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Mountain Expeditions

Mountain Expeditions is a specialist expedition company offering UK Instructing & Guiding, Worldwide Expeditions & Expedition Specific Training.
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Twitter/Instagram How did it all begin for Mountain Expeditions? Mountain Expeditions was established in 2009 by Jon Gupta. Jon was guiding his first fully self-organised expedition to Kilimanjaro with a mixture of school and university friends making up the team. With an extraordinary amount of laughter and fun, the trip was a huge success and Mountain Expeditions reached its first (

of many) summits. Jon’s passion for expeditions and the mountains started in 2005 when he was aged 18 after spending over 2 months living deep in the remote jungles of Belize.

“Being part of a team of 22 I pushed myself both physically & mentally harder than ever before and learnt what expedition life was all about…I loved it and I’ve never looked back!”

His love for the mountains is continually growing and he has accumulated more high altitude experience than anyone his age in the UK (including 3 summits of Everest!). Jon is a Montane Athlete, full member of the Alpine Club, an ambassador for the Youth Adventure Trust and a member of both the Mountain Training Association and the Association of Mountaineering Instructors. Since the first trek on Kilimanjaro, Mountain Expeditions has grown steadily and the high volume of return clients is testament to Jon’s approach to his work. The relationships formed and experiences shared on both the UK courses and the Worldwide Expeditions are the backbone to Mountain Expeditions. If you’re interested to find out more, Jon recently did an interview for the Further Faster Podcast. He dives into topics about life in the industry, finding the elusive balance and how it feels to stand on top of the some of the high summits!

“My overseas expedition and UK mountain work involves coaching, instructing and guiding at all levels. I love creating flexible and tailored programmes whether for a single day rock climbing, a couple of weeks trekking or a major Himalayan trip. Quite simply – I love my job!“

The future for Mountain Expeditions

It is not our aim to grow into a big company dominating the market, far from it, instead we aim to maintain the high standards and personal touch we have become well known for, whilst continuing to deliver superb expeditions – having a large proportion of returning clients bears testament to our overall approach. We are steadily growing and we now employ a few select expedition leaders to deliver our Instructing & Guiding, Worldwide Expeditions and Expedition Specific Training. The company ethos

Mountain Expeditions has a clear and defined ethos – the small things matter. We believe that spending time in the mountains is more than simply standing on a summit, ticking a route or navigating to the right spot; it’s about all the individual parts of the journey which build up to that shared experience. Whether you join us as a member of a team or as an individual learning some new skills, you are part of the Mountain Expeditions family from the minute you sign up. We want to provide you with a unique and unparalleled mountain experience. Our Expedition Leaders have developed their skills on personal adventures and by leading expeditions in some of the world’s harshest and most remote environments. This expertise allows us to offer a variety of training, expeditions and challenges to suit all abilities and goals.

18/08/2022

K2 // Youtube Video!

I'm delighted to share my K2 Summit Video with everyone. It's been in the pipeline for a while tweaking and editing (thanks Ben!) and it's now up on YouTube for all to enjoy!

Lots of lovely comments and likes have been pouring in on YouTube and i'm delighted people are enjoying watching it.

You'll need a brew and a spare 45min to watch the whole things...every step from Basecamp the the Summit.

Please let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

K2 SUMMIT VIDEO // Basecamp all the way to the Summit! Via Abruzzi Spur, House's Chimney, Black Pyramid, Bottle Neck...and the summit!These K2 videos are par...

19/05/2022

Have set off from high camp 4 Makalu!! We’re going for the summit tonight!! The tracker is running … as always, you can follow our progress via the link:

http://www.mount-everest3d.com/jgupta

Follow expeditions on Mount Everest with our unique 3D Map. Track your own ascent and share it in real time with family and followers at home.

13/05/2022

Kanchenjunga // SUMMIT SUCCESS!

What. A. Moment.

I am overjoyed to post that all 5 members of my team plus our 6 Sherpa reached the summit of Kanchenjunga at 8am on 12th May!

🇳🇵 Pemba Nuru Sherpa (Khumjung)
🇳🇵 Dawa Tenji Sherpa (Khumjung)
🇳🇵 Lhakpa Wongchu Sherpa (Pangboche)
🇳🇵 Ang Kame Sherpa (Makalu)
🇳🇵 Ang Tendi Sherpa (Bupsa)
🇳🇵 Mingmar Rinji Sherpa (Makalu)

🇬🇧 Jon Gupta
🇬🇧 Matt Elkin
🇬🇧 Adam Booth
🇬🇧 Nick Martiny-Roberts
🇬🇧 Tom Lawfield
🇬🇧 Rupert Jones-Warner

Everyone absolutely fine albeit tired and with tired mega! Just got back to Basecamp. More to come very soon…

11/05/2022

We (6 members + 6 Sherpa) are at high camp on Kanchenjunga and preparing for the summit push in a few hours.

Kanchenjunga is 3rd highest mountain in the world!

Leaving Camp 4 (7400m) at 21:00 (U.K. 16:15), should take around 10hrs to reach the summit all going well.

Follow our progress: www.mount-everest3d.com/jgupta

Follow expeditions on Mount Everest with our unique 3D Map. Track your own ascent and share it in real time with family and followers at home.

02/05/2022

Kanchenjunga // Days 11 to 15: Basecamp life & acclimatisation to 6200m (Bananagrams, Snow & Puja!)

I stared intently at the upper mountain as the silence of the crisp morning air around me was momentarily broken by the murmurs coming from the cook tent. Surendra and Amrid were doing what they do best and preparing incredible meals for everyone.

After our monster final day trekking up the Yalung Glacier the day before it was a real treat to wake up in Basecamp to warm sunshine, surrounded by giant ice covered peaks and with no formal plans. Three full rest days were on the agenda.

These precious moments early in the morning are always magical. More often than not a vast blue sky is clear of clouds, and the first of the sun’s rays cast long shadows across the glaciers. These moments provide a little space to breath and think before all the team rise and Basecamp comes alive with the humdrum of activity.

Showers, unpacking, sorting, lunch, faffing, internet for the first time, more tent sorting and the first of many games. Bananagrams and Backgammon seem to be the expedition favourites so far. However, many of you will be pleased to know that Monopoly Deal, Scrabble and Rhummikub have all made an appearance as well as Yanif and other card games too.

As expedition leader one of my favourite things about these trips is to facilitate bringing everything together and letting it naturally evolve. Watching the team members cry with laughter at each other’s jokes and stories fills me with huge amounts of satisfaction. The best thing about this trip already is the team. The amazingly humble, determined and selfless Sherpa team as well as Tom, Matt, Nick, Adam and Rupert. The ingredients are in the mix for one of the best trips I’ve ever done, I am sure of it.

On the 27th we enjoyed our expedition Puja. An integral and special part of these big Himalayan expeditions where we all get together and pay our respects to the mountain and ask the gods for safe passage. I’ve enjoyed many Pujas over the years but this was definitely one of the best! Plenty of offerings and tossing rice and flower at each other. Even our porters were keen to get involved with the festivities, before descending the valley back to their homes.

The next day we went for an acclimatisation climb to Camp 1 at 6200m and back to basecamp. These days are so valuable for a multitude of reasons, not least to gain some altitude and further aid our acclimatisation. Although pretty hot and tough going in parts, we all climbed up to C1 and dropped off a load of kit before descending the route back to BC. That evening there was a new buzz in the camp (between the tired yawns) as for the first time it felt like we’d really got onto the mountain and the reality of what we are hoping to achieve was setting in. Both terrifying and incredibly exciting!

The route is really interesting and fun to climb with a mix of steeper snow slopes, traverses and shorter rocky steps. From C1 you can see 90% of the route to the summit. After a short time we turned and began the down climb back the way we had come. The weather soon deteriorated as we descended and it began snowing a little too. All good fun.

