Tag Archive for: South Col

Entire Team Safely Down to Camp 2

The climb up Mount Lhotse in Asia

With the entire team safely down to Camp 2, expedition leader Garrett Madison recaps the day and shares some exciting news about Lhotse in this dispatch sat phone call from Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft) on Mount Everest:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest and Lhotse expedition team.  Today is May 21th.

We are all back safely in Camp 2.

We’ve got some exciting news:  today, myself, Chase Merriam, Cameron Kenny, Josh Garrison, along with three (3) of our Nepal staff, sherpas Siddhi, Sange, and Lakpa climbed Mount Lhotse this morning.  We woke up about 2:00am and got up to the summit of Lhotse between 6:00am and 8:00am and just had a beautiful summit day – great conditions.  Now we’re all back safely to Camp 2.  Our entire team’s back safely in Camp 2.

Big congrats to our Everest climbers.  Everyone on our team summited Everest; clients, guides, and sherpas who began the summit push here departing from Camp 2.  100% success!  A total of thirty (30) members, not counting our small private team which summitted Everest on May 15th with nine (9) members.  So, another very successful season!  We’ve just got to get down to base camp safely tomorrow and then celebrations are in order.

All’s well here at Camp 2 on Everest and everyone’s in good spirits and doing well.

We’ll check in soon!

(photo from the Madison Mountaineering archives)

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

Top of the World – Summit Success!!

Woohoo!  Our Everest and Lhotse expedition team all summited Mount Everest today!  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, calls in from Mount Everest’s South Col high camp with the happy details:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest and Lhotse expedition team.  Today is May 20th.

Today we summitted Mount Everest!  The whole team:  all nine (9) clients, four (4) guides, and our whole team of Sherpas summitted Mount Everest today around 7:00 to 8:00am.

We had some great views from up there, good route conditions, we had the whole route to ourselves, hardly another climber up there, and we made our way back down to high camp.  The whole team made it safely back to high camp by mid-afternoon.

We’ve been resting up and we’re getting ready to go for our Lhotse attempt.  A few of us are going to set off tonight around midnight and head off towards Mount Lhotse.  The rest of the team will sleep here at the South Col Camp 4 and pack up tomorrow morning, and head down to Camp 2.  So, we’ll all be heading down to Camp 2 eventually tomorrow afternoon.

Great job today to our whole team!  100% success!  We all made it up to the summit of Everest and down safe.  I’m very proud of this team.  I couldn’t be happier.  They earned it.

We’re keeping our fingers crossed for Lhotse tonight.  Hopefuly it works out for those of us going for the double header – Everest/Lhotse combination.

So, checking in for Madison Mountaineering.  We’ll check in tomorrow.

(photo from the Madison Mountaineering archives)

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:

/5 Comments/by

Summit Push – Preparing to Head Up!

Camp 4

The Everest and Lhotse expedition team is staged to head up from Camp 4 (7900m/25,919ft) to the summit very soon now!  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, checks in via Garmin inReach Mini with this brief update:

Good morning from C4! Having brkfast now, inst oatmeal then dehy eggs, yum! But hardly any wind!..everyone doing well at the moment:) we’re the only team here! Resting up to probably head up tonight around 1:00am.

(photo from the Madison Mountaineering archives)

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

Summit Push – Camp 4

The route up the Lhotse Face above Camp 3, over the Yellow Band and left over the Geneva Spur (📸: @terray_s)

The team is safely in place on Mount Everest’s South Col at Camp 4.  It’s now just over 24 hours before they will start out for the summit – weather permitting.  Everest guide Terray Sylvester sends today’s expedition dispatch via Garmin inReach Mini:

Hello from Camp 4 (7900m/25,919ft) on the South Col of Mount Everest!

Today we had beautiful weather as we moved up from Camp 3 (7230m/23,720ft). There were no other teams on the route. So we moved efficiently without traffic jams and made great time. Along the way we had spectacular views back down the Western Cwm and of some of Everest’s giant neighbors, including Cho Oyu.

We plan to rest here tomorrow before heading for the summit.

We’ll be in touch!

(photo from the Madison Mountaineering archives, 📸: @terray_s)

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

Summit Photos and Team Celebration!

The team toasting the summit success at Everest Base Camp. Cheers!

Riding high on the team success, Garrett and the team call in from Everest base camp:

Hey!  This is Garrett and the team here at Everest Base Camp.  We just finished our team celebration dinner.  We all got down safe to base camp through the Khumbu Icefall today.

What a WONDERFUL group of people!  I’m so happy everyone’s down safe.  We had a great time up there in a safe and successful climb!  [big team cheer]

Best team ever!

Art Muir, now the oldest American at 75 years-young to summit Mount Everest, in the background:  “Kurt, we could not have done it without all your help!”

Well, thank you Art.  I’m just in awe of your amazing accomplishment.  Wow!  Just wow!  From the home office in Seattle, hats off to all the team members, guides, and climbing sherpa, staff, and porters that really make the whole expedition possible.  We are so proud of all of you!

From Everest’s SE ridge on summit day

Andrew H and Garrett on the summit of Everest

Andrew H and Garrett on the summit of Everest

Kristin B and climbing sherpa Mingmar at the top of the world

Kristin B and climbing sherpa Mingmar at the top of the world

Kevin W enjoying a Coke with Phurba Rita Sherpa upon arriving in base camp

Kevin W enjoying a Coke with Phurba Rita Sherpa upon arriving in 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:

/3 Comments/by

Team Safely Down to Camp II

Everest Camp 2

Our Everest team is safely down to Camp II and expedition leader Garrett Madison provides the recap of the descent from the South Col via sat phone:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest and Lhotse expedition.  Today is May 24th.  It’s 8:07 PM and we are all safely down in Camp II.

