Summit Climb Details

Today is November 5^th and this is the day we’ve been waiting for since making our decisions to climb Ama Dablam.  Our team is leaving base camp and heading up the mountain over the course of a few days to attempt the summit.  The morning is clear and cold, and our energy is high.  Smiles permeate the group as we ready ourselves for the climb.

It’s traditional to meet at the puja site before heading up.  The Sherpa climbers have a small prayer ceremony and then walk around the monument clockwise with us following.  Then we just keep walking, out of base camp and up the hill.

Today we’ll climb all the way up to Camp 1, bypassing Yak Camp.  It’s a 4,000 ft elevation gain in one big push.  The first few hours are just walking uphill, crossing ancient glacial moraines standing parallel to each other like great waves of rock and gravel.  The scale of this place is still amazing to us, with ridges extending for miles.   As we climb, the clouds rise with us, seemingly blocking us off from base camp and civilization below.  We are approaching the technical parts of the mountain now and will need to sharpen our focus.

Soon, we enter the boulder field which is our first technical obstacle.  It’s an ascending traverse gaining close to a thousand feet through boulders ranging in size from a microwave to a Volkswagen.  While not steep, this section is tricky, and we move carefully through.  During our few days of rest, we heard that a guide leading a team on the north ridge of Ama Dablam was hospitalized after falling in a boulder field on that route and knocking out a few teeth.  The photo below shows tents at Camp 1 at the top of the ridge.  Our camp is to the right of the perpendicular ridge and slightly out of view.

On Wednesday, November 6th our goal was to climb from Camp 1 to Camp 2.7 with a stop at Camp 2 where we cached our crampons and our big boots.  This will be a big day of climbing with significant elevation gain, and vertical efforts on both the yellow tower and the Grey Couloir.  The traverse to the Yellow Tower is one of my favorite parts experienced so far.  While not super steep, the mountain is mostly slabs in this area so we clip safety lines for protection and round the corner to the bottom of the Yellow Tower while leaning out on the ropes for stability.

The Yellow Tower is a significant milestone in the climb because it divides the less steep sections of the lower mountain with the more vertical parts of the upper mountain.  As described previously, it’s nearly vertical with some features to aid the climbing effort and some blank spots that require jugging on the ascender.  Our safety lines are clipped around at least two ropes for redundancy, since a fall here would be very serious.

Even the second time around with enhanced acclimatization this is a challenging effort and each of us takes a breather at the top.  This view from on top of the Yellow Tower provides some perspective on the route from Camp 1.  If you look closely at the photo below, you will see the tiny tents just below the ridge.  Ours are the 4 dark yellow ones in a row just off the closest part of the ridge.

Looking up from the very top of the Yellow Tower, you can see Camp 2 perched above and along the ridge.  We found this camp to be quite crowded and dirty during our visit on the last rotation.  Based on this condition, the decision was made to bypass Camp 2 and continue to Camp 2.7 during our summit bid.  This eliminates one day on the upper mountain which helps our schedule but also makes for two longer days of climbing.

While the Yellow Tower gets more attention than the Grey Couloir, many of us felt the Grey Couloir took about as much effort to climb.  It felt longer, was definitely higher and it was also the main part of the extra climbing we had to do today to reach Camp 2.7.  We were now above our previous high point, and in new territory on the upper mountain.

We were very lucky with the timing of our summit bid.  While the Camp 2 rotation seemed quite busy on the mountain and we experienced “traffic jams” both going up and down the Yellow Tower, our summit bid was quiet with only a few people to pass either way.  When passing, it’s safer and usually more convenient to do so at an anchor.  In this case, I was ascending while the other climber was descending.  She waited at the anchor for me to clip around her.  This pass is done one safety tether at a time, with the first one being removed and clipped back on above the other climber and locked.  Then the second safety is unclipped from below and clipped back onto the safety line above for redundancy.  It’s the same process as performed for each anchor and becomes routine.  Do it the same way every time and the muscle memory is there for when you’re tired on the way down.

The route on the upper mountain is really interesting.  We had a combination of vertical walls, snow gullies, ridges, traverses and bulges to negotiate.  This was so much fun as compared to slogging on a continuous uphill slope one foot in front of the other.  Here’s an airy ridge above the Grey Couloir where we paid extra attention to our footing!

The last major obstacle before reaching Camp 2.7 was this narrow traverse.  It’s one of the few photos I’m not smiling in and for good reason.  You can see all of the fixed lines and I clipped a few with both safety tethers, but this was about my limit for exposure.  At this point I was about 5,500 ft above base camp with nothing but air below me.

