Ama Dablam Climbing News
Ama Dablam Climbing News
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Blog posts: Scroll down for day by day news of our climbing and trekking teams.
Our member Dmitri made a slideshow of Ama Dablam on Youtube. Please check it out. Thanks! Click Here
4 Dec - all of us returned safely to C2 last night at 10pm. Everyone is carefully descending to basecamp now. Lets go down carefully team!
3 Dec - BIG NEWS: All Team On Ama Dablam Summit Today (just now) at 13:45pm. CONGRATULATIONS!
3 December Ama Dablam blog post update: 7:30am. We are at C3 at 6300m / 20, 664 ft, climbing towards summit now. Current conditions: a bit cloudy and a bit windy. There is a bit of light snow but not much. Seems like we might have a chance to make it!
2 Dec - Clouds seem to be closing in a bit. Its warmer and less windy. Now 3 of us are moving up from Camp 1 through the Yellow Tower to Camp 2. Here we Go!
1 Dec, 2021 - Today is the 1st day of Winter and we are bringing it in style with another attempt on mighty Mount Ama Dablam. 3 of us plan to try from Camp 2 tomorrow night. Its very sunny right now. Please wish us all of the best!
30 NOV: CONDITIONS DID NOT WORK OUT PERFECTLY FOR SUMMIT EARLY THIS MORNING. SO WE RETURNED TO WITNESS FIERY DAWN OVER C2. BEAUTIFUL
30 NOV - MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. WE ARE EATING AND DRINKING AND GETTING GOING. THERE ARE A FEW LIGHT BREEZES RATTLING THE TENT BUT NOTHING SERIOUS YET. IN A FEW MINUTES WE WILL TOSS ON OUR RUCKSACKS AND HEAD UP INTO THE DARK. PRAYERS, FORTITUDE
29 Nov - 4 of us comfortable here in c2. no one else around. Clear skies, light winds.. we are eating packing chatting. prepping for 11pm "breakfast" and departure for summit. Fingers crossed, thoughts and prayers!
29 November update: We are all safe in c1. 2 of us go down to bc for a few days of rest + more acclimatization. 4 of us climb up to c2 now and try summit 2nite!
28 November afternoon blog post: everyone reached c1 and 3 of us are climbing to c2 now. We will all meet in c1 tonight to discuss plans. Seems 3 of us might be ready to summit!
28 Nov - sunrise hitting the tents. we r still in our sleeping bags, gently warming, sipping tea. weather perfect: no wind no clouds. today abc team moving to c1. All teams reunite!
27 Nov - gorgeous red sunset tonight. 4 of us are in camp abc، 2 of us are camp 1. Everyone is very good!.
27 Nov - 6 of us climbing to c1. Sunny today. Plan to try c2 tomorrow
23 Nov - Summit Climb Team Now on Ama Dablam Summit: 11:52 am: Very Sunny!
22 November Dispatch (afternoon version): Ama Dablam SummitClimb Expedition: 8 of us trying for summit!
All 8 of us have now reached camp 2 and we are safe inside the tents. When we first arrived it was a bit windy, but now the wind has settled and we are relaxing in the tents and drinking tea in the warm sunshine. The rock climbing getting up here was smooth, seeing as we are well acclimatized to this altitude already, this being our second and for some of us, our third visit to Camp 2. Spirits are very high and we plan to wait here and try to eat sleep and drink until midnight, then we plan to wake up at midnight and head for the summit. We are all praying the winds will continue to lighten and we will be able to feel good tonight at midnight when we pop out of the tents to go for it. Your supportive thoughts and prayers are much appreciated. Thank you very much for thinking about us!!
Decending from Camp 3. Photo Ang Dorjee
22 November Dispatch (morning version): Ama Dablam SummitClimb Expedition: 8 of us trying for summit!
All 8 of us woke up this morning in C1 to greet the spectacular golden sunrise. No wind, no clouds, and unobstructed rays of warm toasty sunrise coming into the tents to cheer us. Amazing. We all slept well and feel good, because we are well acclimatized to camp 1’s altitude. Two members of our team set off up the mountain early to do the rock climbing and get everything in Camp 2 ready for our team’s arrival later today. Now we are munching on a healthy delicious breakfast, drinking tea and coffee, filling our water bottles, and getting our selves psyched up for a fun rock climb through the good solid granite and strong ropes of Ama Dablam’s SouthWest Ridge, up the Yellow Tower, and into Camp 2, which, if all goes well, we plan to use for our launchpad to the summit! . Wish us luck, we are trying hard to climb Ama Dablam while the weather allows us. Thank you very much
Dana decending from Camp 3. Photo Ang Dorjee.