Today we woke up at Camp IV on the South Col about 6:00 AM, had breakfast, started packing, and made our way down from the South Col, over the Geneva Spur, down the Lhotse Face, over the Yellow Band, and onwards down over the [garbled] at Camp III, down the Western Cwm into Camp II.  We’re all safely back in Camp II.

We’re tired – it was a big effort getting down today.  But, everybody’s doing okay here in Camp II.

Our plan is to get up tomorrow at 4:00 AM and head out by 5:00 AM to make our way down through the Khumbu Icefall to base camp.  So we’re not out of the woods yet, but we’re down to Camp II, we’re doing well, and we’re just so fortunate and so happy that we had a beautiful summit day yesterday on Everest.  Nine clients, four guides, and over twenty sherpas were all able to make the summit on what was probably the nicest summit day I’ve ever had – beautiful conditions up there.  And some of our climbers were also able to make Lhotse.  So very fortunate that everyone had good climbing and is down safe.

One more day to go here through the Western Cwm and the Khumbu Icefall to be back at base camp.  We are looking forward to making our way towards Kathmandu and back home.

All’s well here in Camp II and we’ll check in soon!

(photo:  Madison Mountaineering archives)

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:

/0 Comments/by

Best. Summit. Day. Ever!

The Everest summit ridge on May 23rd

Via sat phone from Camp IV on the South Col of Mount Everest, expedition leader and now 11-time summiter of Mount Everest, Garrett Madison provides the happy news:

Hello!  This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest and Lhotse expedition.  Today is May 23rd, it’s 7:30 PM in Nepal.  We are at Camp IV on Mount Everest’s South Col.

We had an amazing day.  We left around midnight on the 23rd and summited Mount Everest this morning.  It was a beautiful day!  It was clear, calm, and probably the nicest summit day I’ve had on Everest out of my 11 summits!

Our team of nine clients, four American western guides, and over 20 Nepal sherpas all made it to the top of Everest and back down safe.  So, we had a wonderful day!  It was beautiful – amazing views as far as the eye could see and we spent a long time at the summit.

Tonight, we have some climbers heading out for Lhotse.  In fact, one of our climbers, Kristin Harila, actually already summited Lhotse.  From Everest to Lhotse today in record time!  She is on her way down from the Lhotse summit now.

Big congrats to Kristin and to all the members of our team for making it up to the top of Everest today and back down to Camp IV safely.

We aren’t out of the woods yet; we have to get down to Camp II tomorrow.  We are going to wake up, pack, and be safe on the way down the Lhotse Face to Camp II.  But, we’re very happy that the weather forecast from Marc De Keyser worked out and we got a beautiful day here on the summit of Everest.  It couldn’t have been better!  We are very fortunate and are looking forward to a safe descent.

(photo:  Madison Mountaineering archives)

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:

/2 Comments/by

Everest Summits!

Close up of Everest and Lhotse from Gokyo Ri

Our Everest base camp staff is in touch with the climbing team and is reporting the following May 23rd Everest summits (all times NPT):

  • 06:30 – Kristin H. / Aang Phurba Sherpa / Dawa Bhote
  • 08:30 – Kevin W. / Sid Pattison / Terray Sylvester / Phurba Ridar Bhote / Chhiring Bhote / Mingma Sherpa / Kul Bahadur Thapa Magar
  • 08:50 – Art M. / Pasang Bhote / Dawa Bhote
  • 09:15 – Cokie B. / Ronan M. / Mingma Dorjee Sherpa / Sange Sherpa / Pemba Sherpa / Lhakpa Bhote / Dawa Gyalgen Sherpa
  • 10:10 – Andrew H. / Kristin B. / Ben V. / Mark P. / Krisli M. / Rob Smith / Garrett Madison / Siddi Bahadur Tamang / Dawa Nupu Sherpa / Kam Dorjee Sherpa / Free Chhombi Sherpa / Diwas Sherpa / Tenzing Sherpa / Dorjee Sherpa

Total of 14 members and guides and 22 sherpa.

Congratulations to all the climbers and our entire 2021 Madison Mountaineering Everest staff!  Well done.  Wishing everyone a safe descent.

Official news to follow.

/16 Comments/by

Summit Push Update: It’s GO time!

Photo of Mount Everest

We just received a sat phone updated from Garrett at the South Col.  It’s GO time!  Be sure to follow the summit push with our real-time location tracker:  https://madisonmountaineering.com/maps/everest-2021.  Godspeed team – get safely up and down.

Hello!  This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest team.  It is nearly midnight on May 23rd and we’re getting ready to head out and go for our summit attempt here on Mount Everest!

A little gusty up here but the winds are supposed to die down.  So we’re hoping the forecast holds true and we get some nice, calm winds up there today and a clear sky for a nice view.  We’re all excited to start our summit push and we’ve been training hard and prep’d for a long time.  So, this is the BIG night!

We’re gonna set off here shortly and we’ll check in when we get back.  Thanks!

(photo: Madison Mountaineering archives)

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:

/1 Comment/by

Summit Push Update: Team safely at Camp IV

Camp 4

Today our Everest/Lhotse team moved up from Camp III to Camp IV on the South Col.  Conditions were tough with the wind and snow, but everyone did great and are now safely tucked into their tents.  The plan is to take a rest day tomorrow  (5/22) and go for the summit on the following early morning (5/23).  Currently, the wind is blowing on the South Col and it’s too noisy for an audio dispatch.  Via our satellite communicator, here’s expedition leader Garrett Madison‘s quick text update:

Greetings from Camp 4 at the South Col.  We all made it up here, tough conditions.  Will rest tomorrow (22) and leave 22 night for the summit AM of 23.

(photo: Madison Mountaineering archives)

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:

/0 Comments/by