Latest news with #MadisonMountaineering
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Everest: The Final Wave Begins, Amid Rumors of an Early Closure
Everest has had nearly 500 summits so far, but patient climbers waiting for a quieter mountain during the last week of May likely won't have a chance. The unofficial word around Base Camp is that the Icefall Doctors, who maintain the Khumbu Icefall, will close it soon. Forecasts also predict that the weather will worsen beginning on Sunday, so many of those climbers who have not yet summited are going up tonight. As we post this story, a significant number of groups are leaving Camp 4 for the summit. Among them are Madison Mountaineering, Alpine Ascents International, and Brazil's Grade 6. Many of these climbers have been in their tents at the South Col at 7,950m for two days, waiting for the wind to abate. For Marcelo Segovia of Ecuador, who is climbing without supplementary oxygen, the prolonged delay has been a sufferfest. Segovia reached Camp 4 yesterday and spent his "hardest night on a mountain in 17 years," he admitted on Instagram. "I just pray for the strength to endure one more night." This morning, Segovia was relieved to see the sun. He decided to leave on his final push at 7 pm local time this evening. Yet, three hours before departure, thick clouds had wrapped the South Col. Mountain runners Tyler Andrews of the U.S. and Karl Egloff of Ecuador are also about to leave, each following his own strategy and timing. Both have the same objective: to climb Everest faster than anyone else (and each other), without supplemental oxygen. They expect to summit on May 24. Andrews is timing himself just to the summit; Egloff is timing the round trip. Egloff had hoped to wait until the typically stable days at the end of the month before the monsoon hits. But given the uncertainty of next week, he has decided to leave Base Camp tomorrow at 6 pm. Andrews had originally aimed to set off on Friday, May 23, but instead will leave tomorrow at precisely one minute to midnight, six hours after Egloff. They hope to make their way up after most of the oxygen-supported teams finish. We can expect news from this pair at around noon Nepal time on Saturday, just before 2 am Eastern Time. The question is, why the big rush this weekend? Statistically, the last days of May are usually the best, but this season, the weather has been particularly hard to read. The jet stream has changed its altitude constantly. When it dips, it hits the upper slopes of Everest. When it lifts, the risk of serious frostbite diminishes. Teams check the latest forecasts hourly but don't entirely believe them, because they've been misled so often this spring. Another reason is the Khumbu Icefall. Reportedly, conditions below Camp 1 are degrading quickly under the hot spring sun. Ladders are shifting, and some seracs are showing signs of instability. No one has announced an official closing date, but several climbers don't like what they've been hearing around Base Camp and have chosen to hurry up right away.
The Herald Scotland
07-05-2025
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
American climber dies while scaling Mount Makalu in Nepal
Makalu is the world's fifth-highest mountain, peaking at 28,000 feet. Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain, peaks at about 29,032 feet. Madison Mountaineering, the company that organized the expedition, confirmed the death on its social media pages Monday. "We are heartbroken by the sudden loss of our teammate and dear friend, Alex Pancoe, who passed away unexpectedly on the evening of May 4th at Camp 2 on Makalu," the company said in a Facebook post on May 5. "Alex was sharing a tent with our expedition leader and guide, Terray Sylvester. The two had just finished dinner and were settling into their sleeping bags, chatting casually, when Alex suddenly became unresponsive. Despite hours of resuscitation efforts by Terray and our team of climbers and Sherpa at Camp 2, they were unable to revive him," the company said on Facebook. According to Reuters, Nepal's tourism department said it was arranging to bring Pancoe's body to Kathmandu, the country's capital. Nepal's Mountaineering Association and Madison Mountaineering did not immediately respond to a USA TODAY request for comment. Pancoe was attempting to raise money for a children's cancer program Reuters reports that Pancoe survived a brain tumor when he was younger and had been battling chronic myeloid leukemia. Pancoe was attempting to climb Makalu to raise funds for the pediatric blood cancer program at Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, expedition leader Garrett Madison told Reuters. Madison added that Pancoe had already raised $1 million to help fund clinical trials and other programs at the hospital. Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
American climber dies 'suddenly' while attempting to scale Mount Makalu in Nepal
An American climber died Sunday on Mount Makalu in Nepal during a climb to raise money for a children's cancer program. Alexander Pancoe, 39, died while settling into his sleeping bag at the mountain's second high camp after returning from an acclimatization trip at the higher camp three, according to Reuters and the company that organized the expedition, Madison Mountaineering. Madison Mountaineering directed USA TODAY to social media posts from Monday and a tribute from on Instagram from Pancoe's wife, Nina Laski Pancoe. "We are heartbroken by the sudden loss of our teammate and dear friend, Alex Pancoe, who passed away unexpectedly on the evening of May 4th at Camp 2 on Makalu," the company said in a Facebook post on May 5. "Alex was sharing a tent with our expedition leader and guide, Terray Sylvester. The two had just finished dinner and were settling into their sleeping bags, chatting casually, when Alex suddenly became unresponsive. Despite hours of resuscitation efforts by Terray and our team of climbers and Sherpa at Camp 2, they were unable to revive him," the company said on social media. The company noted that earlier that day, Alex "had been in high spirits, full of energy, and was considered one of the strongest members of the team." Pancoe's wife, Nina, wrote in her post that she and her husband shared two children together, Zephyr and Venice, and that Pancoe "died doing something you loved in a place that you loved." According to Reuters, Nepal's tourism department said it was arranging to bring Pancoe's body to Kathmandu, the country's capital. Nepal's Mountaineering Association did not immediately respond to a USA TODAY request for comment. Climber battled a brain tumor and leukemia Reuters reported that Pancoe survived a brain tumor when he was younger and had been battling chronic myeloid leukemia. His wife also wrote about his "battles of having a brain tumor and leukemia" writing "you never let that stop you." "You lived each day to the fullest making an impact on the world around you," she wrote. Pancoe was attempting to climb Makalu to raise funds for the pediatric blood cancer program at Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, expedition leader Garrett Madison told Reuters. Madison added that Pancoe had already raised $1 million to help fund clinical trials and other programs at the hospital. Makalu is the world's fifth-highest mountain, peaking at 28,000 feet. Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain, peaks at about 29,032 feet. Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: American climber dies while scaling Mount Makalu in Nepal
