September 23, 2009 (10:55am)
We received word from IMG Guide Greg Vernovage yesterday that the team had arrived at C2! All is well and the team is on schedule.
It’s close to 2am on September 24 in Tibet so summit bids should be underway… Stay tuned for more updates.
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Tye Chapman
Operations Manager
September 21, 2009
Phil Ershler called in last night (10:21pm PST – 8:21am in Tanzania) after summitting Kili with 14 of his team members on top! The weather was good and the team moved uphill in good form and in good time!
They’ll head down past their High Camp at Barafu Hut on down to Mweka Hut in the forest… Then they’re off on safari in the Serenghetti!
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Tye Chapman
Operations Manager
September 21, 2009
IMG Cho Oyu team summit bids begin.
IMG leader Greg Vernovage reports that the weather is good, the team is healthy, the camps are all set, the ropes are fixed, and it is time to go climb Cho Oyu!Â
The plan is for the team is:
September 21st – C1 (6400m / 20992ft.)
September 22nd – C2 (7100m / 23290ft.)
September 23rd – C3 (7450m / 24600ft.)
September 24th – Wake up at midnight and leave in the dark, reach summit early morning and descend to C2 Â
September 25th – Back to ABC
More as it comes in…
– Eric Simonson
September 18, 2009
Phil called in from what has become his annual September Kilimanjaro climb…
The group had a good day after an afternoon rainstorm which lasted for about an hour. They started the morning at the Shira Plateau in the zone of ‘weird plants’ native to the high mountain of Africa and finished the day at 13,000ft at the Baranco Hut after climbing to 14,500 for acclimatization.
Weather is clear and looks good for next few days. Tomorrow they plan traverse below the Southern Glaciers on their way to Karanga Valley camp at 13,500’.
No issues, all is well!
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Tye Chapman
Operations Manager
September 18, 2009
Earlier this week we released our 2010 Rainier climbing dates… We’ve had lots of calls already and look forward to many more!
Mt. Rainier is a very popular climb and our summer tends to fill up quickly… If you’re thinking about climbing in 2010 it’s best to plan ahead and get your name(s) on the roster sooner vs. later. Plus giving us some money should motivate you to start training!
All of our Rainier climbs are different but here’s a little about our our approach to Mt. Rainier:
Client to Guide Ratio: 2:1
Group size: 12 (8 clients and 4 guides)
Food: Breakfast and dinner provided! And we don’t mess around either – good food equals happy and energized climbers!
And for those of you looking towards climbs like Denali, Aconcagua, or Cho Oyu check out or Winter climbs on Rainier. These programs will focus on training and skill development for the serious climbers who are looking to tackle the big mountains! Winter summits are tough to come by but it the weather and snow conditions allow it we’ll take a shot at the top!
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Some info from an earlier blog post:
This is good and very popular question!
We start guiding the “summer season†in late 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. And, 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.
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Tye Chapman
Operations Manager
September 17, 2009
IMG Leader Greg Vernovage reports that the members and sherpas had a successful rotation to Camp 2. After spending another night at Camp 1 (6400m / 20992 ft), they ascended the ridge to the Ice Cliff, then continued on up through the seracs to Camp 2 (7100 m / 23290 ft) where they spent the night.  Yesterday they descended back to ABC. The weather continues to hold and after a couple days of rest at ABC the summit bids will begin!
-Eric Simonson
September 14, 2009
Over the weekend we received a report from IMG Cho Oyu Guide Greg Vernovage…
Greg report that IMG sherpas Tenji and Donuru, working with several other teams’ sherpas,  have now fixed the ice cliff and on to Camp 2. The weather has been good and all IMG climbers are doing well at ABC after their C1 rotation. They’ll start their C2 acclimatization rotation in the next day or two.
Photo: The Ice Cliff is above the rock at bottom of photo. C2 is above next row of seracs, below big basin. Boot track visible in photo from C2 to C3 (which is on small rib below Yellow Band).
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Tye Chapman
Operations Manager
September 11, 2009
The Cho Oyu team had a beautiful night up at Camp 1 and are heading back down to ABC after a successful acclimatization rotation. Everyone is doing well! They’ll spend a couple days back at ABC before they move back up to C1.
That’s all for now…
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Tye Chapman
Operations Manager
September 10, 2009
We’ve known Alan Arnette since he climbed Cho Oyu with IMG back in 1998. Since then he has built his website into a leading climbing news source. After his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2003 Alan dedicated his life to raising money to help researchers find a cure. We’re proud to be working with Alan on the climbing project “Memories Are Everything: The Seven Summits For Alzheimer’s”. We hope to help Alan hit his goal of raising $1M by raising awareness for this important cause. Any and all support is appreciated — if you can join us on a climb that’s great, but if you can’t join us please consider donating. We appreciate your support!
—Phil, Geo, Eric, Paul
September 9, 2009
It looks like Tropical Cyclone 3B has finally pushed through. Much improved weather has settled over the region. The team plans to move to Camp 1 tomorrow for the night – weather permitting.
IMG Guide Greg Vernovage and Sherpa Sirdar Ang Pasang are meeting with the Tibet Mountaineering Association and some of the other climbing teams to discuss route fixing. It’s time to start climbing!
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Tye Chapman
Operations Manager
