Arabs With Altitude are back in Kathmandu Celebrating!

The team woke early at Camp II and descended safely to Base Camp.  Shortly afterward we arranged flights back to Kathmandu. We are currently resting an recovering in the Yak and Yeti Hotel looking forward to reuniting with our friends and families back home!

-Expedition Leader, Michael Horst

Arabs with Altitude Safely Back to Camp 2

Team Arabs with Altitude has arrived safely back to Camp 2. The team has just had some lunch and is going to relax at Camp 2 for the rest of the afternoon and evening. They are looking forward to getting back down to Base Camp tomorrow. I can't wait to celebrate with the team back down here, and in particular to congratulate my husband Vern on his 10th Everest summit!

Carole Tejas

Arabs with Altitude - Safe Return to South Col

Happy to report that the entire climbing team has returned safely to their camp at the South Col. They will spend the night there, resting and recovering after their tremendous summit success.   The team will descend to Camp 2 tomorrow, and return to Base Camp the following day.  As always, we'll keep you posted.

Carole Tejas

  

SUMMIT!!!!

Michael Horst just radioed down that the team is standing on the summit!  They report that the weather is good with some moderate wind and that the views are amazing.  Guides Michael Horst and Vern Tejas, climbers Sheikh Mohammed al Thani, Raed Zidan, and Masoud Mohammed, and cameraman Elia Saikaly are together on the summit joined by our amazing Sherpa; Kami Rita, Phura Temba, Ang Pemba, Lakpa Nuru, Nawang Jangbu, Fura Kancha, and Passang Kajee.  All together, Alpine Ascents has summited another 13 climbers today! 

This is a historic moment as Sheikh Mohammed al Thani is the first Qatari to reach the summit of Everest and Raed Zidan is the first Palestinian. 

All climbers are doing great and they are going to head down to the South Col now for some well deserved rest. We will keep you updated as they make their way down the mountain and back home. 

Pictures courtesy of Michael Horst

Arabs with Altitude have reached the South Summit

We just received a radio call from Michael Horst who reported that the Arab team has reached the South Summit of Everest at 8,750 meters. Currently they are taking a break and changing oxygen cylinders, and trying to eat and drink some before making the final push across the summit ridge to the Hillary Step and onward to the true summit. It sounds like the weather is holding and they are making steady progress. We are expecting to hear from them in about 2 hours at the top of the world!!

The first Picture is from Michael Horst and is a view of the South Summit, the Hillary Step, and the Summit from the Lhotse.

The Arabs With Altitude reach "the balcony"

We just got a radio call from Michael & Vern who are at the balcony, and doing great. The balcony is at 8,300 meters and is about halfway from Camp 4 (the South Col) to the South Summit. The team reported good weather conditions and everyone is doing well. From the balcony the climbers will ascend up the South East Ridge of Everest to the South Summit. It is still dark outside now, but the sun will start to rise as our climbers make their way to the South Summit, giving them amazing views of the sunrise and the world below them. The South Summit is at 8,750 meters and will be the next check in point for our team. The Arabs With Altitude are moving smooth and steady and we should expect to hear from them at the South Summit in 4 hours or so.

Here is a picture looking up at the South Summit from high on the South East Ridge.

The Arabs With Altitude start their summit climb

The Arabs with Altitude are suited up on the way!!  They will cross the South Col and start up the Triangular Face at 8,100 meters.  The route up the Triangular face joins the main summit ridge, which they will then follow to the Balcony at 8,300.

In this picture taken by Michael Horst from the Summit of Lhotse, you can clearly see the Everest Climbing route.  The most prominent ridge line on the sun/shade boarder is the ridge our climbers will take to the top.  The Balcony is where the ridge veers to the left and you can make out the South Summit where the ridge dips down just below the true Everest Summit.

  

Joe Kluberton, Base Camp Manager

Weather updates for the Arabs With Altitude

I have just finished analyzing the four different weather forecast I like to look over before our teams travel on the mountain. And, since, they will be traveling to the top of the world on this particular day I have been reviewing the forecast every time they update, looking for trends and corresponding data between the different forecasting sources. The forecast look good with winds in the 15 to 25 mile per hour range with possible higher gusts. There may be some cloud cover here at base camp, but it looks like our climbers will be well above it while they climb at over 8,000 meters. The temperature will be in the vicinity of -20 C or -4 F, balmy and warm for this altitude :-)

I have just relayed all this information up to Michael Horst and the Arabs With Altitude and they seem to like the forecast as well. They are planning to "wake up" at 8:30pm, hydrate with hot drinks, have some food, and depart the South Col at 10pm.

Stay tuned.

Joe Kluberton

Arabs With Altitude prepare for their Summit Push

The Arabs With Altitude have been resting, hydrating, and rebuilding their strength today at the South Col in preparation for their summit push tonight. The weather report continues to look good for our climbers. The winds have picked up a little since yesterdays forecast, but they are still relatively low and manageable. There are only a few other teams planning to climb the mountain tonight. Everything is looks to be lining up for great summit conditions!

