The Madison MountaineeringK2 expedition team has crawled into their sleeping bags after another great day of climbing in the Karakoram. The route from Camp 1 to Camp 2 involves climbing mixed-terrain and the famous House’s Chimney, one of the cruxes of the route! Spirits are high and the views from 6700m / 21,980ft can’t be beaten. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from Camp 2:
Greetings from camp 2 (6700m/21,980ft), all good here! Nice views, planning to head to camp 3 (7250m/23,800ft) tomorrow.
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The Madison MountaineeringK2 expedition team has arrived at Camp 1! After spending one night in advanced base camp, the team continued their ascent today and crawled into their tents for the night, excited to continue up the mountain tomorrow. Everyone is in good spirits and is looking forward to the days ahead! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this brief dispatch from Camp 1:
Greetings from Camp 1 (6065m/19,900ft), everyone here and doing well. Cheers!
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https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20220719_K2_R5_TerraySylvester_0027.jpg8921200Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-07-25 11:55:052024-07-25 13:31:46Made it to Camp 1!
Here we go! One month ago, our team arrived in Islamabad and has since traveled to the upper reaches of an Unclimbed Peak and to Camp 2 on K2 for their acclimatization rotations. Acclimatization, which is crucial to success at high altitudes along with technical training is done, and now it’s time to head up the mountain! Our teams have left the comforts of base camp and are en route to the summits of K2 and Broad Peak. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from base camp:
We are excited to report that we are starting our summit pushes today! Matthew Holt is heading up to Broad Peak along with some of our Nepal Sherpas and Pakistani porters aiming at the 27th of July for a potential Broad Peak summit. The K2 team is heading out this afternoon to advanced base camp (5303m/17,400ft) and eyeing the 28th, 29th, or maybe 30th of July as a potential summit day.
It looks like we finally got some great weather in the forecast and fingers crossed that we’ll have some great route conditions up there. The team is very excited! We’ve been having fun here in base camp (4968m/16,300ft), keeping ourselves occupied with lots of hikes, climbing activities, and fun social activities – movies. But, we’re ready to get the final summit push underway! So, all is well here in base camp and we’ll check in 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:
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/2024/07/20230703_K2_R5_TerraySylvester_0212.jpg10001500Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-07-24 06:16:592024-07-24 14:03:54K2 and Broad Peak summit pushes are underway!
Despite windy conditions high on K2, the Madison MountaineeringK2 expedition team is in good spirits and staying plenty busy in base camp while we await a weather window! Our Unclimbed Peak climbers share stories and reflect on an amazing climb, while the K2 team shares details of their first rotation and the route to Camps 1 and 2. All together now, we’re watching the weather and are ready to go when a window opens up! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from base camp:
We finished our Unclimbed Peak project, climbing very high on a beautiful new line on a sub-peak nearby K2, almost 7,000 meters. (We) had epic views up there and just a great experience on a beautiful mountain – great day out!
The last few days we have been in base camp (4968m/16,300ft) getting ready for our K2 summit push. It’s been windy up high, so we have been waiting in base camp and staying busy with ice climbing, day hikes, and explorations around the area, keeping our fitness up and our spirits up!
Everyone is doing well here and we are just getting ready to go for a summit push once the weather looks good, maybe in a week or so. All is well here in K2 base camp and we will check in 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:
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/2024/07/20230711_K2_R5_TerraySylvester_0308.jpg10001500Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-07-19 17:20:442024-07-19 19:04:28Preparing for the K2 summit rotation!
The Madison MountaineeringMount Everest expedition team descended from Camp 4 today on Mount Everest, down the Lhotse Face and over 4,000 vertical feet back to Camp 2. Now back in the Western Cwm and the comforts of a heated dining tent, the team recounts the memories from yesterday’s summit day. Again, we are so proud of the entire team and their accomplishments this season! Climber, Courtenay Roche checks in with this celebratory dispatch from Camp 2:
Hello, friends of Madison Mountaineering! Courtenay here with a very exciting post-summit dispatch. As you probably heard from Garrett yesterday, all of our climbers and our amazing Sherpa team summited Everest (8848m/29,032ft) at 8:00 AM on Thursday, May 23rd – a day none of us will soon forget!
After basking in the warmth of our accomplishments and our -40 degree sleeping bags in Camp 4 (7900m/25,919ft) on Thursday night, it was time to head down the mountain. As my childhood idol and friend of Madison MountaineeringEd Viesturs famously says, “Getting to the top is optional, getting down is mandatory.” Well, we have used his directive and have made it safely down to Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft) losing over 4,000 feet of elevation in just a few hours.
I’m currently dispatching from the comfort of our heated Camp 2 dining tent – a luxury after four days of freeze-dried meals up high on the mountain! We are all certainly eager to be reunited with our base camp (5364m/17,598ft) friends and the amenities tomorrow. Thank you for following along with our many expeditions this season. We’ve got just one more dispatch to go!
