Tag Archive for: training

Lobuche Summits!

Lobuche East summit photo!

It comes with great excitement to share that the Madison Mountaineering Mount Everest expedition team has completed their first rotation with 100 percent of the team reaching the summit of Lobuche East! The team has returned to base camp, greeted by additional members who have joined the expedition. All together, we look forward to a second Puja ceremony and our second rotation, this time through the Khumbu Icefall. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from the Himalayas:

Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest (8848m/29,032ft), Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft), Nuptse (7861m/25,791ft) expedition.

Today our team returned from a successful climb of Lobuche Peak (6119m/20,075ft) for training and acclimatization. 100 percent success on the peak, beautiful views, and everyone back safely. A few members of our team have been here in base camp (5364m/17,598ft) with me training the last few days, practicing fixed lines, and tomorrow we’re going to have a Puja ceremony, our second one now that everyone is here together to ask the mountain for safe passage. And then, we’re planning our first rotation up to Camps 1 (6050m/19,849ft), 2 (6500m/21,325ft), and 3 (7230m/23,720ft) shortly.

Everyone’s doing great, it’s been beautiful weather here at Everest Base Camp, and our Sherpa team has been working hard up on the route to Camp 1 and Camp 2 carrying loads. So, all is well here at Mount Everest and we’ll check in soon!

The Madison Mountaineering team ascending fixed lines toward the summit of Lobuche East!

The Madison Mountaineering team ascending fixed lines toward the summit of Lobuche East!

Everest Base Camp sitting below Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Everest Base Camp sitting below Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Sunset views from Everest Base Camp (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Sunset views from Everest Base Camp (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:

– 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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Lobuche East climb starting soon!

The team during an acclimatization hike on Kala Patthar!

The climbing is about to begin! Our 2024 Himalayan expedition teams have conducted their Puja ceremony, done technical training in the Khumbu Icefall, and are ready for their first rotation. Their first rotation will take place on Lobuche East, another peak near base camp which has less objective hazard than the Khumbu Icefall. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison checks in with this dispatch from the Himalayas:

Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Everest (8848m/29,032ft), Lhotse (8516m/27,940ft), Nuptse (7861m/25,791ft) expedition team. Today, our Everest main team is down at Lobuche Peak (6119m/20,075ft) and leaving in a few hours for the summit of Lobuche East! (They’re) going for the summit early morning, hopefully at sunrise, and then will be back at base camp (6119m/20,075ft) in a couple of days.

Meanwhile, a couple of our climbers were out training in the Khumbu Icefall today practicing ropes and technical climbing with Aang Phurba and myself. Terray and Nelly are back from Annapurna (8091m/26,545ft) doing their climbing and cleanup project. It was a very successful project! Now they’ve just arrived to Everest Base Camp, settling in, and getting ready for Lhotse!

So, all is well here in the Khumbu Valley and on Mount Everest! Our Sherpa team has been carrying loads up to Camp 2 (6500m/21,325ft), the weather has been great, and we are excited to continue with the expedition and head up the icefall here in a few days time! We’ll check in soon.

Scene from the team's Puja Ceremony - an essential piece of our Mount Everest expeditions. (Photo by Courtenay Roche)

Scene from the team’s Puja Ceremony – an essential piece of our Mount Everest expeditions. (Photo by Courtenay Roche)

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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Rest Day in Base Camp

Ama Dablam Base Camp

Our Ama Dablam team is enjoying their second rest day at base camp after the first rotation.  Here’s Garrett with the update:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Ama Dablam expedition team.  Today is November 2nd, we’re at Ama Dablam base camp, and this is our second rest day after our first rotation up on the route where we spent two nights acclimatizing at Camp 1 and climbing up to Camp 2.

Just taking it easy here in base camp.  Lots of good food, nice weather, and passing the time by reading some good books, watching movies, and just enjoying the nice views here and the friendly folks around.

So, all good here and we’ll check in soon!

Sunset from Ama Dablam Camp 1

Sunset from Ama Dablam Camp 1

Team member Jonathan E. descending the Ama Dablam route below Camp 2

Team member Jonathan E. descending the Ama Dablam route below Camp 2

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 daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

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Team Back in Base Camp After 1st Rotation

Ama Dablam team at the puja ceremony today

Our Ama Dablam team is back in base camp after completing their 1st acclimatization rotation.  Garrett Madison, expedition leader, calls in today’s update:

Hello!  This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Ama Dablam expedition team.  Today’s October 31st, Halloween and we are back in base camp!

