3X2 In Gokyo And Ama Dablam Is Resting At Base Camp

November 2, 2018

: 3X2 Team at Cho La (Mary Hannon)

: 3X2 Team above Gokyo (Mary Hannon)

The 3X2 Team continues to have a great trip with fantastic weather.Â They are now in Gokyo and will be visiting Fifth Lake and climbing Gokyo Ri in the morning before heading down valley to Machermo for the night.Â This day of trekking is very scenic for the team.Â In Gokyo, they are still above the tree line and by the evening, they will be dropping back into beautiful vegetation and thicker air.

: Climbers working their way to Camp 2 (Austin Shannon)

: Views from Camp 2 on Ama Dablam (Kevin Kayl)

On Ama Dablam, the team is on their 2^nd rest day.Â Tomorrow, the plan is to stretch their legs by heading down to Pangboche for the day.Â A little change of scenery and a nice lodge is just enough to keep the team busy.Â We are keeping our eye on the weather for this team.Â At the moment, there is very little precipitation in the forecast but we are seeing a few days of higher winds.Â This team has great patience and will be able to hold out for a few more days when the wind is predicted to decrease.

All is well in the Khumbu Valley!

Greg Vernovage

Khumbu Valley Updates

November 1, 2018

: Phortse with Ama Dablam (Greg Vernovage)

: Gokyo Lakes from Gokyo (Tye Chapman)

: Daveâ€™s Birthday on Ama Dablam (Phunuru Sherpa)

: Ama Dablam with Tengboche (Adam Clark)

All three of our teams are on schedule and doing well in the Khumbu Valley.Â Our 3X2 Team had a great day trekking over Cho La and is now in Thagnak.Â Tomorrow will be a well-deserved shorter day of trekking and will take the team to Gokyo – where the views are amazing!

Harry Hamlin checked in from Phortse with the Private Trek Team.Â This team has enjoyed great weather and has done extremely well on their trek. Tomorrow morning, they’ll catch a planned helicopter flight back to KTM – a great way to finish up a perfect trip! The flight down valley to Lukla will give the team the opportunity to see the beautiful countryside they just trekked through, and another perspective of the Khumbu Valley.Â From Lukla, they will refuel and continue to Kathmandu to celebrate.

It was a rest day on Ama Dablam and the team celebrated another birthday.Â Happy Birthday Dave!Â The team will take a few more days rest minimum and keep an eye on the weather.Â All is well on Ama Dablam!

Greg Vernovage

Seminars! Seminars! Seminars!

October 31, 2018

: IMG Guide Nate Berry setting up camp on a Denali Prep Seminar on Mt. Rainier (Conrad Wharton)

: Denali Prep Seminar on Mt. Rainier (Conrad Wharton)

When we wanted to dig a little deeper for insight into why you should sign up for one of IMG’s seminars, we went straight to the source and asked our guides for their thoughts on programs they’ve guided…. and they delivered!

Denali Prep Seminars – February through April – Mt. Rainier & White Mountains, NH

â€œThe IMG Denali Preparation Seminars are an effective means for the aspiring Denali summiteer to get the hands on instruction, supervision, and repetition to ensure preparation is adequate for all that ‘The Tall One’ (Koyukon) can throw at an expedition. From sled rigging, and high altitude expedition self-care and group dynamics to physical, mental, and psychological fitness – it’s all there.

Whether taken in Washington on Mount Rainier or in New Hampshire in the White Mountains, our seminars offer the best training grounds to prepare the aspirant mountaineer. While New England may not have the glaciation that Mount Rainier offers, there are cliffs that provide excellent substitutes for real crevasses, without the avalanche hazards.

Taking a Denali Prep Seminar with an IMG Denali guide can help the climber and the guide familiarize themselves with each other before setting foot in the Alaska Range itself. This opportunity helps the team get a jump-start on building trust and setting the tone for their ascent of Denali.â€

~ IMG Guide, Nickel Wood

Crevasse rescue training on a Glacier Skills Seminar (Patrick Mauro)

Glacier Skills Seminars â€“ June, July, August – Mt. Rainier

Spots are filling on our prime climbing season Glacier Skills Seminars. There are only four of these late June through mid-August programs, and they are the only option left to climb the DC in June/July/August 2019. These seminars offer the perfect way to acclimatize while slowly working your way up the Paradise Glacier to Camp Muir, where you put your newly-acquired glacier skills and team camaraderie to good use on a DC summit attempt.

