Situated in the Khumbu Himal en route to Everest Base Camp, Ama Dablam (6,856m) is regarded as one of the most beautiful mountains in the Himalaya. In Sherpa dialect, the name ‘Ama Dablam’ means “Mother’s necklace”, reflecting the distinct shape of the mountain: the long, graceful sweep of the ridges on each side stretching out like the arms of a mother (ama) protecting her child, and the hanging glacier below the summit forming the dablam, the traditional double-pendant containing pictures of the gods, worn by Sherpa women.
First summitted by an Anglo American/New Zealand team in 1961, an ascent of Ama Dablam represents a significant challenge requiring technical ability over ice & rock. We will be using the conventional SW ridge which involves pure rock climbing. The last section to the summit involves ice climbing followed by a long, steep snow slope. Because of the technical nature of the route, 3,500m of fixed rope are required as well as 3 camps above base camp.
The approach to Ama Dablam offers climbers fantastic views and a wonderful base camp in a meadow with a stream. From the Base Camp, you can clearly see Lhotse, Lhotse Shar, Makalu, Cho-Oyu & Everest . Close views of Nuptse, Baruntse & Pumori can be enjoyed from the summit.
Normally the climb is completed in less than 4 weeks but we do add an extra few days to allow for unexpected bad weather.
Ama Dablam is one of the most fabulous mountains in the world. Experience the stunning panoramic views of Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu from its summit. Amadablam expedition provides the technical climbing experience with its breathtaking views of the stunning Himalayan peaks. Intensive exploration of Namche Bazar and soak up the Sherpa Culture. Heavenly blessed mountain flight to and from Lukla.
Arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal. Upon completing the visa formalities and collecting your luggages in the airport, kindly proceed to the exit of the arrival hall. Your trip leader will await you just outside the arrival hall and will escort you to your hotel in Kathmandu. Please look out for a placard of Highland Expeditions.
In Kathmandu for final preparation of Climb. Meet other team members, complete official and government formalities, final gear check and load. Upon your interest, an optional Kathmandu sightseeing can be arranged on these days. We will have a trip orientation and your trip leader will give you a brief about your climb before we head to our journey.
After an early morning b/fast, we take the mountain flight from Kathmandu to Lukla on STOL aircraft. Flight time is about 35 minutes to the airstrip built by Sir Edmund Hillary and the Sherpas in the mid-1960s. We begin the trek by descending towards the Dudh Kosi River, where we join the main trail to Namche Bazaar, just above Chaurikharka at 2713m. The walking is easy and after passing through the small village of Ghat at 2550m, it’s a short walk to Phakding where we’ll stay overnight.
We will continue our journey along Dudhkoshi River which will take us through pine forest. After crossing suspension bridges at several points and passing through small settlements of Zapute, Toktok, Benkar and Chumoa, we will reach Monjo. This is known as the gateway to the Sagarmatha National Park. After completing all the necessary national park formalities, we will enter Sagarmatha National Park. Lowering down from the park, we will arrive at river. Crossing another suspension bridge, we will proceed towards high Hillary Bridge located at the foot of the hill. Crossing this bridge, we will climb uphill to the Namche Bazaar. We can get view of Thamserku Mountain. If weather is clear, we can also have first view of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Kusum Khangru mountains.
Namche Bazaar is regarded as gateway to the high Himalayas. It is also the main trading center and a capital of Sherpa land. Rest is recommended in Namche for acclimatization purpose. Short hike will be arranged to the ancient Sherpa village of Thame to observe the rich Sherpa culture. We can also visit nearby Khumjung, Khunde or Khongde villages. Shopping in marketplace of Namche is another fine idea. National Park Head office, Museum and monasteries are other places of interest. The area is clustered with cafes, shops, bakeries and restaurants. The place supports facilities of post office, hospital, government health post. Internet access is also available at Namche so that you can contact your near ones.
Existing at 3876m is the culturally and religiously profound village of Tengboche which is regarded as the cultural center of Khumbu. Early in the morning, we will visit local monastery in Tengboche where we will observe Buddhist ceremonies and rituals that are carried out by local monks. Monastery in Tengboche is in fact the largest monastery in Khumbu region. Tengboche offers enchanting views of Himalayan panorama. We can see Thamserku and Kangtega peaks standing to the south while Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam rise to the north. We will also get close-up views of Kwangde and Tawache peaks.
After an early morning visit to Tengboche gompa, we will head towards Pangboche. Acclimatization-wise, it is recommended to stay at Pangboche for the day. Pangboche is the highest permanently inhabited village. Pangboche holds the oldest gompa in Khumbu region that was built in 1667. We will explore the cultural richness of Pangboche. We can get epic view of Amadablam from most of the point.