Afternoon clouds and snow seem to be a common pattern so far on Kanchenjunga. In fact we’ve had snow every day we’ve been here but it looks like some better weather may be coming…

29/04/2022

Kanchenjunga // Day 4 to 7: Yamphudin - Basecamp!

With the Yaks and Porters loaded we left the beautiful Yamphudin behind and set off into the forest.

The low mountain forest (2000-3000m) in far Eastern Nepal is a really beautiful mix of huge old trees soaring over 100ft into the sky and dense rhododendrons, at this time of year in full flower. Up and up we went for nearly 1800m of unrelenting ascent until finally we reached a col and a tiny simple hut where we had some hot tea and devoured our packed lunches.

An easier descent saw us weaving our way down through the damp mossy forest accompanied by rain and hail to the valley bottom and the beautiful raging Yalong river before arriving at Torongton, a one lodge settlement. Incredible.

The team enjoyed a well earn brew sat by the open fire inside the lodge whist drying out wet kit. That was a big day to open the account of the trek to Basecamp!

The next day was sensational! A beautiful trail weaved through the forest never straying far from the rumbling river. A shorter and much easier day was throughly enjoyed by everyone and it wasn’t long before we arrived into Tseram (3900m) for an early lunch.

Over the course of the next 3 days based in Tseram we rested, washed clothes, did some yoga, acclimatised to 4700m and revelled in our situation. It felt very real and remote and we loved it. Evenings are spent playing games, watching films and an awful lot of laughing. (The team are getting on famously).

After saying our good byes we took to the trail again and a swift 3 hours later we arrived into Ramche (4500m). Ramche is the last inhabited settlement before Kanchenjunga Basecamp and although very basic it was a wonderful picturesque place to stay for a few nights.

Again we did an acclimatisation day, this time tagging 5000m, and a rest day pottering about playing games and enjoying the views in all directions. An improvised game of boules provided hours of competitive entertainment for the team. Then the Heli arrived with our 6th and final member - Adam - and we were complete!

The next day was the BIG day. 12 hours from Ramche to Basecamp, 11 of which were on the vast and broken Yalong Glacier. The terrain was incredibly slow doing and hard won. Overall it wasn’t much fun. Spirits were lifted after 6 hours when we met our Basecamp cook Surendra who’d come down to meet us with an incredible lunch.

Finally, eventually, we crawled into Basecamp in varying degrees of brokenness and collapsed into our tents. Our new home for the next 3-4 weeks.

27/04/2022

Kanchenjunga // Day 1 to 3: Kathmandu to Yamphudin

Welcome along to our current expedition - live from Kanchenjunga!

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What an EPIC week we’ve had and we haven’t even started climbing yet! It feels incredible to be here at Kanchenjunga Basecamp after a truly wonderful trek in. I now have access to wifi so will begin updating our journey so far…(another post tomorrow)

Leaving Kathmandu (16th April) we flew east to Bhadrapour, close to the border with India, where we met our Jeep and driver for the next 2 days. In true expedition style we strapped our vast amounts of luggage to the roof and bundled in to the jeep - it felt like the adventure had truly begun! The journey took us through endless fields of unspoilt farmland green with life and full of character. The sense of being in an untouched part of Nepal felt very real and very special, I couldn’t help but smile as we drove towards the mountains. That evening we arrived into Phidim and celebrated Tom’s birthday with cake, beer and a sporting rendition of happy birthday (his is the first of four birthdays in this expedition!).

The next day we continued in the jeep for a few hours gaining our first glimpses of Kanchenjunga and Jannu way off in the distance. It looked big, beautiful and mildly terrifying at the same time! The Kanchenjunga Massif is huge.

The tarmac roads soon changed to dirt as we turned onto the never ending bumpy mountain roads. Any form of civilisation soon felt very far away. At 4pm we hit a road block as a landslide had cut the road off completely. Only an hour from our destination and the end of the road, Yamphudin, we portaged our luggage up and over the road block and transferred into our rescue vehicle - a tractor and trailer!

Rupert, Nick and Matt lay on the luggage in the trailer whilst Tom, Pemba and I sat in the tractor being defined by pumping Nepalese music blasting into our ears. As the last of the suns light faded we turned the final steep bumpy hair pin and arrived into the wonderful Yamphudim Guest House. What a cool day!

The following day we enjoyed a very relaxing rest day in perfect weather. Time was spent lying on the green grass under a warm sun, sorting our kit for portering, and playing backgammon. We even took a short walk to a near by river and took a very brisk dip in the icy water. The scenery was stunning and the dip, albeit quick, which was incredibly refreshing after two days on the dusty roads!

As I had hoped the team are getting on super well and I have a deep sense that this trip is going to be incredibly special. We are all looking froward to our 6th and final member - Adam - joining us in a few days time.

24/10/2021

Interview // Alan Arnette

For many years now Alan has been blogging about the mountains, particularly Everest, but many other big mountains too.

A few days ago we sat down and had a fun chat about this year and the mountains I’ve been on.

We cover topics on Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, K2, Pobeda, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri and Ama Dablam!

It’s available on his website, as a podcast and here on YouTube.

I hope you enjoy it!

I caught up with British climbing Guide, Jon Gupta of Mountain Expeditions to discuss his amazing 2021 where he guided mostly one client, fellow Brit Rebecca...

17/10/2021

Life at 8000m // The Magic of Time

There are special moments in life when time seemingly stands still. In this brief pause, we take a mental photograph and hold onto this memory forever. Its vividness etched into our mind and heart for eternity. These moments are flawlessly clear. They resonate with a purity and unfiltered clarity. Everything is amplified and full of colour. Noises dissipate. The metaphorical blinkers are removed. The thoughts inside your head are calm and clear. It is a complete, unparalleled and unfettered focus. It is moments such as this that we try to hold onto and store in both our hearts and heads and draw on and reflect upon in the future.

Time on expedition can often feel slow. It’s like a parallel world where life is both quiet, leisurely, and simplified. Time is measured in days and weeks, not minutes or hours. Many decisions have to be considered and are made with a sense of purpose yet very few time constraints. However, there is still an awareness and knowledge that outside of this bubble of almost nomadic expedition existence, life keeps moving forward with ever increasing speed.

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As one fantastic moment in my life was drawing to a close, a new one was about to open. I’m not that sad Manaslu is over, nor do I wish to linger longer on the mountain. Moreover, I feel a deep sense of pride in what we just achieved. We were committed, calm and relished the challenges that climbing on these big mountains brought. Climbing 8000m mountains is never an easy task, yet this one we negotiated with very few difficulties.

The day after we summited Manaslu, the helicopter arrived at 07:45 and our small team were shuttled down to Samagaun before taking off towards Pokhara for a brief refuelling. Perched precariously on large duffel bags in the back of the Heli with Siddhi and Lhakpa Sherpa, my eyes were locked on the mountains below and little settlements of rural Nepal. The mountains seemed greener and richer than we had ever seen. Water cascaded down the many deep gorges, falling effortlessly into the abyss below. Mesmerisingly beautiful. I head pressed gently against the vibrating window and a sense of calm wash over me knowing we’d collectively climbed Manaslu both well and safely. The team of four worked incredibly well.

Our little flying time machine touched down momentarily in Pokhara to re-fuel. We jumped out briefly onto the baking tarmac to be welcomed by the warm humid air. After nearly over a month spent at high altitude in cold, glacial environs, the warmth felt strangely alien but very welcome. For one brief, fleeting moment as we stood on the tarmac in Pokhara, we had returned to normal speed. Life suddenly snapped back to normality as the planes and helicopters whirred around us. People busied themselves, fuel splashed on the floor and fast, frantic chatter surrounded the helicopter. Very soon, we were once again back in the air and en route to the familiar territory of a base camp, where we re-entered the parallel world of 8000m mountains, catapulted back to a place where time simplifies and slows down.

