Images from our 2010 Everest Expedition

Vivian James Rigney climbing up the Lhotse Face

The team negotiating the Hillary Step on summit day

Looking back across the South Summit of Mount Everest

On the top of the world!!
May 23, 2010

Descending through the Khumbu Ice Fall

The 2010 Mountain Trip Everest Team, back in Base Camp, safe and sound...

EVEREST SUMMIT!!! May 23, 2010

We are thrilled to report that our entire Everest team stood on the top of the world at 9:30 am on May 23rd!

We were on pins and needles, waiting as our team moved up with a decent, but far from perfect weather forecast. Fortunately, the gusty winds predicted failed to materialize and the team enjoyed a beautiful, warm night and a clear dawn as they climbed to the summit. They made good time, even with having to negotiate a large number of other climbers, and returned safely to Camp 4 at 26,000 feet at about 3:30 pm.

Congratulations to our five climbers, two guides and 12 Climbing Sherpas!!!!!!!!!

Here is a podcast from Scott Woolums, our expedition leader, as he checked back in from Camp 4, following their successful summit:

Denali Weather Forecast

This is an interesting widget that provides a nice, concise forecast for Denali weather. It should update daily, so check back and track what's blowing on Denali!

Weather by meteoexploration

Bill Allen featured in Salem, OR newspaper

I can only post this because Bill is over in Nepal, as he would be too self-conscious about it to let me. Bill's hometown paper, the Statesman Journal, covering all the news that's fit to print in Salem, Oregon, recently ran a front page story about Bill's Everest current expedition.

Bill and the other six climbers are currently waiting for the jetstream to shift, lowering wind speeds up high and presenting them with an opportunity to head for the summit of the highest peak in the world. They are roughly 40 days into their expedition and everything is set for their summit bid.

You can read the article from the Statesman Journal by clicking HERE.

MT Everest Team ready for summit bid!

Our 2010 Everest team has been resting in Dingboche after two rotations up high on the mountain to acclimatize. They are about to head back up to Everest Base Camp and wait for a favorable weather window in order to make their bid for the summit!

Everyone is doing well and all the requisite supplies are in place on the upper mountain, meaning our Camp Three is fully stocked and we have over 70 bottle of oxygen at High Camp! Our custom weather forecasting is the best available, so as soon as the team decides that the winds up high seem to be trending in the right direction, they'll make a push up high.

You can follow the expedition dispatch blog for our crew by clicking on the link to the right.

Good luck to all the climbers!

Annual Pre-Season Guide Training

The 2010 Alaska season is well underway...and it's only the beginning of May?? Of the climbers currently on Denali, the Mountain Trip family makes up the majority by a long shot. We have groups all over the lower mountain biding their time so they will be prepared for the upper mountain when the time comes.

The previous two days have been busy around the MT house in Anchorage. We just finished our annual pre-season 2 day guide training. The group reviewed topics such as professionalism in mountain guiding, menu planning and design, risk management, rescue systems, systems for assisting struggling climbers, general physics in ropework, snow anchors, and of course a review of our medical protocols. We were fortunate to have Dr.'s Paul Anderson and Joe McLaughlin present on some current research in the areas of high altitude physiology and disease transmission in the expedition setting. It was an action packed two days topped off with an amazing BBQ.

The May 2nd team will gather on Sun and begin their journey here in Anchorage. Then off to Talkeetna on Monday morning. The Mountain Trip family is most excited as this looks to be one of our biggest seasons ever. Remember to check out the great blog posts and pod casts from each individual expedition as they make their way up the mountain. Until next time...happy trails!