Camp 1
21 Nov - Ama Dablam SummitClimb Expedition: 8 of us trying for summit!
8 of us have climbed up to C1. We are attempting to thread the needle in terms of weather forecasts. Tonight winds on the summit are supposed to reach 100 Kph. OMG. So we are planning to stay in C1 tonight, move to C2 tomorrow, and try to climb to the summit tomorrow night Monday, November 22. Hopefully if all goes well, we will be on the summit on Tuesday Nov 23, when the winds are supposed to drop to a reasonable 25 Kph. We are watching the weather with an eagle’s eye, checking it every few minutes, and everyone is very safe and warm, bundled tightly into their sleeping bags and tents, after a nice warm dinner. We can hear the wind howling up above us. Thanks for your lucky wishes and prayers, we need them!
Yellow tower. Photo. Joachim
16 Nov - 11:55 am. Joachim, Mahdi, Tenji, Ang Dawa summit Ama Dablam. CONGRATULATIONS!
Photo captions: At the summit of Ama Dablam. Photo Joachim A
15 Nov - journey to ama dablam c2. Sherpas wake us up early for tea and porridge. Warm sunny morning in c1. Now packing to go to c2, putting on harnesses, sherpas filling water bottes, fitting helmets tight. The 4 of us members don light rucksacks, our powerful sherpas more. Winding our way up through terraced boulder fields to SW Ridge where the real climbing begins. This is a massive long grey brown 1/2 k long granite ridge dominated by spires and gendarmes. Quite often the climbing involves traversing beneath or scrambling between these spires over granite slabs on strong well anchored ropes. The crux is the yellow tower 12 metres / 20 feet high, the most challenging section of the climb. its not the height, its the exposure. Know what i mean? There ar a few balancy moves at the top where the ledges become thin. Still everyone is carefully belayed and we are even able to offer the aid of a haul line!
Ian climbing the yellow tower while wongchu belays. Marta and Igor just back from the summit
Ian on a sunny day in Camp 1
14 Nov - Sunny gorgeous uphill hike: we r leaving basecamp to climb to abc, c1, c2, then summit. Halfway up we met Marta, Igor, and Karma coming down after their amazing succes on the summit of ama dablam. CONGRATS! They told a story that happened last night on descent. A climber from another team wore no goggles during the night ascent to the summit and this person succumbed to night blindness, a temporary condition where the unprotected eyeball dries out on a windy night time summit bid. Marta and Igor witnessed this climber from the other team being long line heli rescued from above c2. so M+I+K continued down the path while we followed the track up. Nearby ABC we met Adrian. Dana, Dmitri, and Ang Dorje coming back from their acclimatization trip to touch c2. They said it was fun and they were now on a quest to find pizza in bc following moonlit trails. For us, camp 1. Lets go!
13 Nov - Second SummitClimb team members reach summit of Ama Dablam! Marta and Igor and Karma just summited at 9:02 A.M. Big congratulations to them.
Camp 1 Ama Dablam. Photo Marta
13 Nov - Today after another huge breakfast we stood out on the “veranda” of basecamp, like tiny ants beneath our towering flagpole overhead icon of Ama Dablam and our gang broke into a few groups, each micro team with their own Sherpa guides, porters, walkie talkies, med kits, tents, food, stoves fuel, safety gear etc. The first group took off: “Team Swisli” , consisting of Pascal, Raff, Wangchu, and Gyelzen, with Porters. Their goal is ABC, C1, C2, and Summit. “Team Ama Dablam Focus” got set: Adrian, Dana, Dmitri, Ang Dorjee and Ang Dawa, with Porters, then headed up for C1- C2, and Back to Base Camp. At 9:02 am, the EXCITING NEWS came in: Marta and Igor and Karma are on the Summit!!!!! Amazing and very happy times, they worked so hard over several years to achieve such a well deserved congratulations, they will descend to C2 to rest for the night. Tony conducted a final training and therapy session for everyone in basecamp, then a flashy red and blue B3 Eurocopter piloted by a Swiss Guide crested the mingbo ridge, dropped onto the basecamp helipad and Tony jumped in and whoosh, he was gone back down to the thick air of Kathmandu. Misha got everything settled for his expedition to Island Peak, Lobuche Peak, and Lumbini, and he headed out with Lakpa Dawa and Porters. We spoke on Whatsapp with our members Stefan and Dirk, who are resting in Namche today, on their trek up with Pema Renzi and Porters, and Marcio who is hanging with Kaji on his way home from Everest Base Camp to Kathmandu (awesome sunset photos of Everest Marcio). We heard James is now safe back home (we miss you mate) with a new fiberglass attachment. The rest of us: “Team JoMahdi” and “Team Invictus” are chilling for a few hours anticipating a good night’s warm rest in preparation for tomorrow’s ascent.
