Ama Dablam Expedition News Autumn

Ama Dablam and Lobuche Expedition News

Video: What a Summit AmaDablam. Big thanks to all the team who work hard behind the scenes

Blog posts: Scroll down for day by day news of our climbing and trekking teams.

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Photo : Sebastian.

Photo : Nat.

Photo : Wendy.

Video : Sebastian

Photo : Nat.

Photo : Dan.

7 Nov - Our Lobuche Team woke up in Pangboche to a big breakfast after a warm nights sleep in a good bed. After breakfast they took an enlightening stroll up to the Pangboche Gompa, which was built in 1667. It’s a lovely old building in the oldest village in the Khumbu Valley. Pangboche village was established in the 1500s in a sheltered niche in the wall of the Khumbu Valley where a primeval Juniper Forest was located, surrounded by grassy slopes. Apparently there was a lot of snowfall at the time, as the original Pangboche village was wiped out by an avalanche. Pangboche was the first village in the Khumbu Valley, founded by the original Sherpa families who came from Tibet. In the Tibetan language, Sher means East and Pa means People, so Sherpas are the People from the East. In addition to the ancient Pangboche Village, there is a new Pangboche village down by the river which was built during the last 75 years to serve Everest expeditions and Everest base camp trekkers, who take the more direct route down by the river, rather than hiking up to the old village. After our Lobuche team finished touring around the gompa, they came back down to Sonam Lodge in Pangboche and enjoyed a hot bowl of noodle soup with fresh tea. Then they we set off for Ama Dablam basecamp, climbing the steep grassy slopes up to our lovely basecamp, nestled in a spectacular huge grassy bowl at the base of Ama Dablam.

Our Ama Dablam only team woke up on a gorgeous sunny morning in Namche and enjoyed the walk along the chorten dotted Kangzoma ridge and down through the Hemlock forest to Fungki Tangka for a delicious lunch at the base of what must be the Khumbu Valley’s largest Hemlock tree. Incredible views of all of the mountain peaks including Everest, Ama Dablam and Thamserku dominated the skyline all around. Then we climbed up the massive Tengboche Hill, to enjoy exploring around the Tengboche Gompa and enjoy cappuccino and chocolate cake. Yes, even here! Following the path down through the Rhodendrons to Deboche Village, we crossed the Dudh Khosi on a suspension bridge and then climbed through rocky steps up to Pangboche Village. Its really good to be here in the super comfortable Sonam Lodge with such stunning views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Tawoche, right at the base of Ama Dablam. Welcome!

Photo : Dorje.

Caption : Jokiyo carring loads to Ama Dablam Bc. Video Daniel P.

6 Nov - Today our Ama Dablam Team had an enjoyable rest and acclimatisation day in Namche Bazaar, the capital city/village of the Sherpa people. We awoke early and enjoyed a tasty breakfast. Afterward we walked up the steep hill just above our hotel, and then along a ridge, the Everest View Hotel. The weather is superb today so we have 360 degree views so many of the Himalayan peaks, including Mt. Everest and Amadablam. We had a cup of tea and then headed back down to Hilltop Lodge for lunch. After lunch we went to have a look at the museum, which is really very well done, better than your average museum. We loved the old traditional style Sherpa house, and the historic vs modern photo collection was incredible. This afternoon we occupied ourselves with eating chocolate cake and drinking cappuccino, which seem to be some of the two main food groups of Namche bazaar!

Photo : Sebastian.

Our Lobuche East group had a slow morning, waking up in Dughla and wandering into the dining room of the Yak Hotel for a massive breakfast, trying to replace all of the calories and liquids they lost during the last few days of high altitude climbing. After breakfast, they worked their way down the valley, stopping after an hour for lunch and bakery in Pheriche, and then in the afternoon they reached Pangboche, for a good night around the toasty warm yak dung stove in the dining room of Sonam Lodge. This is the nearest lodge to Ama Dablam and it feels good to be back here, together with old and new friends!!

Photo : Ramsay.