Leaving Pangboche, we will head towards Amadablam Base Camp by following the scenic trail that stretches down to the river and take sharp climb to Kharka. The trail offers close-up views of Amadablam, Lhotse, Lobuche, Pumori, Cholatse, Kusum Kangaru, Thamserku, Amphu Gyabjen and others. As we move ahead, view of Amadablam Mountain becomes more vivid. Once we reach the base camp of Amadablam, we can get views of many stunning peaks and hanging glaciers. We will meet our other crew at Base Camp.
Taking rest helps us to mentally and physically prepare ourselves for the challenges proposed by Amadablam Mountain. Puja Ceremony will be organized according to the Sherpa ritual to ask for blessings for the successful ascend of Amadablam.
Before making final climb to the summit, we will practice climbing to Camp 2 (5900m) and descending to Base Camp for making our body well acclimatized to the high altitude. On first rotation, we will carry small load to Camp 1 (5700m) and then return to our Base Camp. On our next rotation, we will sleep at Camp 1 and early in the morning of next day, we will climb to Camp 2. In a final rotation, those feeling comfortable will sleep at Camp 2 while other climbers will descend to lower camps for rejuvenation before making the final attempt for the summit.
We will target to make our final ascend to the summit on these days after completing our rotation. Since we have to adjust according to the situations like weather conditions and other factors, it is not possible to have fixed itinerary for these days. Base Camp to Camp 1 (5,705m/18,718ft): From the Base Camp, we will move through grassy ridges and head east to a broad saddle from where we will get view of Mingbo La pass. Heading north through boulders to the ridge, we will reach at an altitude of 5705 m where we will set our Camp I. Camp 1 to Camp 2 (5,900m/19,357ft): Leaving Camp 1, we will follow the snowy trail to the top of ridge. We need to make several small snow steps. We will head east and after walking through the ground, we will reach to the top of ridge that is tapered at the point. We will proceed to the crest of the ridge and move further to the west. Later, we will follow the easy trail on the eastern face to reach to the top of yellow tower. After bit difficult climb of the section, we will reach Camp 2. Camp 2 to Camp 2.7 (6,300m/20,770ft): Moving east, we will proceed to the grey tower. Cautious climb from the tower will take us to amphitheater. Climbing further to gully, we will ascend to the snow slope and proceed to mushroom ridge from where we will head to Camp 2.7 (6300m). Camp 2.7 to Summit (6,812m/22,350ft): Leaving Camp, we will walk through crevasse in the upper face and climb ice slope to the right of Dablam. We will head west and arrive at the small snowfield located below Burgschrund. Crossing it, we will reach to the top of the highest hanging glacier. Final trail through an ice crest will take us to the summit. After spending some time in the summit, we will descend to Base Camp.
These contingency days will help us to make sure that our schedule will go on smoothly without interruption even if there occur complications during our Expedition.
After our successful expedition we leave the Base Camp and retrace our step to Pangboche.We can rejoice the views of Everest, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Kangtaiga and Kongde ridges and Imja Tse River from Pangboche village.
We will follow the return trail along Imja River that takes us through the forest of birch and spruce to Tengboche village. After brief stop in Tengboche, we will follow the trail through forest of blooming rhododendron to the bridge. We will cross the bridge over Dudh Koshi River and move through Dudh Koshi gorge and pine forest to Sansa village and finally to Namche Bazar.
Our last day of trek following the Dudh Kosi River down to Lukla. It’s only a gradual walk along the Dudhkhosi river after our steep descent from Namche. We’ll have lunch on our way and we make the final climb up to the airstrip at Lukla. Rest of the day is free and you can relax under the warm sun & reflect on the emotional experiences we had during our climb. This is our final day on these fantastic mountains. Later we celebrate our successful completion of climb with our Sherpa guides and porters who we’ve got to know so well & are now good friends.
We get up early in the morning, enjoy our b/fast & get ready for the arrival of our aircraft for the flight back to Katmandu. On our touchdown at the Kathmandu airport, we will be met by our office reps and transferred to your hotel. Rest of your day is free to do your own things.
Free and easy day to spend, perhaps doing shopping or rest at hotel’s beautiful court-yard. At eventide, we will relish a farewell dinner to celebrate your successful completion of the ‘Ama Dablam Expedition.’ While enjoying our supper, we will also be entertained to a scintillating cultural dance performed by the local belles Please do not hesitate to let us know if you would like to extend your stay. Kindly email us for more details on extensions.
Thank you for joining us on this expedition and it has been a pleasure getting to know you during this time. We hope this venture has enriched your experience with happy memories. Keep in touch and hope to hear from you soon. Bon voyage for a safe and pleasant trip home.
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