Here is a picture of the view from the South Col

Team Everest safely in base camp, heading home!

 

 

Today we descended from our Camp 2 and arrived in base camp to shower,
eat, and begin packing for our departure tomorrow. We are celebrating
with our Sherpa team and recalling great memories from the last 2
months. Some members will fly out via helicopter tomorrow while
others will begin the trek down to Lukla, then fly via twin otter to
Kathmandu. This will conclude the cybercasts for Alpine Ascents "Team
Everest".

We had a very successful Everest & Lhotse expedition, with 9 climbers,
4 guides, and 10 climbing Sherpa making the summit of Everest
together. Then 3 climbers, 2 guides, and 2 climbing Sherpa reached
the summit of Lhotse approximately 23 hours later. We have been very
fortunate for a safe and successful expedition, and wish to thank
everyone involved for their support. We are all very much looking
forward to heading home and reconnecting with family, friends, & loved
ones.

Thanks for following!

Garrett Madison, Expedition Leader

Team Arabs with Altitude Calls in From Yellow Band

An interim report: The team just called in from the Yellow Band to report that everyone is doing great. At this point, they have climbed almost halfway to the South Col and are making steady progress. So far so good!

Arabs with Altitude En Route to South Col

Just a quick note to let you know that the Arabs with Altitude are are their way to the South Col. They left Camp 3 at about 9 am and are taking a short break at the moment to hydrate and have a bite to eat. Everyone is doing well. We'll send a longer cybercast later today when the team arrives at the Col.

Carole Tejas

Alpine Ascents 2013 Everest Expedition safely back to Camp 2

All of our Everest and Lhotse climbers have arrived safely back in Camp 2. They are hydrating and preparing for a good meal from our Camp 2 cook before tucking into their tents for the night.

They will wake up early tomorrow morning and descend the Khumbu Ice Fall back here to Base Camp.

We look forward to seeing everyone again and congratulating them on a job well done!

Joe Kluberton

Arabs with Altitude Arrive in Camp 3

Arabs with Altitude made very good time up the Lhotse Face today, climbing in clear weather. The team just called to report that they have arrived safely in Camp 3 and that everyone is doing very well.  All members are now resting and hydrating in their tents. They will sleep on oxygen tonight for the first time and will continue their push to the South Col tomorrow. We'll keep you posted.

 

Carole Tejas

LHOTSE SUMMIT!!!!!!!!

It looks to be another banner year of record breaking for Alpine Ascents!!

Woody Bailey becomes the youngest person to summit two 8,000 meter peaks in under 24 hours, a nice present for his 23rd birthday tomorrow!

Alpine Ascents Expedition Leader Garrett Madison becomes the first person to have done two 8,000 meter peaks in under 24 hours twice, having also done so in 2011.

Karma Sarke Sherpa and Ang Passang Sherpa become the first Sherpa to do so.

Alpine Ascents Guide Ben Jones and climbers Michael Grigsby and Martin Grieder have also completed the two summits in under 24 hours bringing the total number of climbers to have done so to only nine.

Garrett, Ben, Woody, Michael, Martin, Karma, and Ang Passang can look across the South Col and up the Mt. Everest to the peak they were all standing on less then 23 hours ago. The weather is clear, the winds are calm, and it sounds like another amazing summit day for our climbers!

This picture is looking across the South Col to Mt. Everest. It was taken from the summit of Lhotse by the first person to do two 8,000 meter peaks in under 24 hours, Alpine Ascents Guide and Everest Expedition Leader Michael Horst. This is one of my favorite pictures because it so clearly shows the main climbing route on Mt. Everest; up the Triangular Face to the Balcony then following the ridge to the South Summit, across to the Hillary Step and on to the top of the world...

Our Climbers will be descending the Lhotse Couloir back to Camp 2 where they will meet up with the rest of their Everest team.  They will stay the night in Camp 2 tonight before returning to Base Camp the following day. I look forward to seeing them all here soon and congratulating everyone for a job well done!!

Joe Kluberton

Alpine Ascents Lhotse team update

Our Lhotse climbers just checked in during a rest break above Lhotse Camp 4.  The team is doing well and making good progress up the mountain.  They are currently a little over an hour from the Lhotse Couloir.  From the Couloir our team will have about another 4 hours of climbing before they reach the summit.  I am keeping an eye on my watch and it looks like they are just on pace to make the summit within 24 hours of having stood on the summit of Mt. Everest.  My notes show that the entire Everest team stayed on the summit until 8:20am before starting their descent, so that will be the rough time cut off for having climbed the two 8,000 meter peaks in a single day.  No matter the time taken, having summited the largest and fourth largest mountains in the world on back to back nights is a pretty amazing accomplishment on its own.

The Lhotse Couloir

Joe Kluberton

Alpine Ascents Lhotse Team preparing to leave South Col

Our Lhotse climbers are filling up water bottles, getting on their climbing gear, and preparing to leave camp. Their path will take them slightly down from the South Col and across the Lhotse Face before reaching Lhotse Camp 4. From there they will start up toward, and into, the Lhotse Couloir. It will take a number of hours to make it up the couloir, but once they reach the top of the gully the summit of Lhotse will only be a few meters away.

