Mongolia Team Back In Bayan Olgii

August 10, 2018

: Pano looking down towards High Camp (Ang Jangbu Sherpa)

: Reaching the summit of Malchin (Ang Jangbu Sherpa)

: Climbing on Khuiten (Ang Jangbu Sherpa)

: Climbing on Khuiten (Ang Jangbu Sherpa)

The IMG Team had a great trek down to the White River Trailhead.Â After one last night sleeping in tents by the river, the team loaded up the Russian Vans and made their way back to Bayan Olgii.Â It is a good day traveling by van with many things to look at along the way.Â The scenery is fantastic, and the trip does not seem long at all.Â It is amazing to think about the local nomadic people who live in their Gers and move around this giant country throughout the year.

Ang Jangbu was able to get a few great photos out to us from the team climbing 3 peaks during this trip.Â They will be up early and, on the flight, back to Ulaanbaatar.Â Time to celebrate!

Climb in Mongolia in 2019!

Greg Vernovage

Barranco Camp –> Barranco Wall –> Karanga Camp

August 10, 2018

Karanga Camp (3995m / 13,100ft)

Phunuru kept it pretty simple with today’s check-in from Karanga Camp (3995m / 13,100ft) on Kilimanjaro.

“All is well. Good weather today. We had fun climbing the Barranco Wall and enjoyed about an hour break at the top of the wall, then we made our way to camp where we had a nice lunch. We relaxed in the afternoon and had a great dinner. Tomorrow we’ll hit the trail at about 8:30am to head to High Camp (Barafu Camp).”

The team is right on schedule for their summit attempt on the morning of Sunday, August 12th (Tanzania time/date).

Tye Chapman

Lunch On Top Of The Lava Tower

August 9, 2018

: Lava Tower Camp (Phunuru Sherpa)

: Lunch on top of the Lava Tower (Phunuru Sherpa)

: The view from the top of the Lava Tower (Phunuru Sherpa)

Phunuru checked in this morning (his evening) reporting that all continues to go well with his private climb on Kilimanjaro! The trail took them to the Lava Tower for lunch today. Most teams find a nice spot in the sun near the base of the Lava Tower to enjoy lunch. Some teams (not IMG) opt to camp there… Phunuru and his team had other plans. They climbed to the top and enjoyed lunch with a view!

After lunch they descended down to Barranco Camp where they enjoyed a nice dinner. Tomorrow they’ll climb the iconic Barranco Wall as they make their way to Karanga Camp.

Tye Chapman

Glacier Skills Seminar On Mt. Rainier

August 8, 2018

: Rope Travel On The Paradise Glacier (Anna Hicks)

: Building Anchors (Anna Hicks)

: You look… no, you look! (Anna Hicks)

: Found them! (Anna Hicks)

August is a great time for training on the glaciers of Mt. Rainier. Our Glacier Skills team led by Anna Hicks spent the day learning crevasse rescue on the Paradise Glacier.

George Dunn

Kili Team Enjoying Views At Shira Camp

August 8, 2018

: Shira Camp (Phunuru Sherpa)

: Nice spot for a break! (Phunuru Sherpa)

Another great day on the trail today is what Phunuru said when he checked in this morning.Â They enjoyed some cloud cover which kept things reasonably cool today.Â Clouds typically build up throughout the day and then dissipate in the evening, hopefully giving the team some nice views of the mountain after dinner.

Tomorrow they’ll head up to the Lava Tower (14,500ft.) for lunch before dropping down to Barranco Camp (13,000ft.) for the night. They’ll be breathing hard as they get to the Lava Tower, but it’s phenomenal acclimatization for their bodies.

All is well at Shira Camp on Kilimanjaro!

Tye Chapman

That’s A Wrap For Elbrus 2018

August 8, 2018

: One step at a time. (Sasha Sak)

: Almost there! (Sasha Sak)

: Keep climbing! (Sasha Sak)

: Above the clouds on Elbrus. (Sasha Sak)

Everyoneâ€™s down, safe and sound, from their highly successful climb.Â As a custom trip, the team has total flexibility and theyâ€™re considering the options.Â Maybe another day in the valley?Â Maybe head to St. Petersburg early and start playing tourist?Â Bottom line, they got the job done and now itâ€™s time to enjoy the rest of their time in Russia, see everything time allows and to reflect on a job well done.

Weâ€™ll call it â€˜goodâ€™ with our blog posting.Â And, weâ€™ll end it with a few incredible photos from Sasha Sak, our lead guide currently in Russia.Â Having the right team members, the right game plan and the right leadership makes for some very good outcomes.Â Two trips this season and both trips saw all members standing on top and, more importantly, without a scratch.

Time to sign up now for next seasonâ€™s trips.Â See you in Russia.

Phil Ershler

Mongolia Team Summits Third Peak, Mt. Malchin

August 8, 2018

Mount Malchin from the summit of Mount Khuiten (Greg Vernovage)

Eric and Jangbu checked in overnight to let us know that the Team reached the summit of Mount Malchin.Â Since the weather was so good at High Camp, the team did not need their contingency day for Mount Khuiten. So instead of heading home, the team decided to use their extra day and head up Mount Malchin. When in Rome…

We sent the weather over which called for a nice morning and rain in the afternoon.Â This is the message we received back from Eric: â€œWx spot on.Â Left early. Summited Malchin and back to BC just in time.Â Raining HARD now. Like a monsoon!â€

The weather is clearing up and the team will head down valley to White River Campground and the Park Entrance tomorrow.

What a trip!

Greg Vernovage

Kilimanjaro Team At Machame Camp

August 7, 2018

: The starting point for the climb. (Phunuru Sherpa)

: A peak-a-boo view from Machame Camp. (Phunuru Sherpa)

IMG Guide Phunuru Sherpa checked in from Machame Camp (10,000ft.) on Kilimanjaro. It was an absolutely perfect day on the trail.Â They were the first team through the Machame Gate and the first team into camp. The time in the jungle was a nice contrast to the views they enjoyed once they got to camp. They enjoyed a nice dinner and hit the sack pretty early so they could get a head start on their trek to Shira Camp tomorrow.

All is well on Kilimanjaro!

Tye Chapman

Bolivia Team Summits Illimani

August 7, 2018

A couple team members summiting Illimani. (Luke Reilly)

The team just checked in from Illimani Base Camp after a successful summit day.Â The climb of Illimani is tough, there is no question about it.Â From High Camp, the route heads up a steep ridge for about 45 minutes before the team can find a rest area.Â From here, the route rolls up and down towards the Illimani headwall.Â The headwall, before the summit ridge, is steep and requires good footwork and attention to ice axe placement.Â All of this is done on the west side of the mountain and the sun does not warm you up until the summit ridge.Â The payoff is huge!Â After hitting the summit ridge, the team can drink, eat and warm up with the morning sun.Â A short time later, the team is on the beautiful summit of Illimani (21,200 ft)!

What a great day of climbing for the team!

Greg Vernovage

Elbrus Team Summits

August 7, 2018

: Summit selfie!

: A four legged friend joined the team on the climb.

: All smiles on the summit!

After all these years, itâ€™s still fun to be able to write a post saying â€œAll members reached the summit and are on their way down safelyâ€.Â Never gets old.

Our custom Elbrus team, with one father and his son, and a mother and her son, under the leadership of IMG Guide, Sasha Sak, reached the summit early this morning.Â As Sasha reported â€“ â€˜a little windy but otherwise fineâ€™.

Team is on their way down now.Â Theyâ€™ll spend the night in the hut and then make their way back to the Valley in the morning.Â A big congratulations is due everyone.Â Just a great job all the way around.,

Phil Ershler