Tag Archive for: Mountain Hardwear

Acclimatization before First Rotation Continues

Climbing team at Prayer Flag Point above EBC

Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, reports on the day’s activities for the team at Everest base camp which included an acclimatization hike up to Prayer Flag Point:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Mount Everest and Lhotse expedition team.  We are in Everest base camp.  He had a good day today.  We changed our plans slightly because there was some activity in the Icefall.  We were going to go for a walk in the Icefall today, but instead, we went on another acclimatization hike – just outside of base camp to Prayer Flag Point.  We had some great views, good exercise, came back for lunch, had a restful afternoon, and had dinner.  We just finished watching Top Gun tonight – a great Amercian film.

Our Sherpa team is doing well.  They had a big day today on the mountain and we’re going to take an easy day tomorrow.  We are going to go for a little walk in the Icefall but not too far, just explore the bottom part for two hours and then back to base camp.

All’s well here with our team in base camp and we’re looking forward to another nice day here on Mount Everest.

Team acclimatization hike above EBC

Team acclimatization hike above EBC

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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Puja!

Team after puja ceremony

Garrett Madison phones in from Everest base camp to provide the details of today’s puja ceremony which blessed the team and provided prayers for safe passage on the mountain:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest and Lhotse expedition.  Today’s April 18th and we had a wonderful day today.

We had our puja ceremony where we gathered together in base camp and had a Buddhist Lama come up and ask the mountain for safe passage.  It was a very nice ceremony and a beautiful day here – warm and sunny with some singing and dancing after the ceremony.  We had a restful afternoon and a nice dinner and a good movie tonight – a comedy – and now we’re heading to bed.

Everyone’s doing well here at base camp and tomorrow we’re looking forward to a foray up into the Icefall to climb up a couple of hours and check out the route and then back to base camp.  The weather is looking good, the team’s doing well, and we’re looking forward to another great day here is base camp.

Puja day in Everest base camp

Puja day in 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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Day 2 of Skills Training on the Khumbu Glacier

More skills training on the Khumbu Glacier just below EBC

Everest guide, Terray Sylvester reports on the day’s skills training from Mount Everest base camp.

Hi, this is Terray calling in for the 2021 Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition.  It’s Friday, April 16th.

Today we woke up to beautiful sight of fresh snow on base camp and the Khumbu Glacier and the mountains above us.  We had a great breakfast of eggs and bacon and french toast with Vermont maple syrup and then we headed down for our second day of skills training on the glacier just below base camp.  We practiced ladder-crossing techniques, fixed-line ascent, and repelling again.  We’ll have one more of skills training before our Puja on the 18th.

Let’s see what else happened today…  Earlier this morning our former NFL wide-reciever Mark Pattison, who’s climbing Everest and Lhotse with us, was having some fun tossing around a football with some of our Sherpa staff and other members of our climbing team.  In the evening the clouds parted so we had great views of alpenglow on Nupste and farther up the valley.  Now the stars are coming out and the team is settled in watching another movie.

We’ll head to bed soon and we’ll be in touch!

More skills training on the Khumbu Glacier just below EBC

More skills training on the Khumbu Glacier just below EBC

More skills training on the Khumbu Glacier just below EBC

Ronan M. honing his skills

More skills training on the Khumbu Glacier just below EBC

More skills training on the Khumbu Glacier just below EBC

Practicing ladder-crossing on the Khumbu Glacier just below EBC

Practicing ladder-crossing on the Khumbu Glacier just below EBC

More skills training on the Khumbu Glacier just below EBC

Kristin B. getting in some more training and skill building

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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Skills Practice on the Khumbu Glacier

Skills practice in the Khumbu Icefall

Time for some climbing skills practice at EBC.  Terray recaps the day:

Hi, this is Terray calling in for the 2021 Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition.  It’s April 15th.

Today we had our first day of skills practice down on the ice pyramids of the Khumbu Glacier just below our base camp.  We practiced descending fixed-lines and repelling.  We’ll have two more days of skills practice before we head on up to Camps I and II.

The weather was great today – we seem to be in a pattern of beautiful sunny skies in the morning which last until mid-afternoon and then we had a light snow fall.  And now it’s just slightly overcast and the team is relaxing after dinner watching The Blues Brothers.

So, in other news, our Island Peak climber successfully summited the mountian today.  He had trekked with us to base camp and then decended back down the Khumbu Valley, turned left at Dingboche and headed up to Island Peak.  It seems like he had a good climb with one of our guides.

So all is well and we’ll be in touch.  Bye!

Sirdar Aang Purba enjoying the icefall skills building

Sirdar Aang Purba enjoying the icefall skills building

Skills building exercise in the Khumbu Icefall

Skills building exercise in the Khumbu Icefall

A grinning Mark P building his fixed line skills

A grinning Mark P building his fixed-line skills

Skills building exercise in the Khumbu Icefall

Skills building exercise in the Khumbu Icefall

Skills building exercise in the Khumbu Icefall

Skills building exercise in the Khumbu Icefall

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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Acclimatizing above EBC to Pumori base camp

The team enjoying a nice meal at EBC

The Everest team made an acclimatizing hike today and guide Terray Sylvester provides the details from Everest base camp:

Hello, this is Terray calling in for the 2021 Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition.  It’s Wednesday, April 14th.

Today we did an acclimatization hike up to Pumori base camp – a little over 1,000 ft. above our base camp here on the Khumbu Glacier.  We had beautiful weather and from Pumori base camp there we had, of course, great views of Pumori itself but also Mount Everest, the Khumbu Icefall, Lhotse, the South Col, the North Col, and the south face of Nuptse.

