Ama Dablam & Annapurna 4 Climbers Moving Up!

May 9, 2012

IMG guide Eben Reckord reports from Annapurna 4 that the climbers made it up to Camp 1 today, while Thunang and Phinjo continued up to Camp 2.Â Tomorrow the climbers go to Camp 2 and the Sherpas to Camp 3.

: View of A4 summitt and bergschrund from BC (Photo by David Medlar)

: Ama Dablam Lower Route (Photo by Justin Merle)

On Ama Dablam,Â IMG guide Liam Oâ€™Sullivan reports that today the team moved up from Camp 1 to Camp 2, and if everything is going well, they may take a summit bid from there.

Eric Simonson

Ama Dablam Climbers Head For Camp 2

May 8, 2012

IMG guide Liam Oâ€™Sullivan reports that the Ama Dablam team is doing well.Â They had a nice rest day today at Camp 1 and now they are getting ready to move up to Camp 2.

The weather, route, and conditions look good!

: Slabs leading up to Camp 1

: Looking up the ridge from near Camp 1 to the upper mountain

: Camp 1

: Ama Dablam Camp locations

Eric Simonson

Nepal Trekkers Coming & Going

May 8, 2012

Some of the Maida Mountaineers on a hike above Dingboche (Ama Dablam in background)

Our Sherpa Trek team flew successfully to Lukla a few days ago and now are on the way to Base Camp.Â So far everything is going well for them, and they are enjoying the sights at Tengboche monastery.Â This is at a crucial altitude, about 12,000 feet, and it is important to feel good here, before moving up to the 14,000+ elevations at Pheriche and Dingboche.Â A couple nights in Namche, and a couple more in Deboche (just below Tengboche) will prepare the team for the thinner air in their future!

The Maida’s Mountaineers (MM) custom trek team are now safe and recuperating in Kathmandu. Â One of the members, Brewster, summed up the trip:

â€œFifteen demanding days, cold nights (10 degrees F), sleeping on a glacier next to the Khumbu Ice fall at EBC (17,600′), long days of trekking, rallying around a sick friend, tight and caring companionship, skilled leadership and MM completed a long-anticipated trek. Far more difficult than ever expected, the trek turned 13 incredible and wonderful individuals into a very close group of hard-bodies who tonight will head home to decompress. We cannot adequately thank the hard-working porters, our four Sherpas headed by Lopsang Sherpa who quietly led us through these overwhelmingly beautiful Himalayan mountains, our guide Jenni who listened and led our group through some very difficult and anxious situations, and for Buddha who slowly seeped into our bodies, brought peace, tranquility and reflection. We are all safe, wiser, closer and carrying a tale only we will know – never to tell and never to forget. Thank you IMG.”

Eric Simonson

Ama Dablam Climbers Reach Base Camp

May 6, 2012

Ama Dablam from Pumori. (Photo by Eric Simonson)

Ama Dablam leader Liam Oâ€™OSullivan reports that the team headed down to Pangboche after their climb of Lobuche Peak.Â Then, they ascended up to Ama Dablam Base Camp where they are now established.Â Now they are all together with their sherpas Ang Chirring (Kami), Ang Sona, Kalden Phura, and cooks Jor Bahadur and assistant Pasang Tshering.Â The sherpas have a nice Base Camp all set up for them, and the camps on the mountain are all set.Â Now that the team are well acclimatized, they should be able to move smoothly right on up Ama Dablam, starting with the trip tomorrow up to Camp 1.

Eric Simonson

Annapurna 4 Climbers Return To Base Camp

May 5, 2012

Early morning sun hits Annapurna 2 (on left) and Annapurna 4 (on right) from A4 Base Camp (Craig John)

IMG guides Eben Reckord andÂ Emily Johnston report that the team descended today to Base Camp, after their run up towards Camp 3.Â After spenidng their second night at Camp 2, they push up towards C3, then descended.Â The sherpas did some more fixing above Camp 2, and everyone is now back down.Â They are doing well, and are going to take a few rest days while they wait for a good forecast prior to their summit bids.

