We are in Camp 4 and in position for our summit push! The Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team reached their high camp today and are prepared to make their bid for the summit. The team climbed from Camp 3, moving strongly and swiftly through the clouds before settling into their tents for the night with excitement in knowing that with good weather tomorrow, they’ll go for the summit. We are so proud of the team for their hard work and look forward to the climbing ahead! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Camp 4:
Hello from Camp 4 (7450m/24,445ft)! Today we climbed here from Camp 3 (6800m/22,310ft). We were in clouds most of the day, but we climbed above them in the afternoon and now we have excellent views from here in camp. The team is doing well. We’re resting from today’s push and preparing for tomorrow’s summit bid. Despite the clouds, the weather is excellent: no wind and very little precipitation. We’ll be in touch tomorrow!
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The Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team reached Camp 3 today behind a light blanket of clouds. Upon reaching their camp, the clouds burned off opening up spectacular views of the route and mountain above, as well as other Himalayan peaks rising out of a sea of clouds below them. The team is doing great and looks forward to continuing their summit push tomorrow! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Camp 3:
I can’t think of a better way to spend a Monday morning than the way we just spent it! We left Camp 2 (6400m/21,000ft) at about 7:30 this morning and arrived in Camp 3 (6800m/22,310ft) a couple of hours later. Conditions were perfect for our ascent here! We were in a light cloud layer which kept the temperatures down. But now that we’ve settled into Camp 3, the skies have cleared above us, so we have excellent views from Camp 2 up to the east pinnacle. We have great views of the route up to Camp 4 (7450m/24,445ft) and the massive north face of Manaslu. We can see a few mountains out in the distance towards Tibet, east into Nepal, but below Camp 2 is a carpet of clouds.
So, it’s a really nice day here! We’re about 6,600 meters, just over 6,600. We’re going to spend the rest of the day resting and then we’ll move to Camp 4 tomorrow if all goes as planned.
All is well here in Nepal and we’ll be in touch tomorrow!
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https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHOTO-2024-09-22-23-36-28.jpg12001600Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-09-23 06:34:352024-09-23 13:56:55Above the clouds in Camp 3!
The Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team has reached Camp 2 and settled in for the night! The team moved swiftly between camps, making good time with cool temperatures as they climbed to around 6,400 m/21,000 ft. The team plans to continue their summit rotation tomorrow by moving up to Camp 3, positioning themselves one camp closer to going for the summit. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Manaslu Camp 2:
Today, we left Camp 1 (5700m/18,700ft) a bit after sunrise and had a nice climb up to Camp 2 (6400m/21,000ft)! We moved very well, just four hours to Camp 2. Unfortunately, it was cloudy with a little bit of precipitation which meant we didn’t have much in the way of views, but the upshot of that was that the temperatures were lower, so it wasn’t too hot as we climbed to Camp 2.
So, now we’ve settled into our tents. We’re going to relax here for the rest of the day before moving to Camp 3 (6800m/22,310ft) tomorrow! We’ll be in touch tomorrow.
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The Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team has arrived in Camp 1, marking the start of their summit rotation! The team’s hard work was on display today, as they moved strongly and efficiently up to their first camp. With good weather tomorrow, the team plans to continue on up to Camp 2! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Camp 1:
Hello from Camp 1 (5700m/18,700ft). With our ascent here from Base Camp (4859m/15,944ft) after lunch today, our summit push is underway! The team moved very efficiently on the way here. Now we’re watching the evening sun on the mountains around us and settling in for dinner. We’ll be in touch tomorrow!
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The Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team is ready to go! Acclimatization is done, their final preparations are complete, and the team plans to depart on their summit rotation soon. The team is excited and ready to start their climbing! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Manaslu base camp:
Today we passed another pleasant day here in base camp (4859m/15,944ft). Today was a rest day, we also worked on our final preparation for our summit push! We sorted out food for our upper camps and worked through our packing list, made sure that all of our devices are charged, and all the other little items that we need to do before we head back up the mountain.
The weather was great today! Another beautiful sunny morning and then a few rain showers this evening. We’re just about to sit down to dinner and then have another restful night here in base camp! All is well and 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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHOTO-2024-09-20-04-31-08.jpg10681600Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-09-20 11:29:552024-09-20 15:18:59Primed and ready for the summit push!
The Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team spent the day reviewing their oxygen systems and down suits, which they’ll use on their summit push! Today was somewhat of a rest day, albeit a productive day nonetheless as the skills reviewed are important to be familiar with as we climb above 8,000 meters. With this review behind us, the team is now one step closer to heading off on their summit push! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Manaslu base camp:
Today we’re taking a rest day here in base camp (4859m/15,944ft) since at this point we have completed our acclimatization on the upper mountain. This morning has been very beautiful – blue skies and warm temps. We’ve been walking around base camp in sandals! Yesterday evening was also really nice. We watched the full moon rise over Saula Himal (6235m/20,456ft), it’s the mountain range just across the Nubri valley from us to the east.
