SummitClimb Ama Dablam 2005: Jay Reilly checking in from Camp 3....

Hi this is Jay Reilly calling from SummitClimb to update you on our expedition, the 2005 International Ama Dablam Expedition.  Right now I’m at Camp Three at 6,300 meters, it’s a beautiful afternoon, very windy as it usually is at Camp Three.  Here with me at Camp Three I have Curt and Koby from Colorado, and I also have Tuomas and Samuli from Finland.  I forgot to mention those guys the other day when I was giving a report on the independent climbers.  I’m so bad.  So today Doug, Paul and Stewart would have moved up to Camp One to meet up with Andrew and Rick, while Phil, John and Eric have been down resting at Base Camp.  Anyway that’s it.  We’re going to go up to the Summit tomorrow and hopefully we come back with good news.  So for now, good bye, and I’ll call back tomorrow.

SummitClimb.com International Ama Dablam expedition 2005 Staff Roster

Dear Everestnews.com. I hope all is well. Thanks for letting us tell our story of Himalayan climbing. Here is the Ama Dablam staff roster.

Jangbu Sherpa: Climbing Sirdar, Lead Sherpa

Kongle Sherpa: Climbing Sherpa

Tenzing Sherpa: Climbing Sherpa

Phuri Sherpa: Climbing Sherpa

Lakpa Chiri Sherpa: Climbing Sherpa

Temba Sherpa: Personal Climbing Sherpa

Pasang Sherpa: Personal Climbing Sherpa

Shera Sherpa: Personal Climbing Sherpa

Maila Sherpa: Climbing Sherpa in Training

Kipa Sherpa: Cook

Temba Sherpa: Cook

Jai Bahadur: Cook

Pemba Sherpa: Assistant Cook

Dorje Tamang: Assistant Cook

Lakpa Gyarmu Sherpa: Assistant Cook

Kaji Tamang: Expedition Sirdar and Basecamp Manager

Earlier dispatch: Good Morning, it’s Jay Reilly calling from SummitClimb calling in with another exciting and invigorating dispatch from our expedition.  I think it’s a nice day outside.  I haven’t really got out of the tent to have a look yet.  Everything’s nice and bright and there’s no wind or anything so, I’m putting two and two together and saying it’s a nice day.  Hang on, I’ll have a look—tent zips—Yep, it’s a gorgeous day outside, beautiful blue sky, not a cloud to speak of.  Here’s an update on our independent members who are climbing with us.  We’re sad to say that we’ve actually had to say goodbye to two of them.  Misheal, from Israel, left just a couple of days ago, he had to go home for personal reasons.  Chuck from the USA left us yesterday, he also had to go home for personal family reasons.  We’ll miss those guys, they were a lot of fun.  Everyone else is doing really good.  Kurt and Koby from Colorado are coming up here to Camp Two today, they’re going to spend the night.  Mor, the other guy from Israel, is at the moment taking  a rest day down at Base Camp and will be coming back up to Camp One tomorrow.  I hope everyone’s well, and I’ll send in more news very shortly.  Bye bye.

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.

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