Ama Dablam Climb and Trek Expedtion News October 2013
Ama Dablam Climb and Trek Expedtion News October 2013
Please enjoy the photos and stories and we welcome you to our next www.ExpeditionAmaDablam.com
- 18 November
- 17 November
- 16 November
- 31 October
- 29 October
- 24 October
- 22 October
- 21 October
- 20 October
- 19 October
- 18 October
- 17 October
- 16 October
- 14 October
- 13 October
- 12 October
- Team Roster
Marc and Danny Biner reached the summit of Ama Dablam today. At first they thought it was too windy and started heading down the mountain, then the wind reduced and they changed their minds and went up to the summit. Congratulations!!
17 November -
Today our Ama Dablam team members Fernando, Andreas, and Nils reached the summit. Congratulations!
Big news. Today the ropes are fixed to the summit, and tomorrow, three members of our team will try for the summit. Then, the following day, two more members will try. We wish them all the best regards for a safe and succesful ascent. Back to top
Hello SummitClimb AmaDablam Expedition Blog readers. Our team has reached camp two, has returned to base, and is now waiting for completion of the route. Our trusty climbing Sherpas are in a "holding pattern" awaiting the outcome of a high-wind alert. According to the 4 weather forecasts our office have been studiously checking each day, supposedly the winds should reduce on or prior to 3 November. After that our Sherpas plan to fix ropes to the summit and we hope to climb to the top of Ama Dablam, Asia's most famous snow-ice-and-rock climb, before the 6th of November. Please stay tuned for updates and please do wish us luck. Thank you very much! Back to top
This is SummitClimb's Ama Dablam team member Sarabjit "Saz" Bhooee writing to you from 4450 metre / 14,600 foot high Mingbo Lodge at Ama Dablam base camp.
We have returned from the infamous camp 2 (ca. 6050m / 19,800 ft) in perfect conditions - using safety lines and jumarring up fixed ropes at the 'crux' yellow tower - about 15m / 50 ft of vertical granite. Being at 6000m / 19,700 ft makes it a little strenuous! The camp 2 is as 'airy' as can be imagined, perched on a ledge with huge exposure in either direction, with only space for a handful of tents. It's unreal!
The team has slept 2 nights at camp 1 (ca.5800m / 19,000 ft) to help acclimatise to the forever thinning air. Purbha (our cook at camp 1) has been keeping us well fed and watered away from basecamp, supported by Tenji and Jangbu. These guys never stop working - they carry heavy loads of tents and cooking equipment around the mountain, and are always smiling and ready to help us when needed.
The route to the summit is not fully fixed at the moment - camp 3 upwards is currently unclimbed this season. Our climbing sherpa Tenji has made arrangements with different teams on the mountain to combine equipment, rope and manpower and will hopefully be making a bid to fix the lines to the summit in a few days - they are waiting for the weather to improve for safety.
So we are currently having a few days of rest before our summit push...exciting times. We are hanging out, reading, resting, playing cards, drinking copious amounts of tea and eating some of the tastiest food in the valley prepared by Nima, the lady who runs the basecamp lodge. It's hard to leave this place for the higher camps.
Hope the next update wont be from email but rather will be from the summit via Nepal Mobile Telephone! Back to top
An Himalayan Chuff bird attends the prayer ceremony. Mark van 't Hof Photo. Camp 2, looking up to grey tower, and upper mountain. James Barritt Photo.
Ama Dablam expedition team member Saz supports Hope Centre, in aid of Nepalese children with disabilities. Sarabjit Bhooee Photo.
Dani Biner on the summit of Ama Dablam at dawn. Marc Biner Photo.
Th.24.10 - 10:00 @Base Camp (4550m.) place Mingbo.
Namaste! to all followers of team Ama Dablam 2013 from Jim, Tim, Maggie, Saz and Mark.
Today is our second day of rest after two nights of sleep @AdvancedBaceCamp 5430m. and visiting our Camp 1, 5790m., to acclimatize and to bring our equipment.
The weather is perfect since last Monday: clear blue sky with full sun during the day and a lot of twinkling stars at night. That gives us warm days with just a shirt walking on the snow, requiring strong protection from the sun, and with a bright Ama Dablam, 'lady with necklace', in front of us. And it means fresh nights with -15 Celsius in our tent @ABC 5430m.
Here @BC we enjoy the hospitality of lady Nima who runs the lodge next to our tents: warm shower, good meals, a lot of tea and the hot stove (burns on yak poo) in the dining room. It's there where we also meet people from other teams, play cards, chat and read books.