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A few days ago, we stood at 7959m on Dhaulagiri. The worlds 7th highest mountain. We were the only four people on the summit push – the highest people in the world at the moment - and everything was going really well. The weather was perfect, and we were all moving well. Lhakpa and Sidhhi were ahead breaking trail through deep snow. They were in their element as they blazed trails climbing with their usual grace and admirable confidence and competence.

However, at 7900m the ropes stopped and a distinct change in environment ensued. What then awaited us was waist deep snow on a 20 degree slope for 350m. Challenging to say the least!
As we slowly but tirelessly continued on, the sun rose and fully emerged, bathing these majestic Himalayan mountains in that early morning alpenglow, and with it a little warmth. We all pushed as hard as we could. Three hours later we glanced back and could see that we had only come a mere 60m. Time had ebbed away rapidly, yet our world had barely changed for three hours. It is in these moments where I feel so incredibly far removed from the normal world.

Our teams’ resources were being consumed by the mountain and eventually the odds were no longer in our favour. With one last longing glance at the summit (only a mere 200m above) we made the collective decision to turn back as a team. Slowly as we descended back down the mountain towards Basecamp, the blinkers drop and the haze begins to lift. Disappointment hangs heavily. It was a long day full of many hours but we all made it safely to Basecamp.

The juxtaposition of high mountain life versus normal life never fails to get me. Of course, I am accustomed to it. I’ve done it many times. Yet, it still, and always will remain a strange period of adjustment as I transition from life in this metaphorical high definition back to feeling like life happens in a wind tunnel.

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The next afternoon, we’re all back in Kathmandu and the inevitable reflection phase begins in earnest. We’re back to normal time. The familiar cacophony of noise surround us - people talking, cars and mopeds and street vendors vying for our attention. Yet, although it feels like it, it is not in fast forward. This world is not strange or unfamiliar, just at present incredibly different. This time it might well just take a little longer to come back to normality.

02/10/2021

Dhaulagiri // Summit Push!!

Shortly we will be attempting to reach the summit of Dhaulagiri, standing at 8167m, making it the 7th highest mountain in the world.

3D Tracker will be running live as always - https://mount-everest3d.com/live-tracking/

Currently - we are at Camp 3 (7230m). It's been cloudy with light snow all day, which isn't ideal, but not too much.

No summits today which means we'll be doing some trail breaking!

It's a big summit day (over 900m) and it's just the 4 of us (Becks, Lhakpa, Siddhi and myself). Hopefully the weather will be kind and the snow drifts won't be too deep. It's been a super climb to this point and we all really want this summit.

Look forward to posting soon.

29/09/2021

Manaslu // Summit Success!!

Yesterday at 07:15 we stood on the summit of the 8th highest mountain in the world!

Huge thanks to Lhakpa and Siddhi for always being by our aside. Congratulations to Becks for another incredible climb, you cruised it!

More to come soon....

26/09/2021

Manaslu // Summit Push & Live Tracker!!

Currently leaving Camp 4 (7430m), it’s around 3am Nepal time and we hope to be on summit of Manaslu (8163m) for 8-9am!
We have just been Drinking tea, trying to eat, getting out down suits, hardness on etc. There’s a lovely big bright moon out tonight too, and a blanket of clouds down below at around 6000m.

Live 3D Tracker running, please see the following:

https://mount-everest3d.com/live-tracking/

We're both really well. We completed our trek from Camp 3 (6750m) up to Camp 4 (7430m) today and went smoothly. We're above the clouds, wind is dropping... it's perfect!!

Hope you you can join me on the tracker.

Follow expeditions to Mount Everest or track your own expedition with our 3D live tracking service on the unique 3D map of Mount Everest

24/09/2021

Manaslu // Summit Push

It’s a funny thing packing for the summit push on an 8000m peak.

After months of waiting and anticipation, weeks of preparation and acclimatisation, it all comes down to the next few days.

My client and I are completely ready. Our two Sherpa are happy and excited. It’s time to make this happen.

Follow the LIVE 3D TRACKER - https://mount-everest3d.com/live-tracking/

17/09/2021

Manaslu // After the rain comes sun

So far our expedition on Manaslu (8163m) has been dominated by almost persistent rain. I was forewarned by many it was a rainy mountain but it seems to be relentless! During rare pauses in the rain and drizzle, we’ve glimpsed incredible, awe inspiring views down the lush green valley and of Manaslu’s beautiful pointy summit 3700m above us.

Umbrellas seem to be the most valuable commodity here in Basecamp and those without them suffer the consequences. Ironically, in Pakistan we also used umbrellas for the trek in...but mainly to hide from the hot sun! Quite the contrast!

Since arriving into Basecamp six days ago, we’ve enjoyed a short hike to crampon point (about an hour from Basecamp) and a day trip up to Camp 1 (5750m) and back. We also enjoyed Becks’s birthday (where the sun made a rare appearance) with renditions of happy birthday sang in English, French, Romanian and Nepali thanks to our fellow climbers with whom we are sharing Basecamp.

As the rain has stopped play for the past few days, we’ve been resting in Basecamp. There has been some avid reading, competitive Scrabble and Rummikub as well as watching numerous films. All a part of the ‘rock and roll’ life of 8000m expeditions. At slightly higher altitudes, rain has been falling as snow, and these big accumulations have been releasing their wrath and cascading down the steep rock walls close to Basecamp. Although not at danger here, their impressive size and noise can’t be ignored.

However, after the rain comes sun, and tomorrow the forecast suggests that the big orange fire ball in the sky will finally reappear and, all going well, stay around for a fair few days. So we’re heading up back onto the mountain for our main acclimatisation rotation.

Our plan is to spend four nights on the mountain gaining altitude and hopefully reaching an altitude close to 7000m before returning to Basecamp to rest and recover. The climbing above Camp 1 is new to us and we’re all very excited to get going.

Once again, I am indebted to our two Sherpas working with us - Lhakpa and Siddhi. Both of these silent heroes were with us on Everest and K2 - Lhakpa also with us on Lhotse and Makalu too. Without them, we wouldn’t make it very far but together we have every chance of being successful.

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The TRACKER will be up and running with the incredible 3D Reality Maps very soon, but until then it’s still running here: https://share.garmin.com/mollie

The post TITLE - can you name the band and song containing the lyrics?

08/09/2021

Transition // Changing of the Guards

Precisely one week ago, I sat in Manas International Airport (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) where I was about to embark on the long journey home. It heralded the end of two back-to-back, utterly incredible, wondrous expeditions - one to K2 (Pakistan) and the second, to Pobeda (Kyrgyzstan). I have now spent one hundred and forty two days of my life on expedition this year alone.

K2 was monumentally special. It was my first time in Pakistan, and the entire trip went so smoothly. My client and I summited on the 28th July on what was the most perceptibly glorious day. Conditions were beyond perfect. Pobeda and I on the other hand, have considerable history. In 2014 I narrowly avoided death after being hit on the head by rockfall, knocked unconscious and helicoptered to hospital. Fast forward to 2021 where my friend Rob and I gave it absolutely everything we had, alpine style, to 7220 metres, and still we were forced to retreat just a mere two hundred metres below the summit. Agonisingly and tantalisingly close. Although both were very different in style, they were still incredibly special to me.