â€œItâ€™s amazing to see how much confidence and self-sufficiency clients can develop over the course of a six-day Glacier Skills Seminar. During the seminar, the guides are open books! We teach the fundamental skills of mountaineering, e.g., self-arrest, crevasse rescue, etc., but we’re also happy to share as many of the “micro-optimizations” that make life easier on the hill and have taken years for each of us to discover.Â

I think clients learn a great deal from this holistic alpine curriculum, and after learning how to exist and thrive on a barren glacier for six days, no one returns home unchanged.â€Â

~ IMGÂ Guide, Patrick MauroÂ

While a Denali Prep Seminar is required prior to climbing Denali, prior mountaineering experience is not required to participate in our seminars â€“ just the desire to learn, a great attitude, and a commitment to having fun in the backcountry!

Sign up now for a seminar on Rainier or in New England!

Feel free to call IMG HQ at 360-569-2609 or email office@mountainguides.com with your questions!

Heather Garland

Rest Days In The Khumbu Valley

October 31, 2018

Trekking in Nah Valley (Nathan Berry)

We heard from all three teams overnight in the Khumbu and Nah Valleys.Â Our Private Trekking team started their downhill trek from Gokyo down past the village of Nah and on to Machermo.Â This is a mellow trekking day and the team finds themselves dropping back into the trees in route to Phortse.

: Lobuche summits (Jess Wedel)

: 3X2 Team on the summit of Lobuche (Romulo Cardenas)

We received a couple of great photos from our 3X2 with Lobuche Peak Team.Â The summit day was beautiful – all smiles and blue skies!Â Tomorrow, the team will head out early for Cho La and stop for the night in Thagnak.Â This will be a longer day of trekking, but this team is well acclimatized.

: Climbing across the traverse on Ama Dablam (Nathan Berry)

: Sherpa Fura on Ama Dablam (Nathan Berry)

Our Ama Dablam Team is now back at Base Camp and will enjoy 3 or more days rest.Â They had an incredible rotation with 2 nights at Camp 1 and a touch and go to Camp 2.Â The team will relax and wait out a little wind that is heading their way over the next few days. After that, the Ama Dablam Team will be ready for their summit bid!

Greg Vernovage

Lobuche Summits! Gokyo Ri Summits And Camp 2 On Ama Dablam

October 30, 2018

We heard great news overnight from our teams in Nepal!

Climbers on the upper mountain of Lobuche Peak (Jonathan Schrock)

Our 3X2 with Lobuche Peak Team reached the summit of Lobuche with perfect weather!Â The Team left High Camp at 2:30am and made it to the summit 6 hours later.Â IMG Senior Sherpa Guide Karma Rita called Ang Jangbu from the summit to say the team climbed well and had a great day.Â The team is now back at Base Camp and will take a rest day tomorrow before heading over Cho la to Thagnak.Â 100% on top!

: Private Trek on the summit of Gokyo ri (Harry Hamlin)

: Private Trek on the summit of Gokyo ri with Everest (Harry Hamlin)

Over in Gokyo, Harry Hamlin checked in with our private trek.Â Another 100% on top for this team and all smiles as they took in great views all around.Â The team is on schedule and will begin trekking down valley to Machermo in the morning.

: Dave climbing towards Camp 2 on Ama Dablam (Sherpa Fura)

: Climbers resting en route on Ama Dablam (Sherpa Fura)

On Ama Dablam, the team had another great day of climbing.Â They climbed to Camp 2 and returned to Camp 1 for another night.Â Sherpa Fura sent a few pictures with a note to let us know the team is strong and climbing efficiently.Â The climb from Camp 1 to Camp 2 took them two and half hours -Â that is great climbing!Â Tomorrow, the team will drop back down to Base Camp for some well deserved rest and wait for good weather before heading back up the mountain.

Climbers moving towards Camp 2 on Ama Dablam (Austin Shannon)

Great news from the Khumbu Valley!

Greg Vernovage

Moving Up On Lobuche And Ama Dablam

October 29, 2018

Lobuche High Camp looking at Makalu (Sherpa Fura)

Our Teams are taking advantage of the good weather in the Khumbu Valley.Â Karma Rita checked in from High Camp on Lobuche Peak to let us know the team is ready to go.Â They will be leaving High Camp at 2:00am for the top.Â We look forward to hearing from the team when they’re on the summit!

: IMG Guide Kevin Kayl climbing to Camp 2 on Ama Dablam (Austin Shannon)

: Climbers heading toward Camp 2 on Ama Dablam (Austin Shannon)

Down on Ama Dablam, the team will be heading up to touch Camp 2 before returning for a second night at Camp 1.Â This will be a great opportunity for the team to climb the technical terrain above Camp 1 and acclimatize.Â After another night at Camp 1, the team will return to Base Camp for a well-deserved rest.

: Camp 1 with Ama Dablam (Harry Hamlin)

: Private Trek Team at Gokyo (Harry Hamlin)

Harry Hamlin is in Gokyo with the Private trekking team after another beautiful day.Â The team is going to trek up to Fifth Lake tomorrow and will get a closer look at Cho Oyu, the sixth tallest mountain in the world.

All is well in Nepal!

