AMA DABLAM

sometimes spelled: Ama Dablan, or Amadablam, or Amadablan.

ASIA'S MOST FAMOUS EASY ROCK-ICE-SNOW CLIMB.

"Easy-Technical" Located next to Everest.

Climbing Ama Dablam could qualify you for our "Basic Climb" of Everest. Please see our Everest link for further information. Thank you.

Full Service Cost: $4450, £2550, €3750; Basic Climb Cost: $1450, £850, €1250

We provide generous discounts for groups of two or more.

1 October to 1 November, 32 days in Nepal in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007.

Only a few places left for our 2004 climb.

Our Ama Dablam 2004 expedition is just arriving in Kathmandu. News available on the "News Button".

The route, and our team of climbers and Sherpas on top. You can see Everest in the background. A perfect day. Photos: D.L. Mazur

Climb Asia's Most Famous Easy Semi-Technical Rock, Ice, and Snow Peak.

We have just returned from Ama Dablam. 14 members reached the summit, along with 5 Sherpas.  For news of our recent climb, please "click" the "news" button.

Leader: Daniel Mazur, Ama Dablam 3 time summiter, climber-leader-organizer of Everest, K2, and 12 "eight-thousand-metre-peaks", leading together with Jay Reilly, two time Ama Dablam and two time Pumori summiter.

Interested? Please contact us: SummitClimb@earthlink.net

* Our “full-service” expedition ($4450, £2550, €3750) includes: 

* Our "basic climb" (Cost: $1450, £850, €1250) includes: 

Add the following services to the basic climb:

Leadership: During this full-service expedition, you will benefit from the leadership provided by  Daniel Mazur, 3 time summiter of Ama Dablam, climber-leader-organizer of Everest, K2, and 12 "eight-thousand-metre-peaks". He is a relaxed, friendly and well organized person, and a highly-skilled professional with 25 years experience in getting people to the summit and back down with the highest attention to safety. Jay Reilly will also be leading the climb. Jay has climbed Ama Dablam and Pumori twice, and is a professional mountain instructor, guide, and a real gentleman. For more about Jay and Dan, please "click" on the Leadership link above.

Trekking: For our full-service members, the cost of this expedition includes one of the most beautiful treks in the world. For more information and photos, please visit our Ama Dablam trek site: Ama Dablam Trek.

Sherpas and Equipment Transport: Our expedition includes transport of all of your equipment from Kathmandu to basecamp, and returned to Kathmandu. While climbing on the mountain, we DO NOT ask our full-service members to carry heavy group equipment (although it is an option if you really want to), such as tents, rope, fuel, food, etcetera. We employ climbing sherpas, and high-altitude porters, to carry group equipment and supplies. For a minimal expense, we can also provide personal sherpas, and climbing-guides, to individual members who wish to have their own private sherpa or personal climbing-guide. We now encourage members who need a little extra help with the weight to hire a "quarter of a sherpa".

Training: Upon arrival in Kathmandu and base camp, ALL full-service and basic-climb members are required to participate in one to two days of training in the areas of climbing techniques, glacier travel, rope fixing, ascending, descending, safety techniques, rappels (abseils), belaying, medical equipment and procedures, communications equipment, camping techniques and high-altitude cooking. For the expert and beginner alike, it is important to review these techniques in order to enhance skills, ensure safety-awareness, and work together as a team.

Safety: BOTH full-service and basic expeditions are allowed access to our extensive medical supplies, first-aid kits, medical oxygen, and a gamow bag in case of emergency. Thank you for being a well-prepared and safe team member!

Communications: During our expedition, we regularly update several websites, such as EverestNews.com with the progress of our expedition and our team members. In this way, your loved ones and friends, colleagues, and sponsors can stay tuned to how you are progressing on your way up to and back down from the summit. Our expedition is equipped with one "walkie-talkie" radio for each member, and a satellite telephone for international voice telephone calls and emails. Members wishing to use the telephone will contribute $4 per minute of use. Not only is the phone convenient for making voice telephone calls, it is normally very easy to send and receive small emails at the rate of 2 KB (two small emails) per minute.