My journey home is temporarily halted in Dubai where I wait for my connecting flight. In my exhausted, depleted and slightly delirious state, I take refuge in a quiet corner of the lounge and begin the familiar process of eating vast quantities of food. I find myself constantly hungry with an insatiable appetite. When I am travelling, I live in my large noise cancelling headphones. The moment I put them on, I am transported into a familiar territory of calm and tranquility. I can feel my mind and body slowly beginning to make the indescribably large transition from expedition life back to normality. The mountain life gradually ebbs away and civility is restored. This process can take days, or sometimes, even weeks after these huge expeditions. It is something I have frequently discussed and one which I have become so familiar with. The more that I give of myself to the expedition, the longer the recovery. Quite simply, this is for me, the ‘post expedition comedown’.

The juxtaposition between life in ‘high altitude HD’ and the blur of sea level analogue existence is again, not unfamiliar territory. Yet the initial jolt of transition is different each time. Over time, the fog dissipates and clarity is restored. The spring in my step returns stronger than ever. Yet in this transitional phase, I am tired. My body feels in a state of flux after such an arduous, long, intense and sustained effort. My mind is similarly jaded with the continuous decision making - something that sometimes can make the difference between life or death. I find that I am slowly closing this chapter and looking forward to what comes next, yet I remain fully present, able to enjoy the here and now and still appreciative and grateful for what has been and what may be.

The time comes for my connecting flight from Dubai and we board. Tired and weary, I wait patiently as a mother in-front of me grapples with her two very excitable young children and their luggage into the over-head lockers. I offer to help. The music in my ears is familiar. It is comforting, and yet melancholy. It envelopes me in a warm hug. The post expedition comedown has started in earnest as my eye-lids desperately try to close. I feel like I am in a vortex of past, present and future.

Success could be measured in summits. Yet, this does not seem fair. We had summited K2, yet came away empty handed from Pobeda. However, both were incredibly successful. Really, I believe that success should be measured in the experiences we gain, the people we encounter and the life skills that this also yields as a consequence. It is multifaceted and so much more than simply summiting. Moreover, it is about coming home in tact with all your fingers and toes and as really good friends. However hard I may try, it is simply impossible for me to articulate in words, the experience I have just had on both these magnificent mountains but especially on Pobeda.

Landing in London, I take a taxi home. The final leg. The final chapter. The car cruises along the smooth motorways. I gaze adoringly as the sun sets on the verdant fields of beautiful English countryside as it flashes past. Summer is drawing to a close and autumn is nearly upon us. There’s a crispness to the late evening air that heralds this all too familiar transition. I always love coming home. There is quite simply nothing else like it.

The driver, Andrei is really lovely. A friendly man and by total coincidence he is playing some of my favourite, chilled drum and base music. This is just the tonic I need. He asks, and I tell him briefly about what I’ve just done. Yet, as with many people who are not involved in any way with climbing, he didn’t quite really understand or have any inkling what it all really meant. This is of course, absolutely fine. Some experiences resonate on a deeply personal level that is unquantifiable and unexplainable in so many ways.

Finally, we turn off the busy main roads and start heading towards the mountains and the wonderfully familiar territory of home. A few short miles after, we turn the corner into my little village. Despite my fatigue, I feel a sense of happiness and calm. I am home.

Laden down with almost fifty kilograms of kit, I walk the final metres along the path and open the front door to my house. I pause, and walk in over my doorstep. Home. Finally. I’m incredibly tired yet also feel like I have the adrenaline and the buzz of travel still surging through my body. I pass ten minutes or so just pottering around the garden, where I say no words to anyone. My brain is alive with thoughts, plans, ideas and the future, yet conversation is silent. I relish this stillness.

This journey home is always the best. I absolutely love it. One more expedition concludes and I look once again to the future. Nothing else feels quite like home though. The smells, the familiarity, the community all provide security and reassurance. It is the archetypal warm hug and I am inordinately grateful for it.

My head and heart feel gratitude and contentment. I am home again. Finally.

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Yesterday, I found myself at Manchester Airport, enjoying a cold beer in the lounge before boarding a flight to Nepal. Today I woke up in Kathmandu.

The pages turn and the next chapter begins...Manaslu, Dhaulagiri, Island Peak and Ama Dablam await. Mega.

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Photo: Rob leading a beautiful snow crest ~7100m on Pobeda summit day.

27/08/2021

POBEDA // Summit - Heartache & Promises: Two sides of every story.

How does it feel when you give absolutely everything of yourself to one thing, and yet, it is simply just not enough? Here are my words, in two parts, which hopefully describe my feelings after a herculean eight day push on the colossal Peak Pobeda.

HEARTACHE.

A few days ago, I once again walked away empty handed* from Pobeda. This time, we were just a mere two hundred metres and a couple more hours of climbing from the 7439m summit.

With our heads bowed, we embarked on our descent. The next morning, leaving our high camp at 6920m for what would prove to be a very long, complex, emotional and arduous climb back towards base camp. The overwhelming feeling of failure sat heavy in the pit of my stomach. After an hour or so, I stopped solid in my tracks, turned around and glanced back a little forlornly at the majestic summit. I could clearly see the exact spot we had reached just the day before. Agonisingly close, yet so incredibly far. An overwhelming sense of melancholy and failure reverberated about my body.

Gutted? Most certainly. Disappointed? Extremely so. Does it hurt and feel completely and utterly s**t? Unquestionably yes. I could feel the tears of frustration welling up from within me. Every fibre of my being seemed to ache with frustrations. Retracing our steps back along the three kilometre ridge, my emotions felt like they were running amok. I really felt like I was a mess. There was an overwhelming sense of anger, sadness and frustration yet this was coupled with a sense of pride as I revelled in this distinctly remarkable situation I found myself in. We were high above the clouds, and from this vantage point, the views were utterly spellbinding.

Pobeda has been in my life now since 2012. She is the final summit for me in the elusive ‘Snow Leopard Award’ and by far the hardest mountain of her four 7000m companions. Pobeda is undoubtedly one of the most difficult mountains I’ve ever tried to climb.

Initially, we had planned on a five day rotation. However, we arrived back into base camp on day eight. We were broken. I wanted so much to summit this mountain. Every day, we gave it absolutely everything we had. And more. Yet, everyday, Pobeda beat us down. We kept pushing as hard as we both physically and mentally could. Ten hour days followed eleven hour days which followed twelve hour days. We were also entirely self sufficient, carrying everything we needed. Both Rob Smith, my climbing partner and I had grossly underestimated just how hard this mountain would be. Pobeda is unrelentingly and unforgivingly steep with a plethora of technical sections. And then, there is the weather. The weather is constantly changing which makes it volatile and even more challenging than most other mountains. It is also notoriously cold. With temperatures at seven thousand metres around minus twenty degrees Celsius, it is almost impossible not to feel beaten, bruised and at a very low ebb.

Each day we dug as deep as was humanly possible to reach the summit. We utilised every skill and lesson we had learnt from a lifetime spent at high altitude. As if living in a single skin tent wasn’t challenging enough, Pobeda continuously tried to make everything as difficult as possible for us. We valiantly and fastidiously carried on with simple but life preserving tasks such as melting snow. Even this felt significantly harder than normal. We did everything meticulously, never once switching off despite our fatigue.

Every once in a while, an experience challenges you to your core. It pushes your limits and some, occasionally, set new boundaries of what may or may not be possible. We continuously strived to make good decisions, utilising our combined experience of over twenty five, eight thousand metre (plus) expeditions and a multitude of others. Yet, this year, regrettably, it was just not meant to be. As much as this stings and hurts me to my very core, the valuable lessons we learnt and take away from this will invariably make us better informed and understanding mountain leaders and high altitude guides.

The final two hundred metres, I am yet to see of this mountain. I am told that the vast majority of technicalities were all but over. It is my hope that one day, I will take those much longed for final few steps over this revered mountain.

