Summitclimb Ama Dablam Autumn 2006: Dispatch 8

copyright Dan Mazur

SummitClimb Ama Dablam 2006 Autumn: Hi, this is Doug Sandok, Expedition Leader calling you with dispatch number eight from the SummitClimb International Ama Dablam Expedition 2006.  It’s snowed almost every day here this week on Ama Dablam. Here at Base Camp there is still a nice covering of snow all over.  This week has also seen, in spite of the weather, the first summit days on Ama Dablam this year.

A little recap- On the 20th and 21st we spent two nights at Camp 1 and we did see a group going for the summit on the 21st, that was the first day of people going up to the summit in spite of the weather.  On the 22nd we moved up to Camp 2, and saw another group going for the summit.  On the 23rd we made our way up to Camp 3 and we passed a third group that was coming down from the summit on that day.  Up to that point the weather had not really cleared.

But on October 24th, our first summit day, we awoke to mostly blue skies and we did go for the summit.  On October 24th we summited with four members including Patrick Millegan of the U.S., Roy Hansen of Norway and David Malia from the UK.  Expedition Leaders Mark Jensen and Doug Sandok also summated as well as Sherpas Phuri Sherpa, Lakpa Gormu, Lakpa Kongle and Pasang Gyalu. 

On the 25th we had two more members, Oystein Ormasen and Alf Kare Askeland from Norway who summited as well as two other Sherpas--Jangbu Sherpa and Miss Usha Bista, who is the first woman from the Terai region of Nepal to summit Ama Dablam. 

Most folks are down at Base Camp right now.  We still have two members coming down from Camp 1 as well as a few more folks coming down from Camp 2 today.  They will be looking forward to a rest day and then starting to move out of here tomorrow.  We were very lucky to have two very nice days up on the summit on the 24th and 25th.  Let’s hope that this weather system has stopped and for other groups that are here that the clear weather has finally begun.  It’s been a very snowy season which made going up to the summit very difficult.  Thanks for posting these dispatches.

Dispatch

This year our expedition will consist of 17 international climbers and 12 Sherpas who will be supporting our ascent.   

1     Dan Mazur               USA

2.    Thomas Meling           Norway

3.    Marius Bakkeng                Norway

4.    Frank Sandbakk          Norway

5.    Alf Kare Askeland             Norway

6.    Birte Haugland (Doctor)             Norway

7.    Oystein Ormasen               Norway

8.    Roy Hansen                    Norway

9.    David Malia             UK

10.   Stein Johansen                      Norway

11.   Mark Jensen (Leader)    Denmark

12.   Doug Sandok (Leader)          USA

13.   Pat Millegan            USA

14.   Chris Breemer           USA

15.   Martha Johnson (Doctor)       USA

16.   Larry Boersma           Holland and USA

(Larry is attempting to become the oldest person ever to summit Ama Dablam).

17.   Fred Blodgett           USA

18.   Jangbu Sherpa                       Okhaldhunga, Nepal     

19.   Tenji Sherpa                        Okhaldhunga, Nepal     

20.   Phuri Sherpa                        Okhaldhunga, Nepal

21.   Pasang Gyalu Sherpa                 Okhaldhunga, Nepal

22.   Shera Sherpa                  Okhaldhunga, Nepal            .

23.   Lakpa Kongle Sherpa                 Okhaldhunga, Nepal

24.   Lakpa Gormu Sherpa                  Okhaldhunga, Nepal     

25.   Usha Bista                   Tarai, Nepal

(Ms. Bista is the 1st woman from Terai to attempt Ama Dablam)

26.   Neer Kaji Tamang              Okhaldhunga, Nepal

Cooks

1.    Jay Bahadhur Nagarkoti        Rasuwa, Nepal                

2.    Pemba Sherpa                        Makalu, Nepal    

3.    Temba Sherpa                        Makalu, Nepal 

This year's team is gelling well and there is a lot of excitement already about our upcoming climb. We look forward to another safe and exciting adventure this season on Ama Dablam with this great group.  Yours in Adventure, From Doug Sandok and all of us at SummitClimb.com

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