Group Equipment: We provide a plethora of well-used, top-quality, and time-tested equipment, group gear, and supplies, including: rope, ice, rock, and snow anchor protection; basecamp, advanced basecamp and altitude tents; cookers, fuel, high-altitude food, walkie-talkie radios, bamboo marker wands, etcetera. We now provide an individual tent for each member in basecamp, so you do not have to share. Please see the above EQUIPMENT link, to study what we bring for your use and safety.

Cooks and Food: On trek, our top notch cooks provide three very tasty meals each day. In base camp, advanced base camp, and Camp 1, our skillful and hard working cooks prepare three hot meals each day with a very healthy diet of fresh vegetables, cheeses, eggs, and fresh as well as tinned fruits, meats and fish (all meats and fish are prepared separately out of respect for the vegetarians in our midst). They supply you with unlimited hot-drinks, the key to successful acclimatization. We have large weather-proof kitchens and dining tents, with comfortable chairs and tables. On the mountain, we provide you with abundant and nutritious locally available quick-cooking food, so that you may prepare at least three meals and lots of hot drinks each day, in our specially designed high-altitude stoves using our butane-propane expedition mix fuel.

Personal Equipment: Plastic double climbing boots are required, as are good quality leather walking boots (most people climb the rock to camp 2 in leather boots, and then switch to plastic boots for the ice and snow on the upper mountain). You will need to bring your own personal equipment, including rucksack, ice-axe, crampons, harness, helmet, plastic mountaineering boots, good quality leather boots, down/duvet jacket, wind/waterproof clothing, sleeping bag/mat, etcetera. You will need to bring your own daily snacks ( a wide selection of snacks are readily available in Kathmandu). In addition, we ask you to bring 2 of your favorite high-altitude freeze-dried dinners for yourself. Please see the above EQUIPMENT link, to study what is needed.

Team Member Experience: Our leaders, Daniel Mazur, and Jay Reilly and our team-climbing-sherpas, are there to ensure (for our full-service members) you make it up to the summit and down safely. However, this is not a guided expedition (although you could hire your own personal guide, sherpas, etcetera), and team members are expected to be able to care for themselves in a winter-camping and climbing environment. Obviously, when climbing the most famous semi-technical rock-ice-snow peak in all Asia, there are hazards present, and members must have experience in roped rock and ice climbing techniques (to protect from falling down the mountain), and have rock climbing experience. It is also required that all members will have an awareness of altitude sickness, frostbite, and the recognition of their symptoms, prevention, and treatment. Once traveling above camp 1, all members must be prepared to be tied into the fixed lines at all times. Neither solo climbing, nor descending, are allowed above camp 1. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, members need to join with a spirit of friendship, teamwork and cooperation, and be ready to work with the group and be a good "team-player".

Fitness and Health: To participate in this expedition you must be a very fit and active walker-climber in good health. Prior to joining our group, please see your doctor and obtain the necessary permission and advice, as well as medications for travel in extremes of altitude, and also for exotic locales. Note: You can purchase all necessary medicines inexpensively with no doctor's prescription in Kathmandu. Please make sure you have physically trained yourself very thoroughly before joining this climb of Asia's most famous semi-technical rock-ice-snow climb.

Safety statement: Climbing and trekking are dangerous. You could become injured, ill, disabled, or even die. A peak may be referred to as "easy", "moderate", "climbable", "semi-technical", "accessible", etcetera, but intensive training, preparation, skill development,  and experience are necessary before tackling one of these giants. If you are unsure about what is involved, and wish to hone and develop mountain skills, we encourage you to attend our GLACIER SCHOOL.

INTRODUCTION: Our expedition offers an opportunity to climb this challenging semi-technical rock-ice-snow climb with an experienced team, at an affordable price. We have organized five previous expeditions to Ama Dablam, so our leaders and staff are very familiar with the climb. In October 2003, fourteen of our members and 5 sherpas reached the summit in all safety. It was our fifth successful ascent of the mountain. We were fortunate in that the weather was ideal, the team cooperated together well, our Sherpa climbing staff worked very hard, our equipment functioned well, the food and hot drinks were well prepared, and the route was in excellent condition. Please share in our congratulations to all of the team members and thanks to everyone who helped and supported us, including our generous sponsors. Nepal is indeed beautiful now and the pleasant weather and calm conditions in this very peaceful and happy region made our expedition especially enjoyable.