Finally, we reach one of my favorite spots on Ama Dablam, Camp 2.7 at 20,626 ft.  This was a great little spot protected from the wind and kept clean by sanitation conscious mountaineers.  Today was a big day and we’re glad to be in camp finally by mid-afternoon.  We eat, drink and sleep hard knowing that 2:00 am will be our wake-up call for summit day.

November 7^th is summit day!  As promised, we had an early wake up.  The stoves were started at 1:45am and we were moving out of camp by around 3:00.  I was pretty pokey this morning and was last to be ready, which didn’t impress my climbing partner Phunuru.  We made up the time while climbing though, so it all worked out.  Above Camp 2.7 the route becomes more straight forward with fewer features to negotiate.  It’s also continuously steep after we pass the site of Camp 3 on the Mushroom Ridge.  There were no tents at Camp 3 this year so it seems everyone was attempting the summit either from Camp 2 or Camp 2.7. Here’s the route:

As we climbed past the Dablam (hanging glacier), we could see the outline of it on our left silhouetted against the sky.  With only the light of our headlamps, the Dablam loomed like a giant shadow keeping watch over our progress.  Once past the Dablam, we gained the long steep summit ridge which traverses slightly left as it climbs to the summit.  Now, at over 22,000 ft elevation, the climb becomes a steep uphill push where one step is followed by two breaths.  It’s hard work but I knew we were getting close and could feel the summit fever propelling me up.

Finally, we reach the summit at about 6:30 am shortly after sunrise.  The entire team made it and we celebrated together on top with many of the world’s highest mountains surrounding us.  From the left is Matt, Sonam, Pete, James, me, Ang Karma and Phunuru. Dawa took the photo.  The temperature was probably in the teens or single digits with only a slight breeze from the west.  We spent almost an hour on the summit and had it all to ourselves.  What a privilege that was!

Of course, it’s been said many times that getting to the summit is optional but getting down safely is mandatory.  We were a long way up and it was time to begin our journey back down with the goal of reaching Camp 1.  Everyone was in good shape and we began retracing our steps through the myriad features that Ama Dablam presented along our route. 

Almost all of our descent will be accomplished by repel with the steepest sections using a repel device like the ATC guide or figure eight, and less steep sections using an arm wrap or simple hand repel.  There’s always a balance between safety, skill and speed and it’s up to each climber to use the technique best suited for them at each pitch.  Finally, at 3:15pm I walked into Camp 1 tired but satisfied after a 12-hour summit day.  This was the most technically challenging climb in my career, and I felt great about how I did!

Summit Push!

Ama Dablam is truly a mountaineer’s mountain.  It is steep, technical, aesthetically beautiful and high enough to really make one work hard for the privilege of standing on its summit.

Those of you who have also been reading the International Mountain Guides' blog (https://www.mountainguides.com/wordpress/) know that our team was successful in ascending, and we summited on November 7^th at about 6:30 am!

It was an amazing experience which really tested my strength, endurance and climbing ability.  I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to pursue a dream of climbing Ama Dablam and the fortitude to reach the summit.  A more detailed series of posts will follow this one as I have time to gather my thoughts and photos to share with you.

I am third from the right in the summit photo.

Base Camp Hang

One of the most challenging things to overcome in expedition-style climbing is the waiting between rotations up the mountain.  These periods of time are important for resting, recovering, regaining weight and building red blood cells.  After a couple of low-key days hanging around base camp, we start looking for diversions.

On Thursday, October 31, we descended from Camp 1 to base camp under a bright blue high-altitude sky.  The route down to Yak Camp is a bit lively, with some steep fixed-line sections and an ankle biting boulder field, all covered in fresh snow.  At Yak Camp we took a break and dumped off some gear that we won't need until we come back up for the summit rotation.  After that it was a nice long hike down with an overall elevation drop of almost 4,000'.  It was warm and sunny with thick, oxygen-rich air when we arrived at base camp.

Looking at the photo above Camp 1 is on the right side of the flattish right shoulder (southeast ridge).  Camp 2 is at the very top of the darkest rock delineating the intersection of the steeper upper mountain and the shoulder.  Above Camp 2 travel will mostly be on snow using our crampons.  That's my favorite mode of climbing, and I'm looking forward to it.

The sunset was fantastic that evening!  The sky remained clear, the moon was out and millions of stars were beginning to reveal themselves while smoke burning from juniper drifted along the ground.  Happy Halloween!