We also have ticked off a couple of important tasks this morning! We started the day by going over our oxygen systems to make sure our climbers are totally familiar with masks, regulators, and cylinders we’ll be using during our summit push. We had what we call a down suit party where everyone puts on their down suits and we make sure they’re adjusted properly and everyone’s familiar with all the features so that we’re good to go once we start climbing in the colder temps above Camp 2 (6400m/21,000ft), above Camp 3 (6800m/22,310ft).
So, it’s been a productive day here! We’re about to sit down to dinner and then we’ll watch a movie, and we’ll be in touch tomorrow! All is well here in Nepal.
Our climber, Chie, practicing with our oxygen system.
Our climber, James, practicing with our oxygen system.
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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHOTO-2024-09-19-05-11-56.jpg16001200Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-09-19 12:11:232024-09-19 15:04:32Getting ready to go up!
The Madison MountaineeringManaslu expedition team has made their way back to base camp after finishing up their final acclimatization rotation before making their summit push! The team had great weather overall on the mountain, with great views of the route, the mountain above, and the far-off peaks and valleys surrounding them. The team is feeling great and looks forward to a few days enjoying the comforts of their base camp before getting back on the mountain and going for the summit! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from the Himalayas:
Today we woke up early in Camp 2 (6400m/21,000ft) and descended back to base camp (4859m/15,944ft). We arrived just before lunch, had a good meal, and then everyone spent the afternoon taking showers, starting on some laundry, and getting settled back in our cozy box tents here in base camp.
With that, we’ve wrapped up our acclimatization before our summit push. At this point, we’ve spent three nights in Camp 1 (5700m/18,700ft) and two nights in Camp 2. It seems like the whole team is doing really well! Everyone was feeling good higher on the mountain, feeling strong. So, I’m looking forward to a good summit push!
We’ll probably spend three to four days here in base camp and then hopefully start up toward the summit! But, it all depends on the weather and conditions on the mountain.
This last rotation was a lot of fun, in large part because we had such great weather! Yesterday afternoon and today we had really clear skies, which meant we could see out into the hills of Tibet and far down the Nubri valley, which is surrounded by glaciated peaks out toward the Ganesh range, and then even out toward Shishapangma (8027m/26,335ft), far in the distance.
So, all is well here! We’re just about to have dinner and watch a movie. It’ll probably be another Indiana Jones film, and then we’ll go to bed! We’ll be in touch tomorrow.
The team descending back to base camp at the end of a successful acclimatization rotation. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)
Our climbers, Chie and Sara, in their tent at Camp 1. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)
Approaching Camp 1. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)
Climbing through the icefall below Camp 2. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)
Sara with Siddhi Tamung, a member of our Sherpa team, during the rotation. (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:
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https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/PHOTO-2024-09-18-05-12-15.jpg13642048Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-09-18 12:12:492024-09-18 15:18:51Acclimatization is complete!
It’s time to celebrate! The Madison MountaineeringK2 expedition team has all arrived safely back in base camp after successfully reaching the summit of the world’s second-highest peak on the day prior. A big ‘congratulations’ goes out again to the whole team – climbers, guides Sherpa team, Pakistani high altitude porters, and base camp staff. Every member is an important piece to the puzzle and this climb wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and dedication of everyone involved! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this brief dispatch from K2 base camp:
All members are back in base camp (4968m/16,300ft) now!
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:
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.“
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20220707_K2_R5_TerraySylvester_0223.jpg8401200Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-07-30 13:37:402024-07-30 15:35:18Back in Base Camp!
We are thrilled to announce that the Madison MountaineeringK2 expedition team has reached the summit of the world’s second-highest peak, putting all boots on top for those who left base camp on the summit rotation! We are so proud of our entire team for all of their hard work. It’s been a challenging season with tough weather that all came together for a beautiful summit day with epic views all around as far as the eye can see. The team gathered at the summit together and shared hugs and high-fives, taking in the moment and the huge feeling of accomplishment. Now back in Camp 3, the team will get some well-deserved rest before continuing their descent down the mountain tomorrow. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this celebratory dispatch from Camp 3:
100% summits success on K2 (8611m/28,251ft)! All team back in camp 3 (7250m/23,800ft) now, heading back to base camp (4968m/16,300ft) tomorrow. 6 clients, 3 western guides, 8 Nepal Sherpas, 1 Pakistan HAP.
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:
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.“
It comes with great pleasure to share that the Madison MountaineeringBroad Peak expedition team has successfully reached the summit, standing atop the world’s 12th-highest peak! Climber, Matthew Holt alongside Aang Phurba Sherpa and Temba Sherpa gathered on the summit and shared hugs and high-fives before starting their descent. More updates and photos to come from their climb!
Meanwhile, the K2 expedition team climbed from Camp 2 to Camp 3 today, navigating the Black Pyramid – a steep rock face that separates the two camps. With another good day of climbing under their belts, the team has crawled into their tents for the night with plans to continue their climb tomorrow! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from Camp 3:
Greetings from Camp 3 (7250m/23,800ft) on K2 (8611m/28,251ft). All good here. Broad Peak (8051m/26,414ft) team made summit today, Matthew, Aang Phurba & Temba Sherpa!
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:
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.“
