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New Earthquake in Nepal, How Can I Help?

May 12, 2015

USGS May 12, 2015 Nepal earthquake map

USGS May 12, 2015 Nepal earthquake map

Just when I was starting to think that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, Nepal has today been rocked by another earthquake.  This one was focused to the east of Kathmandu, about halfway to Mt Everest.  Ang Jangbu, Pasang, and our staff in Kathmandu report that it was very scary, with hard shaking.  Their families are all OK, but they are again sleeping outdoors in tents, for fear of aftershocks.  Up in the Everest area there is a lot of new damage to the sherpa villages.  Phunuru reports from Phortse that many of the homes that survived the April 25 earthquake have now been destroyed and that many people are sleeping outside.  They are sending a crew up to the storeroom in Pheriche to get tents.  They may also go up to Gorak Shep tomorrow to the storeroom there to get some of our big kitchen and dining tents that are stored up there.  We have told them to take what they need.

We have been receiving donations from many people for the IMG Sherpa Fund, and so far we have raised over $40,000 which is a good start but I am confident we can do better.  Our goal is to provide direct assistance to our IMG sherpa staff who have done such a great job supporting our IMG teams.  After the first earthquake, we had identified 6 IMG sherpa families with totally destroyed homes and 9 with partially damaged homes.  Now, however, that total is going to be much, much higher.  If you would like to help, you can send a check to the address below. Please make checks payable to IMG and include a note on the memo line indicating that it is for the IMG Sherpa Fund.  We will bundle 100% of the funds we receive, and send to Ang Jangbu and Pasang to distribute to these families.

International Mountain Guides
Attn: IMG Sherpa Fund
PO BOX 246
Ashford, WA 98304

Eric Simonson

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IMG Guide Craig John Supporting Sherpa Through Fundraiser

May 8, 2015

Craig John's Fundraiser for IMG's Sherpas

Craig John’s Fundraiser for IMG’s Sherpas

On May 12 at 7:00 pm IMG Guide Craig John will be doing a multi-media presentation on Everest as a fundraiser for the Sherpa who we work with in Nepal whose homes were lost or damaged as a result of the earthquake.  The event will take place at the Freeport Community Library in Freeport, Maine.  All donations will go directly to the owners of our partner company in Kathmandu who will distribute the donations directly to the families in need.  This is another great way for folks to donate and know that money will go directly to people in need.  If you’re a New Englander, we encourage you to go!

What’s up next for Craig?  We’ll see him soon for a stint on Mt. Rainier (limited availability) this summer before he heads off to lead our September Kilimanjaro climbs (space still available).  We hope you can join Craig in the Mountains soon!

Clarissa Hughes

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Never Stop Learning

May 6, 2015

A fine looking bunch. (Photo: Brenda Hollon)
A fine looking bunch. (Photo: Brenda Hollon)
When it comes to avalanche terrain slope angle is a big piece of the puzzle. IMG guide Liam O'Sullivan uses a sighting clinometer to check slope angles. (Photo: Brenda Hollon)
When it comes to avalanche terrain slope angle is a big piece of the puzzle. IMG guide Liam O’Sullivan uses a sighting clinometer to check slope angles. (Photo: Brenda Hollon)

IMG Guide Johnny Schrock taking a look at it. Johnny making some snow temperature observations.
IMG Guide Johnny Schrock taking a look at it. Johnny making some snow temperature observations.
What's better than talking about avalanches? Seeing them live and in person. Several human triggered avalanche near Edith Creek.
What’s better than talking about avalanches? Seeing them live and in person. Several human triggered avalanche near Edith Creek.

 

One thing I love about life is that we never stop learning. There is always more to learn, new to know, skills to refine. Last week eight IMG guides and two Alpine Ascents International guides got together at IMG’s headquarters in Ashford, WA for an American Institute of Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) Level 2. This intense 40 hour course takes a look at snow, weather, and avalanche observations, and how to formulate opinions of avalanche hazard based on this information. If you’re thinking, man my head already spinning, me too. However, through the collective knowledge of the group with some facilitation by the two instructors we reached this goal.

