Rough Seas On Lago Grey

November 9, 2012

Windy conditions have been the norm for Greg & Co. (Tye Chapman)

Greg checked in from Refugio Paine Grande this afternoon after calling a bit of an audible…

The schedule had the team getting on a boat (from Refugio Grey) around noon, but the high winds had stirred up Lago Grey so much that the national park cancelled boat.

What is Plan B you ask? Well, they put their hiking shoes back on and headed over to Refugio Paine Grande – a 4 hour hike – where they jumped aboard the catamaran…The same one they used a couple days ago.Â They’re now safely at the van and en route to Puerto Natales where they’ll grab a late dinner.

Tomorrow, they’ll head to Punta Arenas and catch their flights home!

Tye Chapman

Whitecaps & Icebergs

November 8, 2012

A few of the icebergs along the beach at Lago Grey. (Tye Chapman)

Greg checked in again today, this time from Refugio Grey. Today they had a nice hike up towards John Garner pass along the Grey Glacier. Right now they’re in the hut enjoying a glass of wine as the snow falls (sideways) again.

Yesterday the weather wasn’t quite as cooperative; it sounds like wind was the theme of the day.Â They didn’t make the journey up Mt. Ferrier, instead they walked the iceberg laden beach of Lago Grey. This was followed by their boat ride to the refugio which was accompanied by some nice sized whitecaps crashing over the bow!

They’re done trekking, just a boat ride back to an awaiting shuttle which will take them back to Puerto Natales for a celebration dinner.

Tye Chapman

Patagonia Trekkers All Smiles After French Valley

November 7, 2012

French Valley Panorama (Greg Vernovage)

Greg checked in from Hosteria Tyndall this morning:

“We had a windy and rainy day yesterday but it was a blast! The guys are doing great. We had 20 minutes with no rain or wind yesterday and were rewarded with a great view from the French Valley. After the long hike we hopped aboard our catamaran and were off to the hotel.”

This morning they’ll have a couple hours to relax at the hotel before loading up and heading up Mt. Ferrier. It’s just a 2-hour hike but the views are incredible! After the hike they’ll grab a bite to eat and catch their boat ride across Lago Grey to Refugio Grey where they’ll be for a couple nights.Â Tomorrow they’ll trek alongside Grey Glacier and if the weather and trail conditions allow, on up to John Garner Pass.

Tye Chapman

Los Torres —> Refugio Cuernos

November 6, 2012

Lago Nordenskjold (Tye Chapman)

Greg checked in from Refugio Cuernos after another nice day of trekking. They had a great day yesterday, catching views of Los Torres, before a bit of rain, and eventually snow, rolled in on them. The good news is the rain/snow hit hardest after they pulled into the hut. No better way to enjoy the falling snow than watching it fall while sipping a glass of wine.

Today they walked along Lago Nordenskjold taking in some big views. Right now, my bet is they’re sitting down to dinner enjoying the sunset.

Tomorrow they’ll head into the French Valley, another signature section of the national park.

The trail is a little wet under foot and there’s still a good bit of snow up high, but this crew is loving it.

Tye Chapman

Patagonia Team Hits The Trail

November 4, 2012

: Trek Briefing

: Team at dinner in Punta Arenas.

Greg checked in from Puerto Natales yesterday – all continues to go as planned. They got a good bit of rain on the drive from Punta Arenas to P. Natales, but as Greg put it – “who cares, we were in the car”. They had some time to relax and walk the town before meeting with Cem, their local guide, for a briefing on conditions in Torres del Paine National Park.

Haven’t heard from Greg yet today, but the plan was to load up early and get into the national park mid-morning for their hike up to Los Torres and night at Refugio Chileno.

Tye Chapman

Glacial Outburst – Pretty Cool Stuff!

November 2, 2012

Ranger Beason checks a "trim line" caused by the flood along the Nisqually River near Cougar Rock. (Laura Walkup)

Mount Rainier National Park geologist Scott Beason reports that a small glacial outburst flood occurred at Mount Rainier National Park on Saturday, October 27, 2012 at approximately 9:00 PM. This event, while significant, was localized in scale, caused no damage to park facilities, and was not volcanic in origin. It likely originated from the Nisqually Glacier as result of moderate to intense rainfall. A stream gauge located at Longmire registered a 2.8 foot (0.85 meter) rise in river water level between 8:30 and 9:45 pm and the spike was seen on other gages downstream of the park. Field data concur with the stream gage and show evidence of a several-foot surge of water in the Nisqually River.

