Tag Archive for: Nepal

Windy at Camp 2

Close up of Everest and Lhotse from Gokyo Ri

It’s been windy at Camp 2 but the Everest team is doing well, having fun, and hopeful that the conditions will improve by tomorrow.  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, called in this dispatch by satellite phone:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in.  We are up here at Camp 2!  All’s well.  It’s been a windy day.  The winds picked up around 2am last night and they have continued pretty consistently through out the day and it’s still pretty breezy.  So we spent the day fortifying our camp making sure that your tents are in good condition.  We’ve been enjoying a few good meals and good conversation and making the best of it.  It’s good training for the South Col on a windy day.  So we are having fun up here and after the winds die down there might be a little snow in the forecast, so we’ll wait to see if that materializes.  Tomorrow we will try to go for a hike up the Lhotse face, if the weather permits.  All’s well here and we’ll check in soon.  Thanks!

(photo:  from the Madison Mountaineering archives)

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From base camp to Camp 2

Everest Camp 2

In the first day’s push of the second rotation, the team climbed all the way from base camp to Camp 2 at the far end of the Western Cwm.  Here’s Garrett’s report via satellite phone:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Everest climbing team.  We had a great day!  And we are up at Camp 2 and all settled in here.  We had a nice dinner and we’re going to take a rest day tomorrow.  Some exciting news:  our Sherpa rope fixing team, eight of our top Nepal Sherpas, were able to fix lines to the South Col today to Camp 4!  Dispite the high winds, they got to Camp 4 with the fixed ropes.  So now the route is open all the way to the South Col for other teams to carry loads and acclimitize.  Everyone’s doing great up here at Camp 2!  Sounds like there might be a little bit of snow in the forecast, but there’s clear skies at the moment.  We will keep our eyes on that and everyone’s doing well.  So, we’ll check in soon.  Thanks so much!

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Second Rotation

Sunset on Everest Base Camp

In just a few hours, the Everest team will be starting their second rotation up the mountain to continue the acclimatization process.  Just before heading to bed, expedition leader, Garrett Madison, provided this update:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Mount Everest climbing team.  Tonight we are going to head out from base camp around 2am and climb up through the Khumbu Icefall and then the Western Cwm to Camp 2!  Our plan is to get up to Camp 2 and spend a few nights up there.  Hopefully climb up the Lhotse face and touch Camp 3 (7230m/23,720ft), as well.  It looks like a little snow in the forecast, but not too much, so we are excited for a late night departure and to see what the mountain brings!  We’ll check in soon.  Thanks.

The view of the Khumbu Icefall from EBC

The view of the Khumbu Icefall from EBC

'Chicken Sizzler' dinner at EBC

‘Chicken Sizzler’ dinner at EBC

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Staying fit and motivated at Base Camp

EBC from the icefall

Our Everest team is staying fit and motivated at base camp before the start of the second rotation.  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, calls in today’s update:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Mount Everest team.  Today we had a great day in Everest base camp.  We went out and trained on the Khumbu glacier here next to base camp.  We practiced climbing steep ice and then descending steep ice in preparation for our next rotation up the mountain where we are going to climb on the Lhotse face.  So, after a few hours of training, we came back and had lunch and a restful afternoon.  And we just finished up dinner and a movie.  Tonight we watched “First Man” about Neil Armstrong landing on the Moon.  Our plan is to go for a hike tomorrow to keep our fitness up.  All’s well here in Everest base camp.  Thanks for checking in!

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Day hike to Gorak Shep

Above camp 1

While the team did a day hike to Gorak Shep and back, Garrett and other team leaders met to discuss the status of the route rope fixing project.  Garrett Madison reports:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Mount Everest team.  Today we had a restfull day in base camp.  The team when for a hike to Gorak Shep and back.  They got to pick up some extra snacks in Gorak Shep for base camp.  Beautiful day here in base camp; everything’s going really well.  We had a meeting about the rope fixing with some of the other teams and gave an update on the status, where the project is at right now, and the expected date of completion – weather pending.  Tomorrow we are going to do a little more training here in base camp.  So, everything’s good and we will check in soon.  Thanks!

