September 23, 2012
Manaslu Base Camp (Phunuru Sherpa)
IMG leader Mike Hamill reports that the team has now descended from Camp 2 to Base Camp.  Sounds like it was starting to get windy up high, this morning, with blowing snow.
Now that the team is all down, we will discuss their options, and make a final decision about the expedition plans.
Eric Simonson
September 23, 2012
IMG leader Mike Hamill made it back to Camp 2 and rejoined the IMG Team, after helping with the response to the avalanche at Camp 3. The IMG team is all doing well at Camp 2 and will spend another night there. Their plan is to descend to Base Camp in the morning, so we’ll have more info after they get down.
This is a very sad accident, apparently caused by a random act of nature. When a serac (a big ice block) falls on a slope, it will cause the snow to be dislodged.
Our thoughts and prayers go to the climbers and families.
Eric Simonson
September 22, 2012
IMG Manaslu leader Mike Hamill reports that about 4:30am (local time) a serac fell triggering a slide that hit Camp 3. The IMG team is at Camp 2 and they are all safe and sound. Mike and several other guides are now responding to Camp 3 to assist.   We’ll be waiting for more info.
Eric Simonson
September 22, 2012
From: Chris Meder
Sent: Saturday, September 22, 2012 11:43 PM
To: Phil Ershler; Eric Simonson
Subject:Â Having a blast
Phil, Eric,
The gang on the crater rim.
We had a great day yesterday in Ngorongoro crater, seeing lots of animals including the Big Five, hippos, wildebeest, and a lesser known cat, the serival. The cooks prepared us another fantastic meal of local lamb last night, giving us a nice send off. This morning we stopped for a view of Ngorongoro crater on the drive back to Arusha – an amazing site! The group flies home tonight.  Everyone is sad to leave but looking forward to getting home.
Chris Meder
September 22, 2012
IMG climbers between Camp 1 and 2 (Mike Hamill)
Mike just called from Camp 2 to report that they pulled into camp between 11:00-11.30AM and that the team is doing well and the route conditions were good. Â He estimates that 150 people have now been up and down this section now, so it is well kicked-in. Â Sherpas carried oxygen from Base Camp to Camp I this morning and then carried member personal gear from Camp I to Camp 2 and dropped back down to base camp after setting up the tents at Camp 2.
Sherpas will take a rest day tomorrow and go up the next day. Mike and the climbers plan to tag Camp 3 and then descent for a second night at Camp 2 tomorrow. Then, they will see how everyone is feeling, weather, etc and make a plan whether to go up and spend a night at Camp 3 or drop down to Base Camp the following day. Mike also said the route is now open to Camp 3 and he thinks there were at least 40 people between Camp 2 and 3 today.   No one has been to Camp 4 yet.
Eric Simonson
September 21, 2012
Zebra Stampede (Eben Reckord)
The Kili team checked in this morning, evening their time. Safari overload! All we got from them was that everyone’s feeling super after their summit success and that “we saw just about every animal between Serengeti and Ngorongoro today and the group is loving it.â€Â Guess that’s really all we need to know.
The next team is flying to Tanzania today.
Phil Ershler
September 20, 2012
Climbers on the way to Camp 1 on Manaslu. (Mike Hamill)
IMG leader Mike Hamill reported by sat phone that the team took a good hike today to get the cobwebs worked out from their storm days.  A number of teams did move up to Camp 1 today, and some sherpas from another team reached Camp 2 and report that the tents and gear up there are all OK.  Good news. Now the weather is looking much better and the team members are doing well. Their plan is to move up in the morning to Camp 1, then go to Camp 2 the following day, with the ultimate goal of this rotation to reach Camp 3.
Eric Simonson
September 19, 2012
September 19, 2012 satellite photo (Nepal Meteorological Forecasting Division).
IMG’s weather forecaster Michael Fagin reports that the monsoon is starting to retreat from the Indian subcontinent. Good news! Ang Jangbu reported it rained hard for 50 straight hours in Kathmandu, but that now it is sunny and drying out. The satellite photo shows the moisture starting to move out of the area.  This is the beginning of the big seasonal switch that we have been waiting for.
Up at Base Camp we had a call from Phunuru Sherpa who reports that everyone had a good rest today and the that weather has now cleared. The team’s plan is to wait another day to let the snow settle, with the current plan to move up the following day.
Eric Simonson
Kili and Mawenzi at sunset (Eric Simonson)
September 19, 2012
Chris Meder reported gorgeous weather with no wind on the summit. They said it was quite welcome after a cold morning. People underestimate how cold it often is on that summit day. You’re high, so always a bit harder to stay warm. Going slow so everyone has a super good shot of reaching the summit and, it’s just plain cold, often with a breeze. But that all changes quickly when the sun gets above the horizon.
Everything is set for safari tomorrow and the group is excited for some relaxing and animal watching.
Phil Ershler
September 18, 2012
We took another rest day today while the Sherpa team went up to Camp 1 to dig out the tents and pull the fixed lines out of the snow. There’s 6 inches of fresh snow here at Base Camp but the Sherpa reported a meter at Camp 1. The good news is that the lines to C1 are still in place and all the tents and gear at C1 are in good shape.
Mike Hamill