Joe Kluberton

Lhotse Summit climb is a go!

Alpine Ascents Expedition Leader Garrett Madison is currently one of three people to have summited two 8,000 meter peaks in under 24 hours. Tonight he looks to be the first person to do it twice! Garrett will be joined by guide Ben Jones and climbers Michael Grigsby, Woody Bailey, and Martin Grieder. All five of them summited Mt. Everest this morning between 7:35 and 7:58am. They have been resting in the South Col all day, hydrating and preparing for another night of high altitude climbing. They will also have help tonight from members of our Sherpa team whom were resting in Camp 2 last night during our teams Everest Summit push.

They plan to depart the South Col at 11pm tonight giving them just over 8 hours to climb the 8,516 meter peak...the fourth highest in the world. If they are successful they will more than double the number of climbers to have climbed two 8,000 meter peaks in a single day, yet there will still only be 7 total. The weather looks good as we gear up for another night of climbing with Alpine Ascents.
Stay tuned.

Lhotse, rising above the Western Cwm

Arabs with Altitude Rest at Camp 2

The Arabs with Altitude are resting for a second day in Camp 2 today.  Everyone is feeling good and is relaxing and eating and generally gearing up for tomorrow, when the team plans to move up the Lhotse Face to Camp 3.  We'll check in tomorrow, as Arabs with Altitude continues their summit push.

Safely back to South Col

The entire climbing team is safely down to the South Col. 

They will spend the night in Camp 4, relaxing, enjoying hot drinks and generally recovering after their all night outing.  A few of our Climbers will be departing tonight for Lhotse.  If they make the summit in good time they will join a short list of high altitude climbers whom have summited two 8,000 meter peaks in under 24 hours. A very short list, only three other climbers to date.  Those climbing Lhotse will descend to Camp 2 after tomorrows summit bid and join the rest of the climbing team before returning to Base Camp the following day. 

Joe Kluberton

SUMMIT!!!!!!!

All climbers who left the South Col late last night have now summited the highest mountain in the world!!!

Michael Grigsby, Adriaan Wessels, Bernardo Gonzalez, Woody Bailey, Scott DeRue, Gosia Borchardt, Martin Grieder, John Lowry, and Raha Moharrak all arrived at the Summit of Mt. Everest by 8:00am May 18th 2013!!!  They were led to the top of the world by Alpine Ascents Expedition Leader Garrett Madison and his team of expert guides; Lakpa Rita Sherpa, Ben Jones, and Brien Sheedy.  We could not have done it without our amazing Summit Sherpa;  Karma Sarke, Ningma Tshering, Mingma Dorjee, Passang Tsheri, Da Nuru, Ang Passang, Lakpa Sona, Passang Tendi, Ang Norbu, Mingma Tensing, and Pemba Tenzing.

All told, Alpine Ascents 2013 Everest Expedition has put 24 members on the Summit today.  This makes 26 summits on the season counting our Sherpa on the Summit Fixing team earlier this year, Kami Rita Sherpa and Fura Kancha Sherpa.  We have many more Summits to come as our team Arabs With Altitude make there way to the summit over the next few days.  We also have a few climbers leaving for the Summit of Lhotse tonight to join just a handful of people whom have made the summit of two 8,000 meter peaks in under 24 hours. 

As always I like to thank everyone that has helped us reach the summit. Everest is not climbed by any one individual, we have a huge support team here in Base Camp and around the world that make it possible for our climbers to be where they are now. Most of all we want to give thanks to all the friends and family that have supported us for the last 2 months. You have been with us every step of the way and we could not be here without you. Thank You!!

The team has now started their descent back to the South Col.  Let's wish the team a safe trip down the mountain.  I will continue to send updates on their progress as our climbers start making their way back home.

Here is a picture looking toward the South Col and Lhotse from the Summit of Everest courtesy of Michael Horst

Alpine Ascents 2013 Everest Team Resting at South Summit

It is 6 am here in Nepal and our climbing team has just reached the South Summit of Mt. Everest. The sun has risen and I can only describe the climbing conditions as...Perfect!! It is an amazing day outside. Not a single cloud in sight and no sign of wind anywhere.

The South Summit is 8,750 meters, just 100 meters from the true summit. From here the climbers can look across the ridge, up the Hillary Step, and see the top. Normally this final portion of the climb would take around an hour, but don't be alarmed if my SUMMIT cybercast does not show up for short while longer than that. The Team reports seeing people across the ridge, people on the Hillary Step, and people on the Summit. It does not sound like the lines are all too bad. It is only 6am so we have plenty of time, the team may just have to move a bit slower and really take in the amazing views they must be enjoying up there!!

My next update will be reporting the summit!!!

Mt. Makalu from the Summit of Everest on a year with a few clouds in the valleys.
.