Photo : Sebastian.

Photo : Sebastian

Photo : Lars and Sebastian.

Caption : The view from Summit View from Lobuche. Video Killain.

5 Nov - Our Ama Dablam team walked to Namche Bazaar today. It was tough going but the weather was perfect, sunny and warm, and the trail is in very good shape. Upon arrival in Namche we hit the Sherpa Barista Coffee Shop for cappuccino, the Everest Bakery for pizza, and the Irish Pub for drinks and billiards. It was Sebastian’s 50th birthday so we gave him a flaming brownie…even with a candle and singing the happy birthday song. We walked up to our beautiful hotel: Hilltop Lodge with spacious garden, lavish dining room, private bathrooms and incredible views down into Namche and across the valley into the southern mountain ranges. The birthday party continues and at this exact moment as we write this the team are dining on delicate panna cotta washed down with Sherpa Beer. We just finished singing Happy Birthday once again, and Sebastian presented a small speech, w języku polskim. Happy Birthday Sebastian!!! We wish all of our members would have more birthdays more often as this is really fun!

BIG NEWS: Today all of the members of our Lobuche Team summited!!!!!! They left at 1:00 am, and summited at dawn. The weather was perfect: a clear, dry, and starry night with little wind. Our Sherpas did an incredible job, as per usual. THANK YOU SHERPAS!!! The age range of our members is age 17 to age 65 with a nice mix of half women and half men. Our team members hail from 10 countries. Let me repeat that again: We have members from 10 different countries on this expedition, half of whom are women and half men. OMG and a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to all of the members, the Sherpas, their families, colleagues and friends! You know and we know that no person is an island and it takes lots of supporting actors from many walks and branches of life to put someone on the summit.

Caption: SummitClimb Team Summit Lobuche. Photo Dorje.

Photo : Eric.

Lobuche East Trekking Peak News and Amadablam News for 5 November = Special Edition - We are proud to announce that today our youngest team member Kate, who is 17 years old, reached the summit of Lobuche East Trekking Peak together with her father. We are so proud them both, what an inspirational father-daughter team. Congratulations!! Now the successful pair are trekking up to Everest Base Camp, and after that they are considering Amadablam. YOU GO GIRL !!!

Caption: Everest seen from Lobuche Peak. Photo Nat. At the Summit Wendy.

Caption : Team at the Lobuche Summit Ridge. Photo Dorje.

Caption: You can see the team on the summit ridge. They began their summit push at 1 a.m. Photo Dorje.

Caption : Lobuche Climb. Video by Dorji.

Caption : Lobuche High Camp. Photo Dorje.

Caption: Our Climbing Sherpa. Lobuche High Camp. Photo Wendy.

4 Nov - Update from SummitClimb Ama Dablam team: Our Ama Dablam only team flew to Lukla today FINALLY. The weather was amazing and we took so many photos and videos during the flight. We needed several aircraft, but all of us finally made it. Think about this: our first flight happened at 7am and our last one at 4:30 pm. Quite the scheduling spread, isn’t it? Then we all trekked down to Zamphute Sonam Lodge, a beautiful teahouse located just north of Phakding along the mighty Dudh Khosi river. We had a delicious dinner consisting of about 7 dishes and then hit the sack. Its been a long day and we need some sleep!

SummitClimb Lobuche Peak News update: Our 8 members and 5 Sherpas are now in Lobuche High Camp. This afternoon we all successfully completed rope and ice training. Exciting! There is a heap of snow up here, nevertheless, the weather forecast is good with plenty of sunshine and low winds. BIG NEWS: our team will begin the summit push tonight at 1:00 A.M.

Let’s all wish them good luck for a safe and successful ascent!!!!

Caption: Ready for Summit. Photo Wendy.

Caption : Lobuche high camp. Photo Dorje.

Caption : Rope and Ice Training. Team at Lobuche High Camp. Photo Dorje.

Caption : One of the many suspension bridge. Team at Lukla. Photo Sebastien.

