Private Island + Mera Peak Team In Phortse

September 27, 2018

: The town of Phortse in the distance (Nate Berry)

: The hazards of the trail in the Khumbu (Nate Berry)

: Having tea at Palden Sherpa’s house. (Nate Berry)

Our Private Mera + Island Peak Team had another great day! Today they trekked from Namche to Phortse, stoppingÂ Moong La for lunch, after lunch they crossed the Dudh Kosi River and trekked up the hill into Phortse. Once in Phortse the team spent some time at Palden Sherpa’s home, enjoying some tea, snacks and new friendships.Â Phortse is the home of many of the IMG Sherpas, so when we trek to Phortse, it’s like a bit of a homecoming.

The team will spend two nights in Phortse, enjoying an acclimatization hike tomorrow.

All is well in the Khumbu!

Tye Chapman

Kilimanjaro Team Drying Out At Shira Camp

September 27, 2018

: The team making their way up to Shira Camp (Thomas Joseph)

: Wet but still happy! (Thomas Joseph)

“A wet day on Kilimanjaro still beats any day in the office.” That’s what Andy’s team told him after climbing from Machame Camp (10,000ft) to Shira Camp (12,000ft) in a bit of rain. Once in camp they dried out, had some tea & and enjoyed a nice dinner.

The team is all smiles and looking forward to their climb up to the Lava Tower (14,500ft) for lunch tomorrow, before descending to Barranco Camp (13,000ft.) for the night.

All is well on Kilimanjaro!

Tye Chapman

**Prices for the Kilimanjaro Climb and Safari program will increase effective November 1, 2018.Â If you wish to schedule your Kilimanjaro adventure and take advantage of the current price, you must register and be confirmed on the program by October 31, 2018.Â Are you ready to take on one of the 7 Summits?Â Nowâ€™s the time!

Museums, Steaks & A Cold One In Namche

September 26, 2018

: The team (Paul Fischer)

: It’s always a good idea to buy the guides a steak for lunch! (Paul Fischer)

: Cheers! (Paul Fischer)

The nice thing about a private trip in Nepal, is you can call a bit of an audible with your plans for the day. Our private Island + Mera Peak team did just that today. Instead of trekking over to Thame for the day, the team opted to keep it closer to home and visit the local museums in Namche.

The team has enjoyed their time in Namche but now it’s time to move on… Tomorrow the team is slated to head to Phortse, the home town of many of IMG Sherpa. This includes Phinjo & Palden Sherpa, two of the IMG Sherpa guides on this program. Safe to say that the team will be greeted warmly when they pull into the village of Phortse tomorrow afternoon.

All is well in the Khumbu!

Tye Chapman

Kili Team Tucked In At Machame Camp

September 26, 2018

The ‘before’ picture. (Thomas Joseph)

Andy checked in from 10,000ft on Kilimanjaro today reporting that all is well. The trek from the Machame Gate (6000ft.) to Machame Camp (10,000ft.) goes through the rain forest / jungle where it’s likely to rain a bit, today was no exception. Despite the rain, the team had a great hike and by the time they were settled into camp the rain had subsided.

They’re all tucked in now and looking forward to their hike up to Shira Camp (12,000ft.) tomorrow.

All is well on Kilimanjaro!

Tye Chapman

Private Island & Mera Peak Team Acclimatizing Well

September 25, 2018

: Enjoying the day just outside of Namche (Nate Berry)

: Palden Sherpa pointing out the different peaks in the distance. (Nate Berry)

: Khumjung (Nate Berry)

: Local children on their way home from school. (Nate Berry)

IMG Guides Phinjo Sherpa, Nate Berry and Palden Sherpa and their private team had a great day in and around Namche today. After breakfast they headed uphill to the Hotel Everest View for a cup of tea and to take in the views. From there they trekked over to the Hillary School in Khumjung and then over to Khunde for a tour of the hospital.Â Once back in Namche it was time to kick back and relax.

They’ve got another day based out of Namche tomorrow and the plan is to head over to Thame for lunch.Â These acclimatization hikes are setting the team up for success on their upcoming climbs of Island Peak and Mera Peak.

All is well in Namche!

