Tough Weather on Denali

May 29, 2019

Ed and crew tried to sneak one in and just couldnâ€™t get the break needed. They snuck up to high camp, hoping to get a break which would let them summit while STILL leaving a margin of time and weather to â€˜sneakâ€™ back down. Just wasnâ€™t happening and none of the forecasts showed a window within a reasonable amount of days. Tough, but discretion is always the better part of valor, and the team decided yesterday to leave high camp. Cold, windy and snowy just didnâ€™t make for a good summit attempt combination. They likely fly out today.

Like climbing in another world (Jason Edwards)

Andy and crew are heading for 14K. Theyâ€™re just ticking right along and hoping Alaska is a bit more kind to them when it comes time to move higher.

And, letâ€™s not forget Austin Shannon and team who flew onto the mountain yesterday. Theyâ€™ve got some â€˜haulingâ€™ days ahead on the Kahiltna Glacier but those are actually some of the most important days. Building that foundation of acclimatization is key to success above 14K.

Phil Ershler

PequeÃ±o Alpamayo Summits!

May 28, 2019

Today the team had a nice climb of 17,618 ft PequeÃ±o Alpamayo. The route to the summit starts with a glacier approach, then an ascent to the summit of 16,601 ft Tarija Peak. This is a great climb by itself and is the key to accessing PequeÃ±o Alpamayo. Once over the top of Tarija, there is some steep snow and ice climbing to the summit.

: View of PequeÃ±o Alpamayo from the 16,601 ft summit of Tarija Peak (Greg Vernovage)

: Steep climbing on Pequeno Alpamayo (Roberto Gomez)

: IMG Team on the summit of Pequeno Alpamayo (Roberto Gomez)

Congratulations to the team! Tomorrow the team will be moving over to Huayna Potosi.

Eric Simonson

Denali Update

May 27, 2019

: At the ranger station (Austin Shannoon)

: Packed and ready to go (Austin Shannon)

Ed Leasâ€™ team is sitting at 17,000 feet waiting for a good spell to summit in. They have a good supply of food and fuel and are well fortified, just waiting on a clear day!

Andy Polloczekâ€™s team is at 11,000 feet, waiting to move up to 14,000 as conditions allow. All are well and they carried the bulk of their supplies up to 13,700 on Saturday. They will move to 14, then drop down the next day to pick up their cache.

Austin Shannonâ€™s team is doing their briefing with the NPS today, and as conditions allow, flying onto the mountain as soon as possible. They have gone through their gear checks, review of group supplies and food and will be ready to go.

George Dunn

Bolivia Climbers Training and Prepping

May 27, 2019

Our team had a couple good training days at Cordoriri Base Camp, including reaching the summit of Pico Austria, at over 17,000 ft. This is a nice training hike and has some spectacular views of the nearby peaks of the Condoriri Real.

: The Condoriri range from Pico Austria with the snowy peak of Pequeno Alpamayo in the center distance(Adam Clark)

: Huayna Potosi from Pico Austria (Adam Clark)

: View back towards the Condoriri Base Camp from Pico Austria (Adam Clark)

After investing the time and effort into getting well acclimatized, tomorrow the team heads up the valley to tackle their first technical peak, PequeÃ±o Alpamayo, at the head of the valley.

Condoriri Base Camp and Pequeno Alpamayo (Adam Clark)

After that, they will be heading to Huayna Potosi. Time to go climbing!

Eric Simonson

High Camp Reached On Denali

May 26, 2019

Denali West Buttress Route

Ed Leas and his team made it up to high camp at 17,000 feet on Saturday. They are all dug in and ready to wait out the expected winds and cold weather for the next day or two. The weather is expected to improve starting on Tuesday, and if so, their team will be in place to go for the summit when the weather and conditions look good.

