Tuesday, March 17 2009
View other IMG videos in our Video Gallery.
If you have video of other IMG climbs send them our way… Send links to office@mountainguides.com
Or send your CD’s to:
International Mountain Guides
PO Box 246
Ashford, WA 98304
One Last Everest Shopping Spree
Friday, March 13 2009
IMG Himalayan Director Eric Simonson and IMG Guides Mark Tucker (Everest), Mike Hamill (Everest), and Greg Vernovage (Cho Oyu) packed some last minute expedition food and snacks yesterday. After a huge shopping trip to Costco, they spent the rest of the day removing all the extra cardboard and packaging just to repack everything into easy to carry yak loads.
Now the food duffels are all ready to send to the airport and ship to Nepal. Once in Nepal they’ll be sent to Shyangboche by helicopter and put straight on the yaks… then it’s off to Base Camp!
Photos:
Top Left: Mark Tucker packing for yet another Everest Expedition. Mark is a seasoned veteran of our Everest Expeditions, and a well known face at EBC. He is often called the “Mayor of Base Camp”.
Top Right: Greg Vernovage (left) will be leading our Cho Oyu team this Spring. And Mike Hamill (right) is heading back to Everest for the second straight year. Mike is a seasoned international climber having spent over 200 days outside of the US last year.
Bottom Left: IMG Partner and Himalayan Director Eric Simonson and daughter Audrey with the van all loaded up.
Bottom Right: A yak (unnamed).
Guide Feature: Justin Merle
Thursday, March 12 2009
From time to time I’ll bring you a feature on one of our guides.
Today’s feature: Justin Merle (pronounced Mer-lee).
Justin will be heading back to guide Everest for us this year. “Merle”, as he’s called, has been spending a lot of time in Nepal these days. Last spring he successfully guided Everest, he then returned to Nepal in the autumn to guide the IMG team to the summit of Ama Dablam… and now he’s heading back.
Justin was in La Grande, OR earlier today when I caught up with him. He’s making his way form Ouray, CO, where he was ice guiding this winter, to Portland, OR to visit some friends before he leaves for Kathmandu next Friday.
In catching up with Merle I asked what he’s looking forward to on Everest this year?
Merle says, “I’m looking forward to seeing my friends. It’s strange to think that I have to travel to Everest Base Camp to catch up with some of my closest friends. It’s going to be a busy place (EBC) this year but I’m going to enjoy crushing the likes of IMG Guide Mark Tucker and Ang Jangbu Sherpa at the poker table.”
Justin remarked that will also enjoy climbing and guiding Mt. Everest.
Justin’s Bio
Justin grew up climbing in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. He began guiding in 1999 and now shares his passion for the mountains on climbs all over the world. He has climbed Mount Rainier over 100 times and guided successful expeditions on Mt. McKinley, Mt. Vinson and Aconcagua. Since his first trip to the Himalayas in 2003 guiding Cho Oyu for IMG, he’s returned to guide five more expeditions including Ama Dablam and Everest which he has summited twice. Lately Justin spends the spring and fall guiding in the Himalayas, summer on Rainier and other Cascades peaks, as well as winter guiding ice climbs in Ouray, Colorado or guiding abroad in South America, Africa or Antarctica. He has a B.A. in Geology and has maintained WFR and OEC medical certifications, as well as a CAA Level 1 avalanche cert. When not guiding, he spends his free time climbing rock and ice, running, cycling, skiing, and even resting on occasion.
Justin In The News:
- Merle sets July 2008 Mt. Rainier speed ascent record »
- Climbing Magazine: Seeds make the top of Everest — Merle helps school kids achieve a 2008 Guinness World Record »
- Merle part of record breaking 2008 Everest season »
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Tye Chapman
Operations Manager
Busy Times at IMG!
Tuesday, March 10 2009
Things are starting to ramp up around IMG Headquarters these days…
- Preparations for the Mt. Rainier season are well underway. Our new rental gear is coming in and looks great! The Eureka N!ergy Tents are in and will be a great value to our Rainier climbers this year. A $30 tent rental definitely beats $80 for a hotel room down the road! Oh and for those of you still looking to climb Rainier this year we still have some dates available in May, early June and September.