November 1 started with some early excitement.  Two Chinese climbers got into trouble the evening before and needed to be rescued.  The weather wasn't suitable for an immediate rescue, but by 6:00 this morning the helicopter was in full swing.  The pilot landed at base camp, dropped off a person and some gear, attached a long-line and took off for the upper mountain.  The long-line which extends from the bottom of the helicopter allows the pilot more freedom to access tight areas of the mountain or accomplish a rescue without having to land.  Both climbers were rescued successfully, and they both walked away from the chopper after it landed.  It wasn't obvious what their condition was but definitely not life-threatening.

After so much excitement and a big breakfast, we settled into the serious business of making red blood cells.  It was sunny and warm with no breeze and we were quite comfortable sitting outside in the sun.  I managed to get up from my chair to snap a photo.

Taking a shower and doing laundry pretty much wrapped up this very busy day.

Saturday, November 2 dawned clear and cold.  I got up early after sleeping well, and managed to call home from a high spot about 15 minutes from camp.  During the call I witnessed a familiar camp dog chasing a light brown fox down the mountain!  After seeing me, the dog lost interest in the fox and climbed up on the rock where I stood probably looking for free food.  Unsatisfied, she trotted off in search of something more interesting.

Today was a little sad for our team.  One of our teammates decided to end his bid for the summit and head home early.  We will miss Dan and wish him safe travels back home.

Five of us had an ambitious plan to hike down to Pangboche and back after we ate breakfast.  It's been a couple of weeks since we came through Pangboche on our way up the valley, and we looked forward to a change of scenery during yet another rest day.  Situated next to a river and surrounded by mountains, it's really a pretty setting.

Down at the river and almost to town we passed the local self-service laundromat.  It's always so interesting to learn how different cultures satisfy the same human needs.  Behind the washing station were a couple of the hydro-powered prayer wheels similar to the ones we saw earlier in the trip.

A few minutes later we reached our destination on the near side of town - the Hermann Bakery.  We've been here before and know that it's the perfect place to hang out.  I ordered a cappuccino and a piece of fresh apple and chocolate crumble pie, which put a big smile on my face.  My teammates achieved roughly the same state of grace and we sat outside as we enjoyed our treats.

After an hour it was time to head back uphill.  Two hours later we were back in base camp for a late lunch.  Some people may think that walking 7 or 8 miles round-trip with an elevation gain of over 2,000' is a long way to go for a coffee and a piece of pie, but we all know it was time well spent!

Our big day ended with the best base camp dinner on the menu; chicken sizzler!  The Sherpa staff brought in beautifully sauced chicken, spaghetti and vegetables on steaming cast iron fajita skillets.  Within moments the dining tent was filled with an amazing aroma and steam.  Anna Pfaff has returned for another attempt at a solo Ama Dablam climb, and joined us for an amazing dinner.

Sunday, November 3 was a very low-key day.  It started like yesterday with a short walk to get a cell phone signal to call home.  On the way back to camp I saw two beautiful Himalayan Snow Cocks (pheasant family).  I got to within 10 feet of them and they didn't seem worried at all.  It was fun to watch them for a few minutes preening and communicating with each other.  I wondered if they were mates.  The remainder of the day was spent writing this blog post, reading, hydrating and making more red blood cells.

After breakfast we got our summit rotation food together.  The summit rotation plan is for us to spend three nights on the mountain with a contingency night if needed.  The Hybrid Team will leave Monday morning and spend the night at Camp 1.  The next day they will bypass Camp 2 and sleep at intermediate Camp 2.5, which positions them closer to the summit in a pristine setting.  On the third day they'll head for the summit and back to Camp 1 to sleep.  The next day they will return to base camp. 

My Classic Team will follow the same itinerary one day later.  I will leave base camp on Tuesday, November 5 and hopefully summit on November 7!  Of course all of these plans are fluid, and no news from me is good news.

Camp 2 Rotation

It's Monday, October 28 and today we leave base camp for the first time in a few days.  We're heading up to Yak Camp after an early breakfast and lunch.  Yak Camp isn't much for looks as we head uphill during the nicest and warmest part of the day.  We left base camp at 11:30 this morning and arrived at Yak Camp 3 hours and 15 minutes later.  The route takes us up and across multiple glacial moraines left over from the ice ages.  The scale of this place is extraordinary and hard to judge until you see a tiny speck of a human on the next ridge above.