Most avalanche education focuses on the use and interpretation of the avalanche bulletin from the local backcountry avalanche center (for us that’s the Northwest Avalanche Center) for tour planning and decision making. This makes sense. We are fortunate to have dozens of snow professionals contributing to theses avalanche forecast. However, what do you do if you are traveling in an area without a recreational avalanche forecast? In the case of our guide staff, the majority of our trips occur in areas or in times of the year where the backcountry avalanche forecast is unavailable. Therefore we wanted to develop and practice a higher level of skill.

We began our course building a solid foundation of understanding mountain weather, how it builds the mountain snowpack, what factors strengthen/weaken the snowpack, and how this manifest itself in avalanche terrain as distinct avalanche problems. Once you’ve identified the beast you’re dealing with, now we can plan accordingly. So, now it’s time to build solid trip plans complete with intentional observations of the weather and snow to add to our understanding of the current state of the snowpack.

The final step is the hardest, climb or ski like you mean it. Yep, that’s it. Once you’ve done the work to get informed, plan according to the information, the only thing left is to go out there and have fun. As you can imagine for a group of guides training together in the mountains, this is our favorite part. So, when you see some smiles in the pictures, that’s just us hard at work training.

Dallas Glass

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Guide Training 2015

May, 4 2015

Rescue training on Mt. Rainier.
Rescue training on Mt. Rainier.
Guide Training 2015
Guide Training 2015
Rescue training on Mt. Rainier.
Rescue training on Mt. Rainier.

 

IMG conducted its annual spring guide training over the May 2 and 3 weekend.

26 guides showed up for the weekend and it was a great event in part due to the excellent weather. This made for a pleasant barbecue on Saturday night and skills training up at Paradise on Sunday.

Our guides are offered three major training sessions each year, in early May on Rainier, in October for rock rescue training in Leavenworth, WA, and in January for ice training in Ouray CO.

In addition to this, we offer ongoing instruction through the summer months at our headquarters in Ashford WA, combined training with the other guide services and the National Park Service on Mt. Rainier and other impromptu training events. Training never ends for an IMG guide.

George Dunn

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How Can I Help In Nepal?

May 1, 2015

Andy and the guys helping out where they can. (Photo Justin Merle)
Andy and the guys helping out where they can. (Photo Justin Merle)
IMG climbers helping to bring down the main beam on Palden Sherpa's house damaged in the earthquake. (Photo Max Bunce)
IMG climbers helping to bring down the main beam on Palden Sherpa’s house damaged in the earthquake. (Photo Max Bunce)

 

Many of you have asked “How can we help in Nepal?”  We appreciate your concern.  There are a lot of good charities doing fine work over there, so that is certainly an option for you to consider.

A lot of homes in the Khumbu area have been destroyed, including those belonging to some of our IMG sherpa families.  Our IMG team members are currently helping out in Phortse, where many of our sherpa team live.  We intend to help support the IMG sherpas who have done such a great job supporting our IMG teams on the mountain, by providing money and support for specific projects.  This is charity work on small scale, local and accountable. If you would like to assist, please send a check made payable to IMG and include a note on the memo line indicating that it is for the IMG Sherpa Fund.

We will bundle 100% of the funds we receive, and send them all to Ang Jangbu to distribute to these families.

International Mountain Guides
Attn: IMG Sherpa Fund
PO BOX 246
Ashford, WA 98304

 

Eric Simonson

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Mt. Bona Team Makes The Right Call

April 30, 2015

The upper mountain in a lenticular cloud. (Photo Tom Allred)

The upper mountain in a lenticular cloud. (Photo Tom Allred)

Lead Guide Austin Shannon called in this morning from high camp on Mt. Bona. All day yesterday, the team sat out high winds that transported a lot of snow, making avalanche conditions a growing concern on the mountain. The guides calculated the risk of going for the summit, and determined it was not a risk the team could take. Instead, the group will descend today to the landing site. If they are able to make it down by this evening, they could be picked up by the bush pilot as early as tomorrow morning.

Of course, their pickup will be determined by the weather, mountain conditions and the pilot’s ability to fly in safely.