George Dunn

Denali Update

May 25, 2019

Looking out over the Alaska Range (Mike Haft)

Expeditions on Denali are complicated, the accuracy of weather reports can be on point or entirely suspect, and teams often alternate between prepping and plain ‘ol waiting – on a daily basis. IMG Denali guides understand patience, persistence, and being ready to take advantage of opportunities are key and strategize accordingly. As of today, Ed Leas and his team are ready for their move to high camp, Andy Polloczek is not far behind, and Austin Shannon and his crew arrive in Talkeetna tomorrow.

All is well (and busy!) in the land of the midnight sun.

Phil Ershler

Bolivia Climbers Reach Condoriri Base Camp

May 25, 2019

Hiking to Condoriri Base Camp (Adam Clark)

After their first night in tents down at Tambo Condoriri, the team loaded up the donkeys and moved to the BaseÂ Camp.Â This is an absolutely beautiful area, with a nice lake, great training opportunities and several nice peaks nearby.Â Today the team did some training on the glacier to refresh their skills and get ready for their first peak tomorrow.Â Their plan will be to climb Pico Austria, a nice scramble and at about 17,300 ft itâ€™s great altitude practice.

Eric Simonson

Rainier Update

May 25, 2019

Winter conditions on the Muir Snowfield in May (Nicole Sims)

After an unseasonably warm start to May, the weather over the past 10 days brought much needed snow to the glaciers. Whiteout conditions prevailed below Muir, but with a 10,600′ cloud deck yesterday, IMG Senior Guide, Mike Haft, and his team climbed up into clearer skies at camp on the Ingraham.

Above the Muir ground blizzard (Lara Ralich)

With conditions and visibility improving, the guide services are actively working on the route to the summit. We’ll continue with the Ingraham a bit longer than we’d thought!

The Fuhrer Finger team heads uphill in favorable weather (Rowan Stewart)

Earlier this week, IMG Lead Guide, Jay Lyons, and his Fuhrer Finger team were met with inconsistent weather that had the potential to give them a shot at the summit but ultimately, they opted for a safe retreat.

The clouds move in on the Fuhrer Finger team (Rowan Stewart)

While it’s always difficult to walk away without a summit, each climber has gained something valuable from their teammates and from the mountain.

Watch for our May newsletter early next week to learn more about upcoming programs!

Heather Garland

Bolivia Team Moved Up to Tambo Condoriri

May 23, 2019

After a couple fun days down at Lake Titicaca the team moved up to Tambo Condoriri, a nice camping place at about 14,000 feet in the Cordillera Real.

: Tambo Condoriri Camp (Fabricio Gomez)

: Tambo Condoriri Camp Dining Tent (Fabricio Gomez)

This afternoon they took an acclimatization hike in the surrounding area (which is also known as Tuni) and enjoyed the views of the Condoriri Range.

: Hiking in Tuni (Fabricio Gomez)

: IMG team with the Condoriri Range (Fabricio Gomez)

Tomorrow they are heading for Condoriri Base Camp, at over 15,000 feet. The mountains are getting closer!

Eric Simonson

Bolivia Climbers Acclimatizing on Sun Island

May 22, 2019

Our Bolivia team had the ultimate acclimatization day today, with a boat trip and gorgeous hiking on the famous Isla del Sol (Sun Island) in Lake Titicaca. Itâ€™s a fun trip, with some nice trails and interesting Inca ruins to explore.Â According to the Inca legends, this island was the birthplace of the Sun God!

: On the boat to Sun Island (Roberto Gomez)

: Hiking Sun Island (Roberto Gomez)

Now they have returned back to Copacabana for the night.Â After two nights at 11,000 feet in La Paz and two nights at 12,500 feet at Lake Titicaca, the acclimatization is starting to kick in. Roberto reports that the team is feeling good and looking forward to going to the mountains.

Tomorrow they will load up and move to Tambo Condoriri (about 14,000 feet) for more acclimatization hiking, and then the next day they go to the Condoriri Base Camp (over 15,000 feet). Itâ€™s all money in the bank for their acclimatization.

Eric Simonson