At an elevation of 17,815' Yak Camp is quite a bit higher than base camp.  With our 2,600' elevation gain and full packs, everyone is feeling a bit worked.

It got cold and windy shortly after arriving at camp, so we had a quick dinner and dove into our tents just after 5:00.  I bunked with our lead western guide, Andy, whom I've climbed with many times.  We talked and told stories for a few hours then drifted off for a well-deserved sleep.  At this elevation, we're not expecting great sleep but at least we'll be in our sleeping bags for a good long while.

It's Tuesday and this morning has been planned to be a relaxing one.  The Sherpa crew actually delivered coffee to our tents followed by cereal and french toast.  What a luxury!  We then sorted gear, separating our summit rotation equipment which we won't need until we sleep at Camp 2.  Basically it ended up being our big boots, crampons and ice axes.  Over the next week or so a Sherpa porter will carry that stuff up for us, which is very nice since the route from Camp 1 to Camp 2 is the steepest section of the climb.

We're off to Camp 1 by 9:35 and make the trip in just under three hours.  Everyone is feeling strong and motivated today.  Camp 1 consists of 5 tents perched off the east side of the knife-edge ridge at 19,059'.  We're mostly blocked from the wind here but it's a fairly exposed place to camp.  The Sherpa team made tent platforms by rearranging rocks and packing snow in the gaps between.  Definitely not the flattest, but our tents are secure and inflatable sleeping pads help smooth out most of the bumps.

When in the sun the snow is soft and there's plenty of traction around camp.  As soon as the sun drops behind the rocky ridge, the snow freezes and walking around camp becomes precarious.  This prompted the rigging of a safety line leading down to our designated toilet spot.  It's a crack between two vertical rocks open for all to see and only a few feet above another team's tent.  There's not much modesty in mountaineering, especially when it comes to poop stories!  Clearly we will need boots on and tied for that adventure.  We also won't be straying too far from camp without having a climbing harness on.

The afternoon is spent looking at the route up Ama Dablam, watching a long-line helicopter rescue from high on the mountain, resting and reading.  Acclimatizing at this elevation is hard work on the body, so it's best to take it easy between times of climbing.  Just a few feet beyond our tent the ridge drops to waist level, and we can see an amazing view 4,000' below to base camp and further down the valley all the way to Pangboche, Tangboche and Kumjung.

After exploring the extent of our camp it's time to take a rest and read from the relative comfort of our tent.

This day ends with an absolutely stunning sunset, and I can't resist the urge to leave the tent (with boots on and tied) and take some photos from the overlook point.  Range after range of Himalayan mountains are spread before me and I'm dreaming of the lifetime of treks and climbs contained within that view.

It's Wednesday and today will be a big day.  The plan is to head up the route and hopefully reach Camp 2.  It's cloudy and we're expecting snow at some point, so the pressure is on to get moving.  The Sherpa kitchen is tucked into the rocks and the sound of the stoves is almost constant when we're in camp.  We eat a hearty breakfast and are ready to roll by 7:30.

The route leads through the boulders out of camp and continues up along a series of fixed lines.  There's a fair bit of exposure to our right, so we use safety tethers clipped to the fixed lines as we move along.  There are steep sections, slab traverses and some very steep vertical pitches that require an ascender for protection.  The Yellow Tower (cliff face on right side of ridge in photo below) is a near-vertical climb of close to 100'.  It's a fun and physically demanding part of the climb.  It has many features to allow for a combination of rock climbing moves and pure jugging of the fixed line using the ascender.

Once on top of the Yellow Tower I rest for a few minutes and try to catch my breath.  That was a lot of work at a high elevation!  Camp 2 is close now, and the first members of our team arrive.

After another 15 minutes of climbing we reach Camp 2 at 19,905' just as the snow begins to fall.  We have achieved our goal for today's high point, but it's a long way down to Camp 1 over steep terrain.  We take a quick drink, eat a snack and get moving.

We take our time climbing back down the route and spirits are high.  What an amazing view all the way down to Camp 1!

Puja!

Today is an auspicious day on the Tibetan calendar.  We're having our traditional Puja blessing and celebration here in base camp.  The ceremony is conducted by a Lama invited from Pangboche with the Sherpa guides assisting with various aspects throughout the ceremony.  All in all, it takes over an hour with a variety of rituals and chanting.

At the end, we celebrate with homemade Sherpa beer called Chang and some rice wine even though it's only 10:30 in the morning!  Sherpa climbers will not climb big mountains without having this ceremony, and once it's done everyone is in high spirits and ready to begin the work of mountaineering on Ama Dablam.