Team Resting at the Balcony

The team has made it to the balcony, nearly half way to the South Summit. They will take a bit of a break before heading up the snow line of the South East Ridge with the Khangshung face down on their right. It will take them several hours of climbing along the ridge before crossing some rock bands and reaching the South Summit. 

This picture is courtesy of Michael Horst which he took from Lhotse a few years ago while doing the Everest-Lhtose combo.  It clearly shows the route from South Col to the Summit. You can see that enormous Khangshung face on the right side of the South East Ridge. The Balcony is right were the ridgeline takes a left about half way up toward the South Summit, which is visible just before the true Everest Summit.

Joe Kluberton

Team above the Triangular Face

The climbing team just called in saying they have made it to the top of the Triangular Face about 400 feet above the South Col and half way to The Balcony. They are taking their first break there and report that everyone is doing well, there are no winds, and they will continue to make their way to the summit. Sounds like a great start to the night!

Joe Kluberton

Alpine Ascents 2013 Expedition Starts Their Summit Climb

The team has left the South Col and is on their way to the summit.   They left Camp 4 at 11:00pm with clear skies and winds that have dropped significantly since last night. After crossing the South Col, the first objective will be to make their way up the 400 foot Triangular Face to the main summit ridge and on to the Balcony. It will be several hours before they make it to the Balcony at 27,300 feet, over a thousand feet above Camp 4. The winds are staying manageable and the shifting wind direction from West to North seems to have brought drier air from the Tibetan Plateau and clear skies, making for good views come morning.

Joe Kluberton  

Going for the Summit!

The team has decided to make their summit bid tonight!! The guides and Sherpa are melting water, making hot drinks and getting preparations underway for a 11pm departure Nepal time. The winds have calmed down now at the South Col and our weather forecast predict that they will stay that way as our team ventures out into the night. We will send an update once they leave camp and will continue to follow their progress up the mountain.

Joe Kluberton

Alpine Ascents 2013 Everest Expedition making plans in the South Col

I have been pouring through numerous weather forecasts and relaying all the information I find up the mountain to the South Col where our guides are currently deciding if they will leave for their summit push tonight or hold out another day at Camp 4. We have enough resources to stay an extra day if the weather does not line up for us, but it looks like the conditions are trending toward a good summit window for tonight.

The winds have started to calm down and have shifted toward the north. Several of the forecasts I review indicate that this means the winds will stay lower and manageable for several days to come. Garrett Madison is currently collecting information from other teams in the South Col on the numbers of climbers we can expect today and tomorrow. So far the numbers going for the summit tonight are not too great and it looks like there will be likely be more climbers tomorrow. With winds calming and crowds at a reasonable level it looks to me like tonight will be a go.

Garrett will make the final decision around 9pm, four hours from now.

Stay tuned, if they decide to climb tonight, there will be many cybercasts to come as our climbers make their way to the top of the world!!

Joe Kluberton

Alpine Ascents 2013 Everest Team at South Col

Mt. Everest looking across the Yellow band and up past South Col

 

The Alpine Ascents 2013 Everest Team have made it to the South Col, at just below 8,000 meters. There are only 14 mountains in the world that rise above 8,000 meters, and our climbers will be sleeping there tonight. Two of those 14 peaks rise out of the South Col. Everest, our main objective and the highest mountain in the world, rises over 850 meters above the South Col. Lhtose, the forth highest mountain in the world, rises over 500 meters from the other side of Camp 4. We have a few climbers who will be attempting to summit both of these impressive mountains in under 24 hours. This is a feat that has only been accomplished by three other climbers to date! In 2011, Alpine Ascents Guide Michael Horst was the first, and he is currently our Expedition Leader for the Arabs With Altitude. Alpine Ascents guide and our 2013 Everest Expedition Leader, Garrett Madison and climber Tom Halliday became numbers two and three just a few days later.

For now the team will be hydrating, eating, and sleeping at the Col in preparation for their Everest summit climb tomorrow night. Those also climbing Lhotse will have the day after to rest up in the South Col before leaving on a second alpine start the following evening.

Arabs With Altitude in Camp 2

The trail up the Western Cwm toward the Lhotse Face

The Arabs with Altitude are all in Camp 2 resting, hydrating, and getting ready for a well deserved night of sleep. They plan to spend tomorrow in Advanced Base Camp resting and building their strength before pushing to Camp 3 the following day.

Team Arabs with Altitude Start Summit Rotation

Guide Michael Horst Rounding the Puja

 

The Arabs With Altitude rounded the Base Camp Puja early this morning in route to Camp 2 on their Summit Rotation. The Khumbu Icefall is now behind them and they are hydrating and snack in Camp 1 before continuing on to Camp 2. Training and acclimatization make it possible for our climbers to make it all the way to Advanced Base Camp on the first day of their Summit Rotation. It can get really hot in the Western Cwm above Camp 1, but luckily there is some cloud cover to keep them cool. Although the clouds do appear to be burning off right now. Our team may have to resort to Vern Tejas's time tested technique of melting snow under the helmet :-)

Team Arabs With Altitude Begins the Summit Push

Team Arabs With Altitude will leave Everest Base Camp early tomorrow morning to begin our summit push.  It should take us six days to reach the summit if the weather cooperates.  Right now we hope to summit between May 21st and 23rd.  We're all hoping for a safe climb and looking forward to seeing our friends and families soon.

