April 1, 2022

IMG Everest Team 2 Group Photo (Ang Jangbu Sherpa)

Let’s start in Kathmandu where Ang Jangbu and Porter McMichael had a great day with Team 2.  It started after breakfast with the trip briefing.  The Team is now packed, prepped and ready to head out tomorrow morning for the heli fights to Lukla.  Joining the briefing is our Custom Manaslu Trek who will be flying out in the morning as well.  After the briefing, the team had the day to visit some local sights including Swayambunath and Thamel. Wake up calls are scheduled for 5am and departure at 5:30.

Team 1 made great time in perfect trekking weather up to Namche.  They had plenty of good views of Mount Everest and enjoyed the high suspension bridge; this is a trip highlight!  Once in Namche, they had lunch and then visited the Friday afternoon Bazaar.  the team is getting along great and will take a hike to the Everest View Hotel for acclimatization in the morning.

Further up the valley in Pangboche, IMG Senior Guides Lopsang and Thunang pulled into Pangboche with our team and will visit the monastery and enjoy beautiful views of Ama Dablam.  They will also say hello to Head Chef Kaji Sherpa who flew in with more gear, fresh food and Base Camp duffel bags.

Our Advanced Sherpa Team is still hammering away at EBC and have made great progress.  Some of the team has descended to Lobuche Base Camp to begin setting up for the teams arrival.  The Icefall Doctors are also making great progress and Phunuru said they have reached just above the Football Field area of the route.  Rumor has it that there are just three ladders to the Football field at this time.

March 31, 2022

Team 1 departing Lukla (Phunuru Sherpa)

Phakding (Ang Jangbu Sherpa)

All of Team 2 has now arrived to Kathmandu with their gear! The team navigated the flights and requirements of international travel and are happy to be at the hotel.  IMG Guide Porter McMichael handled all of the gear checks and will have the team briefing in the morning along with Ang Jangbu.

Suspension bridge crossing on the way to Monjo (Phunuru Sherpa)

Team 1 had a nice day of trekking in the Khumbu Valley, making it to Monjo and the entrance of Sagarmatha National Park.  The team was up and out the door early this morning and reported cloudy skies with a small amount of precipitation before it started clearing up in the evening.  They are beginning to get some views and are looking forward to the hike up to Namche in the morning where they will take the opportunity to visit the Namche Market. IMG Expedition Leader, Andy Polloczek said “the team is doing great, everyone is getting along very well and almost done with the jetlag.  The clean mountain air feels great!”

All is well in Nepal!

March 29, 2022

IMG 2022 Everest Team 1 (Ang Jangbu Sherpa)

Team 1 met for a briefing led by Andy Polloczek and Ang Jangbu Sherpa this morning.  This briefing is a great opportunity to get the entire team together and go over details for the coming days ahead.  Highlights of the briefing include patience and flexibility.  Our team has worked a long time to get to this point and they are now ready to head up the valley towards Everest Base Camp.  Staying healthy and taking their time during the trek is an important key!

After the briefing, the team was free to explore Kathmandu, take care of any last minute details, prepare for tomorrow morning and probably take a few naps to continue getting over jet lag!  The day ended with the Welcome Dinner celebrating the start of their trip.  Tomorrow will come fast s the team will be up early to head to the airport for the helicopter flight to Lukla!

All is well in Kathmandu!

March 27, 2022

The Polloczek Family arrives to Kathmandu (Ang Jangbu Sherpa)

Climbers, Guides and Trekkers are all arriving to Kathmandu now and it is getting busy and exciting!  IMG Expedition Leader Andy Polloczek and Senior Guide Justin Merle went to the Department of Tourism for the Ministry briefing today.  With permits in hand, we are now ready to start making preparations to head up the Khumbu Valley.  We are also very excited to welcome the entire Polloczek family to Kathmandu and have them join us on the trek to Everest Base Camp!

The Team is arriving to Kathmandu!

March 16, 2022

Ang Jangbu checked in with news from Kathmandu and the Khumbu Valley.  Our first big gear load is on the move after being loaded in Kathmandu and driven to Thaksindu.  From Thaksindu, the gear takes scenic flight via helicopter sling load up to Pangboche where it is welcomed by long time Senior IMG Guide Ang Pasang.  Most of the gear made it before the winds picked up and shut operations down for the day.

The IMG Advanced Sherpa Team is also getting ready to head up to EBC.  The Team will depart Phortse on March 20th and will stay in Gorakshep for the night before heading to EBC the following morning.  The 20th of March is an Auspicious Day on the calendar and perfect for heading to EBC to begin building camp for the season.

Great news from Nepal!