Caption : New Tenzing and Hillary statue on a beautiful sunny day at Lukla Airport. Photo Dan.

Video Dan.

Caption : Heli flight and view from heli. Photo Dan.

3 Nov - Lobuche Trekking Peak News and Ama Dablam Expedition News 3 November: We woke up at a reasonable hour, had a relaxed breakfast, and then trekked for a few easy hours along the ridge separating Dingboche and Pheriche, above the Dudh Khosi valley. We crossed the river and then popped up at Dughla, A tiny hamlet perched above the Dudh Khosi river, at the base of Dughla Hill. We are staying in the famous Yak Hotel, with stunning views over the Pangboche valley and towering summits of Ama Dablam and Tawoche. Everyone is feeling well.

Our Ama Dablam only team went to the Ktm airport to fly to Lukla today. The airport was closed this morning because the president of Nepal needed to fly to Singapore, so the entire airport was closed and no other flights were allowed to land or takeoff. After that was finished around noon, all of the available aircraft were diverted to a different airport of Nepal to help fly the 400 tourist s who have been stuck there for 4 days due to bad weather. The upshot of it all is that we can’t fly to Lukla today :( very sad but what to do. Sometimes when we are on these mountain climbing trips, small challenges happen and we have to figure out an alternative. This is the life of a mountaineer, and teaches us lessons of humility and flexibility. So now we are heading back into town for a delicious dinner at the Mitho Cafe, and a good nights rest.

Our from the road head trekker has hiked all of the way up to Chukkung and is now camped out at the approach to Island Peak. Good on ya mate!

Caption : Team at Dhugla. Photo Nat.

Caption : Team at Dingboche. Photo Dan.

2 Nov - Lobuche East News and Mt Ama Dablam News for : We members of the Lobuche team eat a big breakfast and hike up the famous ridge of Nangkartshang. Lots of deep snow on the upper part, but we made the top and snapped many beautiful shots. Incredible scenery of Ama Dablam and Tawoche. And, guess what, we broke the 5000 metre barrier. Good job team. Hard to breath up there, but slow and steady wins the race, as long as we remember to drink enough water.

Our Ama Dablam Only group had a team briefing to discuss what to expect during the trek. We did some last minute shopping and packed our bags into 4 categories: 1) store bag, 2) airplane rucksack, 3) trekking duffle, 4) climbing duffle - going direct to basecamp. We joined together for a tasty dinner at the Roadhouse, where the kind staff gave us the best table in the house. We went out for a few drinks afterward and then back to the Harati Manor Inn for an early bedtime. Good night sweet dreams!

Caption : Dingboche and SummitClimb Sherpa.

1 Nov - The weather is steadily improving. Today started off a bit cloudy and then it cleared off and became clear. Our Lobuche East Peak team walked to Dingboche. It was super lovely, with abundant fall colours, raging rivers, and lots of wildlife and soaring birds. The walk took up about 3 hours and then we arrived at the Himalayan Culture Home. A lovely quaint lodge in Dingboche town, with its many numerous bakeries and coffee shops. In Dingboche we are never far from a delicious piece of chocolate cake and a cappuccino! Our Lobuche team is now united, the final member was waiting patiently for man days for us to arrive. Yes we made it and are all together at last!!! Our walk-in-from-the-road member is enjoying homely comforts and acclimating in Namche today.

Our Ama Dablam Climb Only Expedition finished the last bits and pieces of gear shopping, and explored around Kathmandu. We enjoyed a lovely dinner at K-Too located in the heart of Thamel which is great for people watching . We are pretty sure we saw people from at least 50 countries inside and outside the restaurant. After dinner we went to a sports pub to watch the Tottenham-Chelsea match. If you like Chelsea you would be happy with the outcome!

Caption : Team and Dingboche. Photo Wendy G.

