Everest 2023 Updates – 8th May
Madison Mountaineering
It’s with great excitement to share that the Madison Mountaineering team has successfully reached the summit of Nuptse and safely returned to camp!
The dramatic South Face of Nuptse hangs high over Everest Base Camp, leaving climbers and trekkers alike in awe of the around 7,000 feet of vertical relief looming over the camp below. Nuptse receives far less traffic than neighboring Everest and Lhotse. But, thanks to the hard work and bravery of our Sherpa team, the route is now open to other teams to make their summit bids in the days and weeks to come!
The 2023 Madison Mountaineering Nuptse summiteers:
Garrett Madiso
Krisli Meles
Richard Drave
Aang Phurba Sherp
Mingdorchi Sherp
Chheder Sherp
Lakpa Sherp
Dawa Tenji Sherpa
Chheten Dorjee Sherpa
Hari Budha Magar
After waiting patiently at basecamp (5,364m) for two weeks, for a suitable weather window, I have finally taken my first steps up Mount Everest, late Saturday evening, in a bid to make the history books.
Climbing alongside my expedition leader @KrishThapaa and fellow climbing brothers, we expect our summit attempt to take between five and seven days, but it could be longer.
My team and I have safely navigated our way through Khumbu Icefall located at the head of the Khumbu Glacier, and we are now resting at camp one (6,065m) before continuing up the Khumbu Valley to camp two, at approximately 6,400m.
Kirstie Ennis
After a few nights at Camp One to acclimate the team had to ride out a storm.
“We decided we would wake at 4am, assess the winds, and step off around 5:30am. Which was still too early and brutally, painfully cold.”
Kirstie and team knew there was no winning circumstance to heading to Camp Two.
“You are either freezing to the point that you will question if your fingers are still attached until the sun hits the valley, or you’re walking through the day when the heat sucks every ounce of energy from you.”
The Western Khumb does no favors and takes no mercy.
“We moved roughly 2.3 miles and gained 1500 feet. Though I’m sure I looked like walking heat stroke rolling in to camp, I am one of the fortunate ones still feeling happy, healthy, and strong.”
The team will once again be at Camp Two for a few nights to ride out some high winds.
Andy Blatecky
Camp 2: a strange, but necessary place. A place where you start to see who’s prepared and who’s not. Who might be a safety hazard, and who will climb responsibly to the summit. Here is where I witnessed a somewhat disturbing number of practices… Short roping on easy terrain, oxygen use from 21k ft, full down suits when the sun was out?
For our team, a lot of hanging out around camp letting our bodies adjust. A little bit of going higher slowly as the weather allowed. Conditions were challenging, but we made the most of it
Ravi Gecm
Staying away from the EBC and many sick people. So I move around the Khumbhu Region and stay healthy.
Terray Sylvester
Currently jet stream winds are whipping across the roof of the world. So we’re waiting and resting — biding our time until we can move higher.
Lakpa Dendi Sherpa
Back at base camp, gearing up for the final ascent to the top of the world
Gonzalo Fernandez Garcia
2nd Rotation done.
It’s so hard to gain meters on this giant of rock, ice, snow… and wind, a lot of wind.
After ascending again to Camp 1 at 6200 meters to sleep, we set off in the morning with the intention of arriving at Camp 3. I’m moving at the pace the backpack lets me, because dragging 18kg at this point makes every step an achievement.
The wind is picking up and starting at 6500 and it’s getting unbearable. I notice how with each burst I tear the skin off my face, and when I reach 6700 meters I make the decision to shelter in a small tent of a Polish friend, I thrn go down to the base camp, 1200 meters negative elevation in complex terrain, which is absorbing the energy.
Now already in the comfort of the base camp to regain strength. Let’s see what the next few days have in store for us
Jon Kedrowski
Back down from a safe 5 day stint at altitudes above 21,500’ / 6400m and touched 7000m. Getting the body acclimated to the highest we can for now. Down waiting for the jet stream winds to move off the top of the world so we can go up there sometime between May 15-25. My client Adam Murray is doing well after some tough nights up there. Always a privilege to climb the mighty Sagarmatha!
Asad Memon
I have made full round of acclimatisation for my climb to Everest. Inshallah will make attempt to ascend soon!!
Vivian Cai
I just finished the second phase training: all the way from the Base Camp, to C1, C2, and tried to climb #lhotseface for 100m. The acclimatization went well, spent 3 nights at 6400m, which makes me feel like running and jumping pretty easy coming back to the Base Camp!
Now I’m having lunch at the Base Camp and will fly back to Namche to take a rest and wait for the window for summit.
Erwin Visser
We have finished our second rotation to the higher camps of Mt Everest. Weather was not fully supporting and unfortunately we were not able to touch Camp 3 on the Lhotse Face.
Next step is a few days of recovery in Namche Bazar to strengthen and get healthy for the Summit Push.
Ryan O’Sullivan
Over the last week we spent two nights at Camp 1 and five nights at a Camp 2 as part of our acclimatisation programme. During that time we climbed up part of the Lhotse face to just below Camp 3 at about 7000m.
We are descending all the way to a Namche Bazar for a few days rest while we wait for a weather window to push for the summit.
Svet Kyotlar
Tomorrow morning we go for the second rotation. Planned 3 nights at 6100 and 6400 and climb to Camp 3 at 7100.
Vacation in Namche Bazaar came to an end: for three days we warmed up in the capital of sherpas, slept on heated sheets, ate delicious food and enjoyed unlimited hot water
Yesterday we practically took over the pub and had an informal 7 Peaks Club party
It so happened that 35 participants of our Nepali expeditions ended up in Namche Bazaar at the same time: trackers going to BL, future climbers to Island Peak and Everest.
The whole evening “Leningrad” and the disco of the 2000s sounded, the movie “Height Gene” was broadcast on the projector, we met, talked, danced and sang songs to the guitar! Even the expedition doctor Andrei Selivanov prescribed such a spiritual rest for us 😁
Today we flew to Base Camp on the first flight. The weather is ideal, not a cloud in the sky all day.
Pemba Gelje Sherpa
We had really amazing hike to Pumori camp 1. Most of the our team have been waiting for summit push since longtime but due to showing very high winds above 6 thousand meters we had to wait at base camp but we are doing activities around the base camp to keep active our body for the summit bid. Let’s hope for good weather for everyone
Carlos Eduardo Santalena
After 2 days of rest after our second and last acclimatization cycle, we climbed today to 5680m on the high field of Pumori, staying still above 5000m, here at the base camp causes lethargy, so we always do active rest days.
I particularly really like the high pitch of Pumori as it certainly has the most beautiful view of the triple crown (Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse) and the base camp, the morning was nice and the weather was open so we could contemplate, we took some photos and went back down to bc, tomorrow we’ll tune up more the technical part at the glacier near the camp.
