Tag Archive for: Sama Village

Manaslu team back in Kathmandu!

Our climbers, Sherpa team and base camp staff posing for a final team photo before leaving base camp a few days ago!

The Madison Mountaineering Manaslu expedition team arrived back in Kathmandu after an exciting heli ride, following several days of waiting the weather out in the mountains. The team had excellent views throughout the entire flight of awe-inspiring peaks high above and the valleys, rivers, and waterfalls below. Upon reaching Kathmandu and settling back into our team hotel, the team went out for one final meal together before boarding their planes back to their home countries – a fantastic way to end an unforgettable expedition! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Kathmandu:

Hello! This is Terray calling in with the final dispatch of the 2024 Madison Mountaineering Manaslu (8156m/26,759ft) expedition – today is September 30th.

We spent the last few nights in Sama village waiting for the weather to clear so that we could fly back to Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft). Late last week and into the weekend, a really heavy precipitation system came into Nepal which brought very heavy snow to the mountain. But this morning, fortunately, we woke up to perfectly clear, blue skies and so we were able to take a heli back to Nepal’s capital! It was a fantastic flight following the Budhi Gandaki River with beautiful glaciated peaks high above us on either side and really spectacular waterfalls pretty much the whole way till you get down into the foothills in the Gorkha District of Nepal.

We landed in Kathmandu mid-morning! We just wrapped up our farewell meal. It’s a beautiful evening here in Kathmandu and this evening our guests will start to depart for home – the last members of the team will leave tomorrow morning.

So, all in all it was a very successful expedition, 100% success on the planet’s eighth-highest peak! I for one am really looking forward to the next trip to Nepal. We’ll be in touch then!

The team after touching down in Kathmandu!

The team after touching down in Kathmandu!

A final, celebratory dinner in Kathmandu.

A final, celebratory dinner in Kathmandu.

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

2024 Manaslu expedition conclusion!

From left: Tenzi Sherpa and Temba Sherpa with our climber Chie Takeshita and Guide Terray Sylvester on the summit of Manaslu at 4:44 a.m. on September 25.

The Madison Mountaineering Manaslu expedition team has safely descended off of the mountain after successfully reaching the summit of the world’s eighth-highest peak! The team was welcomed back to camp by our rockstar base camp staff with a celebratory meal and cake, which we enjoyed while reflecting on the accomplishment from the day prior. The team has now begun to head their separate ways after saying their goodbyes with memories that won’t soon be forgotten from this hugely successful expedition! Awesome work, team. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this final dispatch from Manaslu base camp:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Manaslu (8156m/26,759ft) expedition – today is September 26.

Today we descended from Camp 2 (6400m/21,000ft) back down to base camp (4859m/15,944ft). We spent last night at Camp 2 after our successful summit on the 25th! We aimed for the 25th as our summit date because the forecast was good for the 25th, but the forecast was predicting significant precipitation for today. Fortunately, that precipitation held off until the afternoon, so we had very pleasant conditions when we woke up in Camp 2 this morning and really nice weather for most of our descent back here to base camp.

It’s great to be here and to reunite with our excellent base camp staff, Khamba, Ram Kumar, and Dipesh, and with our whole Sherpa crew! So as of now, we are completely off of Manaslu! We’ve cleaned out all of our gear and taken down all of our trash, and anything else we brought up there from the mountain from all of the camps we used. All of our Sherpa crew and of course, all of our climbers are safely off of the mountain!

So, that concludes the climbing portion of the expedition. We had a really successful climb, it was just excellent! Tomorrow we plan to descend down to Sama village. We’ll spend one night there before beginning to make our way back to Kathmandu (1400m/4,600ft).

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

Our climbers, James and Sara, with Ming Dorchi Sherpa at the summit of Manaslu! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our climbers, James and Sara, with Ming Dorchi Sherpa at the summit of Manaslu! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our guests celebrating with a “summit cake” and our excellent base camp staff. From left: Khumba, Ram Kumar, and Dipesh.

Our guests celebrating with a “summit cake” and our excellent base camp staff. From left: Khamba, Ram Kumar, and Dipesh.

Our climbers Sara, James, and Chie with Expedition Leader Terray Sylvester.

Our climbers Sara, James, and Chie with Expedition Leader Terray Sylvester.

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

Out of the valley and into the alpine

The team celebrating with a welcome cake after arriving in base camp!

The team climbed out of the lower valley and into the alpine, finding their way to Manaslu Base Camp after acclimatizing for the last few days. Nice views of familiar sights revealed themselves below as we climbed up the trail. Now in base camp, the fun begins and we start to prepare for the climbing to come! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from the Manaslu Base Camp:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Manaslu (8156m/26,759ft) expedition – today is September 6th.