-Expedition Leader, Michael Horst

Alpine Ascents 2013 Everest Team to Camp 3

The Team left Camp 2 at 6am this morning with clear skies and crisp cold weather. They made good time up the Lhotse Face and have arrived safely in Camp 3. They report consistent winds up on the Lhotse Face with some stronger gusts, but nothing unmanageable. The climbers will spend the rest of the day eating, drinking, and relaxing as best they can on the side of the face. They will sleep on oxygen tonight for the first time which will help them get good rest before they push to the South Col tomorrow.

Picture looking down the Lhotse Face and the Western Cwm

Resting in Camp 2

The Alpine Ascents 2013 Everest Team rested in Camp 2 today.  Everyone is feeling good after a full day of eating, relaxing and generally maximizing their rest day.  They will move up the Lhotse Face to Camp 3 tomorrow, continuing their push to the top of the world!

Climbers looking down at Camp 2

Alpine Ascents 2013 Expedition Begins Everest Summit Rotation

The Alpine Ascents 2013 Everest Expedition has arrived safely in Camp 2 after leaving early this morning on their Summit Rotation.  Our climbers rounded the Puja for the last time this morning at 4am.  They climbed past Camp 1 and straight to Camp 2 on the first day of this final rotation, an accomplishment made possible by increased acclimatization, training and familiarity with the once foreign and intimidating Khumbu Ice Fall...though many would say the Ice Fall is no less intimidating no mater how many times you have climbed through it, you just have a better idea of what to expect.

Garrett Madison offering rice at the Puja


It was a warm and cloudy morning at the start, but the sun quickly melted away the clouds once the day came. The team was safely though the Khumbu Ice Fall and past Camp 1 by the time the heat really kicked in.  It was showing 115 degrees here in my tent at Base Camp!!!   The Western Cwm can act like a mini oven at times, surrounded on three sides by icy slopes that reflect the sun and very little atmosphere to filter the solar radiation. Our Camp 2 cook, Ang Tshering, arranged for cold juice to be sent down to our climbers to combat the heat and help them comfortably finish off their climb today.

The Sun at Camp 2 with Pumori rising above Base Camp and the clouds.


Joe Kluberton

Team Arabs With Altitude Rests in Namche Bazar After the 2nd Acclimatization Rotation

Team Arabs With Altitude is doing well.  After a successful climb to Camp III via a new variation on the Lhotse Face, we descended to Base Camp, rested one night and flew down valley to Namche Bazar.  We'll be in Namche for one more night resting and getting stronger for our upcoming summit bid.  We are watching the weather closely and hope to summit after May 21st.  

-Expedition Leader, Michael Horst

Team Everest prepares for Summit Attempt!

Today our Team Everest climbers returned to Everest base camp after a
few days rest down in Namche and Debuche. Everyone is feeling well
rested and strong after the "drop back" that allows for excellent
recovery from the climbing rotations to our high camps.

This afternoon we practiced with our oxygen delivery systems and
became familiar with how these systems function. We discussed our
plan for this final "summit" rotation on Everest. We are planning to
attempt the summit on May 18th or May 19th at this point. We will
climb to Camp 2 tomorrow morning and then evaluate the weather,
resting one or two days there.

Please follow our blog for daily dispatches on our climbing progress!

Garrett Madison, Expedition Leader

BaseCampTourAAI2013

Video tour of the 2013 Alpine Ascents Everest Base Camp. Narrated by Garrett Madison. Filmed and produced by Brien Sheedy

Fixing team reaches summit!

Today the Sherpa fixing team reached the summit of Everest! 14
Sherpas from 8 different teams worked together installing new anchors
and fixed lines. Two Sherpas from Alpine Ascents, Kami Rita and Fur
Kancha Sherpa contributed to the work, summitted, and are now
descending down to Camp 2.

Today our Team Everest is resting in Namche and Debuche. Our team
Arabs with Altitude went to Namche today and is also resting. The
weather forecast is looking favorable and we will begin planning our
summit attempt very soon.

Photo: Climbers in broken ice between Base Camp and Camp 1

Garrett Madison, Expedition Leader

BaseCampToCamp1

Video of AAI Everest Team moving from Base Camp through the Khumbu icefall to camp 1.

Team Everest is now attempting "The Double", route fixing update

It's official, we have obtained a climbing permit for Lhotse! Four
Alpine Ascents climbers, two guides, and four climbing Sherpa are on
the permit for Lhotse in addition to Everest. These climbers will be
attempting Lhotse the day after attempting Everest. Our plan is to
summit Everest and return to Camp 4 at the South Col. Then the plan
for the Lhotse climbers is to rest for about ten hours and then begin
the descent down over the Geneva Spur toward the "Y" where the route
splits above the yellow band. The climb up from the "Y" should take
us about 5-7 hours and we hope to summit Lhotse sometime after
sunrise, then descend all the way down to Camp 2.

