SAVE THE DATE: OCTOBER 4, 2014 • SUMMIT MT. WASHINGTON, NH AT SUNRISE

What could be better than climbing to the summit of Mt. Washington? How about being on top for the sunrise! We are excited to offer our “Summit at Sunrise” climb of Mt. Washington. We will meet at The Bunkhouse at NEM at 11pm the day before. After a gear check, we will head to Pinkham Notch Visitor Center. We will start hiking at midnight under the moonlight for an unforgettable journey up the Lions Head Trail to the summit of Mt. Washington. Above the trees we will have an unobstructed view of the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean. No experience is required. All ages are welcome!

This special climb is memoriam of fallen heroes of the Boston Fire Department. On January 22nd, 2014, Engine 33 of the Boston Fire department lost one of its beloved men. Frankie Flynn, a 28 year veteran of the department, died after a short battle with lung cancer. Frankie’s untimely death left a hole in all of our hearts. He left behind a wife and a 16 year old son. Only 2 months later , on March 26th, our firehouse suffered another tragic blow when we lost two more of our own in a 9 alarm fire on Beacon Street in Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. Mike Kennedy and Ed Walsh died bravely trying to extinguish this tremendous fire that resulted in the destruction of the whole building. Ed left behind a wife and 3 children and Mike left many loving family members and friends.

All three of the men had big hearts , big smiles and contagious personalities. They loved theirs job, life and their families and friends. Please help us raise money and join us as we touch the sky at the summit of Mt Washington on Oct 4th 2014.

GET INVOLVED TODAY

Aid Climbing is always looking for participants, donations and volunteers. If you are interested in joining the climb, supporting the cause or have some spare time please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.
Participate in the climb and raise money
Donate to the cause: Any amount helps!
Fundraise for the cause 

Well we made the mistake of blinking and now the Summer is nearly coming to an end! I can’t believe how fast June and July have gone by! It seems like only a few weeks ago we were getting our last ice climbs in for the season! Although it has flown by, we have had some fantastic adventures this Summer!
In June we began our Waterfall Rappelling program for the Summer. We love this time of year. The weather is warm, the water is cold and we get to see hundreds of new faces! Waterfall Rappelling keeps our guides busy throughout the Summer! If you haven’t tried it yet, you need to come see what the hype is all about. There is no better way to cool down this Summer and spend a day with your friends.
In July we closed down shop and headed West for some mountaineering in the Pacific Northwest. We flew into Portland, OR and proceeded to fore-go sleep and climb Mt. Hood. In total we stayed awake for 40 hours straight and made the summit, tired, but in great spirits. We then drove North to Mt. Rainier. We climbed for 3 days and made it to the 14,410ft summit just as the sun crested the horizon. . We had a very successful trip so far but we had one more mountain on our tick list. Mt. Shuskan, in the North Cascades, is one of the most photographed mountains in the world. The mountain is beautiful from all angles and the steep summit pyramid is intimidating and exposed. We chose the Sulphide Glacier route. In 2 days we ascended to high camp and made our summit attempt. . For a more detailed write-up on our trip you can read NEM Guide Mike Cherim’s blog post. He does a really nice job summing it up.
We also announced our Nepal Expedition this Summer. From October 11 – November 4th we will be trekking and climbing in the Khumbu and Gokyo valleys of the Himalaya. Come join us for an unforgettable journey into the range of the highest mountains on Earth!
Finally, as we look forward to the Fall, we are naturally excited for Rock Climbing! Fall offers cool days, less rain, no bugs, and foliage! It is the perfect time to get out there and take on the routes you have had your sights on all Summer.

As always, climb safe and get outside!

Corey

Explore two valleys and climb three peaks in the Everest region of Nepal.
October 11 – November 4, 2014

Land Cost: $5900/person
(see bottom for trekking only prices and dates)