Once again, I witness and experience the microscopically fine line between success and failure. There seems to be a juxtaposition between the two. How can it be that the most magical moments can come so close to be being the most disappointing?

Pobeda, you broke my heart. I gave you my everything, and more. For this reason, I am unsure when I will return to take those much yearned for final few steps onto your summit.

-

PROMISES. (The Other Side).

A Day Later.

Today, my feelings have changed. I feel nothing short of admiration and utmost respect for Pobeda. The reality is that the mountain has actually treated us perfectly and offered us everything that we, as climbers, were searching for. Pobeda has challenged us in ways we could only have dreamt of. As alpinists and climbers, we have spent many years training and honing our skills to be on a mountain such as this. It is not Pobeda’s fault that we failed to reach the summit. The problem is entirely ours.

Although Pobeda is not the most aesthetically pleasing mountain to look at, the climbing is sublime, transcendent even. The three kilometre horizontal ridge at seven thousand metres between camp five and six is simply sensational, yet it remains the only appetiser for the alluring summit ridge yet to come. Mighty soaring knife-edge snow crests, interspersed with granite towers sculpted by centuries of torrid winds. It’s lack of defects make it picture-perfect climbing at this altitude. All in alpine style. It is wondrous. Immersive. Liberating. All consuming. If this three kilometre ridge and five hundred metre high summit ridge were placed in the Alps, it would undoubtedly become a classic. As you can tell, this really did totally blow me away!

At seven thousand two hundred metres, inching my way along hyper exposed steep snow crests on tiptoes, Pobeda commanded every iota of my concentration. I totally relished every single moment. My heart was full. I felt alive. My mind absorbed in the task. This is what I live for. Moments like this. Fall and I’m gone. I was totally immersed in feeling every millimetre of movement through my crampons and ice axes. I was engrossed, engaged and yet fully present. I could not have given anymore.

At times Pobeda really pushed us with the weather and snow conditions. Other times, it would flicker with glimpses of utter perfection, letting us know it was always watching but not pushing us too far. A seeming helping hand. I will be eternally grateful for these past eight days that I’ve spent on this magnificent, omnipresent mountain.

Mountains are very special places to me. They have become my entire life both personally and professionally. I wasn’t sure after my first visit in 2014, if I would ever return. However, after this expedition and the time I have just spent climbing on Pobeda, I can say with certainty that I will return to close this chapter as soon as I possibly can. Quite simply, Pobeda and I have too much history and I am a little enamoured by her. I actually cannot wait to return.

-

‘Mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals where I practice my religion’
Anatoli Boukreev

-

Photo: Rob descending from ~7200m on our summit push.

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Kanchenjunga // SUMMIT SUCCESS! What. A. Moment. I am overjoyed to post that all 5 members of my team plus our 6 Sherpa reached the summit of Kanchenjunga at 8am on 12th May! 🇳🇵 Pemba Nuru Sherpa (Khumjung) 🇳🇵 Dawa Tenji Sherpa (Khumjung) 🇳🇵 Lhakpa Wongchu Sherpa (Pangboche) 🇳🇵 Ang Kame Sherpa (Makalu) 🇳🇵 Ang Tendi Sherpa (Bupsa) 🇳🇵 Mingmar Rinji Sherpa (Makalu) 🇬🇧 Jon Gupta 🇬🇧 Matt Elkin 🇬🇧 Adam Booth 🇬🇧 Nick Martiny-Roberts 🇬🇧 Tom Lawfield 🇬🇧 Rupert Jones-Warner Everyone absolutely fine albeit tired and with tired mega! Just got back to Basecamp. More to come very soon…

EVEREST & LHOTSE SUMMITS // The final steps onto the top of the world! A few days ago, at 08:40 on Tuesday 11th May, I paused a few meters from the summit of Everest to capture this moment. This wasn’t my first time on this spot (4th in fact), but I was completely alone, my eyes were full, and it was incredibly special. My emotions ran high but I didn’t want to scream or wave, but to simply stand quietly and soak it all in. - ACCOUNT - Everest & Lhotse Double // After weeks and months of preparation, training and climbing, we arrived into a reasonably calm South Col at 7950m on 10th May. There was no time to waste. The next few hours would be critical to our success and revolved mostly around 3 things: drinking, eating, and sleeping. Tea, rehydration salts and Berocca were all consumed, along with noodle soup and a main of mash potato, cheese and cut up pepperoni! We left the col at 22:40 the same day and began our final push to the summit. Almost everyone else had already left and a thin line a sparkling head torches highlighted the first section of the route up the steep face towards The Balcony. The sky was crystal clear, and the stars were out in force. A perfect night. Time slowly passed as we made our way up towards The Balcony, our first major landmark. The route is mainly steep snow slopes interspersed with loose rocky bands. We arrived after 4.5 hours and took a moment to eat and drink a little, change oxygen cylinders and take a pee. From here the route changes character and is far more enjoyable. Turning onto the southwest ridge it narrows and curves gently upwards toward the South Summit. Sticking to the crest of the ridge each step feels like direct progress towards the summit of the highest point on earth. A few short rocky bands intersperse the steep snow crest and soon, just below the South Summit, the sunrise begins. Feeling incredibly small on the side of Everest I was aware of only a few familiar sounds – my heavy breathing, the

Everest & Lhotse Update // Icefall, Camp 1, Camp 2, Lhotse Face rescue = acclimatisation complete! Seven days ago, we set our alarms for 01:45am for a quick breakfast before heading up onto the mountain for six days. We followed familiar terrain into the Icefall by head torch and listened to the crisp crunch of our crampons biting into the firm snow and ice. After a few hours the sun came up. Switching heard torches off, we silently continued to weave our way up through the jumble of ice feeling very small and quite alone. It was a perfect day in the ice fall. Just after 9am we reached Camp 1. By now, we were in the sunshine but the wind had picked up, whistling down through the Western Cwm. We enjoyed a lazy, horizontal afternoon snacking, drinking and listening to music whilst the wind bashed against the tent. The next day we felt good, so we packed up and made our way slowly up to Camp 2, (6500m) Although only 400m higher, it takes much longer than you think to get to the other end of the Cwm. We arrived hungry and thirsty after a beautiful 5 hours in the Western Cwm. The Cwm is epic, flanked on 3 sides by Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse! We treated ourselves to a full rest day at Camp 2, taking full advantage of the local Sherpa crew who support the expedition members here. We spent the day hydrating, playing cards and soaking up the views.... The next day we took an acclimatisation hike to the base of the Lhotse Face with my friend, and Everest guide, Tim. We reached our high point and sat around for an hour at 6700m before heading back for lunch. The weather patterns for these days seem pretty familiar - crisp cold blue sky mornings, followed by cloud development in the afternoon and a little light snow (which makes the camp incredibly beautiful). Our final acclimatisation climb didn't quite go to plan...We left camp early to utilize the cold frozen conditions on the Lhotse face. Our plan was to tag Camp 3 (7200m) and return to camp. When I arrived at