Tye Chapman

Second September Kilimanjaro Team Ready To Go

September 25, 2018

The team stops for a photo at the market in Moshi. (Andy Polloczek)

IMG Senior Guide Andy Polloczek checked in from Moshi, Tanzania today reporting that his next team of Kilimanjaro climbers all arrived with their duffels, the best start to any expedition! Today was reserved for gear checks and an afternoon visit to Moshi to see the market and run a couple errands.

With all the ‘to dos’ done, the team is now back at the hotel having dinner and getting dialed in for their departure for the trailhead tomorrow morning. They’ll be in the van by 8am, and after getting checked with Kilimanjaro National Park, they should be on the trail by mid-morning. The trail tomorrow takes them through the jungle and up to Machame Camp, which sits at 10,000ft. This team is ready,

All is well in Moshi!

Tye Chapman

It’s Trekking & Climbing Season In Nepal

September 24, 2018

: On the trail betwen Lukla and Phakding. (Nate Berry)

: One of the suspension bridges between Phakding and Namche (Nate Berry)

: Clouds settling in on Namche (Nate Berry)

The autumn is trekking & climbing season in Nepal, and it’s finally here! Over the last few months we’ve been hard at work organizing all of our autumn programs, so we’re excited to kick off the season with our Private Island Peak + Mera Peak Program.

Late last Thursday the private team arrived into Kathmandu. They enjoyed a tour of the city on Friday and were were met by Ang Jangbu and IMG Guide Nate Berry on Saturday for a briefing and gear checks. Everything in order, the team flew to Lukla right on schedule on Sunday morning to begin their journey. They made good time to Phakding on Sunday, and enjoyed the trek to Namche on Monday.

The team has a couple days in Namche to explore and acclimatize for their upcoming climbs. This is a custom program that will take the team up to Chukkung for a climb of Chukkung Ri, followed by a climb of Island Peak, a trek up and over Amphu Laptsa Pass and down the Hinku Valley to climb Mera Peak. If you’re doing the math it’s a 5-6 week program. Settle in!

Tye Chapman

Ngorongoro Crater Does Not Disappoint

September 21, 2018

: The Ngorongoro Crater (Tye Chapman)

: The Team ready to see the Ngorongoro Crater (Andy Polloczek)

That’s a wrap for our current Kilimanjaro Program. They enjoyed their third day of safari inside the Ngorongoro crater. The crater is bigger than most people think. It is roughly 16km by 19km and home to almost all of the animals of the Serengeti. There are 5 prides of lions in the crater. One in each â€˜cornerâ€™ and one the in middle. There are also over 500 hyenas, 30 rhinos, several hippo pools, elephants, countless zebras, wildebeest, buffaloes, etc. Noticeably absent was the Giraffe because there are little or no acacia trees (Giraffe food) in the crater.

After enjoying the crater they made their way to the Farm House, their hotel for the night. The Farm House sits on a working coffee plantation. There is also an amazing garden where they grow all of their own fruits and vegetables for the restaurant. The team will kick back here until lunch tomorrow after which they’ll begin the long journey home. Everybody except Andy that his, he’s sticking around for another climb. The next team arrives in about 48 hours!

Tye Chapman

Rainier Climbers Still Going Strong In September

: September delivers a fresh white coat on Rainier (Austin Shannon)

: A tent with a view. (Austin Shannon)

September 20, 2018

The Rainier season is still underway with a solid route to the top and beautiful views of snow dusted Adams and Hood from camp. Teams are taking advantage of the lighter crowds and recent snowfall to squeeze every drop out of September. It’s not over ’til it’s over!

George Dunn

Campfire Under The Stars On The Serengeti

September 20, 2018

Just one of the highlights of Days 1 & 2 on safari. (Andy Polloczek)

IMG Guide Andy Polloczek checked in from the Serengeti after another incredible day on safari. The team has seen most of the big mammals already and they haven’t even been to the Ngorongoro Crater.

Day 2 on safari started out with a gourmet breakfast followed by a morning game drive. They returned to camp for lunch then ventured out for an afternoon game drive. Once back in camp they hit the showers, enjoyed a cocktail then sat down for a nice dinner. The evening was capped off with a couple hours around the campfire under the stars. Not a bad day at all!

All is well on the Serengeti!

Tye Chapman