunny and beautiful here in Kathmandu and we’re looking forward to those mountain views tomorrow. We’ll be in touch!

Boudhanath Stupa (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Boudhanath Stupa (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Climbers taking the sights, sounds, and smells during the city tour on April 3, 2023 (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Climbers taking in the sights, sounds, and smells during the city tour on April 3, 2023 (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Sightseeing around Kathmandu (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

Sightseeing around Kathmandu (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

One of the many forms of transportation in Kathmandu! (Photo: Terray Sylvester)

One of the many forms of transportation in Kathmandu! (Photo: 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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Summit Success on Lobuche East!

Topping out on Lobuche East

Meanwhile down valley in the Khumbu, our Lobuche East climbers reached the summit and safely descended to the village of Lobuche!  Congratulations team!!  Madison Mountaineering guide Scott Webster reports in from Lobuche village with this recap of summit day:

Successful ascent of Lobuche East this morning (April 15, 2022). The team set out from high camp at 0200 and reached the summit (6119m/20,075ft) at 0730. The weather couldn’t have been any better with clear blue skies and hardly a breath of wind! After descending back to high camp we packed up and returned to Lobuche village. The clients then helicoptered back to Kathmandu! From the summit of a 6000m Himalayan peak to Kathmandu in less than 10 hours!

On the summit of Lobuche East!

On the summit of Lobuche East!

Heading up from high camp on Lobuche East

Heading up from high camp on Lobuche East

Nearing the summit of Lobuche East

Nearing the summit of Lobuche East

Climber Katherine Crociata and Tenji Sherpa on the summit of Lobuche East

Climber Katherine Crociata and Tenji Sherpa on the summit of Lobuche East

Topping out on Lobuche East

Topping out on 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 Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my Madison Mountaineering flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

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Everest Base Camp!

The climbing team at the entrance to base camp

Today our trekking and climbing teams completed the final segment of trekking to reach Everest Base Camp!  Madison Mountaineering guide Terray Sylvester provides a recap of the day:

Hello!  This is Terray calling in for the 2022 Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition!  It’s April 12th.

Today our climbing and trekking teams walked from Gorak Shep (5170m/16,962ft) to Everest Base Camp (5310m/17,421ft).  It was a beautiful day for the walk – really nice sunny weather.  Everyone stopped for some group photos at “Trekker’s Rock” right at the bottom of base camp and then came on up to camp and we started moving into our tents.

Tomorrow our trekkers will fly out in helicopters back to Kathmandu and our Island Peak and Lobuche Peak climbers will head off down the valley.  Then our Mount Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse climbers will start getting into the routine of preparing for the ascent.  So, tomorrow we’ll go over some climbing skills, make sure our gear is dialed in, and potentially take a little foray into the Icefall.

So, all is well here.  Everyone is heathly.  And yeah, it was a beautiful day here at just over 5000m.

So, we’ll be in touch!

Nearly to Everest Base Camp

Nearly to Everest Base Camp

The trekking team at the entrance to base camp

The trekking team at the entrance to base camp

Garrett and Rob welcoming Everest climber Roi Negri base camp

Garrett and Rob welcome Everest climber Roi Negri to base camp

The climbing team at the entrance to base camp

The climbing team at the entrance to base camp

Night shot looking up into the Khumbu icefall from our base camp

Night shot looking up into the Khumbu icefall from our 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:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my Madison Mountaineering flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

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Pheriche to Lobuche

Sara Safari at Thok La Pass on the way to Lobuche

Today our trekking and climbing teams move up along the Khumbu Glacier from Pheriche (4280m/14,042ft) to Lobuche (4940m/16,207ft).  Madison Mountaineering guide Terray Sylvester provides a recap of the day:

Hello!  This is Terray calling in for the 2022 Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition!  It’s April 10th.

We are just walking into Lobuche village at about 16,000ft.  The weather is beautiful – mostly sunny, the air is crisp and cool.  It feels good to be in the valley of the Khumbu Glacier.  We’re getting our first close up views of Pumori, Mount Lingtren, and Nuptse.

Tomorrow we’ll, hopefully, get a great view of the summit of Everest when we hike to Gorak Shep and then up to Kala Patthar for the sunset.

The whole team is in good spirits.  Everyone’s healthy and we’re looking forward to getting to base camp.

So, we’ll be in touch!

Josh Garrison crossing a stream en route to Duk La

Josh Garrison crossing a stream en route to Duk La

Approaching the Khumbu Glacier

Approaching the Khumbu Glacier

Garrett crossing a small glacier bridge

Garrett crossing a small glacier 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 Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my Madison Mountaineering flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

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Arrival at Everest Base Camp!

Team arriving Everest Base Camp

Our Everest team enjoyed their first full day at base camp and the trekkers have started their return trip.  Terray Sylvester, Everest guide, phoned in today’s update from the communications tent at base camp:

Hello!  This is Terray calling in for the 2021 Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition.  It’s April 13th – our first full day in base camp.  We arrived in base camp yesterday to a warm welcome from our base camp staff and then, this morning, our trekking team headed out.  Some of them are walking back down to Lukla.  We have one trekker that’s going to climb Island Peak on the way.  The rest of the team got helicopters flights right here out of base camp and had a scenic flight back down the Khumbu Valley.