We are looking forward to the coming days when we will sleep two nights @Camp 1 and will explore the route to Camp 2 6050m. We are all in good shape and thankful for the essential help of the team Sherpa's Tenzing, Jambu and Purba, and of course expedition leader Dan Mazur. Mark Van't Hof Back to top
Today's Tweet from Expedition Leader Dan Mazur: Ama Dablam team went to ABC.
Today's Tweet from Expedition Leader Dan Mazur: Ama Dablam team rested in bc surrounded by towering peaks. A lama from Pangboche came up to Ama Dablam basecamp to bless the team. Corey & Andrea from the Deboche Project came along as well. Back to top
Today's Tweet from Expedition Leader Dan Mazur: Island Peak team took a rest day. Ama Dablam team walked to a.b.c. @ 5430 m / 17,800 ft. Another gorgeous sunny day.
View of Ama Dablam basecamp from 100 metres - 328 feet above. Photo by Mark van 't Hof. Peaks in the Mingo Range of mountains. Maggie Noodle Photo. Back to top
Maggie and Sangeeta in Ama Dablam basecamp. Saz Photo. Prayer flags and walkers in Ama Dablam basecamp. Maggie Noodle photo. Unloading yaks in the snow in Ama Dablam basecamp. Photo Mark van 't Hof.
Jim Barritt climbs the hill on the trail to Ama Dablam. Dudh Khosi river and Pangboche in the background. Photo Mark van 'T Hof. Tim Richards abseils during rock climbing practice above Ama Dablam basecamp. Mark van 't Hof Photo. Back to top
Today's Tweet from Expedition Leader Dan Mazur: Ama Dablam & Island Peak team went for rock climbing today @ 4720 m / 15,500 ft. Warm sun, good rock, perfect day!
Mark , Saz and Tim climbing the rocks above basecamp. Thile Nuru Sherpa stands above. Maggie Noodle photo. Saz and Maggie put on their climbing boots in the Mingbo Lodge. Photo by Mark van 't Hof.
Yaks in deep snow at Ama Dablam basecamp. Mark van 't Hof photo. Team practicing abseiling fixed lines above basecamp, seen in left side of photo. James Barritt Photo
Maggie, Saz, Nathan, Tim, and Mark at the top of the practice rocks above basecamp.Summit of Ama Dablam in background. Photo by James Barritt.
Today's Tweet from Expedition Leader Dan Mazur: Team reviewed climbing gear today and acclimated. Getting excited for the climb. Superb weather today!
Jim's climbing kit spread out on his bed at Shakti Hotel. Photo by James Barritt. Mark van 't Hof prepares his climbing gear in Mingbo Lodge. Saz photo. Back to top
Today's Tweet from Expedition Leader Dan Mazur: Pangboche Lama blessed us. Everest BC team went to Dingboche. Ama Dblm & Island Pk team in Mingbo @ 4550 m / 15000 f. Good weather!
Bridge to Ama Dablam crosses the Dudh Khosi river, with Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse in the background. Mark van 't Hof Photo. Dan climbing practice rock above Ama Dablam basecamp. Photo Mark van 't Hof.
Today's Tweet from Expedition Leader Dan Mazur: We reached Pangboche @ 3900 metres / 12,000 feet. Gorgeous views of Ama Dablam & Everest! Back to top
Rest day at Namche (3740m.), Mt. Kailash Lodge 14 October, 2013 Namche, centre of Sherpa land for traders (also from Tibet), sellers, trekkers and climbers. We arrived yesterday with rain and mist. It’s still raining now on Monday afternoon.
But that brings you to new adventures. I found myself back last night at a snooker table in Café Danphe Bar – Rock, Blues & Beer. Dan and other fellows of the trek invited me to play and with the push of music of Rolling Stones and a can of Tuborg, whilst I had my first attempt of playing snooker. My name is Mark from Holland (NL, together with my brother Leonard who brings me to base camp) and I’m here for that free standing mountain Ama Dablam, the Matterhorn of Nepal (famous Swiss Mountain, Google on both and see the similarities). With me for this summit are also Saz (UK), Tim (Aus), Jim (UK), Maggie (Aus, UK). With different backgrounds we’re already sharing our adventures of climbing and what we expect of Ama Dablam, ’Lady with Necklace’.
Together with members that have an eye on Island Peak or on Everest Base camp we are 16 in total, from a variety of countries including the above as well as India, Thailand and United States. That gives us stories to tell in the sitting end dining room of our Lodge overlooked by a poster of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, like in most Tibetan houses in and outside Tibet.