Lhotse Video

Photo 7 - Lhotse 8516m (4th highest in the world!) Icing on the cake. At 11:30am on 14th May Steve and I arrived back in to the south col having successfully summited Everest and completing his 7 summits world record expedition. We brewed up for an hour or so, eat as much as we could, drank tea, and looked over our photos and videos - what an amazing day. After 4 months on the road we had completed his epic project and smashed the record, but we were not quite finished with the mountains... The following morning at 02:00am we woke up and began brewing up again. We wrestled with our sleeping bags and thermarests as we packed away all our personal kit into our backpacks. Pemba who had joined us on our Everest summit day yesterday had also descended that afternoon and radioed us to say he'd arrived safely back into basecamp later that day. Crampons on and ready to go, we tip toed out of the south col and back along the fixed lines towards the Lhotse Face - the way we had come up. The sun was just coming up and the light was so pure, it's was magic. We stopped regularly to take it all in and enjoy the moment. We descend right down to the site of Lhotse highcamp at ~7700m and deposited the contents of our big packpacks to collect later on. Sorted and phsyched we began our climb uptowards the legedary Lhotse couloir. Way ahead we could see a couple of other climbers just at the base of the narrowing. Steve and I settled into a steady rhythem, checking in on each other regularly and taking the odd break to take on water and little food. It wasnt long beofre we too were entering into the narrowing of the main couloir. It changes between 40-60 degrees in parts and narrrows right now to just a few meters wide the tightest part. For a while it felt almost like a Scottish gully...but at 8000m+! In order to go as fast as possble we had opted to just carry 1 oxygen bottle each. A fresh one that day. We ran at 0.5 liters per minute which would give us heaps of time a

Celebrating // 10 years of Mountain Expeditions! On Thursday I took a few minutes by myself at the top of Kilimanjaro. I sat & watched as my team began heading back down the mountain. Them overflowing with emotion & relief having just given everything to reach the summit a few moments before, & me full of pride at seeing them achieve this special moment together. Looking around I couldn’t help thinking just how perfect the world looked from this point. It was quiet & calm for my 30th summit of Kili aside from a light breeze. I thought about some of the other summits I’ve been fortunate enough to climb & a few key moments amongst all these experiences...but mainly about all people I’ve met along the way & the very special moments we’ve shared. It’s always the people that make these expeditions so so good. For me, being in the mountains has become my norm, my reality & the place where I feel most myself. 10 years ago I lead my 1st expedition for myself under the name ‘JCG Expeditions’ - it kick started everything. Now, 80+ expeditions later to all corners of the world including 3 to the highest point on the planet, I’m excited to see what the next 10 years enfolds, where it will take me & who I’ll meet along the way. So, thank you to everyone I’ve spent time with in the mountains in the past 10 years.

Elbrus Update // Arrival, Basecamp & Day 1 to Mushroom Rocks! It's Elbrus season for M.E. & our first team have arrived safely at Elbrus North Basecamp! Today they head out for their first acclimatisation hike upto Mushroom Rocks at 3214m! M.E. Expedition Leader Tom Lawfield has been in touch via Garmin InReach saying: "All is great so far & the team are settling in to expedition life...the banter is strong between the team!" NB: Future expedition updates - Tom says the phone signal/wifi on Elbrus this year isn't as good as previous so updates may be only via text. But if we manage to get some images we'll post them up! Video: This is the amazing Mushroom Rocks from 2018!

Mega 360 aerial video - Press PLAY!! Today was all about the Mushrooms, Albatross & Flossing (or learning how to!). After the flights to Russia & our epic drive to Basecamp yesterday everyone enjoyed the chance to stretch the legs today. Our route was 11km round trip & we reached a high point of 3200m before chilling for a while & then returning to Basecamp 2500m. Team are all bonding really well & getting into the swing of expedition life. My bag arrived today. Time for a change of clothes! Montane ElbrusTours DJI

Everest Update - Weather, wind, socialising & the waiting game... Most teams are now finished with their acclimatisation rotations. Some are resting at basecamp & some have dropped a day or so lower down the valley to Pangboche 4000m or Namche 3400m to rest & recover quicker. The forecast is predicting strong winds for another 3-4 days at least & then maybe (that's a big maybe) the winds might be acceptable for the strong Sherpa fixing team to climb. The Jet Stream is doing its thing with a huge pressure system over West India currently influencing it's position over Nepal. So I doubt there will be any summits until at least the 13th May, but who knows this far out?! At this time of year a number of highly skilled meteorologists are tested to the limits trying to do the impossible...by predicting the weather at nearly 9000m. So what to do...with nothing to do but wait it is very hard for some people & they real struggle with boredom. They can quickly begin to feel lazy & lethargic. Others relish the chance to have some free time to sit & share at the mountains, or read books, draw, take photos or attend to some personal admin. How often in life are you told you have 4 days with absolutely nothing to do? Well, Steve does laps of Kalapathar (4 times so far this season) to keep his body ticking over...34 mins being his fastest ascent! I’ve mostly been doing emails, playing cards monopoly, drinking tea, eating a lot of fudge bars & socialising... With new and old friends spread all over Everest Basecamp a simple trip to see just one of them usually ends in endless cups of tea & general chit chat. Yesterday I popped in to see a legend Lhakpa Onjo Sherpa who was my head Sherpa last year on the north side with Mollie Hughes (who became the youngest women in the world to summit from both sides!). We have also climbed Island Peak & Ama Dablam together many times. After this Tim, Adam & I popped in to see Guy Cotter, Kah Shin & the Adventure Consultants team to shar

Nuptse 7864m Update - Totally epic & SO close but sadly no summit! On Tuesday 1st Steve, Tim, Adam & I, alongside Pemba & Cheddi Sherpa headed round from Everest Camp 2 6350m to the other side of the Western Cwm to Nuptse Camp 3 6830m in just under 3 hours. We dug out 2 tent platforms next to the 3 tents from Adventure Consultants & jumped in 3 to a tent. At 02:00am we heading out into the clear cold night - it was super bright with a huge moon over head...perfect!! Just 50m away the route started up a steep snow arête (note: steeply...& it never relented!). Not once during the entire route was there a nice flat bit to stand on, it was simply just super steep all the time! Adam & I decided to climb without Oxygen whilst Tim & Steve wore there masks on a low flow rate. At about 7200m my left toes were getting very cold (some minor damage left over from Denali) & refused to warm up with the usual tricks so I turned my oxygen on & they soon warmed up. ( I was carrying 1 bottle ‘incase’). Way up ahead 2 skilled climbing Sherpas from the Adventure Consultants team were fixing the final 400m of the route ahead of us, I could see their head torches from time to time. These guys had spent 3 full days fixing the route up to that point (over the last week or so) & were phenomenal mountaineers, I was super impressed as I climbed the route thinking about what they had done that days before. At around 08:00am we all caught up with one another: Steve, myself, Tim, Adam & our two sherpa, and Guy Cotter, Keshan (his client) & their Sherpa. It was quite windy & spindrift snow was being blasted around making it difficult for the 2 fixing Sherpa above. The slopes we were standing on where also substantially avalanche prone & a few sluffs were being self trigger close by. The radio call came through from above & the thumbs up to continue. Tim & I took the lead, both feeling good & took turns breaking trail for the next 2 hours. Spindrift had wiped out any sign of old footprint

PROJECT 7in4 // Post 5 of 13 - #3 Kilimanjaro (Africa) Expedition dates: February 12th - 15th, 2018 - Riding high off our super fast summit success on the amazing Aconcagua we packed our bags & head off for number 3 of the 7 summits - Kilimanjaro. It's no secret that I LOVE this mountain, this would be my 21st time on Kilimanjaro & given our acclimatisation we were going to do something a little special on a 4 day itinerary... Day 1 / 12th Feb - Umwbe Gate 1600m. The Umbwe Route is my favourite way to start up Kilimanajro because the forest is beautiful, the trail is small & you are unlikely to see anyone for 2 days! We linked the first two days together & in true Steve style we 'walked' from the gate to the Baranco Camp 3800m in just under 4 hours!!! At Baranco we join all the Trekkers from Machame & Lomosho routes. Day 2 / 13th Feb - For those who have ever camped at Baranco you'll know it's an awesome campsite...& the first obstacle of the morning...the mighty Baranco Wall! Leaving around 8 we sneaked in front of most of the teams & enjoy the easy scramble to the top of the wall without traffic jams. From here the gentle open traverse leads you all the way to Karanga Camp at 4100m. After a short break & some fresh fruit we continued on the trail up & across to the higher highcamp of Kosoco at 5800m. This is a special high camp with just enough places for 2 or 3 teams about 1 hour higher than the normal Barrafu High Camp. Day 3 / 14th Feb (Valentines day!) - After a leisurely breakfast we headed off in search of a romantic summit together! After a gentle 4 hours we reached the summit in beautiful sunshine at midday...just in time for some Connect 4! And yes Steve was wearing shorts & gaiters...I have told him, but he wont listen! - Next Post (6 of 13) - Tomorrow will be 'Part 2' of Kilimanjaro with our double summits & ash pit/crater & glacier camp experience! FULL trip reports - You can read Steves more detailed trip reports with videos & photos on h

