Ama Dablam Expedition

Mt. Ama Dablam is one of the most beautiful mountains in the world. Whether you agree with such superlatives or not, it is certainly a remarkable peak that has a particular attraction to any keen mountaineer. Snowy Horizon has plenty of experience in organising this expedition, a key to success with full of safety on the mountain. The characteristic pyramid shape leads someone to call Ama Dablam the ‘Matterhorn’ of the Himalayas and, at least as seen from Namche, there is a certain similarity. The hanging glacier on the southwest face of Ama Dablam resembles a ‘Dablam’- the sacred ornament box worn by Sherpa women –giving rise to the name “Ama Dablam” or “Mother’s necklace”.

Mt. Ama Dablam is situated in the Khumbu region to the south of Everest and Lhotse. As you would expect, that allows for some stunning views during the climb as well as on the summit. The mountain stands above the famous Tyangboche Monastery, which is traditionally visited by climbers in the region. It should be noted that, despite the pleasing aspects, this climb is strenuous and demands proficiency in rock climbing, ice climbing, ample high-altitude experience, and overall technical prowess. There are steep ice sections to be overcome at high altitudes and there are sections of serious exposure, which can be particularly challenging.

For those with prior climbing experience who want to join a team of experts on an expedition to one of the world's most awe-inspiring mountains, the Ama Dablam Expedition is an excellent option. The most popular route for climbing Ama Dablam is the Southwest Ridge. The climb is often done with three camps along the ridge. They usually establish camp 3 just below and to the right of the hanging glacier- the Dablam, so that any ice that calves off the glacier often moves away from the camp. Nevertheless, a certain risk of serac falls cannot be avoided. For Ama Dablam Expeditions, the ideal climbing periods are April-May before the monsoon season, and October-November after the monsoon, as with other mountains nearby.

Experience Required:

For the Ama Dablam Expedition, all climbers need to have excellent skills in rock and ice climbing and be technically competent. We will fix ropes and make use of the existing infrastructure (if any). However, the climbers should possess the basic skills of climbing through steep rock and hard compact ice without them. We follow the standard Southwest ridge route (normal route) to the top, as it is considered the safer route with lower objective dangers of avalanches. We begin the approach as usual in the region from Lukla (2860m) and then slowly trek through the Sherpa villages along the trail. Before beginning the climbing period, we take our time to acclimate properly at base camp. Quality and safety are our top priorities at Snowy Horizon when carrying out this expedition. As always, the package can be flexibly adjusted to your requirements (in case you want some additional acclimatisation time beforehand, etc.) you can contact us any time for suggestions and advice. We’d be happy to take you on this adventure of Mt. Ama Dablam Expedition with our elite team.

Ama Dablam Expedition Base Camp Services:

• Snowy Horizon Treks & Expedition provides very professional, supportive and friendly mountaineering logistic services from Kathmandu to the ABC as well as during the Expedition.
• Our objective is to ensure good quality, supportive, safe, friendly, stress-free and comprehensive service to maximize the summit opportunity of the mountain.
• We provide a comprehensive service organizing all necessary permits, and climbing documentation, travelling logistics including airfares, ground transportation, porters, and other individual services required by mountaineers. On the trek to the ABC, we organize all required accommodations and food in teahouses.
• In the Base camp, our cook and helpers will prepare and serve three times delicious freshly cooked and plentiful meals a day and will ensure that hot and cold drinks are available 24hrs a day.
• We provide spacious expedition-quality personal tents for all our clients.
• We also provide a dining tent, kitchen tent, toilet facilities and portable shower facilities and tent accommodation for our staff.
• We provide access to communication, including satellite telephone and Internet access, and solar panels to charge your batteries.

 Ama Dablam Expedition Full Board Additional Services:

• In full board Service, we provide a personal tent and food, which will be prepared by their climbing Sherpa on C1, C2 & C3.
• We provide UHF/VHF handheld radios on the mountain to maintain communications between ABC and high camps.
• We provide a personal climbing Sherpa guide to help the clients to reach the summit. Personal climbing Sherpa will set up camp 1, camp 2 and camp 3, including food and fuel provisions, and assist the client all the way to the summit on this technical climb, where one requires a climbing buddy. The climb requires cooperation between teams in setting up fixed ropes. Our camp manager and guides will coordinate work with other teams on the route setting.

Approaches to ABC:

The approach to the Base camp for Ama Dablam Expedition is short, sweet and beautiful beginning with the amazing flight to Lukla after a few hours' drive from Kathmandu to Manthali airport of Ramechhap and following the Everest Base camp trail through Namche Bazaar to Tyangboche and peeling off it just past Pangboche. The Base camp is located at 4600m.

Climbing Routes:

• The standard climbing route for Ama Dablam Expedition is via the Southwest ridge with a typical arrangement of 3 high camps: Camp 1 (5600m), Camp 2 (5900m) and Camp 3 (6200m) with Base Camp at 4600m and High Camp at 5000m as a store camp.
• The high camp is located 150m below the ridge and all other 3 camps are directly on the ridge, ensuring a great vantage point for all camps for stunning views.