For our full-service members, the cost of this expedition includes one of the most beautiful treks in the world. For more information and photos, please visit our Ama Dablam trek site: Ama Dablam Trek.

SOME FACTS ABOUT AMA DABLAM:

Ama Dablam is in the Khumbu valley, near to Mt. Everest, in the heart of the Sherpa area of Nepal, and is considered by many to be the most famous rock-ice-snow climb in all Asia. The name Ama Dablam means Mother’s Charm Box: the high hanging serac located just below the summit resembling the Dablam or Charm Box which unmarried Sherpa women used to wear around their necks. The first ascent of the mountain was by Ed Hillary's Silver Hut expedition in 1961 when Bishop (USA), Gill, Romanes (NZ) and Ward (UK) reached the summit, via the SW ridge, on 13 March after 20 days working on the route. Since then the mountain has received about 500 ascents (not including Sherpas) mostly via the SW ridge.

WHY THE SOUTH WEST RIDGE

Here is what one of our previous top climb leaders (Jonathan Pratt, from Essex, England) had to say about the route:

  “The easiest way to the top of Ama Dablam is via the SW ridge, a semi-technical route, and considered to be the standard route. Although there are several other routes on the mountain, they are all very much harder than the SW ridge. The route has been considered to be a safe route, free from objective danger, such as avalanche. It is a varied and interesting route with loads of superb climbing - not just a huge snow slog, unlike other Himalayan climbs. On Ama Dablam, the rock and ice is not sustained but tends to come in short manageable sections.”

NOTE: Please don’t underestimate this climb. Although there is only one 6 metre, 20 foot section of grade British severe, or North America 5.5, (the rest of the climb is known as "scrambling" or "4th class") there are complicating factors which you may not find at home on your local crag and definitely not in the rock-gym. These may include: ice, snow, high-altitude, temperature, weather, exposure, and other factors. Thank you for considering this climb carefully.

THE CLIMB

 We will place several camps on the mountain, allowing us to acclimate a little bit at a time. Basecamp is located at 4650 metres on a gorgeous grassy plateau, where many types of birds are abundant, and stunning views of the neighboring peaks and Ama Dablam abound. We walk in our leather boots on grass and dirt to advanced base at 5500 metres, where we have located one of our skillful cooks in recent years. We walk over large boulders, again in our leather boots, to Camp 1 at 5700 metres, where we have located another of our skillful cooks in recent years. Having these cooks at altitude is a real key to member's success, keeping everyone well fed and hydrated. The route to Camp 2 at 6000 metres is nearly all top-quality very solid easy granite rock scrambling with just 6 metres, 20 feet of British severe, North American 5.5 class easy rock. Most members do this part of the climb in their leather boots. Above camp 2, we put on plastic boots and crampons, and as we get higher we encounter more easy snow, ice, and mixed sections, until we reach 6300 metres, camp 3, a beautiful flat snow field with stunning views of Everest, Nuptse, Cho Oyu, Pumori, Shishapangma, etcetera. Summit day is on very easy (but steep at times) 20-50 degree snow. We will fix rope throughout the climb for safety.

Dan to ABC, Ama Dablam in background. Photographer: Tom Proctor. Our nightly radio call on the South West Ridge. Photographer: Robert Chang.

ROUTE DESCRIPTION  

Base Camp (4650 metres) to Advanced Basecamp  (5500m). Ama Dablam is one of the few Himalayan peaks that can be reached without crossing a glacier. We climb a long gravel ridge-slope, and cross a boulder field on the SW ridge where we will place advanced basecamp. There is water here in early October. We have located one of our skillful cooks here in recent years.

Advanced Basecamp to Camp 1 (5700 metres). We scramble over large boulders and climb an easy fourth class slab, where we fix a "hand-line". In 2003, we established two kitchens, complete with Nepalese cooks, in both ABC and Camp 1.  