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It comes with great pleasure to share that 100% of the Madison MountaineeringMount Everest expedition team has successfully reached the highest point on Earth at 8,848 meters/29,032 feet – the summit of Mount Everest! The team all gathered on the top to share photos, hugs, and high-fives before safely making the descent back to Camp 4. After some well-deserved rest tonight, they’ll continue their descent tomorrow down to Camp 2. Congratulations to the entire team on this incredible achievement! We are so proud and look forward to welcoming everyone back into base camp soon. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from Camp 4:
Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison MountaineeringMount Everest (8848m/29,032ft) expedition climb. Today is May 23rd and I’m happy to report that we all summited Mount Everest, 100 percent success and all safely back in Camp 4 (7900m/25,919ft)! That’s four climber/clients, myself as the guide/expedition leader, plus our stellar Sherpa team! We’ll put out that name list shortly, but all in all there was about 15 of us on the summit of Everest this morning.
We had a great day, a beautiful sunrise up on the Southeast Ridge! Not too many climbers on the route. It was very uncrowded, so we enjoyed the climb and the summit! We were all up there together to celebrate and savor the moment on top, and then of course made our way safely back down to Camp 4 by about midday here on May 23rd. Everyone’s just resting, rehydrating, eating some noodles and other food, and looking forward to a good night’s rest here on oxygen, then we’ll head down to Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft) tomorrow!
All is well here! (I’m) really proud of our team. Great job to everyone! (We’re) looking forward to getting down to Camp 2 tomorrow and we’ll check in then. Thank you!
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.“
The Madison MountaineeringMount Everest expedition team is primed and ready to make their summit push! In just a few short hours, with packs shouldered, crampons on, and after some food and liquids, they’ll be headed out their tent doors and on their way to the world’s highest point. Their training and acclimatization is done – so much hard work and dreaming of this day and it is finally here! Best of luck to the team as they set off on their summit push. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from the South Col:
Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison MountaineeringEverest (8848m/29,032ft) climb – today is May 22nd. (It is) 6:40 PM and we are about to go to sleep up here at the South Col (7900m/25,919ft) on Mount Everest, Camp 4 at nearly 8,000 meters, 26,000 feet.
We had a great rest day up here after pulling in about 24 hours ago. The team is doing excellent! Everyone has been very productive on their rest, eating, drinking, and getting their gear organized and ready for the big climb tonight! The weather forecast looks amazing. It looks like we’re going to have awesome weather tomorrow on the 23rd, so fingers crossed that the forecast holds true.
We’re just feeling very lucky, very fortunate, and grateful to be up here in position at Camp 4 on Mount Everest, ready to go for the summit tonight! The team has worked really hard for this night, months if not years of sacrifice! We’re here in position. We’re feeling strong and healthy! Our team is excited to go for the big climb tonight! So, wish us luck.
We’re going to start out around midnight, hopefully get to the top around 7:00 or 8:00 AM, and be back midday in high camp here, Camp 4. We’re going to bed with anticipation for a beautiful summit day ahead and returning back safely here to Camp 4!
All is well. Check in 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:
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/2024/05/PHOTO-2024-04-29-06-19-24.jpg10001500Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2024-05-22 12:55:222024-05-22 15:23:50Primed and ready for the summit push!
The Madison Mountaineering mountain cleanup project expedition team has crawled into their tents for the evening in Camp 3 on Annapurna. Today the team moved up from Camp 2 and is eyeing a summit push soon! Tomorrow will be used to rest and prepare for their summit day, with hopes of getting an alpine start late tomorrow evening to set forth towards the summit. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Camp 3 on Annapurna:
Today we moved from Camp 2 to Camp 3 at about 6,500m on the north face of Annapurna 1. The weather was generally excellent, with a clear, sunny morning, a few snow flurries in the afternoon, and then a still, sunny evening as we moved into our tents, ate dinner, and drank many cups of tea. Tomorrow we plan to rest all day, with an eye toward starting our summit push late tomorrow evening. We’ll be in touch.
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.“
Blue skies made for a great day of climbing up to Camp 2 on Annapurna for the Madison Mountaineering mountain cleanup project expedition team! The team took in great views all around of Annapurna 1’s North Face and the surrounding area. With more good weather in the forecast, the team plans to move up to Camp 3 tomorrow, which positions them to make a summit push! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Camp 2 on Annapurna:
This morning we moved to Camp 2 under cloudless skies with excellent views of Annapurna 1’s North Face and the dramatic glaciated terrain of the surrounding cirque. For the past several days, daily convective buildup has brought afternoon snow showers, but we’re expecting that pattern to taper off in the days to come. We’re expecting summit winds to die down, as well. Given all of that, we’re hoping for good climbing conditions as we move to Camp 3 tomorrow, then prepare for our summit push! The team is in great shape. We’ll be in touch!
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.“
The Madison Mountaineering mountain cleanup project expedition team has set off on their summit push! With good weather today, the team moved up to Camp 1 and is settled into their tents for the night. With hopes of moving up to Camp 2 tomorrow, the team will evaluate weather and route conditions before continuing on. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this brief dispatch from Annapurna:
Hello from Camp 1! We started our summit push today. We hope to move to Camp 2 tomorrow, weather-dependent. All is well. We’ll be in touch!
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.“
