Tag Archive for: Nepal

Acclimating above Namche

Above Namche Bazaar

Resting and acclimatization in and around Namche Bazaar, the Everest team hiked up to the Hotel Everest View.  Here’s expedition leader Garrett Madison‘s recap of the day:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition team.  Today is April 6th and we had a nice rest day in Namche.

We trekked up to the Everest View Hotel and had a good view up the valley of Ama Dablam and Everest, but it was a little bit hazy because of the smoke from forest fires here in Nepal at the moment.  We came back to our lodge, the Panorama Lodge & Restaurant, in Namche, had a nice lunch, and then explored the town of Namche in the afternoon.

We just had a good dinner and now we’re off to bed.  Our plan is to head out tomorrow and trek up the valley to Deboche.

All’s well here in the Khumbu Valley of Nepal.  We’ll check in soon!

Acclimatization hike from Namche to the Everest View Hotel

Acclimatization hike from Namche to the Everest View Hotel

Hanging out at the Everest View Hotel

Hanging out at the Everest View Hotel

Acclimatization hike from Namche to the Everest View Hotel

Acclimatization hike from Namche to the Everest View Hotel

Acclimatization hike from Namche to the Everest View Hotel

Acclimatization hike from Namche to the Everest View Hotel

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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Phakding to Namche Bazaar

Happy Madison Mountaineering trekkers

Today the base camp trekking team and the Everest climb team trekked along the Dudh Koshi and up the big hill to the capital village of the Khumbu, Namche Bazaar.  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, provides the details of the day’s trek:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest expedition team and trek.  Today we trekked from Phakding up to Namche.

It was a beautiful day, with some nice views crossing suspension bridges over the river gorge and of some snow-capped peaks.  We had a nice lunch in Jorsalle en route.

We arrived at Namche this afternoon, checked into our rooms, and walked around town a bit.  We just finished a nice dinner here, and we’re looking forward to a good night’s rest.

Tomorrow we are excited for an acclimatization hike and a rest here in Namche!

All’s well in Nepal and we’ll check in soon.

Thamserku rising high above the river Dudh Koshi

Thamserku rising high above the river Dudh Koshi

Garrett and Art M trekking to Namche

Garrett and Art M trekking to Namche

Kristin B crossing the Dudh Koshi before the big hill up to Namche

Kristin B crossing the Dudh Koshi before the big hill up to Namche

Trekking up to Namche Bazaar

Trekking up to Namche Bazaar

Kristin H enjoying the trek

Kristin H enjoying the trek

Arriving Namche Bazaar on a beautiful afternoon in Nepal

Arriving Namche Bazaar on a beautiful afternoon in Nepal

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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The Trek to Base Camp Begins!

Mani stones along the trek from Lukla to Phakding

The team has left Kathmandu, and the trek to Mount Everest base camp is officially underway!  Here’s expedition leader, Garrett Madison, with today’s dispatch from the mountain village of Lukla, Nepal:

Hello!  This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition team.  Today is April 4th, and we flew from Kathmandu up to Lukla to begin our trek – the first day up the Khumbu Valley.

Yesterday we went sightseeing around Kathmandu. We visited three sites:  Pashupatinath, Monkey Temple (Swayambhunath), and Boudhanath. We genuinely enjoyed Kathmandu and finished the day with a nice team dinner.  This morning we got up early, went to the airport, and got on our flights to Lukla.

So, we’re all up here in Lukla enjoying a nice day – it’s a little hazy from the forest fire smoke down below, but not too bad.  We are just really happy to be here and looking forward to getting the trek underway, enjoying some fresh air, some good view, and a little exercise.

So, all’s well from the Khumbu Valley in Nepal!  We’ll check in soon.

Kathmandu city tour - Baudhanath

Kathmandu city tour – Baudhanath

Monkey Temple - Kathmandu

Monkey Temple – Kathmandu

Kathmandu city tour

Kathmandu city tour

Enjoying one of the Lukla tea houses

Enjoying one of the Lukla tea houses

Amazing views trekking from Lukla to Phakding!

Amazing views trekking from Lukla to Phakding!

The village of Phakding along the Dudh Koshi

The village of Phakding along the Dudh Koshi

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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Welcome to Everest 2021!

The Everest summit ridge on May 23rd

Welcome to Everest 2021! Our annual spring Mount Everest expedition begins in just 30 days. Our strong team of international climbers will gather at the Hotel Yak and Yeti, our Kathmandu home-base and the launching point of countless Mount Everest expeditions over the years. Here in Seattle, we are now gathering expedition equipment, food and supplies, making logistical arrangements with our Nepal support staff, and ensuring that all of our climbing team members and trekkers have everything ready to go. Busy times at Madison Mountaineering HQ! We are looking forward to our continued best-in-class rate of success and safety on Everest. Leaders in setting the fixed ropes, we have put the first team on top in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.

We are excited by the upcoming season and hope that you will all follow along with our expedition dispatches as the team makes their way to base camp and then up the mountain!

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

– Instagram:

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Ama Dablam – Expedition Recap

Team celebration dinner in Kathmandu

With all of the team safely back in Kathmandu, our 2020 Ama Dablam expedition is concluding.  Thank you for following along.  The following team members successfully and safely obtained the summit of Ama Dablam (6812m / 22,349ft) on November 11, 2020, at approximately 11:30 AM NPT (local time):

# Name Country
1 Mr. Garrett Madison USA
2 Mr. Mohammed Al-Thani Qatar
3 Ms. Jennifer Drummond USA
4 Mr. Ted Hesser USA
5 Mr. Chase Merriam USA
6 Mr. Elia Saikaly Canada
7 Mr. Aang Phurba Sherpa Nepal
8 Mr. Siddhi Bahadur Tamang Nepal
9 Mr. Mingmar Sherpa Nepal
10 Mr. Ming Dorchi Sherpa Nepal
11 Mr. Pasdawa Sherpa Nepal
12 Mr. Pasang Dawa Sherpa Nepal
13 Mr. Pasang Kaji Sherpa Nepal

Here is expedition leader, Garrett Madison, with the expedition recap:

Hello, this is Garrett Madison calling in for the Ama Dablam team expedition.