Chicago Tribune
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Highland Park native dies climbing Himalayan mountain, leaving young family devastated
Highland Park native Alex Pancoe, who made headlines for his mountain climbing and fundraising as a cancer survivor, died Sunday climbing the fifth-highest mountain in the world, leaving his young family devastated as they and others remember his legacy of charity and kindness. Alex Pancoe was 38. According to reports, he died while nearly 28,000 feet up Makalu in the Himalayas. He became unresponsive while settling into his sleeping bag, according to a post by the expedition organizer Madison Mountaineering, and resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. He leaves behind a 7-month-old daughter, a 2-year-old son and his wife, Nina. She described him as, 'the most determined, passionate, kind (and) generous person I have ever met.' 'He worked so hard to fight for his dreams, to fight for what he loved,' Pancoe said. She said her husband died doing what he loved, although the news has left her world 'shattered.' They had always joked about him dying an old man climbing some mountain, but for him to go so young is 'heartbreaking.' The two met thanks to his love of climbing and fundraising work for Lurie Children's Hospital, where he had been treated for a brain tumor as a teen. She was a TV producer in Chicago at the time, and met him for a story. Despite the numerous headlines he would make, she was always impressed by his humility. It was 'about helping other people,' Pancoe said. The two quickly hit it off. 'I was like, 'Wow, this guy is really cool,'' she recalled, saying they started following each other on social media. 'It was during that Arctic storm in Chicago a few years ago, and I messaged, 'You're training outside? It must be really cold out.' Something really cheesy that we would laugh about.' On their first date, she said she 'knew he was the one right away.' Three months later, while he was scaling Mount Everest, she was moving into his apartment and, she said, 'the rest is history.' Alex Pancoe's climbing journey started less than a decade ago, but in that time he had achieved the Explorers Grand Slam, a feat that involves scaling the highest mountain on each continent, including Mount Everest, and trekking to each pole, surviving dangerous conditions and near-death experiences. He was born and raised in Highland Park, and spent his entire life in the Chicagoland area. He graduated from Highland Park High School in 2004, going on to attend Northwestern University. It was between his freshman and sophomore years, in 2005, that he discovered at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago that his headaches were being caused by a brain tumor. It was successfully removed, and he graduated in 2009. He would move from Evanston to Chicago, pursuing a career with Morgan Stanley. According to several webpages generated by Alex Pancoe, he was an avid sports fan, lifelong skier and foodie. Nina Pancoe, after her time as a producer and writer in television news, became a self-described mom, adventurer and traveler. The pair had climbed a few mountains together, and she had even managed to climb Mount Kilimanjaro just two months before he did. 'I always held that (over) him,' Pancoe said, laughing. 'Even though you're the big climber, ha ha, I beat you.' His death is a devastating loss for the family, she said. Their daughter will have no memories of him, and will only know her father through photographs. She had to break the news to their son gently. 'Daddy got a really bad owie on the mountain, and he's not coming down,' she told him. And for her, it is a terrible ending to what had been a 'fairytale romance.' She recalled her heart dropping when she saw the call from the satellite phone, and hearing the news. It's still hard to come to terms with it, she said. 'I still woke up this morning thinking about something, and was like, 'Oh, Alex is going to love this,'' Pancoe said. 'It's not real yet to me. I still think I'm going to see him pull up … open the doors, and give me a big hug and kiss.' The family is planning a celebration of life later in the summer. 'That's what Alex would have wanted,' she said. 'He wouldn't want people mourning him. He would want people coming together and celebrating.' In a statement, a representative of Lurie Children's Hospital said the people there are 'deeply saddened' by the news of his death. He has been, 'a cherished friend, advocate, and hero to our Lurie Children's community.' 'Alex's legacy is defined by his extraordinary courage, boundless generosity, and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of children and families facing serious health challenges,' the statement said. As a brain tumor and leukemia survivor, he, 'transformed his personal journey into a global mission,' successfully raising more than a million dollars for pediatric brain tumor research. He had also committed to raising another $1 million for Lurie Children's, and the hospital had named a nursing station on the Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation and Neuro-oncology Inpatient Unit in his honor. 'Beyond his philanthropic achievements, Alex was a beloved member of our community,' the statement continued. 'Our deepest sympathy goes out to Alex's family. We are profoundly grateful for the impact Alex made on our hospital and the lives of so many.' Matt Adkins, a fellow climber, said he met Alex on a mountain in Colorado. The two stayed in touch, and Adkins said Alex helped him plan for several climbing trips in South America and the Himalayas. He said the news left him 'heartbroken.' 'I know he had a deep love for his family, and he was a long-time student of the mountains,' Adkins said. Madison Mountaineering called his passing a 'tremendous loss,' and said their hearts went out to the family 'during this incredibly difficult time.'
