May 6, 2013
The Market of Pisac (Tye Chapman)
IMG guide Chris Meder called to check in at 4:30 pm PDT on Monday May 6. The group arrived at their hotel in the Sacred Valley an hour ago. They are settling in and preparing for dinner shortly.
They had a full day sightseeing today, and are preparing for an early departure from the hotel tomorrow morning for the start of the trek. Tomorrow will be a full day of walking in which the team will cover about 8 miles.
George Dunn
May 5, 4:50pm PDT
Machu Picchu Team Photo (Chris Meder)
IMG guide Chris Meder checked in from Cusco on a private Machu Picchu trek. Here’s what he had to say:
“The group has all arrived in Cusco in great shape with all bags. We spent the afternoon touring some of the sites in town and had a nice lunch al fresco (photo). A big dinner is on tap next.”
Today the group will tour the Sacred Valley with visits of archaeological sites and the famous Pisak Market.
George Dunn
May 2, 2013
Team in the Cathedral Gap yesterday. (Austin Shannon)
Austin called in yesterday afternoon with a no-go report on the snow conditions on the upper mountain. They poked around but given the conditions and the warming trend in the weather they opted to hang tight last night and not climb.
Tough call but when the mountain tells you no, it’s best to listen.
Today they worked on some fixed lines, learned about anchor building, and dug a snow cave. Not a bad alternative!
Tye Chapman
May 1, 2013
Camp Muir Panorama May 1, 2013 (Austin Shannon)
IMG Guide Austin Shannon called in from Camp Muir this morning to report great conditions – cold and clear.
After a long day on the snowfield yesterday they’ll take it relatively easy today. Their plan today is to head up to the flats for an exploratory mission to scope things out. Once they’ve had a chance to evaluate the terrain they’ll head back to Camp Muir for the night to determine their next steps.
That’s all for now…
Tye Chapman
April 27, 2013
The all important gear check!
Our last Denali Prep Seminar of the winter checked into day. Their first objective is to go through their gear and hopefully lighten up a little. After a thorough checking of their personal gear they’ll jump into the group gear (tents, food, stoves, fuel, shovels, etc.) eventually dividing up the loads between their packs and the sleds.
Tomorrow, they’ll hop in the vans and drive up to Paradise and onto Camp 1, near Panorama Point. It’s not a huge day but an important one. They’ll spend a good amount of time tomorrow afternoon learning how to set up a Denali style camp. From there, they’ll make their way up the mountain as the weather allows with their next big objective being Camp Muir.
The forecast calls for cold and wet for the next couple days but it should trend better later in the week.
Tye Chapman
April 24, 2013
If you’ve spent any time in the Puget Sound area you know that the day can often be defined by if Mt. Rainier is out or not… Well, everybody in the area is thrilled today – she’s out and in great form.
Our advice: Mental Health 1/2 day! Get outside and go play.
Rainier Webcam. (Source: Mt. Rainier National Park)
Tye Chapman
April 19, 2013
…but when we do, we go big!
Ang Jangbu Sherpa shot this little video of the crew singing Happy Birthday to IMG Guide Jenni Fogle in the dining tent at Everest Base Camp! Click here for more on the 2013 Everest Expedition.
Happy Birthday Jenni!
Tye Chapman
April 16, 2013
On the move to Muir (Scott Bjorlo)
Lead guide Chris Meder called in this morning at 8:45 a.m. The team was hiking up Panorama Point at around 7,000 feet in elevation, already on their way to Camp Muir at 10,000 feet. They will likely reach Muir by 3pm.
The team spent yesterday training out of a campsite near 6,500 feet and planned to move up today to take advantage of a very good weather day for travel.  Upon their arrival at Muir, they’ll spend the next two days training, based out of the Muir hut, and make a day trip higher up the mountain if conditions permit. The group will descend back to Paradise on Friday. What a great expedition training environment. Mt. Rainier in the spring is excellent training for high, cold weather expeditions like Denali and Aconcagua.
George Dunn
April 12, 2013
For most guided climbs you don’t need to know how to tie any knots, but as you progress as a climber this will change. Plus, if you enjoy climbing you’re probably a bit of a geek about this stuff like we are.
Animated Knots By Grog provides some great step by step instructions for a lot of the classic climbing knots.
Grab a 6 foot section of rope and get started with some of the more common knots used in the mountains like the Figure 8 (follow-through and on a bight), the butterfly, the clove hitch, the prussik, the double fisherman’s, the overhand, etc.
Have fun!
April 10, 2013
Emily at Tiger's Nest Monastery
As an ER doc (and IMG Senior Guide), I had the opportunity last fall to help train Bhutanese doctors in Emergency Medicine. I actually spent the month of November in Thimpu, Bhutan’s capital and location of their largest hospital. Phil was just finishing up a trek in Bhutan and we literally missed each other by about an hour. He’s been running trips to this tiny, mysterious, democratic, Buddhist, Himalayan kingdom for about a decade. We shared a quick phone conversation rather than a face to face but he told me that he’d be leading a trek to Sikkim in October 2013 and wanted to know if I had any interest in going back to Bhutan to lead IMG’s October2013 trip.  Are you kidding?  I can’t wait to get back!
My month in Bhutan last fall was spent largely meeting as many people as possible, making some incredible friends and working with the dedicated physicians and care givers at the Thimpu Hospital. However, there simply wasn’t enough time to explore the mountains of this kingdom known for its incredible natural beauty and commitment to “Gross National Happinessâ€.
I did meet IMG’s partner in Bhutan, Dendup, and Phil’s lead Bhutanese guide, Ugyen. They’ll be great hosts when we return this October. There’s still time to be part of the team. And for those who still need more inspiration, check out this amazing blog from Mark Ursino, longtime IMG climber, who was with Phil last year. The photos alone should provide inspiration enough.
Join me as we visit with old friends, explore Bhutan’s alpine terrain along the Tibetan border and take in the unique culture of this truly one-of-a-kind country.
Emily