- Our new Outdoor Research ‘guide gear’ has arrived with just enough time for embroidery before we send some of it with our guides to Everest and Cho Oyu later this month.
- Final Everest preparations are underway with last minute food & supply shopping and final packing for transport to Kathmandu and eventually onto Everest Base Camp. Check out the release on March 3 (below) about the Discovery Channel featuring IMG’s Everest Expedition.
- And climbers on our Mt. Whitney trips are getting a few more workouts in before their climbs in late March and into April. Note: we still have 3 spots available on our April 5-8 climb.
But busy days means happy climbers and that’s the business we’re in!
Tye Chapman
Operations Manager
Food… Everybody eats it, but what should I bring?
On most of our climbs we take care of your breakfast and dinners so all you’re in charge of is providing your lunch snacks throughout the day. Keep in mind that there is typically no actual sit-down lunch hour, unless you’re on one of our treks where lunch is incorporated into the daily schedule.
On our climbs we’re typically eating throughout the day… We always say that lunch takes place when breakfast ends and ends when dinner is served. With this in mind you should bring foods that are easy to snack on and don’t require a lot of assembly.
Ok so here’s the deal – don’t spend a ton of time counting the calories but +/- 1500 calories of personal food per day is about average for snack intake. Bringing foods that you are familiar with and enjoy is where your focus should be. Remember just because you’re in the mountains doesn’t mean you have to eat pounds of trail mix and bag after bag of almonds. Mix it up and bring foods you know you’ll eat, even if the altitude has temporarily stolen your appetite. Oh yeah – spoil yourself – adults like candy too! Keep “summit day” in mind… you’ll need some food that is easy to access and doesn’t freeze to the point that it’s not edible.
Check out what some of our guides like to eat when climbing.
Pictured above: IMG guides Aaron Mainer (left) and Eben Reckord (right) cooking dinner in the Weatherport at Camp Muir on Mt. Rainier.
Tye Chapman
Operations Manager
Discovery Channel To Feature IMG’s Everest Team
March 3, 2009
Our 2009 IMG Everest team just got a few new members. IMG Himalayan Director Eric Simonson, and a film team featuring IMG on Discovery Channel’s popular Everest TV series, will join the great group of climbers and trekkers already on board for IMG’s 2009 Everest expedition. Since 1991 IMG has successfully supported 179 people from 14 countries to the summit of Everest, and we are looking forward to another great season on Everest.
The planning and preparations are already well under way. Ang Jangbu reports from Kathmandu that the first 3000kg of gear was sent last week by helicopter to Shyangboche. The loads are now moving by yak toward Base Camp, where our Sherpa team has already started building our camp.
Stay tuned to the blog for more details…
Gear Question of the Day: Do I have to wear Double Plastic Boots on Mt. Rainier?
We get this question a lot; and for good reason – your feet are pretty dang important to your survival on Mt. Rainier!
Below is our ‘boot policy’ for Mt. Rainier:
For a first time climb of Mt. Rainier, you want to be as well prepared as possible. That means warm, waterproof boots. Double plastic boots provide the best possible warmth for your feet, they are completely waterproof, and they don’t constrict your toes or ankles when worn with crampons attached. First time climbers will do well to choose double plastic boots, and IMG makes this simple by offering them for rent. We also strongly recommend double plastic boots in early summer (May and June) for all participants and we REQUIRE them on winter programs.
We’re happy to work with Asolo and rent the Evoluzione.
There are some very warm, insulated, waterproof synthetic or leather single climbing boots on the market these days. If you own a pair of single climbing boots (generally less than ten years old) and have used them successfully in cold weather environments previously, then single boots will probably work for you on Mt. Rainier.
Here are some of the requirements your boots must possess:
* Must be fully rigid or ¾ rigid shank soled.