As our climbers rest in Namche & Debuche our film crew is happily
cutting video footage and enjoying the ample power available here in
our base camp. As you can see from the photo we have a large solar
array that provides the juice needed for not only our VHF radios,
laptops, satellite modem, phones, movie projector, etc., but also for
the camera and editing equipment for the film crew.

The fixing team of Sherpa includes sherpa from several teams. Kami
Rita and Fur Kancha Sherpa are representing the Alpine Ascents team on
the fixing crew. Their plan is to fix to the Balcony today and then
to the summit tomorrow weather pending.

Garrett Madison, Expedition Leader

Team Everest & Arabs with Altitude update

Today our team Everest enjoyed rest on the drop back. Our Namche group enjoyed the comforts of the Panorama lodge, while the others enjoyed the Himalayan lodge in Pheriche.

Our Arabs with Altitude team climbed up to camp 3 today. They had great weather on the Lhotse face and climbed the new route variation that Michael Horst helped establish yesterday.

Garrett Madison, Expedition Leader

Alpine Ascents Team Everest and "Arabs with Altitude" update

Today our Team Everest began the first day of our "drop back" rest
period. 8 members flew from Everest base camp to Namche via
helicopter to spend 5 nights. The other members will drop down valley
to Debuche for a few nights. Being at a lower elevation for a few
days will help us rest and recover from our last "rotation" up to Camp
3.

Our team "Arabs with Altitude" spent the day at Camp 2 resting and
taking a short acclimatization hike. Guide Michael Horst and Alpine
Ascents Sherpa Kami Rita teamed up with 1 guide and 1 Sherpa from IMG
to re fix the route at the base of the Lhotse Face. By bringing the
route around to climbers' right at the start of the face we hope to
avoid rockfall hazards. We hope that by May 10th we will have
established the fixed ropes to the summit.

Everyone is doing great and we look forward to more good weather on Everest!

Garrett Madison, Expedition Leader

Photos (all credit to Ben Jones):
1. Guide Brien Sheedy in the Khumbu Icefall yesterday
2. Helicopter taking members to Namche for a rest

Team Everest completes successful "2nd" climbing rotation

Hello Everyone,

Team Everest 2013 is now safely back down at Basecamp after a very successful second rotation.  The weather was pretty good on this rotation.  We had some windy conditions at Camp 1 and on our move to Camp 2, and then calm, great conditions on our rest day at Camp 2 and on our climb up the Lhotse face to Camp 3.  Everyone did a great job on the Lhotse face and some broke some altitude records getting above Camp 2 and up to Camp 3.  We left early this morning to get through the khumbu icefall and back to basecamp in time to take showers before an awesome pizza lunch.  Tomorrow we will begin our "dropback" to rest and recuperate before beginning our summit bid in about a week.  We are doing great and are healthy and looking forward to beginning our summit bid!  

Thanks for following along!

Garrett Madison, and Ben Jones     










Team Photo at Camp 2, down suit fashion show.  Back Row:  Garrett Madison, Ben Jones, Scott DeRue, Martin Grieder, Woody Bailey, Michael Grigsby, JP Bailey, Brien Sheedy
Front Row:  Sioghan McFeeney, Gosia Borchardt, Adriann Wessels, John Lowry, Bernardo Gonzalez

Oxygen at camp 2

Ben Jones crossing a ladder in the Khumbu icefall.  Western Cwm in background and Lhotse ridge in far back.

Adriaan Wessels crossing the "deep one", while Martin Grieder holds tension on the rope. (Heading down to basecamp today)
Photo:  Ben Jones

All Teams on the Move

Both Alpine Ascents Expeditions are active today with one team starting up their second rotation and the other spending some time at camp 3. 

Michael Horst, Vern Tejas, and the Arabs With Altitude arrived in Camp 1 in good time after leaving Base Camp this morning at 4am sharp.  This marks the beginning of their second rotation up Mt. Everest.  They will be moving to Camp 2 tomorrow where they will spend a rest day before pushing their acclimatization to new heights by climbing to Camp 3.  

Photo of climbers in the Khumbu Ice Fall

Garrett Madison, Lakpa Rita, Ben Jones, Brian Sheedy and the Alpine Ascents Everest 2013 team are just arriving in Camp 3 after a 5am departure from Advanced Base Camp.  Positioned about half way up the Lhotse Face at 23,600 feet (7,200 Meters), Camp 3 sits higher than any mountain outside of Asia! The team will spend a few hours in Camp 3 eating snacks, sipping hot drinks and building their acclimatization.  After their extended stay at 3, the team will return to Camp 2 for the night and then descend back to the luxuries of Base Camp tomorrow morning. 