31 Oct - Happy Halloween and hope everyone is having a spooktacular day !! Today we walked to Pangboche. Some light/medium rain but not too bad. We are getting used to this now, or so it seems (better be careful what you wish for)! Leaving Namache after breakfast, we dropped a lot of elevation through Rhododendron forest to Fungki Thangka for lunch and then made the big climb up to Tengboche Monastery, where monks are chanting and spinning prayer wheels for all of us. There is a pretty good bakery and coffee shop at Tengboche. It’s a pretty hike through Rhodies and Hemlocks with a slight downhill to Deboche, the home of the Ani’s Gompa, one of the oldest nunneries in Nepal, and the site of the famous Deboche Project, where some wonderful sponsors are working hard to preserve Sherpa Women’s Culture. This is prime musk deer habitat, and we were hoping to see one, munching on Rhododendron leaves. Then we crossed over a suspension bridge to hike the last long gradual uphill to Pangboche town, passing through Himalayan Tahr Mountain Sheep habitat on the grassy cliffy slopes above the Dudh Khosi River Gorge. Finally we made it into Pangboche, to the far end of the village where we were welcomed to a nice cup of tea and a warm dry dining room at the lovely Sonam Lodge. A long day but highly rewarding and guess what, we are only 5 metres shy of 4000 metres, a real benchmark in our quest for altitude acclimatization attainment. Our advance member is waiting patiently in Dingboche. Tomorrow is the day we will meet up and our Lobuche team will finally be complete. Our Himalayan Hiker is enjoying maximum rest in Namche today.

Our Ama Dablam only group is now complete with the arrival of the final three members. We are all together now and it feels good to be gelling…finally. We did a lot of gear checking and a marathon of gear shopping at several of Kathmandu’s finest mountain shops, some of which are specialized in renting and hiring, others really good at dealing in used gear and local made quality kit, and several famous shops which only sell brand new imported “world gear”. We heard a Nepalese folk band at dinner and hit the pub for a few drinks. It was Halloween Night, so there were some wild costumes and fancy dress. Loads of fun!

Caption : Lunch stop at Fungki Thangka, Our Members at Sonam Lodge Pangboche. Photo Wendy.

Caption : Trekking through the stunning Khumbu Valley — breathtaking views, crisp mountain air, and unforgettable moments on the way. Photo Daniel P.

30 Oct - Namche Rest Day Today. For the sake of a bit more acclimatization, we walked up to Everest View Hotel in the rain and fog. Not much going on up there so we came back down to Hilltop Hotel for a delicious hot lunch. We headed downtown for cappuccino and chocolate cake and a few rounds of billiards and beers at the Irish Pub. It was fun walking around the streets of Namche and checking out all of the shops and souvenir tables. Later on we hiked back up to Hilltop and went a little further to see the excellent Sherpa Museum. In the evening we huddled around the toasty warm yak dung stove in Hilltop’ toasty warm dining room. Great rest day. Our advance members walked up to Dingboche to touch the snow and go on a meditation quest to the Lawudo Monastery. Our Himalayan through hiker stayed down in town and looks they will chillax in Namche for a few more days. Our Ama Dablam only team began arriving in Ktm and we checked their gear and did shopping. We met up with some returning Baruntse members for fabulous Thai food and then hit Sam’s Bar for a quick one afterward. It rained a lot today all over Nepal, but we somehow managed to make the best of it

Caption : Kathmandu trekking shop. Restaurant at Kathmandu. Photo Dan.

Caption : One of many Prayer wheels and Suspension bridge. Photo Killian R.