Then we came back to camp, had lunch – it was salmon and fresh vegitable and other dishes.  Then we rested until dinner; we just wrapped that up.  That was pork chops with sauteed mushrooms, pasta, and a desert of mangos.

Now the team is cozy in the dinning tent, we’ve got the movie screen on and we’re watching a James Bond movie.  So spirits are high and tomorrow we’ll do some training here on the glacier; fixed-lines, ice climbing, repelling.  We will do a few days of training before we start our first rotation to Camp I and Camp II around the 20th.

All right!  We’ll be in touch!

Hiking up to Pumori Base Camp

Hiking up to Pumori Base Camp

The view of Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse from Pumori base camp

The view of EBC, Everest, Lhotse, and the west shoulder of Nuptse from Pumori base camp

Hiking back down from Pumori base camp to EBC

Hiking back down from Pumori base camp to EBC

Trekking team back in Kathmandu celebrating Nepali New Year!

Trekking team back in Kathmandu celebrating the Nepali New Year!

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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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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Acclimatizing above Pheriche to Prayer Flag Point

Today’s hike to Prayer Flag Point above Dingboche, with views of Ama Dablam and other peaks

Madison Mountaineering guide Terray Sylvester has today’s expedition dispatch recapping a beautiful day acclimating above Pheriche:

Hello!  This is Terray Sylvester calling in for the Madison Mountaineering 2021 Mount Everest expedition.  It’s April 9th.

Today the team enjoyed an acclimatization hike to Prayer Flag Point in beatiful weather above Pheriche and Dingboche.  We had excellent views of Ama Dablam, Makalu in the distance, and the ridgeline that leads up to Lhotse.  Then we descend down to Dingboche where we enjoyed coffee and delicious pastries in a bakery.  Then we turned down to Pheriche for lunch.

The team attended a medical talk on altitude illness and other mountain concerns here at the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) clinic.  And then enjoyed lunch and rested until dinner.  Tomorrow we’ll move on up to Lobuche and we’ll enjoy our first views of Khumbu glacier – so we’re looking forward to that.

So far we have had just beatiful weather – light snow storms in the evening, but beatiful sunny days.  We hope for more of the same tomorrow.  We’ll be in touch!

Today’s hike to Prayer Flag Point above Dingboche, with views of Ama Dablam and other peaks

Today’s hike to Prayer Flag Point above Dingboche, with views of Ama Dablam and other peaks

Today’s hike to Prayer Flag Point above Dingboche, with views of Ama Dablam and other peaks

Today’s hike to Prayer Flag Point above Dingboche, with views of Ama Dablam and other peaks

Today’s hike to Prayer Flag Point above Dingboche, with views of Ama Dablam and other peaks

Today’s hike to Prayer Flag Point above Dingboche, with views of Ama Dablam and other peaks

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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Deboche to Pheriche

View from our lodge in Pheriche

Expedition leader Garrett Madison provides today’s recap of the trek from Deboche to Pheriche, as the Everest team moves closer to Everest Base Camp:

Greetings from Pheriche! The team is comfortable and resting in the lodge after a great day walking from Deboche.

Our day began under clear skies greeting the team with our first clear views of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam. Overnight rain exaggerated the floral smells of the Khumbu valley and the absence of the usual trekking groups made the walk feel like trip back in time. We made our way along the river to the village of Pengboche where we had tea and received our blessing from the Lama for a safe and successful climb.

Afterwards, we walked high above the river passing chortans and stupas to the village of Shomare where we drank tea and had lunch in the sun. Fueled up and feeling good for the final leg of the day, we rounded the corner to Pheriche beneath the imposing sentinels that are Taboche and Cholatse. We arrived at our lodge for the night just as the snow and grauple started to fall briefly before clearing again giving us some final dramatic views of the huge mountains.

For now we eat, rest and ready ourselves to acclimatize up high above Pheriche tomorrow. Goodnight!

View of Ama Dablam today

View of Ama Dablam today

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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Namche to Deboche

Trekking to Deboche

Departing Namche Bazaar, today the Everest team trekked to the village of Deboche, spending some time at the Tengboche Monastery along the way.  Madison Mountaineering guide Rob Smith provides the expedition dispatch of the day:

Hey, this is Rob Smith here from the Madison Mountaineering Everest 2021 expedition.  All’s going well.  What a great day today!  We left Namche this morning after a nice blessing by the lodge owner and we all got a khata each.

Climbing out of Namche we traversed along the hill before dropping down to the river at Phungi Thenga for lunch.  We then had a 600m/2,000ft climb up the side of Tengboche Hill.  We stopped at the Monastery, which was looking splendid in the afternoon light.  Tengboche was very quiet, so we felt very fortunate to have it to ourselves.  Some of us also visited the memorial for the 1963 American Expedition on Everest.  And then we strolled downhill through the rhododendron forest to Deboche, where we are settled into our cozy lodge sat around the wood-burning stove and all is good!

This is Rob, signing off.

Everest climbing team departing the Panorama Lodge in Namche

Everest climbing team departing the Panorama Lodge in Namche

Mark P receives a blessing and a khata at the Panorama Lodge in Namche

Mark P receives a blessing and a khata at the Panorama Lodge in Namche

Mani stones on the trek to Dobuche

Mani stones on the trek to Dobuche

Arriving at the Tengboche Monastery

Arriving at the Tengboche Monastery

The Tengboche Monastery

The Tengboche Monastery

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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