PROJECT 7in4 // Post 4 of 13 - #2 Aconcagua (S America) SUMMIT date: 28th January, 2018 (Day 12 of Project!) - After trekking in from sea level & reaching 6000m in just 4 days we took a rest day at basecamp & prepared for our summit bid. Mostly we played Connect 4 & Steve wrote up his trip reports from Mt Vinson! Thanks to Mobile Solar Chargers Ltd we had 24/7 power to charge our laptops & other devises. Day 5 / 26th Jan - We took a rest day. Dinner...& red wine. Day 6 / 27th Jan - We packed our summit gear & headed up to Camp 2 (Nido) at 5550m in 2 hours 40 minutes. The weather had been windy for a while but it looked set to drop of the 28th. Perfect. The sunset was beautiful & we set the alarm fo 5am. Day 7 / 28th Jan - Leaving at sunrise we made quick progress up to Camp 3 (Cholera) 6100m, before taking a short break. From here we followed the well worn trail & over took a few groups in front of us who seemed to be moving very slowly. The wind picked up across the traverse but up the canaleta & on the summit it subsided. We topped out in just 6 hours from Nido & stayed on the summit for around 15 minutes or so. Absolutely awesome! The descent was quick & we were soon back at Nido after around 2 hours. Knowing that it was a Sunday & basecamp was having a huge traditional meat BBQ there was no messing around...we packed down the tent & continued on down to basecamp. The BBQ was epic. We drank far too much red wine with Hiro! PEOPLE YOU MEET - These trips are always about the people you meet along with the way & I would like to give a special mentioned to Hiroyuki Kuraoka. Japanese mountaineering legend who we spent the entire trip sharing basecamp with. 99% of the time a quietly spoken delightfully friendly chap but after a few glasses or red...well, lets leave it at that! Good luck on Everest this year too! And a lovely Columbian man, Nelson Cardona. He had one leg amputated at the knee and was still out running around climbing these mountains. He had

First day back working in North Wales & it's T-Shirt weather!! Incredible day back working on the rock with M.E. regular Ben who is developing his rock climbing skills in preparation for bigger mountain expeditions. He has already climbed Elbrus & Lobuche Peak with M.E. & had his eyes set on technical 6-7000m further down the line. Today we abseiled into Castell Helen at South Stack Gogarth & climbed all day in the sunshine! Light House Arête, Pel, North West Passage (P1) & Rap (P1). Even more amazing is that we had the entire place to ourselves!! #ExpeditionTraining #ExpeditionSpecialist

Kilimanjaro Speed Ascent

Part 4 of Jon's African Adventure complete with a speed ascent of Kilimanjaro! 8hrs 11 minutes* from Umbwe Gate 1800m to the summit of Kilimanjaro 5895m via Western Breach, a beautiful evening ice climbing (incredible pictures to come), overnight camp in the crater & a swift 3 hours run back down this morning! The summit video says it all - was an incredible day moving fast in the high altitude world I love so much! - Sadly Dave's cold caused an early retirement from Barranco Camp, which was gutting for both of us & Bruno suffered from severe leg problems so I pushed on & topped out alone. Not quite as fast as I had hoped but hey ho, these things happen...theres is always next time! *For whats it's worth this is new English record.

Kilimanjaro Update Day 1 & 2! Super first couple of days here on Kilimanjaro with the team. Everyone is absolutely loving life on the mountain. On Monday we arrived to Machame Gate & registered our permits & everyone signed in. Our porters (lots of them!) all weighed in their loads with the park officials...& we were off!! Off into the jungle/rainforest! The path gradual & we eventually everyone got to see some monkeys (Black & white colobus and little blue monkeys...as well as lots of beautiful flowers along the way. We hiked for 5 1/2 hours which was really good going before arriving into Machame Hut Camp at 3000m for the night. ⛺️ We have a big local crew for the team so the singing & dancing was really good tonight! Day 2 - Today we have moved Camp & hiked all the way to Shira Camp at 3850m. The team are all doing really well & although many can feel the altitude (which is to be expected) they are all loving the experience so far - the scenery is really spectacular! We have had a lazy afternoon to rest our bodies & to allow them to slowly acclimatise to the new altitude. There was some cards, music & Dobble being played! Signal is really patchy on the mountain this year so I can't promise updates as often as I might like but I'll do my best!

There is only one Kilimanjaro & there is only one Micheal Yohana. - It's people who makes good things really great. This week Rex, Rav, Pinder & Amarjit took on Kilimanjaro with heart & sole giving it everything & made my job a real pleasure. My local crew headed up by the legend that is Julio were above & beyond outstanding...but one guy needs a special mention in my eyes. Anyone who has ever been to Kilimanjaro with me will know this amazing human being. He has been my Camp Manager on 15 of the expeditions I have done on this magical mountain & he never fails to be anything other than exemplary. (That's 116 days on Kili together...not to mention some epic nights out in Moshi Town!!) As well as being the life & soul of the singing & dancing he effortlessly commands authority over the whole crew (up to 60 locals with my bigger groups) ensuring everything happens & is in the right place. He is respected by the elder guides & admired by the young porters. His work ethic is admirable & nothing is ever too much. I have never been anything other than impressed with the way all my local crew treat my teams & long may it continue. Kilimanjaro really is a life changing experience. - Video // Shira Camp 3800m, dancing, singing & sunset.

100% KILIMANJARO SUMMIT SUCCESS!! Well...they only went & did it! The boys dug really deep this morning & smashed the summit day in under 7 hours! Here's a little video from the top :)

Possibly the best Summits Celebrations EVER...and we are done!! - After an early start we raced down the mountain to the park gate in under 4 hours before hopping in the 4x4 & heading to the Glacier Bar for lunch. Here we did a huge final thanks, tips & kit give away to our outstanding local team ...and one final dance (bbrrrr t'kenya!) We've just arrived back at the lodge - which feels like heaven right now - warm showers, wifi, swimming pool & a bed! Let the celebrations begin!! 🍻 - Video // 07:30 on the summit of Kilimanajro!

