Landing at Kahiltna Base Camp in 2024
May 16, 2025 – And they’re off! IMG Denali Team 1, lead by Senior Guide Brad Swanson, landed in Anchorage today and is busy getting ready for the expedition ahead. After gear checks and a team dinner, everybody will get a night of good rest before heading to Talkeetna, the launch point for the expedition. Check back soon for more updates!
April 29, 2025
Well- that’s a wrap, folks! We’re finishing up guide training this week.
Over the past week we’ve had field sessions for the guides to review and test on crevasse rescue, avalanche rescue, camp maintenance and many more topics. Our team going up to Denali also had their own field day and HQ day to review all things Denali including sled rigging, other technical skills, logistics, rescue operations, and packing tents for the expeditions.
Our new guides will be out the door this week for training climbs, volunteer days with Mt. Rainier NP, and Leave No Trace training.
It’s a big step each season to finish guide training because it means that the PNW season is officially underway.
April 28, 2025
IMG is gearing up for the season on Rainier, and our new guides spent last week with with some of our supervisors, getting to know Mt. Rainier!
April 24, 2025
IMG Guide Training 2025
New guide training 2025 underway on Rainier.
April, 10th 2025
The team’s acclimatization schedule, by first trekking up to Everest Base Camp, paid off for them and they had a sweet climb this morning to the true summit of Lobuche East Peak (6119m; 20,075ft). Phunuru reports the team started yesterday down at Lobuche village, from where they ascended to the high camp. They left high camp this morning at 4AM, and reached the top at 7:25AM where they had the summit all to themselves, meeting only a handful of other climbers on their descent. They are all safely back down to Thugla now. Well done team!
April 8th, 2025
View of Lobuche town and the southeast side of Lobuche Peak (Ang Pasang)
Ang Pasang reports that the team completed their trek to Everest Base Camp, after a couple nights at Lobuche village and more acclimatization hiking along the way. The team reports that the upper Khumbu is very “dry” this year, with minimal snow and lots of ice and rock exposed on the mountains. After two nights at EBC the team will be heading back down to Lobuche village where Phunuru is meeting them for the climb of Lobuche Peak. All’s well in Khumbu!
April 3rd, 2025
Looking east from near Dzongla towards Mehra Peak, Khongma La and Pokalde Peak (Kusang Tshering)
The team had an active rest day in Pheriche yesterday, with both some hiking and resting! Today the team trekked higher up the valley, to Dzongla (4800m; 15,700 ft) on the trail towards the Cho La Pass which leads to Gokyo. Kusang Tshering reports the team are now all tucked into a lodge, ready to push higher up to Lobuche village tomorrow (over 16,000 ft) where they will take another active rest day before moving to Everest BC. Slow and steady is the way to go!
April 3rd, 2025
IMG’s Denali Prep Expedition Seminar spent four days on Mt. Rainier last weekend, honing teamwork and essential mountaineering skills. Winter on Mt. Rainier provides the perfect environment to experience the challenges of a larger expedition, such as Denali, Aconcagua, or Everest. The team faced a mix of weather conditions while practicing technical skills, cold-weather mountaineering, and engaging in lectures and informal discussions with our Senior Lead Guides. Ready for that Kahiltna runway!
April 1st, 2025
Looking across from Phortse to 6783m Kangtega and 6608m Thamserku (Ang Pasang)
Lobuche Peak from near Pheriche (Eric Simonson)
The Lobuche team overnighted in Phortse, before moving up to Pangboche via the high trail on the west side of the Khumbu valley. This is a more rugged trail with great views along the way. Everyone is doing well, and today they continued their ascent to Pheriche (4,371 m;14,340 ft) where they will take acclimatization day tomorrow, with a hike up to the viewpoint for their first good views of Lobuche Peak. The air is starting to get thinner and it is definitely chilly in the morning!
March 29, 2025
Day one of Denali Prep Seminar on Mt. Rainier! Max Bond (Photo)
Day one of Denali Prep Seminar on Mt. Rainier! Pristine snow, and blue sky’s as the team ascends to their basecamp. Max Bond (Photo)