There was a big flood today on the south side of the Annapurna Range, apparently triggered by a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (you can Google that up for more info).Â This had nothing to do with our team.Â There are hundreds of these glacial lakes in the Himalaya, and unfortunately, these GLOF events are not that uncommon.

Eric Simonson

Updates From Nepal

May 3, 2012

Great view of Everest from the top of Lobuche Peak. (Photo by IMG Guide Justin Merle)

IMG guide Liam Oâ€™Sullivan reports that the Ama DablamÂ team had a good summit today on Lobuche Peak, and are now all back down to Base Camp.Â Tomorrow they head for Pangboche, and from there, Ama Dablam Base Camp.Â Way to go, team!

Elsewhere in Nepal, our IMG teams are stayingÂ busy.Â On Annapurna 4, IMG guide Eben Reckord reports that the team had a good trip up to Camp 2 (19,500 ft) today, and that they are all tucked into that camp now.Â During the afternoon, Phinjo and Thunang pushed the route a bit further up towards Camp 3, and their hope is that tomorrow they can finish that next part of the route.Â IMG guide Jenni Fogle and the Maida EBC trek team with are taking a detour on the way back down the valley, with a visit to Phortse village, the home of many of our Sherpas.

Eric Simonson

Annapurna IV Climbers Heading Up

May 2, 2012

Summit Ridge on Annapurna 4 (Photo by Mingma Dorje Sherpa)

IMG guides Eben Reckord and Emily Johnston report that the team is healthy, the weather is improving, and itâ€™s time to go climbing again!Â Hopefully their patience will be rewarded with a good rotation up high over the next few days.

Today the team climbed to Camp 1, and then Phinjo and Thunang continued on to up to Camp 2 with a load.Â Up at C2, they dug out the camp, then blasted back down to Camp 1.Â Tomorrow the plan is for everyone to move up to Camp 2 to sleep.Â They are hoping to spend a couple nights up at Camp 2 for acclimatization, and get the route established up to Camp 3.

Eric Simonson

Off The Ice

May 1, 2012

George just called in from Alaska, where the team has arrived safely back to Chitina and getting on the van to head back to Anchorage.Â They’ll make a stop for showers and a hot meal along the way.

Everyone is doing well, family and friends can expect a call from them as soon as cell phones are charged & in range.

Becky Kjorvestad

Bona Team Patiently Killing Time

April 30, 2012

Tent time is a popular pastime in Alaska.

George called in from Bona Base Camp where the team is patiently waiting for a weather window big enough for bush pilot, Paul Klaus, to fly in and scoop them off the glacier.

The current weather is pretty good, but they’re in and out of the clouds preventing good enough visibility for Paul to land.

Everybody is doing great and the team has plenty of food and supplies.

Tye Chapman

An Update From Nepal

April 30, 2012

On Everest, the Classic climbers and Lhotse climbers are wrapping up their first acclimatization rotation and are heading down to Base Camp.Â Meanwhile, the Hybrid climbers have now moved back up to Camp 2, for their second rotation.Â The Sherpa fixing team is getting close to reaching the South Col.Â See the Everest Page for more info.

IMG guide Liam O’Sullivan and the Ama Dablam climbers are wrapping up a couple days of acclimatization at Everest Base Camp, and are ready to head back down to Lobuche Peak. Â While at EBC they had the chance to get all rigged up and practice on the “ropes course” out on theÂ glacier.Â Now they are looking forward to climbing Lobuche Peak, before heading over to Ama Dablam.

: Ama Dablam climbers training at EBC

: Ama Dablam climbers getting rigged up for fixed rope practice.

Down at Gorak Shep, IMG guide Jenni Fogle reports that the Maida Mountaineers custom trek team had a nice climb of Kala Pattar, and will be pulling into Everest Base Camp tomorrow.Â Everyone is doing well, and they are having lots of fun.

At Annapurna 4, IMG guide Eben Reckord reports that they had more than a foot of snow up at Camp 1 overnight, so they are pulling the sherpas down and delaying their next rotation up the hill.Â They will all be taking another rest day or two at Base Camp, to let the slopes stabilize higher up.

Eric Simonson