Bolivia Team Heading To Illimani High Camp

August 6, 2018

Illimani Base Camp with the summit in the upper left side of the picture (Greg Vernovage)

IMG Senior Guide Adam Clark checked in to let us know that the Bolivia Team is feeling good and will head to High Camp today. Â Illimani received some snow during the teamâ€™s rest day in La Paz but the weather was clearing up when they made their way to Base Camp on Illimani.Â Base Camp on Illimani is one of my favorite camps.Â We camp near a beautiful flowing river and can see Huayna Potosi to our North and at night, the lights of La Paz.Â Behind Base Camp, Illimani towers above.

Have a great climb of Illimani!

Greg Vernovage

Mongolia Team Summits Mt. Khuiten

August 6, 2018

Climbing towards Mount Khuiten (Charlotte Austin)

The IMG Mongolia Team, led by Eric Simonson and Ang Jangbu Sherpa, checked in last night to report that they reached the summit of Mount Khuiten with 100% on top!Â The team did some trail breaking on their way across the glacier and then had nice climbing with good snow up the slopes to the summit.

They returned to High Camp and will be climbing Peak Nairandal when they wake up.Â The weather is looks good.Â Eric mentioned that the clouds are â€œwildâ€ in Mongolia.Â That is a pretty accurate word considering the landscape and how remote they are for these climbs.

Great climbing in Mongolia!

Greg Vernovage

Elbrus Team at the Hut

August 5, 2018

Team is growing (Sasha Sak)

Uneventful trip to the hut on Elbrus today.Â Another acclimatization hike followed getting settled into the hut.Â You canâ€™t rush acclimatization so one final hike follows tomorrow.Â Then itâ€™s time.Â Trick is to be ready when the weather and the mountain say itâ€™s time to go.

Getting close now.

Phil Ershler

All Is Well In Mongolia & Bolivia

August 4, 2018

: Sunrise on the Huayna Potosi (Giorgio Zannini)

: Horses on the Potaniin Glacier (Charlotte Austin)

A quick update for the weekend… Our Mongolia team is at Base Camp today.Â The team is organizing gear and doing some training on the lower Potaniin Glacier.Â The plan is to move to High Camp tomorrow and put themselves in position to summit Peak Nairandal and Mount Khuiten.

In Bolivia, the team is taking a rest day in La Paz before heading out for Illimani in the morning.Â A little bit of laundry, a nap and some good food is in order for the team.

Greg Vernovage

Elbrus Team Acclimating

August 4, 2018

: Doesnâ€™t look too cold (Sasha Sak)

: Good crampon review (Sasha Sak)

Second day of acclimatization and training on the lower slopes of Elbrus.Â A little bit of everything, weather-wise, today.Â Rain, fog, hail and sun.

Back at the hotel in the valley for tonight.Â Tomorrowâ€™s the move up to the hut.Â At least two nights there prior to taking a shot at the top.Â A little nice weather soon would be nice.

Phil Ershler

IMG’s Second Elbrus team is on the Move

August 3, 2018

Acclimatization Hike (Sasha Sak)

Our second team for the season is in the Baksan Valley, Russia now, preparing for their Mt. Elbrus climb.Â This is a custom climb comprised of a mother/son team and a father/son team.Â After training with IMG in the Northeast this winter, they set sights on Elbrus this month.Â Andâ€¦so far, so good.Â The team went in through Moscow and will be heading out at tripâ€™s end through St. Petersburg.Â Leading their climb is one of our Russian guides, Alexandra ‘Sasha’ Sak.Â Besides being a strong, competent mountaineer and guide, Sasha trained as an interpreter so her English skills are excellent. She lives in the Baksan Valley during the season and knows everyone in town.

After some sightseeing in Moscow, the group met Sasha in Mineralnye Vody for the ride up to the village of Terskol.Â Now the acclimatization process begins.Â A little for their hike to the Observatory but thatâ€™s OK, just means theyâ€™ll have good weather for the summit attempt.

Phil Ershler

Bolivia Team Back In La Paz

August 3, 2018

The road to Illimani (Greg Vernovage)

Our Bolivia Team is back in La Paz after a successful climb of Huayna Potosi.Â The team will enjoy a celebration dinner tonight. Tomorrow, some of the team will head home, while others will do some laundry and rest up for a third big climb in Illimani.

All is well in Bolivia!

Greg Vernovage

Check The Big 5 Off The Safari List

August 3, 2018

All cleaned up and having some fun after an amazing safari! (Phunuru Sherpa)

Phunuru Sherpa checked in from the Farm House, our post-safari luxury accommodations, saying that the team had phenomenal time in the Ngorongoro Crater today.

They saw the Big 5 (Rhino, Lion, Leopard, Cape Buffalo & Elephant) and countless other animals on their 3 day safari.Â It all wraps up tomorrow after lunch when they head back to Arusha and go their separate ways…except for Phunuru, who will stay in Tanzania for one more climb of Kilimanjaro!

All is well in Tanzania!

Tye

Olympus Team Back At Trailhead

August 3, 2018

: Going up! (Anna Hicks)

: A picture perfect day on Mt. Olympus (Anna Hicks)

: All is well on Olympus (Anna Hicks)

: Olympus Summit (Anna Hicks)

Olympus is in the books for lead guide, Anna Hicks, and her team! They reached the summit yesterday in “glorious weather!” and spent an incredible night camped by the river, roasting marshmallows for s’mores over the fire (their second of two such nights!). It sounds like they earned it after a summit day that included a two hour adventure scouting and negotiating a sizable, uncooperative bergschrund. It did serve to make the rock pitch at the top all the sweeter. They are safely back at the trailhead and on their way home.

George Dunn

Mongolia Team Moves Up To Base Camp

August 3, 2018

: Heading towards Altai Mountains (Ang Jangbu Sherpa)

: Russian Van Pit Stop (Ang Jangbu Sherpa)

: Petting camels. (Charlotte Austin)

IMG Partner Eric Simonson checked in from Mount Khuiten Base Camp this morning. â€œNice day, great views, excellent hike!â€ is what came across in the text message from Eric.Â The team made it to the park entrance and had a nice night by the river.Â Up early to pack-up camp and get ready for the day.Â The beginning of the hike is up the road and more about how many animals you see than the terrain.Â The team enjoys the company of yaks, sheep, goats, golden eagles, horses and of course, the Bactrian 2 humped camel hauling gear.

After 2 hours of trekking and a stream crossing, the team arrives at the top of the hill.Â This is the first great view of the mountain range and Mount Khuiten.

Tomorrow, the team will organize gear, rig harnesses and do some training on the lower Potaniin Glacier.

All is well in Mongolia!

Greg Vernovage