Greg Vernovage

Good Weekend in the Khumbu

October 28, 2018

What a gorgeous couple of days in the Khumbu Valley! Our Ama Dablam Team had a Puja at Base Camp and then packed up for their first rotation on Ama Dablam. The plan is for the team to sleep at Yak Camp tonight and hen head up to Camp 1. Phunuru and Sherpa Fura went up to Yak Camp and found the need to bring water up for the team. With the help of yaks, they brought water up for cooking and drinking. The team is in great form and ready to climb.

: Ama Dablam team trekking to Yak Camp (Phunuru Sherpa)

: Lama at Ama Dablam Base Camp giving blessing (Phunuru Sherpa)

: 2018 Ama Dablam Team at BC after the Puja (Phunuru Sherpa)

Our 3X2 with Lobuche Peak Team is now at Lobuche Base Camp. They will train and prepare to head to High Camp. IMG Senior Sherpa Guide Karma Rita is at Lobuche Base Camp and will work with the team as they prepare and climb Lobuche.

Lobuche Base Camp (Ang Jangbu)

Harry Hamlin checked in after going over Cho La. He managed to get some photos out of the team as they crossed the pass. Harry said the route was in good condition, and the team performed very well. Look at those photos!

: Cho la with Ama Dablam (Harry Hamlin)

: West Side of Cho la (Harry Hamlin)

All is well in the Khumbu Valley and Gokyo!

Greg Vernovage

Nepal Teams Enjoying Big Views and Cool Temps

October 27, 2018

It has been very clear in the Khumbu Valley. With the clear weather comes cool temperatures; Phunuru noted -13 in his tent at Ama Dablam Base Camp overnight. Our 3X2 Team climbed Kala Pattar and sent back a few great photos from the summit where they reported beautiful and chilly. Not quite cold enough for Romulo to trade out his iconic climbing cowboy hat! With the clear skies and cool temperatures can come unbelievable views! This is exactly what they are getting.

: Climbing Kala Pattar with the Khumbu Glacier below (Jess Wedel)

: Climbing Kala Pattar with Pumori (Jess Wedel)

: Jess, Romulo and Mary on top of Kala Pattar with Everest in the background (Jess Wedel)

The Ama Dablam Team trekked to Yak Camp to get a better look at the route, move additional gear and prepare for their first rotation. They are now back at Base Camp and will get ready to start climbing and sleeping at Camp 1. The route has been fixed to the summit and teams are reporting great climbing conditions!

Ama Dablam Camps (Eric Simonson)

Our Private Trek made it over Cho La and are now heading to Gokyo to get an up close look at Cho Oyu.

: Cho La (Tye Chapman)

: Looking down towards Thagnak from Cho La (Tye Chapman)

Everyone is doing well and the team enjoyed an exciting day trekking over the pass.

Greg Vernovage

Ama Dablam Progress

October 26, 2018

Phunuru with Ama Dablam (Nathan Berry)

On Ama Dablam, the Team is absolutely cranking!Â Phunuru called to let me know that everyone is doing very well.Â They had a nice rest day followed by some essential training on techniques they will need for the climb.Â Before training, Phunuru and Sherpa Fura trekked first to Yak Camp to find camping spots and water.Â After Yak Camp, they climbed to Camp 1 and pitched a couple tents.

: Practicing the fixed lines (Sherpa Fura)

: Camp 1 on Ama Dablam (Phunuru Sherpa)

With training complete and tents up at Camp 1, the team made plans for tomorrow.Â They will head out after breakfast for Yak Camp to stretch their legs, move gear up the mountain, and evaluate the route.Â There are a few other teams climbing on Ama Dablam and the reports are the route is in excellent condition.

: Rigging with Valari (Nathan Berry)

: Happy Birthday Jim! (Phunuru Sherpa)

Last thing on the agenda today – a couple teammates have birthdays coming up! Wishing them each a very Happy Birthday!!!

Greg Vernovage

Private EBC Trek Heads Toward Cho La

October 26, 2018

: Trekking to Dzongla with Ama Dablam in the background (Harry Hamlin)

: Kala Pattar Summits (Harry Hamlin)

: Cholatse (Harry Hamlin)

IMG Guide Harry Hamlin checked in from Dzongla today to let us know that the Private trekking team had a great morning climbing to the summit of Kala Pattar.Â Nice job you everyone!Â After the climb, the team returned to Gorakshep for a late breakfast before heading down and around to Dzongla.Â The trek from Gorakshep to Dzongla is a mellow day of downhill trekking.Â Once the team passes Lobuche Village, the valley opens up to expose great views and beautiful alpine walls.Â The team is at Dzongla for the night and will head over Cho La in the morning, on its way to Gokyo.

Pumori at Sunrise (Harry Hamlin)

All is well on the Private EBC Trek with Gokyo!

Greg Vernovage