Tag Archive for: Summit Success

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:

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Everest team summits!

We are pleased to announce that the main team of the 2022 Madison Mountaineering Everest expedition successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest (8848m/29,029ft) on May 20, 2022, between approximately 7:00 AM and 8:00 AM NPT (local time).

Congratulations to the entire team and a heartfelt thank you to our climbing sherpa and all of the expedition support staff.  You are the ones who make it happen and it can’t be done without you.

# Name Country
1 Mr. Todd Ammerman 🇺🇸 United States
2 Mr. Carter Beck 🇺🇸 United States
3 Mr. Dwight Crow 🇺🇸 United States
4 Mr. Robert “Josh” Garrison 🇺🇸 United States
5 Ms. Saskia Jacobson 🇺🇸 United States
6 Mr. Cameron Kenny 🇺🇸 United States
7 Mr. Chase Merriam 🇺🇸 United States
8 Mr. Roi Negri 🇮🇱 Israel
9 Ms. Sara Safari 🇺🇸 United States
10 Mr. Garrett Madison 🇺🇸 United States
11 Mr. Robert Smith 🇮🇪 Ireland
12 Mr. Terray Sylvester 🇺🇸 United States
13 Mr. Javier “Cacho” Beiza 🇦🇷 Argentina
14 Mr. Aang Phurba Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
15 Mr. Siddi Bhadur Tamang 🇳🇵 Nepal
16 Mr. Kam Dorchi Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
17 Mr. Ming Dorchi Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
18 Mr. Rinji Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
19 Mr. Shere Thapa Magar 🇳🇵 Nepal
20 Mr. Pasang Bhote 🇳🇵 Nepal
21 Mr. Temba Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
22 Mr. Chiring Bhote 🇳🇵 Nepal
23 Mr. Sange Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
24 Mr. Lakpa Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
25 Mr. Pemba Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
26 Mr. Kami Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
27 Mr. Mingma Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
28 Mr. Dhana Tamang 🇳🇵 Nepal
29 Mr. Dawa Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
30 Mr. Chheder Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
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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:

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First team summits!

We are pleased to announce that the first team of the 2022 Madison Mountaineering Everest expedition successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest (8848m/29,029ft) on May 15, 2022, at approximately 4:25 AM NPT (local time).

Congratulations to the whole team and especially Mr. Kenton Cool who has now made 16 summits, more than any other foreign (i.e. non-Nepali) climber.

# Name Country
1 Ms. Rebecca Louise Smith 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
2 Mr. Elia Saikaly 🇨🇦 Canada
3 Mr. Kenton Cool 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
4 Mr. Pasang Kaji (PK) Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
5 Mr. Dorji Gyalzen Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
6 Mr. Chheten Dorjee Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
7 Mr. Chowang Dorjee Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
8 Mr. Kami Rita Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
9 Mr. Dawa Jangbu Sherpa 🇳🇵 Nepal
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Summit Success on Lobuche East!

Topping out on Lobuche East

Meanwhile down valley in the Khumbu, our Lobuche East climbers reached the summit and safely descended to the village of Lobuche!  Congratulations team!!  Madison Mountaineering guide Scott Webster reports in from Lobuche village with this recap of summit day:

Successful ascent of Lobuche East this morning (April 15, 2022). The team set out from high camp at 0200 and reached the summit (6119m/20,075ft) at 0730. The weather couldn’t have been any better with clear blue skies and hardly a breath of wind! After descending back to high camp we packed up and returned to Lobuche village. The clients then helicoptered back to Kathmandu! From the summit of a 6000m Himalayan peak to Kathmandu in less than 10 hours!

On the summit of Lobuche East!

On the summit of Lobuche East!

Heading up from high camp on Lobuche East

Heading up from high camp on Lobuche East

Nearing the summit of Lobuche East

Nearing the summit of Lobuche East

Climber Katherine Crociata and Tenji Sherpa on the summit of Lobuche East

Climber Katherine Crociata and Tenji Sherpa on the summit of Lobuche East

Topping out on Lobuche East

Topping out on Lobuche East

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:

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Back Down to Base Camp

Full team on the summit of Aconcagua

The Aconcagua team are now all back down to base camp safely after standing on the summit of the highest point in South America.  Here’s expedition leader Garrett Madison with today’s expedition dispatch:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Aconcagua team dispatch.  Today’s Friday, February 11th.

Today we descended from Camp 3 (5989m/19,650ft) on Aconcagua down to base camp (4367m/14,327ft).  We had a nice day.  Got down in the early afternoon, set up camp, took some showers, had a nice barbeque lunch, and a celebration dinner this evening.  Everyone’s doing great, we’re happy to be down here in base camp after our summit day yesterday where everyone made it to the top and had great views from the summit.

We’ve heading out tomorrow, hiking back to the Horcones trailhead and then driving to Mendoza.

All’s well here in Argentina.  We’ll check in soon.

