SummitClimb Ama Dablam 2005: Now THAT'S the way to travel!!

Dispatch One: Hi Everyone!

This is Jay Reilly writing to you from very hot and sticky Kathmandu! I arrived today - quite possibly in my finest style yet. I was upgraded to Business Class on the flight between Bangkok and Kathmandu! Not only that, but I had the seat next to me empty....... Now THAT'S the way to travel!!

I love Kathmandu. It's a vibrant place, full of action and complete mayhem. No matter how much I return here, I so enjoy the noise, the pollution, the fact that our taxi driver has to slam on the brakes to avoid a head-on collision with a cow.

Cows have it pretty good over here, with the majority of the population being Hindu - in which cows are sacred animals and cannot be harmed. So if you're a cow, you get pretty much complete right-of-way on the streets, festivals in your honour, lots of statues and carvings in your likeness, and total immunity from ever being eaten. Not a bad gig, huh?

I also love Nepali barber shops. They ARE the last great vestige of man. You can get a straight razor shave, haircut and in-chair massage for a little under $10!

OK - so admittedly, the massage leaves a bit to be desired and it's highly questionable whether the giver of said massage has had ANY sort of formal training - or understanding of the human skeletal structure for that matter....... 

But the haircut and shave...... That's GOLD!!! There's something quite primal about being shaven with a bare blade beside your throat - something that says "Wrestle that lion? You betcha! I've just been shaved...." And so on....... (there are no lions in Nepal - just thought I'd clear that up)

And I love all the goop they put in your hair:- peppermint smelling stuff mixed with some strage oil, stuff that comes out of a jar that looks at least a hundred years old..... It's GREAT!!

So I guess by now it's pretty obvious what I've been up to all afternoon, but in fact - apart from enjoying the delights of Kathmandu, I am here to prepare for our planned expedition to Ama Dablam.

Some other members arrived today -

Mr Doug Sandok from the USA (Leader-in-Training)

Mr Tuomas Sovijarvi from Finland

Mr Samuli Mansikka from Finland

Mr Misheal Rosenthal from Israel

Mr Mor Doron from Israel

Ms Elsilien Te Hennepe from Holland (Trekking Leader)

Mr Neil Charlwood (Trekking Member)

We welcome you all to Nepal!!

More news tomorrow.... Jay Reilly

Updates

AMA DABLAM: sometimes spelled: Ama Dablan, or Amadablam, or Amadablan

ASIA'S MOST FAMOUS TECHNICAL BUT CLIMBABLE ROCK-ICE-SNOW CLIMB

Leader: Daniel Mazur, Ama Dablam 4 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

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.

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.

Millet One Sport Everest Boot  has made some minor changes by adding more Kevlar. USES Expeditions / High altitude / Mountaineering in extremely cold conditions / Isothermal to -75°F Gore-Tex® Top dry / Evazote Reinforcements with aramid threads. Avg. Weight: 5 lbs 13 oz Sizes: 5 - 14 DESCRIPTION Boot with semi-rigid shell and built-in Gore-Tex® gaiter reinforced by aramid threads, and removable inner slipper Automatic crampon attachment Non-compressive fastening Double zip, so easier to put on Microcellular midsole to increase insulation Removable inner slipper in aluminized alveolate Fiberglass and carbon footbed Cordura + Evazote upper Elasticated collar. Expedition footwear for mountaineering in conditions of extreme cold.  NOTE US SIZES LISTED. See more here.

A cold weather, high altitude double boot for extreme conditions The Olympus Mons is the perfect choice for 8000-meter peaks. This super lightweight double boot has a PE thermal insulating inner boot that is coupled with a thermo-reflective outer boot with an integrated gaiter. We used a super insulating lightweight PE outsole to keep the weight down and the TPU midsole is excellent for crampon compatibility and stability on steep terrain. WEIGHT: 39.86 oz • 1130 g LAST: Olympus Mons CONSTRUCTION: Inner: Slip lasted Outer: Board Lasted OUTER BOOT: Cordura® upper lined with dual-density PE micro-cellular thermal insulating closed cell foam and thermo-reflective aluminium facing/ Insulated removable footbed/ Vibram® rubber rand See more here.

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