The rest of the day is spent organizing gear, doing laundry and taking bucket showers.  The warm sunshine keeps the shower tent toasty and dries our clothes at the same time, both of which are appreciated.  We're heading up the mountain tomorrow (Monday, October 28) for three nights and everyone is excited! 

In order to make the most of our private base camp tents we're turning in early.  Up on the mountain it will be much colder, and we will have to sleep two or three to a tent. 

Getting Ready to Climb

It is Saturday, October 26 and we awake to fresh snow, clouds and a slight breeze.  Today is a rest day but I'm up early after a solid 10 hours of sleep, and I'm heading out for a short hike.  Lethargy is a problem in base camp so one needs to balance resting and acclimating versus being lazy.  A little hike first thing in the morning helps to wake up the bones. 

By mid-morning the day begins to turn nice with clearing clouds and the sun peeking through.  At 15,200' the sun is strong and a few of us move outside for some morning reading.  The weather forecast calls for continued improvement with full sunshine for the next few days.  Our team spirit improves with this news since the good weather corresponds with our schedule for climbing. 

The major activity today is practicing with ascenders, traversing techniques and rappelling in situations similar to what we'll encounter on the mountain.  There's a large boulder near base camp that's about 20' tall and perfect for this activity.  Anchors and ropes are set up and we proceed to climb all over this rock in succession.  It feels good to be climbing and to clean out the cobwebs that have formed since the last time each of us has worn a harness.

It's a stunning setting to be having fun together and doing a little work.  What a great day!

Before dinner a few of us hike down to the lodge for a beer.  I found this place during one of my solo walks and lead the group.  It's a nice evening and the walk does us all a bit of good as well as fostering team spirit. 

By evening, the sky clears completely, and it begins to get cold.  We have a celebrity climber in base camp who joins us for dinner.  Anna Pfaff is a professional climber sponsored by The North Face, and has been climbing in this region for a month.  She attempted a solo climb of Ama Dablam the day before but the new snow and high winds created unsafe conditions so she turned back at Camp 3.  Dinner and tea afterwards are filled with climbing stories, and while some of us try to participate, we're outgunned by Anna, Andy and Phunuru when it comes to tales of high adventure.  The day ends with a magnificent sunset and everyone drifts off to their tents and the warmth of sleeping bags inside.

Ama Dablam Base Camp!

We had a couple of beers hanging out in the tea house last night to celebrate the end of the trek and I'm pretty sure that helped me crash hard in my sleeping bag. 

Nine-and-a-half hours of sleep later and I'm energized for the hike to Ama Dablam Base Camp.  I peek through the curtains and can't quite get a feeling for what the weather looks like until I realize there's frost on the glass.  Removing the frost I see that we've had a couple of inches of snow overnight.  The flags outside are fluttering as well, so it looks like we'll have an interesting hike down the valley.

Abiding by the adage, "Be bold, start cold" I start off with my usual trekking attire.  I'm expecting that we'll move quickly since it's only our small group of overachieving climbers.  That plan is foiled because the trail is slippery from the snow and our pace becomes moderated.  It's about 45 minutes until the breeze abates and I warm up.  We're heading down valley past Dingboche in the river bottom where we pass a stone building with a spinning prayer wheel inside.  We figure out that the wheel is being powered by the river, spinning out its prayers continuously.  Very ingenious!

Our hike turns a bit adventurous as our guide tries to find a "shortcut" trail low enough to keep us from dead-ending into the glacier above but high enough to keep us out of the low valley that leads to Pangboche.  After some bushwhacking, we find a well-traveled trail just at the point where the river drops precipitously.  At this point we begin to gain elevation again and the views open up.

At one point along the trail just as we're beginning to bend away from the river and towards base camp, we get an amazing view of Pangboche, Tangboche, Khumjung and most of the valley as we ascended last week.  What a great spot to stop and rest.

The trail continues to climb and the view of Ama Dablam begins to open up.  As we hike we see a group of trekkers on the ridge above, and we realize we're merging into the main trail between Pangboche and base camp.  Another 20 minutes and we enter a large flat spot situated directly at the foot of Ama Dablam which will be our base camp for the next few weeks.

After a nice hot drink and lunch, we each gather our gear and set up our tents.  It's been 21/2 years since I've been in my base camp tent on Everest.  While still needing a few refinements, my new home comes together nicely.  I feel comfortable here.  "Welcome back" the Eureka tent seems to say to me as I settle in for a short rest.