The team is packing up and heading for high camp in hopes of attempting the summit tomorrow! Schedule
It's October 26th and the team is now at the basecamp of Langju! Listen in below as Lonnie and Pascale update via sat phone with the latest from the mountain: Schedule
The team is preparing for their departure tomorrow for base camp of Langju! Schedule
Dupre ascended Larke to 18K with just a bivvy bag and small pack carrying necessities, but was forced to turn back after altitude sickness struck. Meeting Pascale at basecamp, they made their way down the mountain safely into the town of Sama Goan, where they met the rest of the team. The team has now arrived into the quaint village of Namrung where we’ll rest for the evening before descending further towards the Tsum Valley, where Lonnie, Pascale, and Chris will meet up with Elias and Bridget to continue towards Langju mountain. Schedule ScheduleScheduleScheduleScheduleSchedule
After leaving Gowa, the team climbed the steep rock path to Bimthang, a small village set in heavy clouds. The next morning we awoke to a clear sky and were greeted with a 360 view of towering snowy peaks around us. There, we spent two nights recovering and acclimating with steeper hikes in preparation for the pass. Afterwards, we set on to pitch our Hilleberg tents half way up the pass at 3930 m (12,890 ft) for the evening to ensure that the team has acclimated for the long day ahead. Waking up at 4 am the next morning, we had our pojaa (a Buddhist ceremony performed by the monks for safety in the mountains) for the pass and set foot with the light of our headlamps. Hours later the team cam
Today we journeyed from Tal and walked over 22,887 steps up to 2515 meters, leaving the banana trees behind and entering into evergreens. The trail winded through quaint, colorful villages where we were met with locals drying peppers and spices, herding goats, and offering us warm greetings with big smiles. We’ve just arrived into the village of Gowa. In our tea house for the evening we are sipping milk tea and awaiting momos (the traditional dumpling/pot sticker of Nepal). The team is in great spirits and are planning to hit the sack early in preparation for the long push tomorrow up to the village of Bimthang, set at 3590 meters. Images courtesy of Chris Worlow ScheduleScheduleScheduleSche
Climbing through the rainforest, we crossed rushing rivers on hanging bridges, up and over brilliant green hillsides through villages and eventually ended up in Tal around 9 hours later. Tomorrow the team will make their way up to Gowa, a village that lies at around 2500 meters (8,202 feet). Images by Chris Worlow Thank you to our lead sponsor Primaloft and our major sponsors Mountain Hardwear & Granite Gear. Schedule Schedule ScheduleScheduleScheduleSchedule
The Vertical Nepal crew took off from Kathmandu with Nepali guides Gyaljen and Dendi. After 3 hours of traffic from the Dashain festival, the longest running one of the largest in Nepal, we arrived into Besi Sahar for a total of 9 hours of drive time, only then to load up our Granite Gear bags and hop in a jeep and continue on. A few hours later of maneuvering nearly washed out roads at no more than 10 mph, we arrived into Syange, a small village set at around 1000 meters (3280 feet). Surrounded by waterfalls and just above a rushing river, the trade out of city noises has already added to the team spirit. Tomorrow we head for Tal which is located at 1700 meters (5577 feet). Right now the te
Exploring temples and meeting the local people, Chris, Stevie, Paul, and Melissa spent the day wandering the streets of Kathmandu. Lonnie and Pascale met with Nima and set out to sort gear and look deeper into the approach and climb in preparation for Langju. Tomorrow the Vertical Nepal crew will be busing to Besi Sahar and then hopping jeeps to Syange where we’ll all rest for the evening in preparation to begin the Manaslu Circuit. Photos: Stevie Anna Schedule Schedule
Three flights down and nearly 30 hours later the airplane wheels finally touched down in Kathmandu. Lonnie, Pascale and Stevie met with Melissa in the Abu Dhabi airport and joined in flight to the final destination. Later today group will join up with Vertical Nepal team member Chris and Sherpa Nima to begin the logistical phase of planning out the next week’s steps through the Manaslu region of Nepal. A solid dinner and a good night’s rest is in order for the remainder of the day. Be sure to catch us on Instagram, where you can watch our recent and upcoming live video posts. The team will be updating the blog daily on LonnieDupre.com. Thank you again to our sponsors for their continued supp
Our Vertical Nepal expedition starts today. The team is flying out of the states today for Katmandu. From Katmandu the team will begin the 3 week journey towards their objective 'Langju' a 20,800 foot unclimbed peak deep in the Himalayas. To start our adventure here is a video from last years expedition of Furba singing in our tent just before we ascend Ama Dablam. Bridget and Elias are in the Mountain Hardwear tent. Thank you again to our sponsors: PrimaLoft, Mountain Hardwear, Granite Gear, Garmont North America, SPOT LLC., Exped, Hilleberg the Tentmaker, 3M Graphics, Simply Native Foods & BlueWater Ropes. ScheduleScheduleScheduleScheduleSchedule