It was a beautiful day for most of the day and then we had light snow in the afternoon.  Our climbing team had hot showers and then rested in the afternoon in prepration for an acclimitization hike to Pumori base camp tomorrow.

After that, we will have a few days of training as we prepare for our first rotation up through the Khumbu Icefall.

Okay, we’ll be in touch!

Climbing Kala Patthar

Climbing Kala Patthar

The view trekking from Gorakshep to EBC

The view trekking from Gorakshep to EBC

Trekking from Gorakshep to EBC

Trekking from Gorakshep to EBC

Team arriving Everest Base Camp

Team arriving Everest Base Camp

Team arriving Everest Base Camp

Team arriving Everest Base Camp

Base camp staff welcoming the arriving team

Base camp staff welcoming the arriving team

Base camp staff welcoming the arriving team

Base camp staff welcoming the arriving team

Arrival at Everest Base Camp

Arrival at Everest Base Camp

If climbing Mount Everest is in your future, please contact our office, we would love to have you climb with us!

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 Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my Madison Mountaineering flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

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Pheriche to Lobuche

Trekking to Lobuche

Everest guide Terray Sylvester calls in from the Nepal village of Lobuche with a recap of the day’s trek:

Hello, this is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering 2021 Everest expedition.  It’s Saturday, April 10th.  Today we walked from Pheriche to Lobuche.  So we’re at a new higher altitude, we’re at almost exactly 5000m.  We had great weather for the walk today.  We stopped for lunch at Dughla and then we climbed up the moraine at the foot of the path of the Khumbu glacier and had some really great views as we passed Lobuche Peak and came into the village of Lobche.

We relaxed in the bakery here in Lobuche, which was open – more cappuccinos and baked goods.  Then we watched the alpinglow on the flanks of Nuptse and enjoyed dinner.  We’re just heading to bed now.

Tomorrow we’ll move on up to Gorakshep and we will enjoy a sunset climb up to Kala Patthar.  So all is well and we’ll be in touch!

The views along the trek from Pheriche to Lobuche

The views along the trek from Pheriche to Lobuche

Trekking to Lobuche

Trekking to Lobuche

Trekking to Lobuche

Trekking to Lobuche

Trekking to Lobuche

Trekking to Lobuche

If climbing Mount Everest is in your future, please contact our office, we would love to have you climb with us!

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 Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my Madison Mountaineering flash briefing.“

– Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

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Everest Base Camp!

2019 Autumn Everest base camp

Today the team reached Everest Base Camp (5280m/17,323ft.) around 09:43 AM UTC (2:43 AM PDT or 3:28 PM Nepal local time)!

Communications are still being set up but expedition leader, Garrett Madison, was able to provide this brief update via our Garmin inReach Mini:

Just arrived in EBC…the crew is psyched to be here…although it’s a little wet and cloudy.  Hopefully clear skies tomorrow morning for our Puja ceremony.  Everyone is doing great.  The base camp set up is nice!

Today’s hike was about six hours from Lobuche (4932m/16,181ft.) including a nice lunch break at Gorak Shep (5264m/17,270ft.) before continuing on to Everest base camp (5280m/17,323ft.).  Stay tuned for more dispatches as the climbing team settles into their home for the next month and begins the climbing!

RainOn tracking map of trek from Lobuche to EBC

Tracking map of trek from Lobuche to EBC

2019 Autumn Everest base camp

Our autumn Everest base camp dining tent. Check out the sweet stonework in the foreground. (📸: Aang Phurba Sherpa)

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow the team as they trek to Everest Base Camp and then make their attempt to summit the world’s highest mountain on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates

– Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

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Pheriche to Lobuche

Team in Pheriche

Today the Everest team moved up along the Khumbu Glacier to the village of Lobuche (4940m/16,207ft.), leaving just one more day of trekking to reach Everest Base Camp.  Here’s expedition leader, Garrett Madison‘s recap of the day:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Mountain Hardwear Mount Everest Expedition team.  Today is September 14.  We had a great day trekking from Pheriche up to Lobuche.  We stopped and had lunch in Thuklha and then stopped at the Everest Memorials and took in the gravity of the place.  And then made our way up to Lobuche where we settled in this afternoon, had a great dinner, also a birthday celebration for one of our team members, Sable, and we’re heading off to bed here shortly.

 

Tomorrow we’re looking forward to arriving in Everest Base Camp!  So, fingers crossed for good weather.  All’s well here on the trek to Everest Base Camp in the Khumbu Valley!

Trekker Sablle with Kilian Jornet on the trek

Sablle (who had a birthday today) with Kilian Jornet on the trek

Team in Pheriche

Team in Pheriche (📸: Francois Lebeau / Louder than 11)

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow the team as they trek to Everest Base Camp and then make their attempt to summit the world’s highest mountain on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates

– Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

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Great views of Mount Everest!

View of Mount Everest From Kalapatthar

View of Mount Everest From Kalapatthar

View of Mount Everest :

Today we trekked from Lobuche to Gorak Shep and then hiked up Kala Patthar (18,160 ft. /5550m) and had excellent views of Mount Everest, Mount Lhotse, and Mount Nuptse. We are about to go to bed after another great day, everyone is doing well and very excited to reach Everest base camp tomorrow!

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