It’s Still Winter on Rainier

April 5, 2017

: Fortifying Camp with Snow Walls (Justin Merle)

: Expedition Camp on the Muir Snowfield (Justin Merle)

: Windy day in Camp (Justin Merle)

IMG Senior Guide Justin Merle and the last Denali Prep Seminar team are enjoying changing weather and perfect training conditions on Mount Rainier. The team had a great day of sun on Monday and moved to a second camp higher on the Muir Snowfield. Tuesday brought wind, snow, and a return to winter for the team. Today the adverse weather continues and the team will practice breaking down camp and moving to lower elevation to continue their course. Learning to maintain a high quality camp and function well in variable conditions is what this seminar is all about, this team will be well prepared for whatever their next objective is!

Robert Jantzen

Tough Day On Mt. Whitney

April 4, 2017

: Mt. Whitney on the right (Photo by George Dunn)

: Stormy weather at high camp. (Photo by Jeremy Dunn)

I participated in the March 25-28 Mt Whitney climb last week. I have been attending two of the Whitney climbs each year since 1997. It is a fun climb, with the perfect mix of sunny weather, pleasant drive (across the desert if you like), great place to stay in the old movie town of Lone Pine. Our team hiked up the first two days to Lower Boy Scout Lake and then on to high camp just below 12,000 feet with no issues. The heavy snowfall last winter made for excellent snow travel with easy hiking straight up the route on firm snow.

We had a fun, congenial group and I was reminded why I have continued to do this climb for so many years. This year was an especially memorable trip for me, as I was joined by my son Jeremy who goes to school in California. We tried last year and got stormed off, so this was to be the big year!

Needless to say, we woke up pre-dawn on summit day to raging winds and snow. I could barely stand to face the wind outside our tent. The guides delayed, then reviewed conditions and finally had to pull the plug on making a summit attempt. Their call was the correct one, and no one doubted the sense in turning back. The climbs before and immediately after ours were also turned back by a combination of new snowfall and very strong winds on the upper mountain. It is rare for us to miss three climbs in a row on Whitney. No more than one turn around out of five is more common for the Eastern Sierra.

I just heard that our April 1-4 climb was able to summit. Theyâ€™ll be down today to celebrate their success. We have one final climb to go April 6-9. Good luck to them!

George Dunn

Pencil In Odell’s Gully On Mt. Washington Next Winter

April 4, 2017

: Katie S. clmbing Odell’s Gully. (Photo by Crag John)

: Matt Z. climbing Odell’s Gully. (Photo by Craig John)

IMG lead guide Craig John recently sent these photos on of Matt Z. and Kate S. climbing Odellâ€™s Gulley on Mt. Washington with him in March of this year. Classic conditions on an esthetic route.

The winter climbing is winding down now in New Hampshire and the guides are looking ahead to other climbs in distant areas. On to the next challenge!

George Dun

2017 Everest Expedition Underway

Things are really starting to pick up in Nepal. The first wave of Everest guides, climbers and trekkers are arriving in Kathmandu today. IMG Expedition Leader Greg Vernovage and IMG Guide Dallas Glass arrived earlier this morning (Pacific Standard Time)â€¦with all of their duffels. Always a great way to start an expedition. Â Their primary objective is to get to bed to start the process of getting their internal clocks on the right time zone! Kathmandu is +12hrs 45min from local time here in Washington State, so itâ€™s an adjustment to say the least!

Over the weekend theyâ€™ll take care of some logistical odds and ends and jump into gear checks as additional climbers & trekkers arrive. If all goes as planned Team 1 will fly from Kathmandu to Lukla on Monday to start their trek to Everest Base Camp.

For full 2017 Everest Expedition Coverage click here.

Tye Chapman

New England Ice Still Hanging In There

March 22, 2017

: Pinnacle Gully on Mt. W (Matt Shove)

: Pinnacle Gully on Mt. Washington (Matt Shove)

Guide Matt Shove lead repeat customers Tim and Gina P. on a climb of Pinnacle Gulley on Mt. Washington early this week. Conditions were great for the climb and a good time was had by all! The New England climbs are winding down, weâ€™ll likely be done with ice climbing by the end of this month with some options remaining including spring (but really still winter) ascents of Mt. Washington and good options for training.

