February 14, 2023-
IMG Senior Guide Phunuru Sherpa checking in to report that our Kilimanjaro team has arrived in Moshi for their team meeting, sightseeing, and packing. After a team dinner final preparations will be completed for tomorrow’s departure to Machame Gate, the beginning of the climb.
All is well in Tanzania!
February 13, 2023
2023 IMG EBC site (Sonam Dorje)
Ang Jangbu and Phunuru report from Nepal that Sonam Dorje went to Everest Base Camp this past week and selected our IMG Base Camp site on the Khumbu Glacier. The Khumbu Glacier continues to move and churn continuously, so each year the camps need to be completely rebuilt from scratch. Anyone who has slept at EBC will recall the pops and snaps from the ice, especially if they wake you up at night! In the coming weeks, we’ll have our sherpa team up there to start building the tent platforms. It’s always amazing what a transformation it is from what looks like a gravel pit to a well-manicured campsite!
Eric Simonson
9 February, 2023
That’s a wrap on Aconcagua! IMG Guide Keith Rumburg checked in after wrapping up our last trip on Aconcagua to report that everyone is safely off the mountain. Everyone is now home and recovering after a great trip on the highest peak in the southern hemisphere. The team had some stunning views from camp 2 at 18,000ft with a blanket of new snow covering the mountain. This was our last trip on Aconcagua for the Winter 22/23 season. It was a beautiful season in Argentina with snow and storms making for occasionally challenging travel conditions but stunning views! Stay tuned for our Winter 2023/2024 dates to be released soon!
Photo: Sunset from Camp 2 on Aconcagua with a fresh blanket of snow (Kai Dude)
Feb 8, 2023 –
The IMG Ouray team has been having a stellar season! We’ve benefited from incredible ice conditions down in Ouray, Colorado this winter. The Ouray Ice Park has had over 200 climbs to choose from due to the great weather. Our teams have enjoyed everything from low angle slabs to learn on to steep pillars to push their limits.
IMG climber enjoying one of the steeper routes in the Ouray Ice Park (Justin Sackett)
Additionally, the backcountry ice has been climbing great this year. We have been fortunate enough to climb Bear Creek Falls with two groups. This climb which hasn’t formed in the past two years! Our teams have enjoyed the classic climbs such as Charmin Tube and Camp Bird that have been climbing fantastically as well with thick ice.
Bear Creek Falls the day the IMG Reunion Seminar climbed it (Justin Sackett)
IMG team after climbing the Charmin Tube! (Justin Sackett)
The ice season will continue through the end of February and we couldn’t be more excited. Longer days with more sunshine make ice climbing that much more fun!
Best,
Justin Sackett
February 6, 2023
Looking towards Aconcagua from near Plaza de Mulas base camp (Keith Rumburg)
Aconcagua Team 4 has returned to Mendoza. Although the climb wasn’t able to reach the summit, they still had a fun and beautiful trip in Argentina enjoying the quality time they spent on the mountain.
The team is enjoying a team dinner tonight before they part ways in the coming days. All is well in Argentina!
February 3, 2023-
Aconcagua Team 4 was on the move today, after a rest day at Base Camp. The team has safely reached Camp 1 and is resting and preparing to continue their ascent.
All is well in Argentina!
Feb 1, 2023 – IMG Aconcagua Team 4 reported clear and relatively warm weather at Plaza de Mulas Base Camp. After an acclimatization hike near base camp yesterday, the team is carrying loads to Camp 1 today, leaving their gear there until the team moves to the camp later this week. All is well in Argentina!
IMG Aconcagua Team 4 returns from an acclimatization hike near Plaza de Mulas (Keith Rumburg)
January 27, 2023-
IMG’s Aconcagua Team 4 arrived in Penitentes yesterday. Today, the team is making the 3-4 hour hike to Confluencia at 10,826′ on their way to Plaza De Mulas base camp. All is well in Argentina!
IMG Aconcagua Team 4 in Pentitentes. (Keith Rumburg)
January 26, 2023
With the entire January Ecuador team back in the US after another excellent trip down there, we are excited to announce our Winter 2023/2024 Ecuador Volcano dates! Next winter, our dates will be as follows:
Classic Cayambe & Antisana Program
Trip 1Â Â Â Â November 2-13, 2023
Trip 2Â Â Â Â January 4-15, 2024
Optional Chimborazo Extension
Immediately following the Classic Program
Trip 1Â Â Â Â November 14-17, 2023
Trip 2Â Â Â Â January 16-19, 2024
We absolutely love running the program in Ecuador in conjunction with Romulo Cardenas, who we have been working with for nearly 40 years! Romulo brings a local knowledge and experience in Ecuador that is unparalleled and when combined with an addition IMG guide from the US, you have the perfect guide team to create the trip of a life time! The Ecuador trip starts with several days of acclimatizing and sight seeing in Quito and nearby Otovalo. The next 2 days are the first two shorter acclimatization climbs of the trip on Fuya Fuya and Imbabura. These climbs makes for great acclimatization at nearly 15,000ft and feature fun, challenging scrambling. After this, climbers are ready to embark on their first climb of Cayambe at nearly 19,000ft. After Cayambe, we have historically climbed Cotopaxi, however, with Cotopaxi currently erupting, both of our winter trips this year opted to climb nearby Antisana. Everyone loved Antisana as it is both technical and beautiful making for a much more engaging climb. If you choose to add Chimborazo, then you will head South to the tallest mountain in Ecuador and attempt to climb to the 20,500ft summit. This trip truly has something for everyone!
Check out our website for more information!
Photo: IMG Guide Porter McMichael descending on Antisana with an IMG Climber (Romulo Cardenas)
Photo: The January 2023 Ecuador team on the summit of Antisana (Romulo Cardenas)
January 25, 2023-
IMG Senior Guide Keith Rumburg checking in today to let us know Aconcagua Team 4 is in Mendoza making their final preparations. Yesterday and today have been bustling with activity: gear checks, food shopping, packing, and making sure all permits are in order. Tomorrow the team will make their move to Uspallata.
All is well in Argentina!
