Tag Archive for: Low Camp

In position to go for the summit!

Photo pulled from the Madison Mountaineering archive.

The Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expedition team has settled into their high camp and is in position to make their summit push! The team enjoyed sunny skies as they climbed fixed lines up steep slopes on their way into camp. Now cozied up into their sleeping bags with full bellies after a nice dinner, the team is motivated and ready to make their push for the summit! With good weather and mountain conditions ahead, we’ll again emerge from our tents, only this time on our way to the top of the highest point in Antarctica! Expedition leader, Benny Lieber checks in with this dispatch from Mount Vinson:

Hey! This is Benny here, Mount Vinson (4892m/16,050ft) expedition. We are at high camp – 12,400 feet. We climbed up from low camp today, steep slopes with fixed ropes and the team did great! Everyone’s well, snuggling into their sleeping bags after a nice, hot dinner. The weather is great, the winds have cleared out, skies are clear also and we’re looking forward to climbing the mountain! Thanks.

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:

/0 Comments/by

Update from Low Camp

Photo pulled from the Madison Mountaineering archive.

The Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expedition team is in low camp with plans to continue up the mountain soon! We hunkered down for a few days to stay out of some high winds, but the weather has improved. The forecast for the next few days is looking good, the team is feeling strong, excited, and motivated to continue on up! Expedition leader, Benny Lieber checks in with this update from Mount Vinson:

Hey! This is Benny from the Mount Vinson (4892m/16,050ft) expedition, we’re here at low camp (2774m/9,100ft) – about 9,000 or so feet, maybe a little higher.

The team’s all doing great! We had a big dinner just now. Last night we had a huge wind storm, so today we were enjoying some calmer weather. Tomorrow, we’re looking forward to moving up to the high camp (3536m/11,600ft)! The forecast is looking great and everyone’s feeling strong. In a few days time, we’re going to try for the summit!

We hope our families are doing well and we’ll check in again in a day or two. Thanks! Bye.

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:

/0 Comments/by

Celebration at Vinson Base Camp

Clients Sarah Brittain and Thomas Moore move from Low Camp to High Camp with guide Garrett Madison on a Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expedition in the Sentinel Range of Antarctica’s Ellsworth Mountains on January 1, 2021. (📸: @terray_s)

With the full team down to Vinson Base Camp, expedition leader Garrett Madison checks in with today’s dispatch recapping summit day and the journey down to base camp where everyone is celebrating:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expedition team. Today is January 19th.

Our team came down from High Camp today after reaching the summit of Mount Vinson yesterday on January 18th. We had a good summit day and a nice trek down from High Camp. We arrived in base camp this evening and had a fun, celebratory dinner with our team – everyone was present. We enjoyed some champagne and burgers and had a good finish to our expedition here on Vinson.

We might be here another day or so at Vinson Base Camp. We’re not sure when the Twin Otters will be able to arrive to fly us out – hopefully in a day or two. But everyone’s in good spirits; we’re happy to be down safe and had a great summit yesterday, especially being up there with Ed Viesturs on the highest point in Antarctica was really special.

It was a wonderful expedition, and we’re just going to be here in Vinson Base Camp, hanging out, enjoying Antarctica until our flight back to Union Glacier and Punta Arenas, Chile.

(📸: @terray_s – Team Two climbers Sarah B. and Thomas M. moving up to high camp with guide Garrett Madison earlier this month)

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 guide’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

/0 Comments/by

Vinson Team Two Moves to High Camp

The view from Vinson High Camp

To start the new year, our second Mount Vinson expedition team moved up to High Camp to position themselves for their summit push within the next couple of days.  Terray Sylvester calls in today’s dispatch:

Hello, this is Terray calling in for the second Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expedition of the season.  It’s New Year’s Day.

Today we woke up and had bacon and french toast for breakfast and then moved from Low Camp (2774m/9,100ft) to High Camp (3536m/11,600ft).  We had beautiful weather all day – clear, sunny skies and basically calm air, no wind.

Now we’re settled down in High Camp.  We had hamburgers for dinner with risotto and veggies.

[remainder of sat photo call garbled and cuts out]

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 guide’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

/0 Comments/by

Happy New Year from Vinson Low Camp!

Mount Vinson base camp

Our Mount Vinson Team Two wishes everyone a Happy New Year from the Low Camp (2774m/9,100ft) on Antarctica’s highest mountain!  Here’s to the great 2022 for everyone!!  Just before heading to bed, guide Terray Sylvester calls in via sat phone with today’s expedition dispatch:

Hello, this is Terray calling in for the second Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expedition of the season.  It is…, while now it is New Year’s Day – January 1st!