Join us for a once in a lifetime experience as we trek through the famous Khumbu and Gokyo Valleys in the heart of the Himalayas., while attempting the summits of three prominent peaks. On this expedition, we will get to experience the culture of the Nepalese people, explore the breathtaking scenery of the Everest region and partake in some world-class climbing. We will begin our trip in the culture rich city of Kathmandu. After a day of sightseeing at your leisure, we will board our flight to Lukla. The small village of Lukla is the jumping off point for Mt. Everest teams attempting the South side of the mountain as well as teams attempting many other significant peaks in the region. From Lukla we will start our trek to the village of Phakding. After a nights rest in a local teahouse, we will begin our ascent to Namche Bazaar, the cultural hub of the Khumbu Valley. We will spend a full day here to aid in our acclimatization. After a good rest, we will set off again to the villages of Dole, Machermo, and on to Gokyo. We will then attempt the summit of our first peak Gokyo Ri (5,357m) where we will get an excellent view of Everest, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, and our next objective Nirekha Peak. After a couple more days of trekking, we will arrive at Nirekha Base Camp where we will spend some time to acclimate. Our climb of Nirekha (6,169m) is our first big objective and will begin with a climb to high camp. An attempt of the lofty summit will take place the next day. Nirekha Peak is deep in the Himalayas near the Tibet border, nestled beneath the giants of Everest, Cho Oyu, and Cholatse. It has only recently been opened up to Western climbers. The climb itself is mostly ice and snow and requires the use of an ice axe and crampons as well as the use of fixed ropes. We will have a training session before the climb, for those not familiar with these skills. The view from the summit of Nirekha is second to none. It offers an unobstructed view of many of the world’s highest peaks. Following our climb of Nirekha, we will then cross over the Cho La Pass and descend into the Khumbu Valley just below Everest Base Camp. We will visit Everest Base Camp and head towards our next major objective, Island Peak (6,189m). After a rest day at Base Camp, we will attempt the Summit. Base camp to high camp is basically a hike but just above high camp, some rocky steps require moderate scrambling and then up through a broad open gully. At the top of the gully, glacier travel begins and proceeds up to a steep snow and ice slope. From here it is a strenuous ascent of nearly 100m to the summit ridge. The climb to the summit is somewhat difficult due to steep climbing, but the rewards are significant with Lhotse rising less than 10km away and the views that are beyond imagination, equipped with monoculars one can lose track of time exploring nature. Our trek home will take us through more Khumbu villages such as Pangboche before arriving back at Namche Bazaar, completing our loop. We will then make a long trek from Namche to Lukla, where we will fly back to Kathmandu. On this expedition we will spend 14 nights in local teahouses and 7 nights camping.

Day 01 : Arrive in Kathmandu International Airport, transfer to Hotel.
Day 02 : Sightseeing in Kathmandu. (First half of the day is guided).
Day 03 : Flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. Trek to Phakding.
Day 04 : Phakding to Namache Bazar.
Day 05 : Acclimatization in Namche Bazaar.
Day 06 : Namche Bazaar to Dole.
Day 07 : Dole to Machermo.
Day 08 : Machermo to Gokyo.
Day 09 : Gokyo Trek to Gokyo Ri and 5th lake
Day 10 : Gokyo to Thangna.
Day 11 : Thangna to Nirekha Base Camp.
Day 12 : Acclimatization at Nirekha Base camp.
Day 13 : Nirekha Base Camp to High Camp.
Day 14 : High Camp to Nirekha peak Summit (6169m) return to Base Camp.
Day 15 : Nirekha Base Camp, over Cho La pass to Camp at Lobuche.
Day 16 : Everest Base Camp and over night in Gorak Shep.
Day 17 : Trek to Dingboche.
Day 18 : Trek to Island Peak Base Camp
Day 19 : Acclimatize at Island Peak Base Camp (weather window)
Day 20 : Island Peak Summit and back to Base Camp.
Day 21 : Trek to Pangboche.
Day 22: Trek to Namche Bazaar.
Day 23: Trek to Lukla.
Day 24: Fly to Kathmandu
Day 25: Departure for Home.

Included in this itinerary:
• Airport transfers,
• Three nights’ accommodations in Kathmandu in BB and twin share,
• All internal transfers,
• All permits related to expedition,
• All meals when camping.
• Trekking crew (cook, kitchen staff, porter etc),
• Climbing Sherpa (mountain guides),
• Insurance of all crew member (not of clients),
• Camping and kitchen equipment for trek to base camp and while in base camp,
• Necessary climbing equipment for above base camp all equipment for climbing/camping.
• All necessities above base camp like tents, gas, food and ropes etc,
• Comprehensive Medical kit
• Portable Altitude Chamber and Medicinal purpose Oxygen,
• Satellite phone and Radio set for communications
• Personal trek equipment (sleeping bag, duvet jacket, sleeping sheet, kit bag)
• Climbing equipment (harness, ice-axe, crampons Ropes, Helmets etc )
• Lodging during the Itinerary.
• Local Porters.

Not Included:
• Meals when staying at the Tea Houses ($25-$30/Day)
• Flights to/from Kathmandu
• Gratuities
• Personal expenses and souvenirs
• Travel Insurance
• Nepal tourist Visa
• Alcohol, cold drinks, snacks, laundry, internet etc.
• Personal trekking gear and clothing.
• Emergency Evacuation (Insurance is recommended)
• Unforeseen costs arising from a change in the itinerary such as domestic flight delays, political disturbances etc.

EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK ONLY

Land Cost: $4000/person
October 11 – November 1