12 Nov - Today we lazed in our base camp beds relaxing our way into a late loungy breakfast. Drinking lots of juice, water, tea, coffee, eating pancakes, yak cheese omelettes, steaming bowls of porridge with honey and fresh butter. Lying like lizards in the sun we got motivated just enough to take numerous hot showers and our staff washed triple loads of laundry to hang upon the washing line, until a herd of yaks crashed through it all, strewing clothes everywhere with their hooking horns. Before lunch the radio crackled with thrilling news, our member Tony and his Sherpa K2 Gyelzen just summited Ama Dablam. Tony is a training guru and used an amazing training system called the POD which is a small one person chamber which, during a 20 minute session, raises your altitude, reduces the air pressure, withdraws oxygen from the air, drops the temperature, totally simulating climbing a high peak. Tony proved it works, summiting quickly and safely, our first member on the summit. Next stop for the POD: Everest of course. And, we just found out, Tony has a new book about to be released. Exciting!!! After a gorgeous veggie burger lunch our member Misha got creative and designed an off the cuff trip to climb Island Peak, Lobuche Peak, and then visit Lumbini the birthplace of Buddha, all starting tomorrow, wow! Next up, a bunch of members including Adrian, Ian, Mahdi, Joachim, Pascal and Raff, went off for a rejuvenating icy dip in the Mingbo River, to slither out of the water and toast in the warm sun. Dmitri called home to mom and dad in Moscow just before dark (they are ok, thank God), and then we all piled into the dining room warmed by the yak dung stove, telling jokes and drinking beer and fruit juice and milky tea, eating lovely fried chicken, fresh vegetables, prawn crackers and garlic soup. The meal abruptly ended, and then genius cook Nima blew our minds by bringing out a massive freshly baked cake covered in frosting and candles for Dana, to celebrate his Happy Birthday Dana, which we sang in about a dozen languages, including Romansch and Sherpa. Dana made a wish and blew out the candles, then we carved it up into about 29 pieces and everyone loved it, frosting and all. Dana made a well spoken speech, thanking everyone and giving us encouraging words for the entire team. Lakpa gave Dana a prayer scarf and a very cool Ama Dablam T-Shirt, definitely a very special high altitude birthday present. Then, WHAM, the door flew open and who popped in and sat down but Tony!! What??? A few hours ago he was on the summit and now he is in basecamp? We must do some sessions in that POD training device before our next climb!! So all in all, a rather active rest day, it must be said.
12 Nov - First SummitClimb team members reach summit of Ama Dablam! Tony and Gyelzen just summited at 8:30am. Big congratulations to them.
11 Nov - We made it through the night, laying in our bags in the tents sipping away our headaches. The night went on and on, there was no wind and no clouds and we could see the quarter moon and the milky way. It was a bit chilly, but not bitter cold, and inside the tents, was actually warm enough. At one point I dreamt it was time to wake up, and then I looked at my watch and it was only midnight. OMG! Finally the dawning sun hit the tents and we rolled out for a stretch and yawn, hot tea coffee, porridge, and it actually warmed up a lot, to another bluebird day, with not a cloud in sight. After breakfast, we put our harnesses, helmets, and water bottles into our day packs, and walked up hill. After an hour, we hit a large boulder field and worked our way up and through. We traversed a slope to a lovely granite apron with tents perched on a terrace 100 metres above. The granite apron was low angle enough that porters were walking up and down carrying their baskets with the tumplines on their heads, using the rope as a handline. However, we wore our harnesses and helmets to be extra safe. We clipped our safety lines to the rope and climbed up the apron and practiced sliding our Jumars up. Reaching the tents on the terrace, we celebrated our success in reaching camp 1 at 5700 metres / 18,700 feet , while meeting Marta and Igor, 2 of our members who are taking a rest day and want to try for the summit tomorrow. After a few sips of water and a snacks, we arm rappelled down (safety lines attached of course, the ropes and took off our harnesses and helmets and left them in a cached duffle bag at the base of the route. Then we retraced our steps down to ABC, where we enjoyed lunch well-prepared by our Sherpas. Then down we went all of the way back to BaseCamp, in the warm afternoon sun to enjoy a hot shower, clean laundry and a delicious well deserved meal.
Photo credit to Dmitri Nichiporov
Photo Dana P.
Photo Dana P.
