Newsletter April-May 2010
This makes me reflect on the many years we have been at this game; on the advances we have made along the way and how much more we have evolved since our very first guided ascent of Everest in 1992. To me however, therein lies the essence of why we enjoy going back, as without that evolution we would merely be repeating an old formula and it would doubtless lose its attraction.
So I invite you to keep following the dispatches as our eminently capable team, led by Mike Roberts and Ang Dorjee Sherpa, make their way towards attaining the pinnacle of human endeavor over the next few weeks.
Enjoy!
Guy Cotter
Director, Adventure Consultants
Everest 2010 team climbing higher
The Adventure Consultants Everest Expedition 2010 is happening right now, and our team are making great progress with everyone feeling strong and performing well so far. Expedition Leader Mike Roberts and Basecamp Manager Caroline Blaikie are sending dispatches daily to our Everest 2010 page, even when on the mountain.
The team have done two acclimatisation cycles on the mountain and will now either do a 'drop back' to rest at lower altitude before the summit attempt, or they will go for the summit in the coming days if the weather forecast dictates this and everyone is feeling strong.
NZ Ice Ski
All of a sudden winter seems to be upon us here in New Zealand with welcome rain all week after an El Nino summer and our phones have been ringing hot with bookings for the winter - our 5 day Ice Climbing Course and our 5 day Ski and Snowboard Mountaineering Course. We also have custom guided ice climbing or ski touring options. With direct fights from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane straight into Queenstown in the winter, you can travel on the weekend and be ice climbing by Monday afternoon. Our waterfall ice venue is Wye Creek in the Remarkables Range in Queenstown and it is SO accessible and SUCH good climbing that we want to invite everyone to come south this winter and east across the Tasman to make the most of the conditions. Courses start July 12 and run through to August 20.
Kilimanjaro July - August - September
2010 Trip #3: June 27 - July 9
2010 Trip #4: July 11 - 23
2010 Trip #5: August 29 - Sept 10
2010 Trip #6: September 12 - 24
Our cost of US$5700 for the 13 day trip incudes a 4 day safari, and the whole trip with international flights generally fits in to two weeks away from home as these are Sunday to Friday departures.
Trek to Basecamp twice in 2011
New for 2011, we have two treks to Everest Basecamp available whereas we only had one before. Our treks stand out from the rest as we have small groups and you actually get to visit a working expedition at Everest Basecamp.
Trip #1: Mar 30 - Apr 17, 2011, accompanies the climbing group on the trek in.
Trip #2: Apr 19 - May 7, 2011, visits Basecamp once it has been established for several weeks.
AC have western guides accompany your trek and our support team back in New Zealand are THE BEST at helping you prepare for this trip, for most folks it being their first time trekking at high altitude.
New Three Passes Trek post-monsoon
We have two new Three Passes Nepal treks in the post-monsoon season. We have perfected this itinerary over the past few years to see the best of the high peaks of the Everest region, traversing the Kongma La, Cho La and Renjo La (La means 'pass'.) The dates of the new trips are;
Post-monsoon Trip #1: Sept 16 - Oct 11, 2010, 2011
Post-monsoon Trip #2: Nov 10 - Dec 5, 2010, 2011
Then in 2011 Pre-monsoon: April 28 - May 23, 2011
Take a look at previous dispatches and the spectacular photos from our previous treks, Three Passes 2009 being the most recent one.
Huascaran extension on Alpamayo
An ascent of Huascaran 6,768m (22,205 ft), the highest peak in Peru, can turn our 18 Day Alpamayo programme into a fantastic 26 day expedition to include one of the world's most imposing summits. Huascaran is the highest point in all the earth's tropics and the sixth highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere. The climbing is moderately difficult on slopes up to 30-45 degrees, but not as technical or steep as Alpamayo.
The cost depends on how many people join the extension and is guided at a 1:2 ratio. Your guide/s from the Alpamayo programme will accompany you.
We have a custom private expedition to Alpamayo and Huascaran led by Mark Sedon in September this year and there is now one space left. Details are on the Alpamayo page - Sept 3 to 28, US$7,500.
European Courses – Introductory, Intermediate and Advanced Mountaineering Courses
All the details on the schedule of dates for these courses can be accessed on our European Climbing School page.
European Alps Ascents and Elbrus
Climb the Eiger, Matterhorn or Mont Blanc this summer, or book a guide for an Ascents Week or Private Instruction Course in the Alps. We have several kiwi guides spending the northern summer in Chamonix as well as our guides who call Cham home.
Don't forget Elbrus in Russia, one of the 'easy' Seven Summits and a great place to put your new climbing skills into practice under the watchful eye of Mike Roberts, who is leading our July 28 - Aug 13 expedition.
Vinson 10 / 11 and Ski Last Degree dates out
The dates are out and it's imperative you get yourself organised now if you want to confirm a spot on an expedition climbing Vinson this year or joining Ski the Last Degree to the South Pole.
Vinson # 1: 25 Nov - 11 Dec, 2010
Vinson # 2: Dec 1 - 17, 2010
Vinson # 3: 27 Dec 2010 - 11 Jan, 2011
Vinson # 4: 8 - 24 Jan, 2011
Ski the Last Degree 14 - 30 December, 2010
Carstensz August next opportunity to go
Our next expedition to climb what we call the most adventurous of the Seven Summits, Carstensz Pyramid, is in August 2010, and we also have a November expedition led by our experienced expedition leaders. Western Papua is not the easiest place to travel to and we have built up a vast amount of experience with how to deal with all the various challenges that this part of the world presents, since we have been expeditioning there since 1993.
Carstensz # 3: August 9 - 28, 2010
Carstensz # 4: November 1 - 20, 2010
Reminder - ALL our expeditions to Carstensz since 2005 have reached Basecamp with all members reaching the summit.
Two recent articles about AC
Branislav Adamec is an Aspirant Mountain Guide from Slovenia and also the Eastern European Manager for icebreaker, and he joined us on an Aspiring ascent this summer.
Read the article at http://blog.icebreaker.com/?s=Adventure+Consultants&commit=
Alan Arnette was on our Everest teams in 2002 and 2003 and now provides great coverage of Everest expeditions on his website www.alanarnette.com He writes a blog for Outside magazine and his article on social media interviewed Guy Cotter about how AC has been doing dispatches from our expeditions for over 10 years now!
Read the article at http://outside-blog.away.com/blog/2010/03/tweeting-from-everest.html
Mongolia 2010 - Climb Mt Khuiten
Lydia Bradey and Dean Staples are leading a group to climb Mt Khuiten 4,375m in Mongolia in June / July 2010. There is the opportunity to join a second departure July 16 - 31 guided by Lydia, but don't delay as there are only 4 spaces.
Ama Dablam, Cho Oyu, Three Peaks, Island Peak
Ama Dablam - currently FULL with a waitlist. Guides are Dean Staples, Lydia Bradey and Paul Rogers.
Cho Oyu - has 5 spaces available. Guides are Mike Roberts and Mike Madden.
Three Peaks # 1 - has 5 spaces available. Guided by Steve Moffat.
Three Peaks # 2 - has 3 spaces available. Guided by Tim Robertson.
Island Peak - has 5 spaces available. Guides not assigned yet.
Bespoke custom private trips – Kilimanjaro, Antartic Peninsula, Ski the Last Degree
Lastly...
Remember that you can always phone us from North America on our Freephone number 1-866-757-8722 and our website always shows the time in New Zealand on the front page at the bottom right. Yes that's right, we're already in tomorrow so call and ask us what tomorrow is like! New Zealand is the first country to start the day as we are just over the dateline.
Adventure News May 2002
