May 25,2013
Mt. Bona from the plane. (Sheldon Kerr)
IMG Guide Austin Shannon called in from the summit of Mt. Bona today. The entire team enjoyed a “perfect summit day with warm temps and no wind”.
They’re en route back to high camp for dinner and a toast!
Tye Chapman
May 21, 2013
Step 1 is getting there.
After being flown onto the glacier yesterday morning, Sheldon reports they worked hard to get base camp set up and secured. They’ll use today as a team training and acclimatization day. They need to review roped glacier travel safety and practice crevasse rescue techniques before heading up the mountain.
They’ll likely make a carry up to the next camp (12,000’), weather permitting, on Wednesday, the 22nd. This process of making a carry to the next camp one day, then moving up to the new camp the next will go on for two more camps before they are in place to summit from a high camp at around 14,000 feet. With a few weather days thrown in for good measure, they’ll be well acclimated before they try for the 16,400 foot summit.
George Dunn
January 28, 2013
Rainier Summit Crater (Photo by Andriy Strogan)
It’s that time of year again – time to talk Rainier! Join IMG Guides at local REI’s to glean some good information on what you need to know to climb the Northwest Icon. Training tips, route information, gear and more.
Mark your calendars now, space is limited.
| Date | Time | REI | Presenter |
| Wednesday, February 06, 2013 | 7:00pm | Redmond | Dallas Glass |
| Monday, February 25, 2013 | 7:00pm | Olympia | Josh McDowell |
| Tuesday, March 05, 2013 | 7:00pm | Southcenter | Tye Chapman |
| Thursday, March 14, 2013 | 7:00pm | Seattle | George Dunn |
| Tuesday, March 26, 2013 | 7:00pm | Issaquah | George Dunn |
| Wednesday, March 27, 2013 | 7:00pm | Alderwood | Tye Chapman |
| Tuesday, April 16, 2013 | 7:00pm | Olympia | Ty Gimenez |
| Wednesday, April 17, 2013 | 7:00pm | Redmond | Dallas Glass |
Below is an article published in the New York Times featuring Jason van Dalen, one of our Everest climbers from 2010, and his wife Alejandra. We don’t do too many love stories on the IMG blog, but this one is pretty cool.
When I asked Jason if it was alright for us to use this on our blog his response was: absolutely, if you can, please slip in that I am still very grateful to Eben, Hamill, and the rest of the 2010 Hybrid Team for getting my ass to the top. I could not have done it with out those two guys.
There you go Jason, while not so subtle, I did slip it into the blog post.
Enjoy the read.
Tye Chapman
——————–
By Margaux Laskey
Published: January 17, 2013
Jason and Alejandra (Photo by Tina Fineberg for New York Times)
Among mountaineers it’s known as the E-bomb, letting it drop that you have climbed Mount Everest — an accomplishment with an unassailable mystique, occupying a higher plane than, say, running with the bulls in Pamplona or scuba diving off the Great Barrier Reef.
Eventually, Jason van Dalen did use the E-bomb to impress women. Yet after reaching the summit of Everest on May 23, 2010, he returned home and descended into gloom. He had climbed some of the world’s tallest and most dangerous peaks and by conquering the highest of them fulfilled a goal that he set for himself years earlier.
Now what? Mr. van Dalen, an architect who lives in East Hampton, N.Y., and New York, plunged headfirst into two other harrowing pursuits: riding motorcycles and online dating. (Read more…)
January 12, 2013
Here’s a quick update on what’s going on in South America…
The Plaza de Mulas camp on the descent (Photo: Tye Chapman)
On Aconcagua, Ty Gimenez and his team tagged the top this morning! The weather held nicely and it didn’t snow until they had already rolled back into camp. 7 of 8 made the top, and an excellent effort by all. They’ll head downhill to Plaza de Mulas tomorrow and will hit the trailhead on Monday.
Mike Hamill and his private Aconcagua team were shooting for Confluencia Camp tonight. They’re heading up a different route which puts them at Plaza de Mulas tomorrow night. If you’re doing the math, they’ll be there the same night as Ty and his crew. It’s a pretty cool feeling to walk into camp knowing you have friends waiting for you.
On the other side of the mountain is Peter Anderson and his crew. They haven’t checked in, but no news is good news, so we’re sure they’re just plugging along en route to Base Camp.
Down in Punta Arenas, Chile is Greg and a couple of his Vinson climbers; they’ve officially wrapped up and are all en route home with their summit!
Up in Ecuador is Phil and his team. They enjoyed the market in Otavalo today and a nice dinner in Old Town. They’ll head out to Pasochoa tomorrow for an acclimatization hike. The weather has been good which makes everything easier.
And way up north (or south based on perspective) is Austin Shannon and Dustin Balderach and their Mexico Volcanoes team. They’re just getting settled in. Tomorrow they’ll load up and head out on their acclimatization hike near Ixta.
I think that covers all the bases…
Tye Chapman
January 9, 2013
I can’t say everybody will find this as hilarious as we do, but it’s a fun look at an issue a lot of people have in our world. Enjoy!
Get the gear, and get the right gear…just not ALL of it!
Tye Chapman
December 12, 2012
Last month we kicked off our 2012 Photo Contest…We received some amazing photos from all around the world! I could keep typing but you’ve likely already skipped to the photos below.
And the winners are:
Winners of each category will receive an IMG Prize Pack (IMG Buff, IMG Hat and IMG t-shirt). The winner of the Best All Around Category will also receive an IMG Embroidered Outdoor Research Transfer Jacket!
Stay tuned for an all-inclusive slide-show of all the submitted photos.
Thanks again to all those who submitted their photos!
Tye Chapman
December 12, 2012
Avalanche Crown Wall
Don’t make the news this winter – take an avalanche education course (or two). We offer both Level I and Level II certifications which are accredited by the American Avalanche Association. The courses are instructed by IMG guides and Crystal Mountain avalanche forecasters.
The Level One course emphasizes route selection, stability evaluation, and safe travel practices. This is the perfect course for those that want to start enjoying winter backcountry activities in a safe manner. The course includes 1.5 days of lecture, and 1.5 days in the field. Upon completion of the course, students will have a solid understanding of travel techniques and efficient partner rescue.
The Level Two course is perfect for those wanting to become confident group leaders in backcountry settings. Throughout the duration of the course we focus on forecasting avalanche hazard in the unique and variable conditions in the Pacific Northwest. As one of the best advanced avalanche courses offered in the country we spend most of the time in the field, with a few classroom lectures. Specific topics include grain identification, weather forecasting, complex route selection, and group travel and rescue techniques. Students will benefit the most from this course if they have previous avalanche experience, or are continuing their education from the Level One course.
A little knowledge can often be just enough to get you into trouble.
Location: Crystal Mountain Ski Resort
Level I—Hazard Evaluation
January 12-14, 2013
$395
Level II—Forecasting Workshop
January 25-28, 2013
$525
December 6, 2012
In case you missed it during all the Black Friday hub-bub, we too, have a few good deals.
Some personal favorites of mine include:
On a side note, do yourself a favor and work up to that $125 mark for the free shipping! We lose a little money on the deal, but you get some additional fun stuff at a nice discount!
Tye Chapman
November 20, 2012
IMG Guide Josh McDowell is bestowed with the prestigious and highly coveted "Ugliest Sweater Champion" trophy.
IMG guides (Left —> Right) Chris Meder, Dustin Balderach, Josh McDowell, and Tyler Gimenez sporting their ugliest sweater at Tyler’s first annual Ugly Sweater Party. Looking good, guys.
Becky K.