Blog

Some creative fun with “CHO OYU” photos

After enjoying a traditional Tibetan lunch and some hot tea, the team headed out for an acclimatization hike up to 5,350m/17,552’. Guide @estebantopomena reports that everyone is feeling good and fired up to keep climbing. Tomorrow the team will organize gear and then head out for another acclimatization hike in the afternoon. The team has been traveling for the past 3 days. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s happened so far:

Traveling to…

Cho Oyu, the 6th tallest mountain in the world at 26,906′ /8201m

Things are heating up at Alpenglow Expeditions as we make our final preparations for our Cho Oyu Rapid Ascent Expedition, which begins next week. Just hours before guide Topo Mena boarded his flight for Tibet, we had a chance to catch up with him at our office in Squaw Valley, California. We got the full scoop on the upcoming expedition, check it out below.

First, a quick bio on Topo: …

YESTERDAY WAS A BIG DAY FOR OUR BOLIVIA EXPEDITION- THE TEAM SUMMITED ILLIMANI AT 7:30AM.

We love starting off a post with “CUMBRE!!!” The team has achieved the third successful summit of their trip!

Two days ago the team moved from base camp at elevation 4,230m up to the “Condor’s Nest” (high camp) at 5,550m. Yesterday morning, long before sunrise, the team departed high camp for their big push to the summit. They traveled across broad snow slopes, navigated crevasse fields, and traversed across the final, classic, knife-edged summit ridge to stand at 6,438m- the highest mountain in the…

Adrian Ballinger sent in this report from day 2 in the Cordillera Huayhuash with the Eddie Bauer team.

“Another 15 miles plus our first 16,000 foot pass. Amazing views of the east faces of Yerupaja, Siula Grande, Jarishanka and Trapecio. Now we’ve circled around from the east side of the range to the south, and we are camped off the normal route at 15,300 feet right below the amazing south face of Trapecio.”

Here’s a photo essay from day 2. All photos submitted by Adrian Ballinger:

Reflection in Lake Carhuacocha

Sunrise over Carhuacocha Lake …

Team of Eddie Bauer athletes is trekking in the Huayhuash scouting some ski lines…

When Eddie Bauer calls and says “hey Adrian, let’s take a team on a beautiful trek… no skiing, no climbing, just a beautiful trek” you say yes. We’ve got a team of 3 athletes (Adrian Ballinger, Drew Tabke and Lysey Dyer) out on the circuit hiking their brains out at high altitude taking in the sights and sounds of this beautiful part of the world.

Yesterday they were on trail for 7 hours and 45 minutes, all above 13,000′ / 3962m including 2 passes over 15,000′…

Pico Austria & Glacier School

With the team so deep in the mountains, we get satellite text updates every day. Unfortunately for us here at home we don’t get to see many pictures yet. Those will come once they return from the mountains and we’ll be sure to post them to our blog and social channels.

On Friday, August 3 the team climbed Pico Austria. Standing at 17,438′ / 5315m this “little” peak is nothing to shake a stick at. It’s higher than any peaks here in the contiguous U.S. by nearly 3,000′ / 1000m! Our team however uses it…

Summit of Elbrus at 5:30am local time

Successful summit for Jim on Elbrus! 

We’re a little behind on posting this blog, because the guys moved so fast! Gaspar and Jim took advantage of a small weather window on Friday morning and decided to make a bid for the summit. They took off in the dark and working together as a team they made the summit at 5:30am in time to catch an incredible sunrise. Gaspar said they had no wind and clear sky’s, making for a great climb.

Homeward Bound

The guys made quick work of their descent and in…

We have a special team in Russia this season with just one guide and one very strong client. Gaspar Navarrete is leading the charge with Jim Walker right behind him. The target is Elbrus, and the guys are making great progress already.

Before they even arrived…

Jim and Gaspar

For his final training push, the week before leaving for Russia Jim climbed a 14’er in Colorado to get prepped for the fast expedition. This is a fantastic way to get the body ready for higher altitudes and something we always recommend to our climbers. If you can fit it…

Alpenglow Expeditions is back in Bolivia for our annual expedition to climb three different peaks. Every year we head down to the landlocked country to explore it’s incredibly deep culture and of course to climb peaks that hold almost surreal beauty and adventure within them. Out of our South American expeditions, Bolivia is still one of the more wild places we explore filled with a unique culture and history all it’s own.

On their way to the mountains…

Early Sunday morning (July 29) the team led by Topo Mena left La Paz in their rear view mirror headed towards the mountains.…

Watch the Tahoe Via Ferrata in action!

After years of dreaming and planning, we are BEYOND thrilled to officially announce the Tahoe Via Ferrata at Squaw Valley! The Tahoe Via Ferrata will ascend the iconic 1000’ Tram Face in Squaw Valley, our home, and one of the coolest rock faces around. Construction of the first two routes begins within the next few weeks and we plan to be operational by late September. We’re excited to bring the first Via Ferrata to the Lake Tahoe region!

If you’re unfamiliar with Via…

Snow storm thwarts team’s summit attempt

Two nights ago our team of climbers was at high camp, preparing for their summit bid in the coming day or two. That night, 6″ of heavy snow fell in high camp and plastered the face of Alpamayo. The new layer of snow creates instabilities in the surface that are not ideal for safe climbing conditions. That morning, the team decided to pack it up and get back to base camp before more weather moved in.

An avalanche warning was posted the day after the storm and confirmed our team’s belief that it would…

Blue-green jewels tucked between the jagged peaks of the Peruvian Andes.

The team arrived at base camp on Thursday, July 5. They trekked past the spectacularly beautiful Santa Cruz Lakes, blue-green jewels tucked between the jagged peaks of the Peruvian Andes. Then the team turned up into the hanging valley that sits beneath Alpamayo, setting up their base camp at tree-line, approximately 13,500’/4,115m. The report from our team via satellite text:

“Team is feeling good- a couple small headaches (from altitude) but the team is stoked!”

The team is currently stationed at base camp. Yesterday they climbed to 16,200’/4,938m to set up Moraine Camp…