May 29, 2020
Today is Everest Day! On this day in 1953, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary reached the summit of Mount Everest. Congratulations to all climbers from around the world on this very special day. We look forward to returning to this great mountain in 2021!
Mount Everest from the summit of Lhotse (Phunuru Sherpa)
Greg Vernovage
May 28, 2020
There are a lot of unknowns around the world during the present time but there is something we know very well and that is the Carstensz Pyramid Climb is a true adventure! We have been in constant communication with our local agents in Indonesia and although the country is locked down now, we are optimistic for a future trip or two later this year and early in 2021.
Rest break at the top of fixed lines on Carstensz Pyramid (Jonathan Schrock)
In the mountains we must be patient and flexible, and we have applied that philosophy to our Carstensz planning for the immediate future. With the uncertainty around the world we will conduct our upcoming Carstensz climbs as Custom programs, rather than locking into specific dates right now. This will allow us to work better with you and take advantage of the opportunity to go climbing as soon as we are able.
Please let us know if you are interested in heading to Carstensz Pyramid soon. This is a fun climb, one of the Seven Summits, and a trip that will not keep you away from home for many weeks and weeks!
Greg Vernovage
May 26, 2020
Haven’t written any blog posts in the last few months and I kind of miss it. Not the norm for IMG climbers, staff, guides and partners to see things so quiet. But, indeed, there are signs of life. There is some good news on the Vinson Massif front.
IMG team on Vinson, Antarctica
ALE, our flight service, has made some changes to their flying schedule in an effort to run some trips this coming season. Seems early to worry about Vinson, but the expression ‘long lead time’ certainly apply with this trip. Good news for our climbers already signed up is that they were all able to adjust their schedules to accommodate ALE’s new flight dates and that we were able to snag seats. If all continues to fall into place, IMG is still planning to be in Antarctica in December 2020. Pretty exciting stuff!
Phil Ershler
May 21, 2020
The COVID-19 virus has been a serious blow to the country and the world at large. Here at IMG we are waiting and planning for better times to come. Mt Rainier National Park has given us indication that opening for guided climbs may be a possibility later this summer. We are currently preparing a plan to operate on the mountain that includes social distancing, single person tents on the Muir/DC route and as always, low climber to guide ratios.
IMG has not been able to operate so far during the months of May and June. On June 1 we will announce if we are able to proceed with climbs in the month of July. We remain confident that safer times are on their way and we will be ready when we are given the green light to start climbing.
We hope this finds you and your families well and managing the best you can during these difficult times. Our guides and staff are hanging in there with you. We look forward to the time when we can safely join with fellow climbers on Mt Rainier and practice our craft once again.
For those of you scheduled during the month of July, we will send out an announcement on June 1 to let you know your status. For climbers in the months of August and September we’ll do the same thing. We will announce the decision the first of the month prior to the month you are climbing in. Here’s hoping to see some of you in the mountains again soon!
For those of you who were scheduled for May and June climbs this year, we’ll see you in 2021. Thank you for rescheduling with us!
George Dunn, IMG Partner
April 22, 2020
How about we go on a little Safari as we celebrate Earth Day? Enjoy the Big 5 and since it is Earth Day, let’s bring on another beautiful animal in the giraffe!
April 21, 2020
A throwback to a perfect day of climbing in Bolivia with IMG Guides Roberto Gomez and Harry Hamlin. We are all in this together and will be back in the mountains soon enough!
2019 Bolivia Team on the Summit of Pequeno Alpamayo (Roberto Gomez)
April 20, 2020
Trekking to Everest Base Camp is an adventure that many have on their bucket list. The incredible scenery, culture and a few suspension bridges are just a few of the things people enjoy on their way to Base Camp. We know we cannot visit this beautiful area of the world today but are excited for the time when we can return! Until the time we can return, please enjoy a couple of photos of trekking to Everest Base Camp.
April 13, 2020
We hope this blog finds everyone around the world staying safe, healthy and looking after themselves during these strenuous times. Thanks to all of the health care professionals who are around the world working tirelessly to help sick people and find a solution to the current situation.
We do not know exactly when we will be able to return to climbing the world’s great mountains, but we are staying positive and want to give all our IMG friends out there some daylight to climb towards. We know that we need to be planning now for when the world opens back up. October is still six months away, and we are hoping that we can return to Nepal for the Autumn 2020 season.  Last Autumn 2019 was memorable for IMG in the Himalayas, with successful trips to Cho Oyu, Putha Hiunchuli, 3X3 and Everest BC Trek, Lobuche Peak, and Ama Dablam.  Thinking back to those days, only six months ago, puts a smile on our face!
If you haven’t seen it before and are looking for a fun read, check out the story of the  IMG 2019 Ama Dablam Expedition team that saw 13 summits over the course of two beautiful days with guides Andy Polloczek and Phunuru Sherpa.  We had an incredible team of climbers who worked together and put themselves in position to summit. Also worth checking out is IMG Senior Guide Austin Shannon’s recount of the 2017 IMG Ama Dablam Expedition summit bid.  As Austin says: “If you have dreamed of climbing big mountains, you have dreamed of Ama Dablam.â€
Phunuru Sherpa with the team on the summit of Ama Dablam (November 7, 2019) (Phunuru Sherpa)
We are looking to the future and want to start climbing towards daylight, just as we do on Ama Dablam. If Nepal opens back up for the Autumn season, will it be your opportunity to climb Ama Dablam with IMG?
Let us know if you are interested and we will be happy to talk more: Everest@MountainGuides.com
We sincerely hope that all members of the IMG family are safe and healthy during this very trying time throughout the world. This family is no stranger to adversity, as we learned in 2014 and then again in 2015 when Everest climbers and Sherpa were involved in the avalanches and earthquake.  It was a terrible time for Nepal and the Sherpa villages in the Khumbu. Through the generosity of our IMG customers and friends we received contributions from nearly 300 individuals, totaling over $100,000, and 100% of this money was sent to Nepal to provide support to over 90 IMG Sherpa families for their rebuilding efforts.
Now we are reaching out again to help our Sherpa friends in Nepal. Their local economy has been totally wiped out by the Covid-19 shutdown of the entire country, and many families are in great need. IMG is making a big effort to support our Sherpa Team in Nepal, including paying salary to Sherpas who had committed to climbing with IMG this spring. Your generosity will enable us to push our support further down the chain to the many unsung people who make such a difference. This Sherpa Team means a great deal to me, and until we are able to return to the great mountains of the Himalaya, they need some help from us.
IMG Sherpa Team 2017 (Greg Vernovage)
Please join our other Heroes and consider donating to our Sherpa Fund .
Thank you
Greg Vernovage
For many years, IMG Guides from around the world have put their trust in Outdoor Research (OR) to protect them from the harsh elements. We would like to take this time to acknowledge the Team at OR for their outstanding effort to assist with health care professionals and the world in the fight against COVID-19.
Thank you Outdoor Research for all that you have done for IMG and for all that you are doing to now protect everyone.
https://www.snewsnet.com/news/outdoor-research-promises-200000-masks-a-day
2019 IMG Guide Team (George Dunn)