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More Training!

Our Everest 2019 team did more training today around base camp today.  Listen in to Garrett’s update:

Well, hello from Everest base camp!  This is Garrett calling in.  Today our team had a great day training on the Khumbu Icefall.  We did some repelling practice in preparation for steep ice of the Lhotse face, which will be coming up on our next rotation up the mountain here.  The team climbed some steep ice and did some ladder practice as well!  We are just trying to hone our climbing techniques and skills for our next rotation through the Khumbu Icefall, the Western Cwm, and up onto the Lhotse face at Camp 3 so that we are as ready as we can possibly be.  Everybody’s doing great here at Everest base camp.  We’ll check in soon.  Thanks!

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EBC Rest Day

EBC and Pumori

Today was an EBC rest day.  Here’s Garrett’s update:

Hello!  This is Garrett calling in for the Mount Everest team.  Today we took a rest day in Everest base camp.  It was a beautiful day; the Sun was out and warm temperatures.  So we just lounged around base camp, did some laundry, and relaxed and enjoyed a beautiful day here.  We had three nice meals.  Tomorrow we are going to go out and do some training in the lower Khumbu Icefall area here near base camp to brush up on some technical skills that we can apply when we are climbing up high on the mountain, in the icefall, and on the Lhotse face.  The whole team is down here doing well, and they are looking forward to another great day here at Everest base camp.

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First Rotation Complete

Everest Camp 2

The first acclimatization rotation is complete and the team is safely back in base camp.  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, provides this update:

Hello, this Garrett calling in for the Mount Everest climbing team.  Today is April 25th and our whole team came down from Camp 2 today to Everest base camp.  We had a good day coming through the Western Cwm between Camp 2 and Camp 1 and then on down through the Khumbu Icefall.

 

We also were able to get the fixed lines put in to Camp 3!  Conan Bliss, one of our guides, stayed back with Aang Phurba Sherpa, our Sirdar, and put in a second rope the way up to high Camp 3.  So there is an up line and a down line now, which is good for all teams on the mountain.

 

We are happy to be down in base camp and having a rest for a few days.  All’s well here and we’ll check in soon!

Climbing above Camp 1

Climbing above Camp 1

Khumbu Icefall

Khumbu Icefall

Climber Chad Gaston in the Western Cwm

Climber Chad Gaston in the Western Cwm

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Acclimatizing around Camp 2

Inside the dining tent at camp 2

The team spent the day acclimatizing around Camp 2.  And plan to head back down to base camp tomorrow to complete the first rotation.  Garrett Madison reports:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Mount Everest climbing team.  Today is April 24th and we are up at Camp 2!  We had a great day moving up from Camp 1 to Camp 2 yesterday and a good night’s rest.  Today we went for an acclimitization hike up on the west shoulder of Everest with great views all the way around our Camp 2, which is our advanced base camp, of the surrounding peaks of Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse.  Our plan is to head down tomorrow after a good rotation up here.  Everyone’s doing well and we’ll check in soon!

Camp 2 on Everest - our advanced base camp

Camp 2 on Everest – our advanced base camp

View of Lhotse - world's 4th highest peak

View of Lhotse – the world’s 4th highest peak

Inside the dining tent at camp 2

Inside the dining tent at camp 2

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Sleeping at Camp 2

Everest Camp 2

On their first acclimatization rotation, the team is sleeping at Camp 2 (6533m/21,434ft).  They are spending a couple of nights there before descending back to base camp.  Here’s Garrett’s recap of the day:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Mount Everest climb.  Today we woke up at 5am at Camp 1, had some breakfast, got packed up and then climbed up to Camp 2.  We had a beautiful day, the Sun was out and it wasn’t too hot.  We made our way around some big cevasses and got up to Camp 2 here about mid-day, had lunch, and now just relaxing and getting ready for dinner and a good night’s rest.  Everybody’s doing really well up here and we look forward to a couple nights up at Camp 2 and then we will head back down to base camp.  Thanks!

 

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