Summit Success Archives

Aconcagua 2022.02

Back Down to Base Camp

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

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

Climbing to the top of Aconcagua at sunrise

View from Aconcagua high camp of the moon and sunset

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:

February 12, 2022/0 Comments/by Garrett

Aconcagua 2022.02

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:

February 10, 2022/0 Comments/by Garrett

Vinson 2021/2022

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

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:

January 23, 2022/0 Comments/by Garrett

Vinson 2021/2022

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:

January 20, 2022/0 Comments/by Garrett

Vinson 2021/2022

Perseverance Pays Off – Vinson Summits!

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:

January 18, 2022/0 Comments/by Garrett

Vinson 2021/2022

Vinson Team Two Summits!

Congratulations to Sarah, Thomas, and expedition leader Garrett Madison for making the summit of Mount Vinson (4892m/16,050ft)!! Here’s Garrett via sat phone from High Camp with a recap of the day:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Vinson team number two. Today is January 2nd.

Today we reached the summit of Mount Vinson! We had a beautiful, glorious day all to ourselves up at the summit. Nobody else was around and hardly any wind, clear skies, great climbing conditions. So, a great day up there for myself, Sarah, and Thomas. We are back at High Camp (3536m/11,600ft), had dinner, and are heading to bed.

Tomorrow we’re going to get up and head down to Base Camp. So, all’s well here on Vinson…

[remainder of sat phone call was garbled and cut out]

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:

January 3, 2022/0 Comments/by Garrett

Vinson 2021/2022

100% Summit Success!

Great news! Garrett and the entire team made the summit of Mount Vinson today. Way to go team! Special congratulations to Jen for completing her Seven Summits quest!! Here’s Garrett via sat phone just minutes are from Mount Vinson High Camp with the details:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Mount Vinson expedition team. Today is Tuesday, December 28th and we reached the summit of Mount Vinson today – the highest point in Antarctica.

We had a beautiful day, just fantastic weather, and great route conditions. Myself, John, and Jen got up to the top around 5:30 PM, a beautiful evening summit with 24-hours of daylight here in Antarctica. We just got back to camp, had dinner, and heading to bed now at about 11 o’clock.

All’s well here and we’re heading down to Vinson Base Camp tomorrow. Hoping this great weather sticks around for a while.

We’ll check in soon. Thanks!

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:

December 29, 2021/0 Comments/by Garrett

Ama Dablam 2021 - Private

Ama Dablam Summit!

Yesterday our private team on Ama Dablam reached the summit with a clear sky and calm winds. They had the whole mountain to themselves and savored the views from up on the summit of the surrounding peaks Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, and many others.

It’s been a pleasure to follow their smooth progress during the past 2 weeks, they had great route conditions and weather throughout the expedition. We are very proud of them all for their safe and successful climb of Ama Dablam! Way to go team!

For climbers interested in learning more about our private expeditions please contact our office.

December 8, 2021/0 Comments/by Kurt

Ama Dablam 2021

Madison Mountaineering 2021 Ama Dablam Summiteers List

We are pleased to announce the following team members successfully obtained the summit of Ama Dablam (6,812 m / 22,349 ft) on November 8, 2021:

#	Name	Country
1	Mr. Garrett Madison	USA
2	Mr. Jonathan Eakes	USA
3	Mr. Morgan Hawes	USA
4	Mr. Gautam Shine	USA
5	Mr. James “J.B.” Waterman	USA
6	Mr. Aang Phurba Sherpa	Nepal
7	Mr. Kam Dorjee Sherpa	Nepal
8	Mr. Siddhi Ghising	Nepal
9	Mr. Fur Lakpa Sherpa	Nepal
10	Mr. Tenzing Sherpa	Nepal

November 9, 2021/0 Comments/by Kurt

Ama Dablam 2021

Team Safely Back in Base Camp

2021 Madison Mountaineering team and friends on the summit of Ama Dablam

With 100% summit success, the team is back in base camp celebrating, and getting ready to head back to Kathmandu. Garrett provides the recap and a ton of awesome photos of their summit day:

Hello, this is Garrett caling in for the Madison Mountaineering Ama Dablam expedition team here in Nepal. Today’s November 9th and yesterday we reached the top of Ama Dablam.

Beautiful morning! We summited with 100% success, all four of our climbers plus myself and Aang Phurba and our Sherpa team made it to the top of Ama Dablam!

We got down safe and some of our members continued down to base camp and the rest of us were down today. We are looking forward to starting the trek out tomorrow to make our way back to Lukla and then Kathmandu.

We are feeling so fortunate and lucky that we had a beautiful summit day, great weather, and great route conditions up there and all of our team made the summit and made it down safely.