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Man Who Survived Brain Tumor Dies While Trying to Climb Remote 27,000-Foot Mountain
Mountain climber Alex Pancoe, who had previously survived a brain tumor, died on May 4 while on a climbing trip in Nepal He reportedly scaled the tallest peaks on seven continents while raising money for charity 'Through your own battles of having a brain tumor and leukemia you never let that stop you," Pancoe's wife, Nina, wrote in an Instagram post honoring her late husband A 39-year-old American has died during a climbing expedition of Nepal's Mount Makalu over the weekend. In a Monday, May 5, Facebook post, the Seattle-based Madison Mountaineering confirmed that Alex Pancoe, the organization's teammate and friend, died on the evening of Sunday, May 4, at Camp 2 on Makalu. 'Alex was sharing a tent with our expedition leader and guide, Terray Sylvester,' read the statement, 'The two had just finished dinner and were settling into their sleeping bags, chatting casually, when Alex suddenly became unresponsive. Despite hours of resuscitation efforts by Terray and our team of climbers and Sherpa at Camp 2, they were unable to revive him.' In its post, Madison Mountaineering recounted that Pancoe was in high spirits and full of energy earlier that Sunday. 'He had been thoroughly enjoying the expedition,' the group shared. 'Above all, Alex was a devoted father who spoke often and lovingly about his children—they were the center of his world.' 'His passing is a tremendous loss, and our hearts go out to his family during this incredibly difficult time,' Madison Mountaineering's post concluded. Related: Is Everest a True Story? A Look Back at the 1996 Disaster on Mount Everest That Took 8 Lives Iswari Paudel, a managing director at Himalayan Guides, which organized the expedition, told the Independent that Pancoe possibly died of cardiac arrest, but he added that 'the cause of the death can be confirmed after postmortem only.' Paudel also said that Pancoe's team of four was about to rest for the night when he felt ill. The others tried to revive him for more than an hour but were unsuccessful. Paudel also told the Independent that Pancoe's family has been informed and that efforts are being made to transport his body from the camp. Alex Pancoe/Instagram Alex Pancoe Alex Pancoe Mount Makalu is the fifth-tallest mountain in the world at over 27,000 feet, said Nepal's tourism board. Related: Influencer Dies at 28 After Falling 65 Feet While Mountain Climbing According to a Reuters report, Pancoe survived a brain tumor when he was younger. At the time of his death, Pancoe was fighting chronic myeloid leukemia and was making the climb at Makalu to generate money for the pediatric blood cancer program at Chicago's Lurie Children's Hospital, according to expedition leader Garrett Madison, who acknowledged Pancoe's death in a separate Facebook post. Pancoe reportedly scaled the tallest peaks on seven continents while raising money for charity, per NBC affiliate WMAQ. His wife Nina, with whom she shared two children, posted a lengthy tribute to her late husband on Instagram, calling him 'the love of my life.' Related: Chicago Teen Makes History as Youngest American Woman to Reach the Top of Mt. Everest 'The moment I received that call from a satellite number I wanted to think it was nothing but deep down I knew something was very wrong,' she wrote. 'At first I thought you broke a bone, but to hear those words that your heart stopped and CPR was not working my heart shattered into a million pieces. I knew you were gone.' 'Through your own battles of having a brain tumor and leukemia you never let that stop you. You lived each day to the fullest making an impact on the world around you. You are the kindest, sweetest, most passionate person I have ever met,' Nina later added. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'You died doing something you loved in a place that you loved. People always asked me how could you let him climb and my response was because it was his passion and something that he absolutely loved. Your legacy will live on forever and will continue to make sure everyone knows how special you were,' she further wrote. PEOPLE contacted Madison Mountaineering and Himalayan Guides for comment on Tuesday, May 6, but they did not immediately respond. Read the original article on People
