Today at base camp we woke up to sunshine and by early afternoon we had steady snowfall accumulating, Everest weather changes quickly! Our second wave of climbers pushed through the Khumbu icefall and made it to Camp 1 early this morning. We now have climbers acclimatizing at Camp 1 and Camp 2 on Mount Everest. Our third and final group will depart for Camp 1 early this morning. Everyone is doing well and in good spirits.
For daily photo updates follow us on Instagram @MadisonMtng.
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Our first Everest rotation is in mid-swing with our second wave of climbers moving up in a few hours. Beautiful day at base camp today with ample time to enjoy the sunshine. Our climbers at base camp continued icefall training with difficult courses set up by our guide staff. Up at Camp 1 our team is doing well with heavy clouds reported throughout the afternoon. Tomorrow our Camp 1 team will move up to Camp 2 where they will spend two days acclimatizing.
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Sid Pattison reports a successful ascent of Island Peak (pictures below):
Bookended by a forecast of wind and snow our team squeaked in a summit of Island Peak at 6:15am on the 17th. Our climb began at 12:15am and after climbing steadily up tallus fields and ridges we made it to Crampon Point as the sun rose. We put on crampons and roped up to cross the very broken and bridged glacier, after an hour we made it to the base of the final 750ft headwall. The steep climbing was strenuous but we moved steadily up to the summit ridge. From the summit the beautiful Himalayan mountain range was on display, Lhotse, Taboche, Cholatse and Ama Dablam fueling dreams of future climbs. The descent went smoothly, we packed up basecamp and made the final trek back to Chhukung and slept soundly. Today we made the long trek to Namche and Lukla tomorrow.
“We couldn’t have asked for better conditions, this summit is the culmination of weeks of hard work” Jared Moravec reflected on the climb.
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Island Peak Expedition 2017
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Last bridge into Lukla! The team finished the trek in great shape and good spirits. Yesterday we headed down from the mountains and ran into our first real weather of the trip. Starting out as rain and then light to moderate snow as we arrived back in Namche. The mist and cloud made for beautiful scenery and perfect hiking temps. We enjoyed hot showers and good food with our friends at the Tibet Hotel.
If the weather holds we will fly early back to Kathmandu and many will soon be on their way home. Fantastic group and an unforgettable experience! We hope that you all continue your adventures and to see you all again very soon.
Today we caught the first flight out of Kathmandu to Lukla! We lucked out before the clouds and rain, and trekked through lush green river valleys and over suspension bridges to our destination for the evening, the Paradise lodge in Phakding. We are very happy to be on our way to Everest base camp! The fresh mountain air is a nice change from the bustling capital city of Kathmandu. Our trekking team’s flight could not land at Lukla so currently they are in Phaplu, and will try to fly to Lukla later today or tomorrow. Here is a photo of our team on the trek today, and another of our plane taking off on the runway at Lukla after dropping us off.
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Arrival into Tenzing Hillary Airport, Lukla
The Madison Mountaineering Spring 2016 Everest trekking season has officially launched! Today our second trekking team of the season is arriving in the capital city of Kathmandu, Nepal. Trekking through the Khumbu Valley to Everest base camp is a life changing experience for many, as the spectacular mountain scenery integrated with Sherpa culture and Buddhist religion makes for a truly engaging combination. Our team’s will follow the same route to Base Camp as the Everest climbers and recount the historical ascents with the climbers who share our lodges along the way.
Beautiful photos taken by Fred Crosetto below from our first Spring 2016 Everest Trek! Enjoy 🙂
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Madison Mountaineering climbers around the world are gearing up for Everest 2016! In a few short weeks we will converge in Kathmandu, Nepal and begin the journey to Mount Everest, known by the locals as Sagarmāthā. Mount Everest is Earth’s highest mountain at 8,848m (29,035ft) above sea level. Here in Seattle,WA our team is actively preparing mountaineering gear, food supplies, and taking care of other important expedition logistics before our departure. We look forward to returning to Nepal to witness and share with you the growth and progress that has been made since last year’s season ending earthquake.
Expedition dispatches will be posted here as frequently as possible. Also follow us @MadisonMtng on Twitter , Instagram , and Facebook.
Stay tuned! 🙂
Interesting Everest Fact: The international border between Tibet and Nepal runs across Everest’s precise summit point.
The Madison Mountaineering climbing team had a safe descent to Lukla airport by helicopter yesterday afternoon. Our climbing team decided to take a helicopter back to Lukla instead of the long trek down on foot. Everyone is in good condition and ready to relax and reflect on this exploratory expedition once back home. The climbing team will be picked up by plane and flown back to Kathmandu where the journey began. We will have a final dispatch written by Garrett Madison that reflects on this expedition of a lifetime in the near future.
If you have a few minutes, check out this article by CNN that discusses the physical attributes that make Sherpas superhuman mountaineers. An integral part of our high altitude expeditions is the assistance from our Sherpa family. Many thanks and continued companionship!
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Photos below were taken by Sid Pattison and Garrett Madison, enjoy!
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Sunset on Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse from our Camp 2. Photo by Sid Pattison.
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Throwing duffels on the helicopter pad before heading back to Lukla. Photo by Sid Pattison.
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Sorting gear at advanced base camp. Photo by Sid Pattison.
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Sid Pattison on the descent! Photo by Garrett Madison.
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Sid Pattison enjoying the view of a lifetime! Photo by Garrett Madison
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Looking across from Camp 2. Photo by Sid Pattison.
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Keeping it safe with fixed lines. Photo by Sid Pattison.
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Helicopter arriving at Camp 1. Photo by Sid Pattison.
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Hanging out with our sherpas at our high point, the corniced snow ridge just below the summit. Photo by Sid Pattison.
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Base Camp with prayer flags. Photo by Sid Pattison.