George Dunn

Ideal Denali Training Conditions

March 21, 2017

Perfect Training Conditions

As spring comes in at lower elevations, winter remains up high on Mt. Rainier. Lead guide Nickel Wood and our Denali Prep Seminar are having perfect weather to train for Denali. By that of course we mean cold temps, a bit of wind and of course great Pacific Northwest snow!

As the weather moves through, the team is getting a great chance to practice expedition skills in conditions like what they’ll experience in the greater ranges. They’re focusing on sled hauling, camp construction and maintenance as well as crevasse rescue and rope skills. Exactly the type of training you want before heading to Denali or any high altitude peak!

Robert Jantzen

Training For Everest In New England

March 10, 2017

“Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.” – Vince Lombardi

Lead guide Craig John spent a second weekend with Justin C. doing some final training for the upcoming Everest expedition. Here you see Justin working on fixed rope technique on moderate angle ice. Just like it will be heading up the fixed ropes on the Lhotse Face! Mt Washington and the ice climbs in New Hampshire are great training grounds for Everest or any big mountain expedition.

George Dunn

Denali Prep Team Working Hard On Mount Rainier

March 3, 2017

: Team Hauling Sleds on the Lower Slopes of Mount Rainier (Photo: Rikki Dunn)

: Avalanche Beacon Work (Photo: Anna Hicks)

It’s been a great week of training here on Mount Rainier with the Denali Prep Seminar! We have three guides (Charlotte, Rikki, and Anna) and five team members (who have come from around the world.) There’s been lots of precipitation, but we’ve been making the most of the snowy winter conditions to get our team totally dialed for all their future endeavors.

Highlights of the week: lots of skills training, an expedition-style winter camp on the Muir Snowfield, some fun avalanche/beacon/transceiver exercises, lots of rope work, and some delicious breakfast burritos with hash browns and bacon.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: there’s a reason that Mount Rainier is one of the best alpine training areas to test your skills before heading to bigger objectives. Winter mountaineering isn’t easy, but these conditions get your skills up and running faster than just about anywhere else in the world.

Charlotte Austin

Lots of Wildlife on Safari

March 3, 2017

: Sunset on Kilimanjaro and Mawenzi from near the JRO airport (Eric Simonson)

: Zebra and Wildebeest in Ngorongoro Crater (Dustin Balderach)

: Last night with a fun crew! (Emily Johnston)

We heard from IMG senior guide Emily Johnston that the team had another great day of game viewing on their final day of the safari. Â They left the Serengeti in the morning, visited Olduvai Gorge along the way, and then made their way to Ngorongoro Crater for an afternoon game drive. Itâ€™s hard to put Ngorongoro Crater into words.Â In a nutshell, it is a large volcanic caldera which is chock full of nearly every type of big game that East Africa is known for. Â This makes it super interesting both from an animal density viewpoint as well as a geological viewpoint, and you always see something different and unique here. To top it off, there is a seasonal lake in the middle of the Crater which is often filled with thousands of flamingos. Â The day wrapped up for the team at their luxurious safari lodge, just outside the Crater and surrounded by coffee plantations.

Tomorrow the team will take a relaxed morning to enjoy the safari lodge and grounds, before they head back to Arusha, no doubt stopping for some souvenir shopping en route. Â After picking up their duffels of smelly Kili gear and doing a quick repack, the team will grab a late lunch and then continue on to the airport for their evening flights home. This has been another incredibly fun trip to follow. 100% of the team stood on the Roof of Africa and then they spent 3 days on safari seeing untold amounts of wildlife. Â As the long rainy season sets in over in Tanzania we take a break from Kili, but come June when the rains stop, weâ€™ll be at it again. Â We hope you can follow along on our summer and fall Kilimanjaro programs!

Dustin Balderach

100% is a nice number

March 3, 2017

Orizaba crater

100% is a nice number.Â Josh just called in from Mexico.Â Very nice climb this morning on Pico de Orizaba with all members and guides on the summit.Â Team was strong, climbing conditions were good and the weather cooperated.Â Team is already back at the hut and packed up.Â Theyâ€™re loading the truck now for their return to the village of Tlachichuca, to waiting hot showers, cold drinks and a warm dinner.Â Life is good in Mexicoâ€¦.literally and figuratively.

Phil Ershler