Tag Archive for: Summit Push

Summit Push Update: Preparing to move to the South Col

Camp 3 on the Lhotse face

Our Everest team is still hanging tight at Camp III on the Lhotse Face and it looks like tomorrow might be the day to move up to the South Col to get into position for a subsequent summit attempt.  Here’s Garrett via sat phone with the details:

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

We just finished a rest day up here at Camp III.  Little bit of a stormy day – a lot of wind and snow.  But everyone’s doing good.  We’re hoping tomorrow is going to be a little bit better day for our move up to the South Col – Camp IV.

So all’s well here at Camp III – 23,600 feet on the Lhotse Face.  We’re looking forward to some sunny skies tomorrow.

We’ll check in soon, 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:

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Summit Push Update: Camp III

Camp III on the Lhotse Face with lots of fresh snow

The team has moved up to Camp III (7230m/23,720ft) on the Lhotse Face and expedition leader Garrett Madison checks in via sat phone with the day’s recap and the plan for what’s ahead:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest and Lhtose expedition.  Today is May 19th, just a litte after 7:00 PM.

Today we climbed up from Camp II to Camp III.  We are currently in Camp III.  Happy to be here on the Lhotse Face.  It’s been a stormy day – very blustery, lots of snow fall, and high wind gusts throughout the day.  We got up here to our camp and spent the first three hours digging out our tents which had been consumed and covered in fresh snow and spin drift blowing by the wind.  Once we got moved into our tents, got our stoves going and made some water, we had dinner.  Everyone is getting to bed now.

The weather changed a bit.  We were hoping to head up to Camp IV tomorrow, but with the new forecast and the inclement and blustery weather on the way tomorrow, our plan is to hunker down here in Camp III and take a rest day and wait out the weather and then move up to Camp IV the following day on the 21st of May.

Everyone’s doing well here.  We had a great day.  It was a big push coming up in the tough weather, the high winds, and the snow.  But everyone did wonderful.  I’m very proud of the team.  We’re looking foward to tomorrow up here at Camp III.  Hopefully we’ll get a few breaks in the weather and get to enjoy some nice views.

Thanks for checking in!  We’ll talk to you soon.

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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Summit Push Update: Moving up to Camp III tomorrow

On the way to Camp III

Our Everest team has been holding tight at Camp II over the past few days as they wait for the weather conditions to open up for a summit attempt.  Everyone is doing well and excited to get climbing.

The plan is to move up to Camp III tomorrow (May 19th) and be in position for a summit attempt within the following few days as the weather allows.

Stay tuned for our progress updates!!

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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Summit Push Update: Rest day at Camp II

The Lhotse Face covered in snow as seen from Camp II

Our Everest team had a rest day today at Camp II in the Western Cwm.  Garrett Madison checks-in via sat phone with all the details and the plans for the summit attempt:

Hello, it’s May 16th and this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest and Lhotse team.

Today was our rest day at Camp II after coming up here yesterday through the Khumbu Icefall, past Camp I, and through the Western Cwm to Camp II.  We had a wonderful day coming up here – didn’t see many people at all actually on the route.  It was a bit windy which kept it cool in the Western Cwm where it usually gets too hot.  After we pulled in here yesterday we had a nice lunch, a restful afternoon, and dinner.

Today we’ve just been resting all day and watching the weather.  It looks like we might have a weather window around the 21st of May but too be sure, we’ll check the weather forecast tomorrow to confirm and probably head up the following day or perhaps delay another day or two before heading up from Camp II.

It’s great up here, everyone’s well – we’re healthy, happy, in good spirits, and eating well.  We were out taking photos and videos today and just admiring the views – it’s been clear and sunny and warm.  So, life is good here at Camp II.

We’re fortunate to be here and feel very lucky to be on Everest.  We are setting our sights on a summit attempt here, hopefully, sometime in the next few days – weather pending.

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

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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Summit Bid Time

Jon and Becks on the summit of Mount Everest!

It’s Summit Bid time!  Garrett and the team are ready to head up the mountain tonight to go for the summit!  Here’s Garrett with the details from Everest base camp:

Hello!  This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest and Lhotse expedition 2021.

We’re in base camp and went through all of our oxygen systems today and our food for the high camps and talked about our plan.  We’re gonna head up to Camp II tonight and reevaluate the weather at Camp II, take a rest day there, and look at potential summit days of the 20th, 21st, 22nd.  But we’ll definitely have to reevaluate the weather forecast.  Looks like it could be good, but still a lot of uncertainly in the weather forecast model.  So, we want to give it a day or two to verify what’s in the forecast.

But everyone’s doing well here.  We’re excited to head up, it’s a beautiful evening here at Everest base camp:  no clouds, the stars are out, just a spectacular day here.  So we’re feeling good, we’re excited, and we’re looking forward to getting up the mountain here.

Also, today our British friends, Kenton, Jon, Becks, and Ardavan, all flew out from base camp down to Kathmandu.  So they’re doing well in Kathmandu at the moment.  They had a great climb of Everest and Lhotse.  So, we’re hoping to repeat their success here sometime in the near future.

We’ll check in soon, thanks!

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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BREAKING: Climbers Nearing Everest Summit

BREAKING NEWS:  Climbers Kenton Cool, Jon Gupta, and Becks Ferry have been climbing throughout the night from Camp IV on the South Col and are now just about 100m below the South Summit.  Follow along with Jon’s inReach tracker.

Fingers crossed for a summit and safe descent to soon!!  Stay tuned, more news as we get it.

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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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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