On the way up to the top of Aconcagua

On the way up to the top of Aconcagua

Celebration toast in base camp for 100% Aconcagua summit success!

Celebration toast in base camp for 100% Aconcagua summit success!

Climbing to the top of Aconcagua at sunrise

Climbing to the top of Aconcagua at sunrise

View from Aconcagua high camp of the moon and sunset

View from Aconcagua high camp of the moon and sunset

Sunset on Aconcagua

Sunset on Aconcagua

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 guide’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

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100% Aconcagua Summit Success!

Fantastic news!  The entire Aconcagua team stood on the summit (6961m/22,837ft) today and are now safely back down to Camp 3.  Here’s team member Krisli Melesk reporting the happy news:

This is Krisli calling in from Madison Mountaineering 2022 Aconcagua expedition.

I have some excellent news!  The whole team who we started with in Mendoza has just summitted and we are back safely in Camp 3!  We just has some nice beverages and also some snacks.  Everybody is in high spirits and we’re looking forward to heading back to base camp for some warm showers tomorrow and some more beverages, maybe. Haha.

Everybody’s doing great and we have an excellent team.  Everybody been super casual and super nice.  The weather has been amazing today, we were so lucky – clear skies and beautiful views.

I think that’s me over and out.  Lots of love to everybody, family, and friends.  Bye now!

(photo from the Madison Mountaineering Aconcagua 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 guide’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

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Vinson: 3rd Expedition Recap

Ed Viesturs and Garrett Madison on the summit of Mount Vinson, Antarctica

We were honored to have Ed Viesturs co-guiding our third successful Mount Vinson expedition of the season!  And here, from Punta Arenas, is Ed with an expedition recap:

Hi, this is Ed Viesturs reporting from Punta Arenas, Chile.  It’s Sunday (January 23rd).

Yesterday, very early in the morning, at around 4 AM we managed to leave Union Glacier on the 757 which flew us here to Punta Arenas.  It was the end of a pretty interesting expedition and in the end we made the summit of Vinson!

After arriving at High Camp on January 12th, the next day in a window of weather, we made an attempt for the summit which failed due to high winds and very challenging conditions.  We came back to High Camp and made the decision to wait several more days for another opportunity period.

Our patience paid off after five nights of waiting in quite a challenging storm – high winds and snow.  Eventually, we reached the summit on January 18th.  So all-in-all our patience paid off.

It was a great trip, we had a lot of fun, and I look forward to doing more guided expeditions alongside Garrett Madison and Madison Mountaineering.

Ed Viesturs signing out from Punta Arenas.

2022.01.05 Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expedition team

2022.01.05 Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expedition team

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 guide’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

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Celebration at Vinson Base Camp

Clients Sarah Brittain and Thomas Moore move from Low Camp to High Camp with guide Garrett Madison on a Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expedition in the Sentinel Range of Antarctica’s Ellsworth Mountains on January 1, 2021. (📸: @terray_s)

With the full team down to Vinson Base Camp, expedition leader Garrett Madison checks in with today’s dispatch recapping summit day and the journey down to base camp where everyone is celebrating:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expedition team. Today is January 19th.

Our team came down from High Camp today after reaching the summit of Mount Vinson yesterday on January 18th. We had a good summit day and a nice trek down from High Camp. We arrived in base camp this evening and had a fun, celebratory dinner with our team – everyone was present. We enjoyed some champagne and burgers and had a good finish to our expedition here on Vinson.

We might be here another day or so at Vinson Base Camp. We’re not sure when the Twin Otters will be able to arrive to fly us out – hopefully in a day or two. But everyone’s in good spirits; we’re happy to be down safe and had a great summit yesterday, especially being up there with Ed Viesturs on the highest point in Antarctica was really special.

It was a wonderful expedition, and we’re just going to be here in Vinson Base Camp, hanging out, enjoying Antarctica until our flight back to Union Glacier and Punta Arenas, Chile.

(📸: @terray_s – Team Two climbers Sarah B. and Thomas M. moving up to high camp with guide Garrett Madison earlier this month)

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 guide’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

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Perseverance Pays Off – Vinson Summits!

Happy New Year 2022 from Antarctica!

After persevering through five nights at Mount Vinson‘s High Camp, our Team Three’s patience and tactics paid off and they were successful today in making it to the highest point in Antarctica, the summit of Vinson Massif.  Guide Terray Sylvester provided this text message from the mountain:

Good news from Antarctica! Most of our climbers summited Mount Vinson today in excellent weather.

The rest of the team is already in base camp relaxing and enjoying some good meals: pancakes, eggs and bacon for breakfast today, and hamburgers and french fries for dinner.

Tomorrow our summit team, led by Garrett and Ed Viesturs, plans to descend to base camp to await flights back to Union Glacier and Punta Arenas. 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:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our guide’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

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