Camp 1 to Camp 2 (6000m). We scramble-climb along an easy fourth class  horizontal rock ridge and around several pinnacles, gaining only 300m vertical. The exposure is huge, with especially massive drop-offs on both sides of the ridge. The climbing is very enjoyable with a good quality of granite. At the end of the horizontal ridge we climb the Yellow Tower with 6 metres, 20 feet of British Severe, North American 5.5, above which we place Camp 2 on ledges and a flat-topped rock pinnacle. Camp 2 is probably the most "airy" site you will ever pitch a tent on. Please be very careful when you go to the toilet.

Camp 2 to Camp 3 (6280 m).  A steep snow ridge is climbed through the Grey Tower, with one move of  Severe, or 5.5, then multiple fourth class-scrambling pitches in snow, rock and ice chute are climbed to regain the ridge traverse the "mushroom-snow-ridge", a very bizarre but fairly stable formation. This is followed to the right side of the base of the Dablam where camp 3 is made on a broad flat snowfield. Camp 3 is traditional snow-camping.  

Lorenz Eugster, from Bern, Switzerland, jugging in the grey tower, and our camp 2, with camp 3 and summit behind (Gary Pfisterer is sleeping in the tent). Photo: D.L. Mazur. Looking into camp 3 and the Mingbo Glacier  from just below the summit. 

Camp 3 to Summit (6812m). Two easy pitches of dramatic but very solid 40+ degree snow-ice are climbed to the side of the Dablam to reach the fluted but very easy and solid 30-48 degree snowfields that lead to one of the worlds finest summits, where you will be treated to incredibly stunning views of the south Face of Lhotse, Nuptse, Mount Everest, Cho Oyu, Pumori, Shishapangma, Makalu, and the Khumbu Himal.

THE SCHEDULE:

1 October    Arrive Kathmandu (1300m), Nepal.

2 October   Explore Kathmandu, finalize arrangements.

3 October   Fly to Lukla (2900m), walk to Phakding (2550m), sleep in tea house or camp.....2-3 hrs.

4 October    Walk to Namche Bazaar (3440m), sleep in tea house or camp....4-7 hrs.

5 October    Rest in Namche, sleep in tea house or camp.

6 October    Walk to Pangboche (3860m), sleep in tea house or camp........4-7 hrs

7 October    Walk to Base Camp (4650 metres)...…. 3-5 hrs

8 October    Rest and Training day in Basecamp, review climbing techniques, medical, etcetera.

9 October    Walk to Advanced Basecamp (5350 metres), return and sleep in basecamp.

10 October   Walk to Advanced Basecamp, sleep in advanced basecamp.

11 October   Explore route to camp 1 (5700 metres), return and sleep in basecamp.  

12 October   Rest in Basecamp.

13 October   Walk to Advanced Basecamp, sleep in advanced basecamp.

14 October   Scramble to Camp 1, sleep in camp 1.

 15 October    Explore route to camp 2 (5750 metres), return and sleep in basecamp.

 16 October   Relax in basecamp.

 17 October   Walk to Advanced Basecamp, scramble to Camp 1, sleep in camp 1.

 18 October   Climb to Camp 2, sleep in camp 2.

 19 October   Explore route to Camp 3 (6230 metres). For those who are feeling well, attempt the summit. Return and sleep in basecamp.

 20 October   Relax in basecamp.

 21 October   Walk to Advanced Basecamp, sleep in  advanced basecamp.

 22 October   Climb to Camp 2, sleep in camp 2.

 23 October   Climb to camp 3, sleep in camp 3.

 24 October   Summit Attempt.

 25 October   Summit Attempt.

 26 October   Return to basecamp.

 27 October   Pack up basecamp, walk down to  Pangboche, sleep in tea house or camp.

 28 October   Walk down to Namche, sleep in tea house or camp.

 29 October   Walk down to Lukla, sleep in tea house or camp.

 30 October   Return flight from Lukla to Kathmandu.

 31 October   Extra day in Kathmandu for shopping, saying good bye to new friends.

 1 November  Fly back to your home country. Thanks for joining our Ama Dablam expedition!

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