Today we left Sama Village at about 8:00 AM and arrived in base camp (4859m/15,944ft) about four and a half hours later. We had nice weather for most of the hike with good views down the valley past the Manaslu Glacier and Birendra Lake toward Sama. A little bit of rain as we got into base camp. We had a nice lunch and then we moved into our tents and got settled in base camp. And now we’re just about to sit down for dinner and then we’ll watch a movie afterward in our base camp cinema.

The weather right now is very nice! We can see up to Camp 3 (6800m/22,310ft) and up toward the summit, and we’re getting patches of blue sky through the clouds.

So, all is well here in Nepal and we will be in touch tomorrow!

Our climber, Sara, en route to base camp. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our climber, Sara, en route to base camp. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our climber, Jimmy, en route to base camp. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our climber, Jimmy, en route to base camp. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our climber, Chie, approaching base camp with Siddhi, a member of our Sherpa team. Birendra Lake, Sama Village, and the Manaslu Glacier can be seen in the background. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Our climber, Chie, approaching base camp with Siddhi, a member of our Sherpa team. Birendra Lake, Sama Village, and the Manaslu Glacier can be seen in the background. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

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

Hello from Manaslu Base Camp!

Photo pulled from the Madison Mountaineering archive. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The Madison Mountaineering Manaslu expedition team has arrived in base camp! Upon reaching their temporary home, clouds in the sky parted ways and revealed the summit high above – the team’s first sight of the summit on the trip so far. Expedition leader Terray Sylvester checks in with this exciting dispatch from base camp:

Hello from Manaslu Base Camp (4859m/15,944ft)! Today we hiked here from Sama Village with excellent views of the lower Manaslu Glacier and the Nubri Valley far below us. In the afternoon, the summit (8156m/26,759ft) emerged from the clouds as we settled into camp. We just wrapped up dinner and our first movie of the expedition: Back to the Future. We’ll be in touch tomorrow!

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

Tomorrow to Base Camp!

The team acclimatizing on the trail to base camp! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The Madison Mountaineering Manaslu expedition team is prepared to make the move up to base camp tomorrow! After several days of acclimatizing in the lower valleys, the team is in good spirits and ready to continue on. Today’s hike presented awesome views at every turn in the trail and new sights are sure to reveal themselves as we move higher into the alpine tomorrow. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from the Himalaya:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Manaslu (8156m/26,759ft) expedition – today is September 5th.

Today we went on our final acclimatization hike before moving up to Manaslu Base Camp (4859m/15,944ft). We hiked halfway up the trail to base camp with great views of waterfalls and Birendra Lake below us, as well as Samdo Peak (5177m/16,984ft) behind us. Then we came back down to Sama Village for lunch.

We’re resting this afternoon, packing, taking showers, and tomorrow morning we’ll wake up early and move up to base camp! We’ll be in touch tomorrow.

The magical trails of the Nubri Valley, below Manaslu! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The magical trails of the Nubri Valley, below Manaslu! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Great views of Birendra Lake far below the route to Manaslu Base Camp! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Great views of Birendra Lake far below the route to Manaslu Base Camp! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Climbers, Sara and Jimmy hiking today. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Climbers, Sara and Jimmy hiking today. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

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

Touring the Punggen Valley

Punggen Gompa, the oldest monastery in the Manaslu area.

Today the Madison Mountaineering Manaslu expedition team continued their acclimatization efforts in the areas surrounding Sama Village. The day started with clear and sunny skies, revealing spectacular views of the valleys and mountains surrounding the small village. Energized by the sun and with ever-growing excitement for the journey ahead, the team set off and toured the Punggen Valley and paid a visit to the Punggen Gompa, the oldest monastery in the area. Upon starting their journey home for the day, the team was invited for a visit into the home of one of the Buddhist nuns where they shared tea and cheese, a welcome surprise, and end to another great day in the Himalayas! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Nepal:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Manaslu (8156m/26,759ft) expedition – today is September 4th.

Today we took a really nice acclimatization hike up into the Punggen Valley, which is not far from Sama Village where we’re staying. The hike leads up along the torrent that comes out of the Punggen Glacier, and then through really beautiful pastureland where yaks and horses are grazing, and then up to the Punggen Gompa which is the oldest monastery in the Manaslu area.

As we were walking back from the monastery, one of the Buddhist nuns who lives in that whole monastery complex invited (us) into her house and treated us to butter tea, which is a very traditional drink here in the mountains of Nepal as well as fresh yak milk and yak cheese – actually those came from a nak, it was nak milk and nak cheese. A nak, N-A-K, is the female version of a yak, all yaks are male.

Then we walked back down to Sama Village. So, all in all it was a really pleasant day! Tomorrow we’re looking forward to another acclimatization hike up towards base camp (4859m/15,944ft). We’ll be in touch tomorrow!

A sunny morning in Sama Village!

A sunny morning in Sama Village!

The team at the entrance to the Punggen Valley.

The team at the entrance to the Punggen Valley.

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