It’s about 2:00 AM and we are just going to bed.  The beautiful weather has continued so we took the day to practice some skills and review mountaineering techniques.  We celebrated the new year with a dinner of pork chops, corn, and spinach and a dessert of cheesecake, peaches, and strawberries.  So now we are turning in.

The camp here, Low Camp, is about to go into shade so it will get much colder even though, of course, the sun is still out.  When the camp comes back in the sun, we will get started and start moving up the mountain.

So 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 guide’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

/0 Comments/by

Vinson Team Two Moves Up To Low Camp

With beautiful weather and route conditions, our Vinson Team Two moved up from Vinson Base Camp (2140m/7,020ft) to Low Camp (2774m/9,100ft).  Here is guide Terray Sylvester with a recap of the day and plans for the days ahead:

Hello, this is Terray calling in for the second Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expedition season.  It’s Thursday, December 30th.

Today we made the most of the beautiful weather and moved up to Low Camp.  We’re here now, just had a great dinner, and we’ll rest here tomorrow and celebrate New Year’s Eve here in Low Camp.  We are going to keep taking advantage of this sunny, beautiful weather and head on up to High Camp (3536m/11,600ft) the following day.

So, we’ll be in touch.  All’s well here!

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 guide’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

/0 Comments/by

Mount Vinson High Camp!

Vinson High Camp

Vinson Team One made the move up to High Camp on Mount Vinson yesterday.  It was a nice climbing day from Low Camp to High Camp up the steep fixed ropes.  The team is now enjoying some good weather.  Everyone is happy, healthy, and doing well — not to mention super psyched to be getting ready for the summit push!  Stay tuned…

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 guide’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

/0 Comments/by

Team #2 reaches High Camp

Vinson High Camp

After a long day of making the move (+2,500 ft) from Mount Vinson Low Camp up the fixed lines to High Camp, guest guide Conrad Anker, phones in via satellite today’s expedition recap:

Greetings folks, this is Conrad from Vinson High Camp. It’s the 2nd of January 2020. What a great way to welcome in the new year. Our team set out from Low Camp, climbed up the shoulder on the fixed ropes for a little bit, and then some really beautiful terrian and yeah things are great and we have good weather, everyone’s healthy and we’re very thankful for the opportunity to be here with friends. And yeah we’re happy! That’s a good thing. Take care.

(photo: Madison Mountaineering archive)

By the way, it’s not too early to start making your plans to join us on Mount Vinson for the 2020/2021 season next December!  Contact our office for details.

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow the teams as they make their attempts to summit the highest mountain in Antarctica 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 maps:

/0 Comments/by

Low Camp Training

Mount Vinson Low Camp

Today our Vinson team conducted some training and skills review near Low Camp, making ready for a possible move up to High Camp tomorrow.  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, phoned in today’s dispatch:

Hello. This is Garrett calling in for the Mount Vinson expedition team #2 with Garrett and Conrad Anker. Today is January 1, 2020. We had a great day. We had a rest day here in Low Camp on Mount Vinson. We slept in and had leisurely breakfast of pancakes and bacon.

 

And then we did some training today. We reviewed all of the fixed line climbing techniques – ascending and descending fixed lines. And after that we orginized our gear for our climb up to camp 2 tomorrow, High Camp – weather pending. We’re gonna [inaudible], have breakfast, check the weather forecast, and if it all looks good, we’re gonna leave around 1:00 PM and climb up to High Camp.

 

So fingers crossed for good weather. We’re all doing well here. Everyone’s having fun and we’re enjoying Antarctica.

Thanks!

(photo: Madison Mountaineering archive)

By the way, it’s not too early to start making your plans to join us on Mount Vinson for the 2020/2021 season next December!  Contact our office for details.

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow the teams as they make their attempts to summit the highest mountain in Antarctica 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 maps:

/0 Comments/by

Happy New Year from Low Camp on Mount Vinson!

2019.12.27 Vinson team #2 celebrates New Year's 2020

Make sure and listen to our Vinson team #2 ringing in the new year from Low Camp on Mount Vinson, Antarctica’s highest peak:

Hey, this is Garrett calling in for the Vinson expedition.  We are up here at Low Camp.  Everyone did great today.  We got into Low Camp, set up our camp, and we’re counting down to the New Year’s celebration.  It’s all happenin’ here.  …5…4…3…2…1… Happy New Year!!

(photo: 2019.12.27 Vinson team #2 celebrates New Year’s 2020 at Low Camp)

By the way, it’s not too early to start making your plans to join us on Mount Vinson for the 2020/2021 season next December!  Contact our office for details.

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow the teams as they make their attempts to summit the highest mountain in Antarctica 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 maps:

/0 Comments/by