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Ama Dablam: The Climb
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Ama Dablam Base Camp
(4650m)
Once Base Camp is reached, tents will be pitched
and the Puja ceremony will be held. This is a religious ceremony
held by a Buddhist Lama, flags are raised and the team and its equipment
are blessed. Training on the use of fixed ropes will take place.
In addition this period is important for rest and
acclimatisation. |
Ama Dablam Base Camp
Click here for
enlarged version
Photo acknowledgement:
www.peakfreaks.com, Kevin Adams
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Puja Ceremony
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Photo acknowledgement:
www.picasaweb.google.com,
Andrew Wexler
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Advanced Base Camp (5150
m)
A day trip will be made to Advanced Base
Camp (ABC), also known as Yak Camp. The trip will take approximately
3 to 4 hours, following a long ridge-slope, crossing a boulder field and
then scrambling up rock slopes before arriving at the South-West ridge
where camp will be set up. From ABC, there are impressive views of
the surrounding 5000 m peaks. The pass, Mingbo La, can also be seen
from here. |
Camp I (5400 m)
The journey from Advanced Base Camp to Camp
I takes approximately 3 to 4 hours. A large ridge system at the head
of the Mingbo Valley is traversed. The slope here is steep but the
climbing is not too technical. The trip to Camp I gives one a sense
of the "exposure" for which Ama Dablam is renowned. Camp is set up at the base of large
boulders on the ridge itself. |
Camp I
Click here for
enlarged version
Photo acknowledgement:
www.peakfreaks.com
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Approaching Camp II
Photo acknowledgement:
www.peakfreaks.com
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Camp II (5750 m)
The trip to Camp II takes 4 to 5 hours.
A horizontal rock ridge is traversed and several pinnacles have to be
rounded. Although the vertical height of this section of the climb
is only 350m, there are enormous drop-offs on either side of the ridge
with unbelievable exposure (not for the faint hearted). The route is
fixed with climbers attached to the rope via jumar and sling. The
views along the way are stunning. At the end
of the ridge, the "Yellow Tower" is negotiated and once at the top, tents
are pitched on the few available ledges. Camp III (6230 m)
This part of the climb is fairly technical
and takes 8 to 10 hours. A steep snow ridge leads to the "Grey
Tower" which is a 20 m rock step. Three pitches in an ice chute are
required to regain the ridge. The steepness through the ice corridor
reaches up to 50 degrees. A 2nd rock step takes the climbers to
Mushroom Ridge which then leads to the upper face. Camp III (snow
camping) is
placed on a terrace of snow and rock to the side of the hanging glacier
Dablam. |
Summit (6828 m)
The trip to the summit and back to Camp III
takes in the region of 7 to 9 hours. The steepness of the climb, on
snow-ice, is sometimes greater than 40 degrees. A number of pitches
to the side of Ama Dablam leads to snowfields which remind one of freshly
ploughed fields. These, in turn, lead up to the summit which
has dramatic views of Lhotse, Nuptse, Makalu, Mount Everest and the entire
Khumbu Valley. |
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