10 Nov - Today after a delicious and huge breakfast we walked up to the Advanced base camp (ABC) of Ama Dablam at 5340 metres / 17,515 feet. The sun is very bright so we need to apply a lot of sunscreen. There is virtually no wind and the temperatures are springlike, so one long sleeve shirt is enough, no need for any jacket. The sky overhead is blue and bright, not even a wisp of a cloud. We walked through the grassy knolls of basecamp, up on to the ridge which divides the mingbo river from basecamp, and then across a few small finger ridges coming from the main flank of Ama Dablam. The vegetation up here consists of tiny dwarf juniper and other bushes that Sherpas occasionally burn as incense in their puja prayer ceremonies. The trail is in good shape, well worn – yaks come up here. As we reach the 5000 metre mark, there are the remains of a few snow banks left over the from the huge blizzard of 17 October. Finally we are above the vegetative zone and into the gravel plateaus and gentle rocky slopes with about 10 cm / 4 inches of old snow cover where a few flatter sections in the slope indicate ABC. Our Sherpas have kindly placed 6 tents up here and treat us to lovely warm cups of tea and a good bowl of noodle soup as we watch the sun set over the Cholatse and Tawoche Peaks and Mingo Range and the summit of Mount Ama Dablam gets all lit up golden above our heads in the lovely golden glow. Far below in the valley are a few clouds, but they are not coming up here. Then its off to bed, in preparation for tomorrow’s acclimatization walk up to Camp 1 at 5700 metres / 18,700 feet. Sweet Dreams!
Photo Caption: Ama Dablam ABC
Photo Caption: Ama Dablam ABC
9 Nov - Today we had a gorgeous sunny morning breakfast with delicious coffee, tea, pancakes, eggs porridge, the works. We are getting more acclimated and our headaches are noticeably diminishing. After breakfast we enjoyed the warm sunshine and got stuck into checking our climbing gear, making sure our harnesses were complete, that our helmets fit well, our rock climbing gloves were spot on… The Sherpas and members really pulled together to build proper harnesses with all the correct safety equipment, tied off and taped and doubled up. We have a lot of Sherpas on this trip so another group climbed the rocky hill which forms the side of basecamp and thoughtfully attached rocks to boulders. They built a ropes training cross in two parts, a low-angle course and a high-angle course. On the low-angle course we learned: 1) how to pass knots and anchors safely, 2) the basics of ascending the rope with Jumar-and safety line, 3) how to descend using the arm abseil/rappel and safety line, and 4) how to scramble up and down large boulders safely while maintaining proper rope tension. On the high-angle course we practiced 5) rock climbing technique with jumar and safety line, 6) horizontal rock traverse on granite using safety line and hand rope technique, and 7) vertical abseiling/rappelling with figure of 8 and safety line. All of our members enjoyed a brilliant morning of training out on the rocks and slopes here in the lovely sunshine tucked into this gorgeous valley lined with fragrant juniper bushes, birds tweating, and the lovely Mingbo Peaks and Mount Ama Dablam cradling us in their towering arms. The Sherpas were especially helpful during today’s training session, they demonstrated good equipment and right skills, and guarded every anchor, making sure the members clipped and unclipped and rigged their gear safely throughout. This afternoon we sat together and discussed high altitude medical kits, and finished the day with hot showers and set our laundry out to dry in the bright evening light hitting the peaks and turning their tops to gold, before heading in to a tasty healthy dinner. Tomorrow, we will begin our climb of Ama Dablam, setting off to Advanced Base Camp and Camp 1. Please wish us luck and continued good weather and health. Thank you very much.
Photo Dana P.
8 Nov - Puja Day. Today we enjoyed breakfast in the dining room while the sun rose and warmed us. Most of us slept well, although a few of us had a mild headache, which we tried to drink away by quaffing lots of water and some members taking diamox. A lama from Pangboche hiked up in the early morning to make butter and barley flower sculptures in the kitchen, then we all went outside and sat around a large stone alter while the lama sat on the ground and performed lengthy chants, banging on his symbol, and Tenji, our lead Sherpa kept rhythm on the drum. The lama blessed our expedition, the Sherpas and all of us members. We brought our climbing gear to pile around the alter so it could receive blessings of safety as well. After the Puja, the Sherpas and members ate sweets and danced to Nepali folk music. The sun shone down on us, ravens circled slowly, and Ama Dablam loomed above. It seemed like a very lucky morning. This afternoon, we worked on our medical kits, and revised the climbing schedule for our team. The weather is fabulous at the moment, and we are watching the forecasts carefully, hoping it will hold.
