First Rainier Summit of the 2023 Season

May 4, 2023

Our Winter Seminar team on the summit of Mt. Rainier on May 3, 2023 (Emily Huddle)

We’re excited to share that our first team has made it to the summit of Mt. Rainier. The team reached the top yesterday after four days on a skills seminar preparing these climbers for Denali and beyond. The route was smooth and the team had great weather. It is finally the summer climbing season here in the Cascades, and we are looking forward to the 2023 climbing season in Washington.

Audrey Simonson

Putting Up Camp Muir

April 30, 2023

Guides going up on RW 2023

Today we sent up nine of our guides will all of the gear for Camp Muir and the DC climbing season. The team will be putting up the WeatherPort, establishing the Ingraham Flats camp, and putting in a climbing route on the upper mountain if conditions allow. We’re super excited to starting up the season this week!

Audrey Simonson

Follow Along- Everest 2023

April 3, 2023

Everest from Base Camp (Ang Jangbu Sherpa)

Our Everest climbers and Base Camp trekkers are out the door from Kathmandu! For more information and to follow along with the progression of our teams, you can track them on our Everest Coverage. So far, the teams are doing great and having a blast in the Khumbu.

Audrey Simonson

Allâ€™s well in Khumbu

March 31, 2023

Up in Namche, Phunuru and Max report that the team are doing well.Â Today they roamed around the village and did a short hike up to the Tenzing memorial and the Sherpa museum, and managed to get a nice view up the valley from the viewpoint.Â Good timing, because this afternoon it snowed an inch!Â Tomorrow the team is all set to move higher up to Khunde, the site of the Himalayan Trust (Hillary) Khunde Hospital.

Back in Kathmandu Team 2 finished their gear checks, packed up all their duffels for the trek, and tonight had their welcome dinner.Â They are ready to fly to Lukla tomorrow.Â Allâ€™s well in Khumbu!

Eric Simonson

Team 2 welcome dinner in Kathmandu (Ang Jangbu)

Team 1 gets the big Everest view from above Namche (Phunuru Sherpa)

Tenzing Norgay and Mt Everest in the background (Phunuru)

Team 1 reaches Namche Bazaar

March 30, 2023

Phunuru and Max reported that the team had a nice hike from Phakding up to Namche (11,300 ft) today.Â Along the way they made 4 more crossings of the Dudh Kosi river on suspension bridges, then ascended the famous â€œNamche Hillâ€ to reach the main village in the Khumbu.Â The team will take an acclimatization hike tomorrow and a second night in Namche, before they trek to Khunde and then to Phortse.

Back in Kathmandu all Team 2 members have now arrived and Ang Jangbu reports the team members are all doing well.Â They will have their kickoff team meeting tomorrow, and then will be flying to Lukla the following day.Â So far so good!

Eric Simonson

Photo: Team 1 on the high suspension bridge heading to Namche (Phunuru Sherpa)

Photo: Dinner at Khumbu Lodge (Phunuru Sherpa)

Photo: View entering Namche village (Eric Simonson)

Time To Start Trekking!

March 29, 2023 – IMG guides Max and Phunuru report that Team 1 successfully flew by helicopter to Lukla today, and then trekked to Phakding. This is a lovely 4 hour trek, mostly downhill, to the banks of the Dudh Kosi River. After traveling halfway around the world and doing the duffel shuffle for several days, itâ€™s great to finally hit the trail and get the legs working!

Loading up the heli in Kathmandu (Phunuru Sherpa)

Team 1 in Lukla ready to hit the trail (Phunuru Sherpa)

Back in Kathmandu, Ang Jangbu reports that Team 2 members have begun arriving. So far so good!

Eric Simonson

Everest Team 1 is Ready to Go!

March 28, 2023 – IMG guides Max, Phunuru, and Ang Jangbu report from Kathmandu that Team 1 completed their gear checks, packed their duffels, and had a nice team dinner tonight at the hotel.Â Now they are all ready to depart at 6am for the airport where they will be flying by chartered helicopters to Lukla. The climberâ€™s gear duffels and more fresh food is now heading by truck to Thaksindu, for another helicopter sling load up to Shyangboche.Â Ang Passang is on the way to Base Camp now with yaks and the previously sent sling loads of food and gear.

IMG Everest Team 1 in Kathmandu, ready to go (Phunuru Sherpa)

Up at Everest Base Camp Ang Karma reports that the lead team have finished building the big Sherpa kitchen and dining tents, and now they are starting on constructing the platforms for the membersâ€™ kitchen and dining tents.Â Phunuru talked to the Icefall Doctors today, and it sounds like they are now beyond the â€œFootball Fieldâ€ in the Icefall and are hoping to be reaching Camp 1 in the next couple days.Â Allâ€™s well at Mt Everest!

Eric Simonson

Expedition Prep Seminar Is In The Field

March 26, 2023

IMG Expedition Prep at Paradise practicing building a camp in the snow.

Our first Expedition Prep Seminar at Mt. Rainier has left Paradise for four days in the field. The team is currently camping on Mazama Ridge above Paradise practicing everything from sled hauling to building a camp in the snow. IMG Senior Guide Rowan Stewart checked in today saying the team is having a lot of fun and is planning to do fixed-line ascent practice today.

All’s well for this team!

Audrey Simonson

IMG Everest Permit Issued

March 26, 2023

Phunuru, Max, and Pasang at the DOT getting the 2023 permit (Pasang Tshering)

Good news from Kathmandu, as our first team trekkers and climbers continue to arrive.Â Today IMG guides Max Bond and Phunuru went with our partner Pasang Tshering to the Department of Tourism to get the 2023 IMG Everest Expedition permit.Â The expedition team is now official!

Audrey Simonson

Gear arrives to Shyangboche

March 25, 2025

Good news, the weather cleared up and Sonam Dorje received our three sling loads of gear flown up from Thaksindu to Shyangboche.Â This is located above Namche Bazaar at 12,402Â ft / 3,780Â m.Â The loads were flown in by an AS350 B3 helicopter, which is commonly used in Nepal for flying to high elevations.Â Next up, Ang Passang will be transporting everything up to Base Camp by yaks in the next few days. Back in Kathmandu, more of our first team members have been arriving. Â So far so good in Nepal!

Eric Simonson

Photo: Gear at Shyangboche (Sonam Dorje)

Photo: Heli with a sling load and Thamserku Peak in the distance. (Sonam Dorje)