I’m proud of the team for making the right call.

George Dunn

Update, 9pm PDT
Austin called in just a minute ago. They got down to the pickup site on the lower Russell Glacier about 5pm this evening, and bush pilot extraordinaire Paul Claus decided to fly in and pick the team up this evening due to more approaching bad weather. So the team is now camping at the McCarthy airstrip where Paul dropped them off for the night. He will pick them up at 9am in the morning tomorrow and fly the team to Chitina. They’ll then be on their way to Anchorage tomorrow afternoon. What a quick, sudden exodus from the mountain!

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Mt. Bona Team Moved Up To High Camp

April 28, 2015

The upper slopes of Mt. Bona, looking down towards high camp in the saddle at 12,200’. Photo Tom Allred

The upper slopes of Mt. Bona, looking down towards high camp in the saddle at 12,200’. Photo Tom Allred

IMG guide Austin Shannon called in from high camp on Mt. Bona at 12,200 feet this afternoon at 3:30 pm Alaska Time. The team moved up to high camp today and were in the process of setting up camp. The weather was fair, with decent visibility and light snow during the day. All of the team is doing well and Austin reports that they are going to look for a favorable summit day starting tomorrow and will go for the summit on the first good day that presents itself. Austin wants to give the team the best options for summiting and they are in a very good position to do so right now.

Now they’ll wait to see what the mountain decides to give them in the way of weather.

George Dunn

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Mt. Bona Team Moves Up The Mountain

April 27, 2015

High camp at 12,000+ feet on the Russell Glacier. (Photo: Tom Allred)

High camp at 12,000+ feet on the Russell Glacier. (Photo: Tom Allred)

IMG lead guide Austin Shannon reported in from Mt. Bona over the weekend and again this morning.  Here is a recap:

  • On Saturday the 25th the team called in after a carry to the site of Camp 1 at 10,300 feet.  Austin reported that it was cold at night, as low as -15F, but beautiful and warm during the day’s carry.
  • On Sunday the 26th the team called in at 3:30 pm their time, having moved up and just finished setting up Camp 1.  Their intention was to make a carry to camp 2 at 12,200 feet tomorrow (Monday).
  • This morning, Monday the 27th, Austin called to check in and reported it was snowing in camp today.  They will take a rest day today, then try for a carry tomorrow to Camp 2 when the weather improves.  The weather forecast looks better for tomorrow, so we’ll wish them luck!

Austin says the entire team is climbing well and feeling good and all are motivated.  Sounds like the perfect recipe for success.

George Dunn

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Mt. Bona Team Sitting Pretty On The Russell Glacier

April 23, 2015

Need a lift?
Need a lift?
First few team members on their way.
First membersFirst few team members on their way. on their way.
Alaska is flat out awesome!
Alaska is flat out awesome!

IMG Lead Guide Austin Shannon called in from 7200ft on the Russell Glacier on Mt. Bona. All went seamlessly today with the flight in, the landing and making of camp. All that’s left to do is have some dinner and a crevasse rescue refresher. Weather is warm with a light breeze, just about perfect.

Tomorrow they’ll pack-up and start making their way up the glacier.

Tye Chapman

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Denali Preppers At Camp Muir

April 22, 2015

Good morning sunshine. It looks like they could almost touch Little Tahoma. (Peter Adams)
Good morning sunshine. It looks like they could almost touch Little Tahoma. (Peter Adams)
A look back down at the Ingraham Flats. (Peter Adams)
A look back down at the Ingraham Flats. (Peter Adams)

Our last Denali Prep Seminar of the season is having a blast up at Camp Muir. The team started out here at IMG on Saturday for a gear check then enjoyed a beaut of a day making their way to their first camp near McClure Rock. They utilized another great day on Monday to get up to Camp Muir. Yesterday was spent scouting the upper mountain – they went up to the the Ingraham Flats, took a good break there for sunrise, then cruised up the Ingraham Glacier up to about 12,000ft before they turned around.

Today & tomorrow they’ll be working on crevasse rescue training saving Friday as their downhill day.

All is well on Mt. Rainier!

Tye Chapman

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