* Must be factory treated waterproof leather or synthetic waterproof
* Must have synthetic insulation
* Must be crampon compatible
If you are thinking about purchasing any type of boot, remember, the BEST boot to buy is the one that fits your foot the best. Go to a good outfitter that has multiple models to try on. If you do not have a good climbing store near by, shop online through a knowledgeable climbing store with a good exchange policy. Ask for the store expert. If they do not have a boot fitting specialist, then go to another store. You will want to describe your foot, perhaps send in a tracing of it, describe the climbs you intend to use the boot on and be ready to order and return a couple of pair of boots in order to confirm the best possible fit. If you end up buying a boot that gives you blisters, get rid of it! Sell it on eBay and try again.
Summary:
When to use plastic boots:
* Early season (May and June) and winter
* If you are a First time climber, you should rent them.
* If you are a person with compromised circulation or a history of cold feet.
When to use single boots:
* If you own your own boots and have used them successfully in similar conditions to Mt. Rainier.
* During the peak summer season (July through September).
* If you have fit issues (very small, large, narrow or wide feet).
Late season suggestion:
If you are climbing in later season (after early August) it is often worth bringing a light pair of hiking or running shoes to wear on the first 2½ miles of the approach up to Pebble Creek. These are especially valuable on the way down if your feet are sore (or hot) in the double plastic boots.
Eric Simonson Joins the Board of the American Alpine Club
IMG partner Eric Simonson was recently elected to the Board of the American Alpine Club. IMG has been an AAC Industry Partner since 2005.
We support the mission of the American Alpine Club, which has been the voice for American climbers for over 100 years. If you are a climber, you should consider joining the AAC!
The American Alpine Club promotes and preserves the climbing way of life.
We protect the places we climb, advocate for American climbers around the world, preserve climbing’s history and chronicle climbing achievement. The AAC’s ongoing commitment to inspiring and supporting climbers dates back to 1902, when the country’s leading climbers and conservationists banded together to form the Club.
When is the best time to climb Mt. Rainier?
This is good and very popular question!
We start guiding the “summer season” in May and guide Rainier through the end of September. That said, the conditions on the mountain change throughout the season. Below is a quick look at how it shakes out… Remember there are pros and cons to climbing at any time of the year!
May/June
This is still early in the season. When the weather’s good, these are incredible months to climb Rainier. The mountain is typically at its pristine best, snow covered and beautiful. The route tends to be more direct and number of other climbers is lower than the peak months of July and August.
July/August
This is the peak Rainier climbing season. Though weather can prevent an ascent at any time of year, the odds of good weather are certainly the best during these months. Number of other climbers is at its peak. As the season progresses, the route tends to get a bit more circuitous.
September
After Labor Day, number of climbs on Rainier diminishes. That’s a big selling point for September climbs. Plus, potential climbers have had the summer season to get in the best shape of their lives. We often get periods of very nice weather in September. We normally don’t encounter any snow prior to Pebble Creek, at 7,200 ft., on the Muir approach. The snow is typically firmer on the upper mountain.
Happy climbers on the summit of Mt. Rainier (Andy Polloczek)
Gear Question Of The Day: What are Soft-shell pants, and why do I need them?
Soft-shell pants are made of high-performance synthetic fabrics that are resistant to abrasions & tears. They hold up extremely well to mountain abuse. They are typically water-resistant (not water proof) which means they are breathable and shed light rain and snow and dry quickly when they get wet.
The question:Â Are they required or will my ski pants, fleece pants or other synthetic pants work? Should they be insulated?
The answer: No they are not required, but strongly encouraged. Fleece pants or a combination of other synthetic pants or ski pants will definitely work. The big differences being efficiency, comfort, breathability and weight. Soft-shell pants should not be insulated. The flexibility of wearing or not wearing long-underwear makes insulation unnecessary.
The bottom line is you will spend every minute of your climb in these pants so comfort is key. Soft-shell pants are a must have for any serious climber!
Our guides wear the Outdoor Research Exos Pants and love em!
Stay tuned for more gear questions answered…
-Tye