We had a couple of good nights, up on mountain in Camp 1 and we climbed up to Camp 2 yesterday – touched Camp 2.  We had some great views up there, fun technical climbing, and good acclimatization – sleeping up at 19,000 ft. at Camp 1.

Today we camp back down to base camp, had a nice lunch, and then did our Puja ceremony with a Buddist Lama monk from Pangboche.

Everyone’s doing well here.  We’re just resting and recovering from our time high up on the mountain and looking forward to a few rest days here in base camp.

So, all’s well here at Ama Dablam base camp.  We’ll check in soon.

Camp 1 and Ama Dablam

Camp 1 and Ama Dablam

Climbing the Yellow Tower on Ama Dablam below Camp 2

Climbing the Yellow Tower on Ama Dablam below Camp 2

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 daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

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1st Acclimatization Rotation Continues

Garrett Madison climbing around Ama Dablam Camp 1 and Camp 2

The 1st acclimatization rotation on Ama Dablam continues with the team touching Camp 2 (5980m/19,619ft) and returning to Camp 1 (5791m/19,000ft) for the night.  Team member J.B. Waterman provides today’s expedition dispatch:

This is J.B. Waterman on Madison Mountaineering’s Ama Dablam team.

Today was an epic training day – from Camp 1 at 19,000ft to Camp 2 at 20,000ft, across a serrated knife edge ridge, going up vertical walls of granite, to make it to Camp 2, and then turn around and go back.

We’re sleeping at Camp 1 tonight and then we’re gonna head back to base camp for a few days of rest and relaxation and recuperatation, so that we can go to the summit!

It was a great day.  Now it’s time to recuperate!

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 daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

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Ama Dablam Camp 1 on 1st Rotation

A view of Ama Dablam Camp 1 from BC

Today our Ama Dablam kicked off their 1st acclimatization rotation by hiking and climbing up from base camp to Camp 1.  Team member J.B. Waterman provides today’s expedition dispatch:

Hello, this is Madison Mountaineering Ama Dablam 2021 team member J.B. Waterman.  It’s Friday, October 29th and me and the rest of the team are ensconced in Camp 1 (5791m/19,000ft) on Ama Dablam.

We hiked 4,000 vertical feet today with our packs and our gear hiking with jumaring up the rope to get to this spectacular place on the ridge.  We watched the sunset and are settling in.  We’re up at 19,000ft, getting ready to eat some dinner, and then grab some sleep.

Tomorrow we’ll head up to Camp 2, touch it, and come back to acclimatize.  It’s been pretty spectacular!

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 daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

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Acclimatizing Above Base Camp

Ama Dablam 2021 team kicking at base camp

Our Ama Dablam team enjoyed views from their acclimatization hike today above base camp. Our expedition leader, Garrett Madison provides today’s expedition dispatch:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Ama Dablam team update. Today is Thursday, October 28th and another great day here in base camp. We woke up, had breakfast, and then went for an acclimatization hike up above base camp. We had some great views and got about 2,000 feet of elevation gain before coming back down to base camp for lunch.

We organized our gear and getting ready for our first rotation on the mountain. We’re going to head up tomorrow to camp 1 for a couple of nights, so looking forward to getting up high on the mountain and hopefully some great views up there. And some fun technical climbing on the way from camp 1 to camp 2.

Everyone is doing great and we’re having an awesome time here and looking forward to another great day!

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 daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

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Training Day

Views from Ama Dablam base camp. (📸: Ted Hesser)

The Ama Dablam team had a training day near base camp.  Garrett Madison, expedition leader, recaps the day:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Ama Dablam expedition team.  Today we did some training here, nearby base camp.  We put on our harnesses and rigged up our ascenders, safety carabiners, and repel devices and we practiced going up vertical fixed lines and repeling down fixed lines.  It was good to review all the necessary techniques for the upper mountain.

Then we came back, had a nice lunch, and organized some gear this afternoon and had a lovely dinner.  So, a beautiful day here, great views, everyone’s feeling strong and healthy.  We are really happy to be up here at base camp.  It’s just very beautiful and relaxing.

So, we’re all doing well and looking forward to a good day tomorrow.  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:

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

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

– Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

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