Photo of Climbers ascending the Lhotse Face

Joe Kluberton, Base Camp Manager    

Photos curtesy of Garrett Madison and Michael Horst

Everest 2013 Climbing Team all in Camp 1

Guides Ben Jones and Brian Sheedy rounded the Puja at 4am this morning with seven climbers bound for Camp 1. They encountered a collapsed ladder along the way, but it didn't seem to slow them down. They negotiated an alternative route around the collapsed section and arrived in Camp 1 by 8am. Garrett Madison, Lakpa Rita, and five climbers were resting in Camp 1 today, so our entire expedition team is now together again and planning to move to Camp 2 tomorrow.

Team Everest 2013 heading up for second rotation

Hello Everyone,

Early in the morning, Garrett Madison and Lakpa Rita headed up with 5 members of the team to camp one. They made great time and are safely tucked into camp one having just finished up a delicious dinner. Early tomorrow morning Ben Jones and Brien Sheedy will bring up the remaining seven members to camp one. We will be a full group spending one night at camp one and then continuing on to camp two the following day. From there we will all rest at camp two and then head up to touch camp three and return to camp two the same day. After that we will all head back down to basecamp, finishing our second rotation.

All of us in basecamp today enjoyed another beautiful day with sunshine, showers, and great meals. Everyone is doing very well and excited to get back up on the mountain for the second of three rotations. Our Sherpas are also continuing to make progress up the mountain with loads of gear and the fixing up to the south col looks to be on schedule. Today is also a historical day on Everest which marks the 50th anniversary of the first American ascent of Everest on May 1,1963.

We'll continue to send updates as we are up on our second rotation,

Ben Jones

Team Everest Update

Today our Team Everest enjoyed base camp and spent a few hours ice
climbing on the lower Khumbu glacier. Conditions were fabulous and
made for solid ice tool and crampon placements. Other members relaxed
and enjoyed our base camp. We are preparing to split into two groups
tomorrow.

Group 1: Guides Garrett Madison and Lakpa Rita Sherpa will take five
climbers up to Camp 1 to spend two nights.

Group 2: Guides Ben Jones and Brien Sheedy will rest tomorrow and then
take seven climbers up to Camp 1 the following day.

Our plan is to move together on May 3rd from Camp 1 to Camp 2 and
climb together from that point onwards. Everyone is doing well and we
look forward to our second "rotation" on Everest!

Garrett Madison, Expedition Leader

Alpine Ascents Team Everest Update

Our whole team is in base camp and enjoying sunny days!

Today our Team Everest split into several groups to accomplish various activities. Guide Ben Jones took a group of climbers to Pumori base camp.  Garrett Madison and a few climbers climbed up in the Khumbu Icefall to the "football field" approximately half way to Camp 1 and returned to base camp.   A few other climbers stayed in camp and rested.  Everyone is doing well and we are preparing to head up in a few days on our second "rotation" to Camps 1, 2, & 3.

The route is currently now fixed up to our Camp 3 and in a few days the fixing should be completed to the South Col and up Lhotse.  We are very excited for this progress.

All of our climbers and sherpas are very happy to be climbing together and we are in very good spirits in base camp.  We have a very positive and strong relationship with our sherpa team and will continue to promote our solidarity as a team working together through mutual respect for one another.

Garrett Madison, Expedition Leader

: Team Arabs with Altitude - Safely Back at BC

> Hello everyone. Happy to report that Team Arabs with Altitude returned safely to base camp this morning, successfully completing our first rotation to Camp 2. Everyone is healthy and happy and we are looking forward to a sushi lunch and a well earned rest this afternoon. Ciao for now.
>

Alpine Ascents Everest Teams doing well

Today our Team Everest split into several groups. Two of our climbers
climbed halfway up the Khumbu Icefall route with guide Ben Jones,
while several members hiked to Gorak Shep for lunch and nice views
with Guide Brien Sheedy. Other members relaxed in base camp and
enjoyed the sunshine. We plan to review technical skills tomorrow on
the glacier.

Team Arabs with Altitude had another nice day up at Camp 2 with guides
Michael Horst & Vern Tejas. They are all doing great and feeling well
acclimatized after 3 days at Camp 2.

The route fixing project had a setback today when one of the fixing
sherpa was struck by ice, possibly generated by a climber above, we
believe he is OK. The fixing team of sherpas will take a rest day
tomorrow and resume fixing work the following day weather pending.

Garrett Madison, Expedition Leader

Route fixing update

Currently our route fixing team is working on putting in the fixed ropes from the base of the Lhotse Face up to Camp 3.  However, today they encountered a set back when they encountered a long horizontal crevasse just below the lower Camp 3.  Hopefully tomorrow they will find a way around it.  If not, they will most likely have to use the direct route from the base of the Lhotse Face up to Camp 3, which last year was exposed to significant rock fall, but this year should be better protected given the snow above in place to catch any falling rocks from Lhotse.