Elbrus Update // Day 5 - VIDEO: perfect day acclimatising to 5000m!! After yesterday's battering we were treated to a really special day on the slopes of Elbrus today! It's was hot & sunny but thankfully with a light breeze. Smiles & lots of photos today....& lots of suncream!! But LOOK at the view - what a place...it really is something else!! We left just after 9am from our mountain huts at 3800m & took it steady all the way to 5000m in just over 5 hours. We stayed here for about 45 minutes enjoying the view before descending on foot, skis & snowboard! The conditions were perfect for filming so Yannbb Photography put his drone in the sky & got some amazing footage. (New promo video coming soon!). So - that's us done for acclimatisation & the team are tired but buzzing! Tomorrow we have a full rest day which I think everyone is looking forward too. I have some brilliant photos from today too so I'll post those later or tomorrow. Montane SunGod Whitedot Skis

Elbrus Update // Day 4 - VIDEO: Proper 'Scottish' day out up to 4520m!! Today we moved to our Mountain Hut which is really cool! It's pretty basic, but it's clean, dry & comfortable (I'll get some photos)... ...then kit on, boots on, suncream on & out into the wind & snow for another acclimatisation day! The weather was once again total pish with poor visibility & light sleety snow! But once we reached 4200m something magical happened & the sun came out & it was beautiful! We got to the see the twin summits of Elbrus and I pointed out as much of the route as I could. Sadly it didn't last long & it soon closed right in & turned pretty wild. Crampons, goggles & thick gloves on & hoods up the team did awesome & took a good Scottish beating all the way up to 4520m! Top effort by all. Montane Whitedot Skis Yannbb Photography

Everest Summit Video // May 16th 2017

Everest Update // SUMMIT DAY VIDEO & back to Base Camp... Firstly – ermmm WOW! What an incredible response to the last few updates! I am speechless & humbled by the hundreds of likes, shares & comments from people around the world. For me as an expedition leader I do everything to make the trip run smoothly, safely & successfully - I post on here to keep friends & family updated along the way. The attention Everest gets is unprecedented compared to other 'news worthy' updates I post about – but I get that 100% and understand why it has such a special draw. I'm just really pleased you guys are lovely the updates! So – I wanted to say thank you to all of you who have liked, commented & shared my posts. It's amazing! SUMMIT VIDEO (below) – As you can see it was quite cold at 04:45am on 16th May (maybe around – 30 with a little windchill too). Unfortunately my battery gave in to the cold after 20 seconds which is a shame but it should give you a feel of what it was like up there! I have some more videos too of the descent & camp which I will share soon too...pretty epic conditions on the descent from 7650m (camp 2!) Caption competition – When the battery stops recording on the video please feel free to finish the words for me & comment below on what you think I would have or should have said!! PHOTOS – I have some absolutely cracking photos from the summit day which I will post later today or tomorrow morning. Unfortunately Facebook wont let me uploads videos & photos together. They really are amazing – so do hold tight for these! GENERAL update – Yesterday we packed up all our kit from ABC & trekked the 20km back to BC. With the use of one local Tibetan lad, 1 mules & a little help from Lila & Lhakpa all of our kit is now at BC. China don't make things easy so we are negotiating getting out of here & back to Kathmandu as soon as we can. - Montane Tiso SunGod Alan Arnette Kae Tinto Murray Mollie Hughes Mollie Hughes - Everest NorthSide expedition 2017 This Morn

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Who are Mountain Expeditions?

Mountain Expeditions is a UK company owned and run by Jon Gupta, specialising in Instructing & Guiding, seamlessly run Worldwide Expeditions & Expedition Specific Training.

We operate across 5 continents and believe a successful expedition is made up of the hundreds of small experiences gained from start to finish. We therefore ensure that every aspect of your trip is expertly organised and well-managed, whether it’s going rock climbing for the first time, winter mountaineering or joining a major Himalayan expedition!

Highly experienced Instructors, Expedition Leaders & Guides

Smaller expedition teams & high guide ratios

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Great value expeditions

Personable approach & professional ethos

“We wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Mountain Expeditions whole heartedly. Thanks again for the experience of life time – a true mountain adventure! We would not choose anyone else for any future expeditions we hope to do.” Bhupinder Singh – Private Kilimanjaro Expedition

1. Instructing & Guiding – We have rounded up all our UK mountain courses in this neat category. In spring, summer and autumn this includes all things mountaineering including Hill Walking, Scrambling and Rock Climbing, In the winter this includes all things snow, ice & mixed, in the form of Winter Skills, Winter Mountaineering and Winter Climbing.

2. Worldwide Expeditions – Our speciality, what we absolutely love and what are best known for! We have been guiding high altitude overseas expeditions for 10+ years. For a full list of our expeditions from Toubkal in Morocco to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, all the way to 7000m Peak Lenin in Kyrgyzstan, please head to the M.E. Hub. We run a mixture of private expeditions and open expeditions throughout the year.

3. Expedition Specific Training – Drawing on decades of worldwide expedition experience from our Instructors, Expedition Leaders & Guides, we provide expedition specific training programs for individuals and groups. We often create programmes and plans which span a number of years to help you achieve your distant mountain objectives. The training is delivered across the UK in both summer and winter.

Mountain Expeditions was established in 2009 by Jon Gupta. Jon was guiding his first fully self-organised expedition to Kilimanjaro with a mixture of school and university friends making up the team. With an extraordinary amount of laughter and fun, the trip was a huge success and Mountain Expeditions reached its first (of many) summits.

Jon’s passion for expeditions and mountains started in 2005 when he was age 18 after spending over 2 months living deep in the remote jungles of Belize.

“Being part of a team of 22 I pushed myself harder than ever and learnt what expedition life was all about…I loved it and I’ve never looked back!”

At 31; his love for the mountains is still growing and he has accumulated more high altitude experience than anyone his age in the UK (including 3 summits of Everest!). Jon is a Montane Athlete, full member of the Alpine Club, an ambassador for the Youth Adventure Trust and a member of the Mountain Training Association and the Association of Mountain Instructors.

Jon holds the Mountain Instructor Award (MIA), both Summer and Winter Mountain Leader Awards (WML), the International Mountain Leader (Training) and the Wilderness Medical Training 4 day Advance Medicine certificate. In 2015 he presented on the primetime BBC2 documentary series India: Natures Wonderland, alongside actress Freda Pinto and wildlife expert Liz Bonnin. Jon has written numerous feature articles for online and printed magazines such as The Economist, Trek & Mountain and Sidetracked and has also appeared in films shown at Kendal Film Festival: Between Snow & Stars and Beyond the Highest Peak. Recently he was interviewed for the Montane Podcast Further Faster and featured as one of their 6 key athletes in the series Performance Edge.

“My expedition and guiding work involves creating flexible and tailored programmes for clients, whether for a single day, a couple of weeks or a major Himalayan trip. I enjoy creating personalised itineraries that are highly flexible to meet the needs of my clients, taking into account the ever changing weather and conditions of the mountains.”

As well as his own mountain climbing, Jon has pursued other interests associated with the outdoors. He is a keen diver (PADI Advanced), road cyclist and off-piste skier but closer to home he has developed a deep interest in the soft skills and dynamics of expeditions as well as in high altitude medicine.

It is not our aim to grow into a big company dominating the market, far from it, instead we aim to maintain the high standards and personal touch we have become well known for, whilst continuing to deliver superb expeditions – having a large proportion of returning clients bears testament to our overall approach. We are steadily growing and we now employ a few select Expedition Leaders to deliver our Instructing & Guiding, Worldwide Expeditions and Expedition Specific Training.

Mountain Expeditions has a clear and defined ethos – the small things matter. We believe that spending time in the mountains is more than simply standing on a summit, ticking a route or navigating to the right spot; it’s about all the individual parts of the journey which build up to that shared experience. Whether you join us as a member of a team or as an individual learning some new skills, you are part of the Mountain Expeditions family from the minute you sign up.

We want to provide you with a unique and unparalleled mountain experience. Our Expedition Leaders have developed their skills on personal adventures and by leading expeditions in some of the world’s harshest and most remote environments. This expertise allows us to offer a variety of training, expeditions and challenges to suit all abilities and goals.

Mountain Expeditions is very proud to employ a small number of the UK’s very best and most experienced Instructors, Expedition Leaders and Guides. They are carefully and personally selected to deliver our UK Instructing & Guiding, Worldwide Expeditions and Expedition Specific Training.

All of our leaders are chosen on their individual merits which we base on their mix of vast mountain experience, interpersonal skills and of course, qualifications.