SummitClimb Ama Dablam 2005: Recap

Dear Everestnews.com. Many thanks to EverestNews.com for providing such an excellent forum for the discussion of Himalayan mountain climbing, trekking, exploration, and service work in aid of the environment and the people who live and work their. Your support is awesome!

Now that we are all returned to the peaceful and sunny city of Kathmandu, I hope you would be so kind as to allow our SummitClimb 2005 International Ama Dablam leader-in-training Mr. Doug Sandok to recap our recent expedition.

Now here is Doug:

For the first week of the expedition beginning October 3rd there were still scattered clouds up high and weather was unstable. After the 10th or 11th the weather cleared noticeably for almost the duration of our climb. With the exception of a couple days of high winds and some snow on the 20th and 21st the weather was ideal.

Throughout the expedition we cooperated well with the other teams in fixing rope from camp 1 to the summit. Thanks to all those who participated and contributed in this arduous task as more than 3000 metres of the best possible new rope (mostly imported European and North American nylon kernmantle UIAA approved climbing rope) were fixed to more than 100 anchors.

Of special note is the fact that on October 21st, SummitClimb team members Cornel Galescu (Coco) and Florin Grama (Mario) became the first Romanians to summit Ama Dablam. We would like to take this opportunity to send them and everyone of Romanian descent a hearty congratulation on a job well done!

Here is the complete record of who on our expedition summited on what day and their country. We congratulate all of them and their families and friends ad sponsors and colleagues on a job very well done!

October 20, 2005:

Jay Reilly, Cairns, Australia (Leader)

Samuli Mansikka, Helsinki, Finland

Tuomas Sovijarvi, Finland

Colby Vandenberg, Colorado

Kurt Blair, Colorado

Jangbu Sherpa, Okhaldunga, Nepal (7 time Ama Dablam and 2 time Everest summitter)

Tenzing Sherpa, Okhaldunga, Nepal (4 time Ama Dablam and 2 time Everest summitter)

October 21, 2005:

Florin Grama, Romania/(residing in Atlanta)

Cornel Galescu, Romania

October 22, 2005:

Douglas Sandok, Colorado and Wisconsin (Leader-in-training)

Paul Roose, Southampton, England

Andrew McDonald, Victoria, Australia

Rick Coleman, Vancouver, Canada

Mor Doron, Israel

Stuart Smith, San Diego and Texas

Phuri Sherpa Okhaldunga, Nepal (3 time Ama Dablam and 1 time Everest Summitter)

Nima Wanchu Sherpa, Ghat, Nepal

October 23, 2005:

Phil Austin,  Kent, England (Leader-in-training)

Erich Bonfert, Rheinfelden, Germany

John Nicholson, Illinois, USA

Lakpa Cheri Sherpa, Solu, Nepal (4 time Everest Summiter)

Ang Shera Sherpa, Okhaldunga, Nepal (4 time Ama Dablam Summitter)

Once again, thanks very much and congratulations to all. Yours Sincerely, from Doug Sandok, SummitClimb.com leader in training, and from everyone on the 2005 International Ama Dablam expedition.

Ps. See you in May and October of 2006 for our next Ama Dablam expeditions. Thanks!

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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