Garrett Madison, Expedition Leader

Team Everest Update

Our Team Everest main group has just descended from Camp 2 through the Khumbu Icefall and reached base camp.  We had a great 5 nights above base camp, 3 of which were spent at Camp 1, and 2 of which were spent at Camp 2.  We had a few feet of unexpected snow at Camp 1 which made for a fun snow camping experience.  We had Camp 1 all to ourselves our last night there, and then had a spectacular walk up to Camp 2 through the Western CWM.  While at Camp 2 we enjoyed our very well equipped dining tent that kept us warm well into the evening (space heater & padded/carpeted floors). Our meals at Camp 2 were very good, we had large portions of well prepared western cuisine 3 times daily.  While at Camp 2 on our rest day we went for an acclimatization hike and had spectacular views of Lhotse, Nuptse, and Camp 2.  

Today we descended from Camp 2 down to base camp and passed many climbers heading up through the Khumbu Icefall.  Upon returning to base camp we enjoyed some hot showers, a tasty lunch, and a movie matinee.  It is great to be back in base camp after our first successful rotation up on the mountain.  We plan to stay in base camp for about a week and then return for another foray.  

Garrett Madison, Expedition Leader

Update from ten Arabs with Altitude

Team Arabs with Altitude has just reached Camp 2 today. Everyone is doing well and relaxing. Our Camp 2 is very well equipped with a special tent for the film maker with the Arab group. This tent has a carpeted and padded floor, a heater, and a power station for recharging electronic devices. Our camp 2 dining tent for climbers is very plush with a space heater, carpeted and padded floor, and a nice table with chairs all around. We are confident this team will be enjoying Camp 2 while they acclimatize over the next few days.

Alpine Ascents 2013 team to Camp 2

Garrett Madison's team moved to Camp 2 today after spending one extra day in Camp 1 yesterday cleaning up after a massive snow fall. A few sherpa broke trail from Camp 2 all the way down to Base Camp opening up the route for climbers to move up and down the mountain again. It is a bit cloudy and snowing lightly here at Base Camp, but Garrett reported clear skies and good weather up at Camp 2.

Camp 2 sits at 21,300 feet and is commonly referred to as Advanced Base Camp, or ABC. I just got the nightly radio call in and it sounds like everyone felt great on their move! They are all settled into the dining room now, ready to enjoy a nice dinner from our Camp 2 cook, Ang Tsering, before heading to bed. The team plans to spend two nights in ABC. They will mostly rest tomorrow, taking short hike around the Western Cwm to maximize their acclimatization. The following day they will finish off their first rotation by descending all the way back to the luxuries of Base Camp.

Joe Kluberton

Arabs With Altitude arrive in Camp 1

The weather today was picture perfect as the Arabs with Altitude made their way through the Khumbu Ice Fall to Camp 1. Everyone is doing great, enjoying some well deserved hot drinks and settling into their tents. They plan to spend a rest day in Camp 1 tomorrow acclimatizing with a light hike up into the foot of the Western Cwm. We'll check back in the following day as they continue up the mountain to Camp 2 at 6,500 meters or just over 21,000 feet.

Snow Snow Snow!!!

Here at Base Camp we got about 3 inches of snow. Our Sherpa at Camp 2 reported about 6 inches of snow there. Given these numbers it would be reasonable to think that Camp 1 got somewhere between 3 and 6 inches of snow…right? Actually, they got about 3 feet!!!

Given the waist-deep snow, our climbers decided to hold tight in Camp 1 for the day rather than break trail to Camp 2 as planned. Even the Sherpa here in Base Camp, who are amongst the strongest high altitude climbers on the planet, were turned back by waist deep snow after making it only a quarter of the way up the Khumbu Ice Fall.

So everyone pretty much stayed right were they were on the mountain today. Those folks lucky enough to be snowed in at Camp 1 (our team) busied themselves with clearing away snow from around camp and helped out some other teams by excavating their tents as well.

There is a possibility of some more snow in the forecast, but the skies are clear now and we're keeping our fingers crossed for good weather so our team can make their way to Camp 2 in the morning.

Joe Kluberton

Team Arabs With Altitude Prepare to Climb Higher.

Team Arabs with Altitude has been busy at Everest Base Camp.  We spent several days training and preparing for our move up to Camp I.  The training involved moving smoothly up and down steep fixed lines, ice climbing and a variety of rappel techniques.  

Yesterday, for further acclimatization and training, we made our first move above base camp climbing a third of the way through the Khumbu Ice fall toward Camp I. 

We are resting today and watching the weather closely tentatively planning to move up to Camp I tomorrow.  The team is doing well and looking forward to climbing higher!

-Expedition Leader, Michael Horst

Alpine Ascents 2013 Everest Team Resting in Camp 1

Our first rotation is underway!!

The team rounded the Puja yesterday morning at 4am on their way to Camp 1. Fresh snow and cloud cover made for cooler than usual travel conditions, perfect when you are on the move. The Khumbu Icefall cascades down Everest and nearly lands in our Base Camp. I could literally throw a stone to the crampon point where our team spikes up in preparation to enter the intimidating terrain.