The weather forecast has our special attention of course. It tells us (like
www.mountain-forecast.compeaksAma-Dablam ) that there will be rain tomorrow, but not so much as today. On Wednesday, when we all walk together from Pangboche to base camp Ama Dablam the rain should be finished. But as it is said, expectations of weather are right or wrong 50 percent of the time. So you can choose what you want to believe. Back to top
Rosemary and David typing the blog. Sangeeta Sindhi Photo. Dee Haberern enjoying a good book and a warm sleeping bag. Photo by Ron Haberern.
Mark Mossholder and Sangeeta Sindhi walking on the Everest Trail. Keith Bailey Photo. Sangeeta meets a family along the path to Everest basecamp. Photo by Tile Nuru Sherpa.
Team on the path in Jorsalle. Photo by Ron Haberern. Zopkioks being loaded. Keith Bailey Photo.
Lisa and Dee on the suspension bridge. Keith Bailey Photo. Waterfall on the Everest Trail. Photo by Keith Bailey. Mark and Maggie having a natter in a teahouse in Lukla. Sangeeta Sindhi Photo.
Dee Haberern treats her water with a Steripen. Ron Haberern Photo. Hillary and Tenzing summit Everest. Sangeeta Sindhi Photo. Trekkers on a suspension bridge on the trail to Everest. Photo by Ron and Dee Haberern.
Phakding to Namche Bazaar - 13 October, 2013 Early breakfast and 8 am start under overcast skies. What began as a warm but cloudy day turned into a light rain by late morning increasing to steady downpour by noon. Some were better prepared for the unrelenting rain which made rocks slippery and sent rivulets of muddy water down the trail. We didn’t understand why Dan showed us his umbrella when talking about the equipment to take with us. But after this day we all know why and will look for our own one in Namche.
Traffic very light – it’s the Nepalese holiday, called Dashain, where everyone goes home for many days ,perhaps months of celebration; so the airport was a picture of chaos. According to Island Peak team member Sangeeta Sindhi, in Nepal it is called Dashain, but In India it is termed as Dusserah where Good overcomes the evil . The story goes back to the King of Ayodhya, Dasarath who had 3 wives and four sons, namely Ram, Bharat , Shatrughan and Laxman. Kaushalaya was the first wife of the king whose son Ram was the heir to the throne. His favorite queen Kakeyi wanted her son Bharat to ascend the throne. One day , to please his queen the king promised that her son Bharat would ascend the throne. He banished his eldest son Ram to the jungle for 14 years. His wife Sita and younger brother Laxman accompanied him. During Ram’s stay in the jungles, the king of Ceylon Raavan abducted his wife Sita and kept her confined to his palace in Srilanka. His two brothers helped the king to keep Sita in the palace .To win back his queen, Ram fought many battles and killed the ten headed king Raavan, by piercing a poised arrow into his navel. Dusserah is celebrated by burning an effigy of Raavan and his two brothers all over India. It is to celebrate the good that has overcome the evil each year.
Back to the trek: airplanes are so small (only 8 seat each) that the team had to take 2 planes. The first took off about noon with an American pilot who assured us the weather in Lukla was perfect for flying and landing.
(often it’s not) Beautiful views of Everest from the left side of the plane. Landing in Lukla 35 minutes later felt a bit like threading the eye of a needle. It’s built on the side of the mountain so the hillside seemed alarmingly close when landing - quite exciting. After a 90 minute wait for the rest of the team – and the luggage - to arrive we had a leisurely lunch.
After sorting thru the luggage before it got loaded on the yaks - everyone took off only to be stopped ½ hour later at a checkpoint. Another wait (these checkposts occur at regular intervals we found) everyone took off once again along a beautiful rocky and rugged trail interspersed with tiny villages which took us down from Lukla, dropping 200 metres / 600 feet. By now it was mid-afternoon and the completion times due to the differet pace levels varied by a few hours. Couldn’t be done without the wonderful help and support of the Sherpas. Wonderful hot dinner and an early night for all. Back to top
- Dan Mazur (Leader), USA/UK
- James B., UK
- Mark V. H., Nederland
- Tim R., Australian
- Sarabjit B., UK
- Maggie O., New Zealand
- Marc B., Swiss
- Dany B., Swiss
- Fernando J., Swiss
- Andreas S., Swiss
- Nils R., Swiss
- Janik J., Swiss
Ama Dablam BC Trek
- Leonard V.
Staff:
- Tenji Sherpa
- Dawa Jangbu Sherpa Back to top