Photo credit to Dmitri Nichiporov
7 Nov - Today we ate a delicious breakfast at Pangboche Sonam Lodge while enjoying the incredible views of Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Everest, and Nuptse. After breakfast we walked up to the 350 year old Pangboche Gompa (the oldest in the Khumbu Valley), where the Lama blessed us while banging on his drum. We each received a yellow Kata scarf and a Sungdi red string around our necks. We marveled at all of the ancient paintings and ornaments and old weaponry, masks, and household objects. This place feels really old and mysterious. We walked around the Gompa and then up the hill to the giant multicoloured Padmasambava Buddha statue at the top. Its inside a huge glass case 6 metres – 20 feet tall. Afterward, we walked down a different way past the Om Hong Gil primary school, where the kids were doing their lessons. Passing two helicopter pads, we returned to the Sonam Lodge for a lovely lunch, packed up and walked uphill 500 metres, 1640 feet to Ama Dablam Basecamp. Along the way, we saw Kongma birds, andwhen the clouds began to roll in, even a golden sunlit fogbow, spectre of the Brocken, down below us. We were warmly welcomed to the basecamp already set up, shown our rooms and treated to an incredible dinner feast in a heated dining room. What a day!
Ama Dablam Base Camp
Pangboche village with Lhotse background. Pangboche manastery
Our Autumn AmaDablam and Lobuche team.
6 Nov - Now first team were in Pangboche after summit Lobuche whereas second team walk to Pangboche 3,860 metres (12,644 feet). Famous Everest base camp trekking route with many lodges and restaurants and beautiful scenery of Mt. Ama Dablam. Teahouse.
View from Pangboche. Photo Dena P.
View from Pangboche. Photo Dena P.
Tangboche. Pangboche
5 Nov - First team on the summit now. All members and all Sherpas together on top. Sunny day, no wind. Congratultions to all members, Sherpas, family, and friends. Thanks for your support!
Second Team - Rest and Acclimatization in Namche. Teahouse.4 Nov - Walked to Namche Bazaar, 3,440 metres (11,286 feet). Lovely forest trek over suspension bridges. This big village is the capital of the Sherpa people. Sleep in teahouse
Namche Bazaar
3 Nov - Second team flew to Lukla, 2,900 metres (9,514 feet). Easy short walk to Phakding, 2,550 metres (8,366 feet). Beautiful day of light trekking. Sleep in teahouse.
1 Nov - Today Rest in Dingboche. Hiking around Dingboche. All is well.
1 Nov - Walk along to the village of Dingboche, 4,410 meters / 14,469 feet.
31 Oct - Walk to Pangboche 3,860 metres (12,644 feet). Famous Everest base camp trekking route with many lodges and restaurants and beautiful scenery of Mt. Ama Dablam. Teahouse.
Photo credit to Dmitri Nichiporov
30 Oct - Today rest day at Namche . All doing good.
Namche Hill. Team at Namche.
One of the many suspension bridge. In Namche.
Everest trekking.
29 Oct - Our Lobuche and Ama Dablam team reached Namche bazaar. All good here weather is perfect.
28 Oct - Today our second group for Lobuche team flew to Lukla. Every thing arrive good bags and expedition goods. Now we are in Phakding enjoying our lunch.
2nd group early morning at domestic airport gate. 2nd group at Domestic airport.
Kathmandu domestic airport. Inside Lukla flight.
Sherpa at mane rock. Organzing bags.
First group at Namche bazaar gate. Dudh khosi seen from far.
Lukla Gate.
Refreshment time.
Oct 26 - Do You Know About The Amazing Climbing and Trekking Equipment Prices Here in Kathmandu? Today we checked our Ama Dablam and Lobuche Team member equipment and went to the shop to rent/hire essential items. Do You Know About The Amazing Climbing and Trekking Equipment Prices Here in Kathmandu?
Climber
- Dan Mazur (Leader), UK/U.S.A
- Igor S, Slovakia / UK
- Marta P, Poland / UK
- Joachim A, Belgium
- James J, Ireland
- Raffaelo M, Switzerland
- Pascal C, Italy
- Dana P, U.S.A
- Ian F, South Africa / Netherlands
- Adrian C, UK / USA
- Tony M, U.S.A
- Michael K, Israel / USA
- Dmitri N, Russia / USA
- Stefan K, Germany
- Eugene V, Australia / Russia
- Mahdi S, Iran / USA
Trekkers:
- Marcio, Brazil, Dubai
- Dirk, Germany
Climbing Sherpa
- Tenji Sherpa
- Ang Dorji Sherpa
- Karma Gyalje Sherpa
- Ang Dawa Sherpa
- Gyalje Sherpa
- Pemba Rinji Sherpa
- Wangchu Sherpa
- Lakpa Dawa Sherpa
- Chowang Karma Sherpa
- Nir Kaji Tamang