While this event was small, it highlights one of the many hazards at Mount Rainier. It also shows that potentially destructive and hazardous events can occur even during “small” storms that are common in the fall and winter at Mount Rainier. Workers and visitors near rivers should always be aware of geologic hazards. Remember, if you feel the ground shaking or hear a freight train coming down the valley, get uphill as quickly as you can!

Outburst floods have happened in the park before. A series of such floods in the 1980s and 90s washed out parts of the West Side Road, and in 2005, a debris flow on Van Trump Creek was captured on video as it roared over Christine Falls. You can see that video on YouTube at http://youtu.be/SrYqJlCuppA.

Source: Mount Rainier National Park (facebook)

Patagonia Trekkers Arrive In Punta

November 2, 2012

La Luna - Don't miss the Sopa de Cebollas!!

Greg reports from Punta Arenas, Chile that everything is on track for our next Patagonia Trek.Â Sounds like they’re short one duffel, but it’s nothing we can’t handle.

Right now they’re out running a couple errands (money exchange & grocery store) before a group dinner tonight at IMG’s favorite spot in Chile, La Luna.

Tomorrow they’ll load up and head to Puerto Natales for their final preparations.

Tye Chapman

We Want Your Photos! An IMG Photo Contest

November 1, 2012

Rainier Panorama. (Tye Chapman)

We want your photos! And what better way to get our hands on them than to create some competition amongst the IMG faithful? Oh and we’ll give away some free stuff too!

Winners of each category will receive an IMG Prize Pack (IMG Buff, IMG Hat and IMG t-shirt).Â The winner of the Best Photo Category will also receive an IMG Embroidered Outdoor Research Transfer Jacket!

Photo Categories

1.) All Around Best Photo
2.) Culture
3.) Best Sponsor Shot (Outdoor Research, JanSport, Adventure Medical Kits, Eureka!)
4.) Best Panorama

Official Rules:

– All photos must be from an IMG trip
– All photos must be under 2MB
– All photos must be individually named by location and photographer:
(i.e. Everest_Base_Camp_Trek_2012_Tye_Chapman.jpg)
– All photos must be submitted by November 30, 2012
– Limit 10 photos per person.Â If sending 10 2MB photos, please be nice, and help us avoid system shutdown by separating your large emails into batches.

**Submit all photos via email to Office@Mountainguides.com.
**All photos are subject to use by IMG on the website, blog, Facebook and newsletters. Photo credit will be given.

Chulu Climbers Back In Pokhara

November 1, 2012

IMG guide Justin Merle reports that the Chulu team had a nice free day in Muktinath, then they made their way to Jomsom.Â This morning they flew to Pohkara, about 45 minutes by Twin Otter airplane.Â Pohkara is the second largest city in Nepal, but is only about 25% the population of Kathmandu.Â Today they are enjoying a lazy afternoon at their hotel down by Dal Lake.

Now thatÂ they are back to reliable internet, Justin was able to send some more photos from the Chulu climb.

: Summit of Chulu Near East, with Chulu East in background

: Jomsom airport (Justin Merle)

: Climbers approaching the summit of Chulu Far East (Justin Merle)

: Chulu Far East from SE Ridge of Chulu East (Justin Merle)

Great job, team!

Eric Simonson

Bhutan Trek Is Wrapped!

November 1, 2012

Last minute shopping. (Mark Ursino)

Wanted everyone to know that we arrived in Thimpu.Â Great trip which ended with another great day of weather.Â Only 2.5 hours of hiking on the final day and then several hours driving to get out of the mountains, see the winter palace in Punaka and get to Thimpu.

For great trip photos and details, do check out www.markursino.com.Â Mark’s a great friend of IMG and has been with us, literally, all over the world.Â His detailed trip reports are nothing short of amazing.Â Unless you’ve tried doing what Mark does, it’s hard to imagine the amount of effort involved, documenting all aspects of a trip.Â Follow his dispatches and you’ll see just how amazing a trip to Bhutan really is.Â People, culture, terrain, scenery, effort and memories!Â What are you waiting for?

IMG will be in Bhutan next October with Senior Guide, Emily Johnson, at the helm.Â She’s volunteering her ER doctor skills in Thimpu this coming month and that experience will make her super qualified to share this amazing country with you.Â Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of next year’s dispatches and own the memories which this year’s group now have forever.

Phil Ershler