We are all back in Kathmandu now at the Hotel Yak & Yeti.  We summited Ama Dablam together on November 11th.  We had a beautiful, clear, perfect day upon the summit.  Some of us went all the way down to base camp, others stayed in Camp 2 that night, and the following day we all descended to base camp, had a celebration lunch, and then helicoptered back to Kathmandu!

We just had our team celebration dinner and some members are heading off tonight back home and others will be here for a few days.  It’s been a wonderful, successful, and safe expedition here in Nepal.  We’re very happy that we got to come and experience the wonderful people with warm hearts.

We are looking forward to returning to Nepal next spring for Mount Everest!

Camp 2 on Ama Dablam

Camp 2 on Ama Dablam (📷: @tedhesser)

Summit push below the Dablam

Summit push below the Dablam

Nearing the Ama Dablam summit

Nearing the Ama Dablam summit

Jenn D. topping out on Ama Dablam

Topping out on Ama Dablam (📷: @aang_phurba_mountaineer)

Chase M. on the summit of Ama Dablam with Everest and Lhotse in the background

Chase M. on the summit of Ama Dablam with Everest and Lhotse in the background

Ama Dablam Summit

Ama Dablam Summit (📷: @aang_phurba_mountaineer)

Celebration on Ama Dablam summit

Celebration on Ama Dablam summit (📷: @aang_phurba_mountaineer)

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

– Instagram:

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

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Ama Dablam Summit!

Ama Dablam summit track in Google Earth

Congratulations to the entire Madison Mountaineering 2020 Ama Dablam (6812m) team and crew!  100% summit success!!  Details and photos to follow.  Meanwhile, enjoy this coverage of the summit effort from The Himalayan Times.  Most of the team is safely resting at Camp 2, while others have safely descended all the way down to 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

– Instagram:

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

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Summit Push – Camp 2

Jenn D and Garrett touching Ama Dablam Camp 2

The Ama Dablam team have once again completed the crux of the route, The Yellow Tower, while making the move to Camp 2 (6000m) on their summit push.  Tonight is the night!  Within the next few hours, they will start the climb to the summit.  Godspeed team!  Here’s today’s audio dispatch courtesy of team member, Moe Al Thani from his Instagram feed @moealthani:

This is Moe Al Thani calling you from Camp 2, Ama Dablam.  I can see the summit, it’s so close I can touch it.  We arrived here like within three hours since we left Camp 1 after the tough hike up to Camp 2.  We are feeling really good!

The sherpa team just fixed the fixed lines all the way up to the summit.  So now we have the go-ahead to go this evening for our summit push.  We will leave around 1 AM for an 8-9 hour summit push to the summit.  [Arabic]  Keep us in your prayers and will talk to you soon.

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

– Instagram:

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

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Summit Push – Camp 1

Team member Moe Al Thani on Ama Dablam

First day of the summit push, the Ama Dablam team made the move from base camp to Camp 1.  Courtesy of his Instagram feed, team member @moealthani provides the recap of the day in this expedition dispatch:

Hi guys!  This is Moe Al Thani calling you from Camp 1 (5800m).  It’s freezing cold, I’m wearing my big down jacket, enjoying the most beautiful sunset in the world.  Behind me is Ama Dablam, it’s so close I can almost touch it but at the same time it seem so far.

Just want to let you all know that we’re doing amazing, we’re doing great!  The oxygen and the air is thin, but we’re all strong over here.  So, we are looking forward our move to Camp 2 tomorrow and we’ll keep you posted!

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

– Instagram:

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

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The Summit Push is On!

Heading around the puja to begin the summit push

The summit push is on!  Garrett and the Ama Dablam team just left base camp moments ago heading for Camp 1.  You can follow their progress on this real-time map:  https://madisonmountaineering.com/maps/ama-dablam-2020/.  Here’s Garrett’s message as they were leaving base camp this morning:

Well, it’s November 9th and we are off this morning on our Summit Rotation for Ama Dablam!

We just had breakfast, packed up, and walked around the puja – doing one last ceremony as we head off here up towards Camp 1.  It’ll be a six hour, seven hour hike today to Camp 1.  And then the plan is Camp 2 tomorrow night and then wake up around midnight and go for the summit!

So hopefully, we’ll be back down here in a few day’s time.  All’s well here and we’re looking forward to gettin’ up on the mountain!

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

– Instagram:

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

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Resting done, Summit-push next!

Ready for the Ama Dablam summit bid

For the Ama Dablam team, the resting is done, and the summit-push is next!  Here’s expedition leader Garrett Madison, with today’s expedition dispatch:

Hello, this is Garrett Madison calling in for the Ama Dablam team expedition.

We’re here at Ama Dablam base camp, the second rest day here on November 8th.  The weather is looking good.  We’re planning to head up tomorrow, November 9th, to Camp 1 (5791m) and then the following day to Camp 2 (5944m), then we will go for the summit (6812m)!  The weather’s looking good, route conditions are solid, and we’re excited to begin our summit rotation.

We’re all doing good here and looking forward to getting up on the mountain.  We’ll check in soon.  Thanks!

 

@hopperschoppers departing Ama Dablam base camp (🎥: @chase.merriam)

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

– Instagram:

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

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