29 Oct - We got up early, had breakfast and started walking up the trail. The rain abated and it stayed mainly dry. We walked through the villages of Benkar and Monjo and entered Sagarmatha National Park. After completing a few entry formalities we stopped for lunch at Buddha Lodge in Jorsalle, along the roaring Sun Khosi River. After lunch we trekked through pretty forests and started climbing up, crossing the famous suspension bridge at the junction of the Dudh Khosi and Bhote Khosi Rivers. Then it was uphill all afternoon, walking at a slow steady pace with plenty of rest stops, until the first glimpse of Namche Bazaar, where we got to stroll through Namche’s water park with all of the lovely water powered prayer wheels, wander the streets of downtown Namche, have a quick cappuccino and a slice of apple pie, and then climb the final hill up to Hilltop Lodge where we will be staying for the next few days. Hilltop Lodge is a beautiful lodge with fabulous views down into Namche Town and looking across the valley to Kwangde Ri, the massive peak dominating the skyline over the Bhote Khosi River valley. What a tough but rewarding day. Everyone is feeling quite well. Our early trekking group walked up to Pangboche today and our Road Warrior who trekked in from the end of the road also made it to Namche today, powerd by tongba drink. All of us are looking forward to getting some well deserved rest, eating lots of pizza, chocolate cake, having molti cappuccini and maybe even a pint or two

Caption : Namche bazaar and Hotel Everest view.

Caption : Some shots from the amazing Thame trek today — such a scenic and peaceful route! Photo Nat.

Caption : Silently flowing Dudh Koshi River and the walking trail leading toward the Himalayas. Photo Nat.

Caption : Member enjoying the trail with the iconic Hillary Bridge in the background. Photo Daniel P.

28 Oct - We woke up in Namaste Lodge at Lukla after a good night’s rest and had a big breakfast, then sorted out our bags and got them loaded on yaks. It was raining but thank heavens we were well prepared with rain gear and umbrellas. We trekked down through various checkposts where we had to register for certain entry permits and then continued to walk downhill along beautiful trails through oak and pine forest, along the Sun Khosi River, crossing several times on picturesque suspension bridges. We walked through Ghat Villages with all of its carved boulders painted with white Buddhist prayers, and on to Phakding, developed lunch town. Finally we reached Zamphute town and the Sonam Guesthouse, where we dried out by the warm stove in the dining room and had a nice dinner and went to sleep in our comfortable bedrooms. A good start to the trek = our first day on the trail, albeit downhill all of the way! Our advanced trekkers had a good day of walking around in Namche, taking pictures of the new snow piling up on the bushes and trees above town….a winter wonderland!

Caption : himalayan mona. Himalayan Tahr Mountain Sheep. Photo Nat.

Caption : Prayer wheels and Lord Buddha’s painting blessing the trail to Phakding.

Caption : Dinner time at Phakding.

Caption : Hiking towards Phakding. Photo Wendy

27 Oct - We awoke in Harati Manor Inn Hotel at 630am and got our bags ready to go to the airport. We had a big breakfast at 7am and we sorted our bags into four piles: a) storage, b) carryon, c) trekking duffle, d) climbing duffle. We took some group photos, tipped the hotel staff, and piled into 2 vans. Arriving at KTM domestic airport, our office staff was there to greet us and help us to enter the waiting room. Our first group helicoptered to Lukla around noon and our second group around 3pm. It was a very smooth and scenic flight. Our bags arrived throughout the day, on various cargo flights. The weather began to turn cloudy. We stayed in Namaste Lodge and enjoyed lunch and dinner and went to bed early, in anticipation of tomorrow’s trek. Our Namche pre-trekking group had fun hiking around town and going to Everest View Hotel, for first views of Ama Dablam. Our road warrior finished his bus and jeep journey from KTM to Surke Village, had a nice dinner and a big mug of Tonga Drink, and fell asleep in a soft well –deserved bed.

Caption: There she is. AmaDablam. Photo Nat and Peter

Caption : Lukla. Photo Daniel P.

Caption : Video by Wendy

Caption : Heli ride and Lukla. Photo Wendy.

Namche Bazaar. Team member with Lukla dog. Photo Peter and Wendy

Caption : Departure from the hotel for the domestic airport. Teams are hiring and Purchasing climbing equipment at the ktm trekking shop.

26 Oct - Lobuche News and Ama Dablam News -

Today was a busy day and a lot of things fell into place. One of our members left the hotel at 4am to catch his bus to the beginning of the trek in the Khumbu (he chose not to fly with the group). We enjoyed a delicious breakfast in the hotel while one of our members arrived from the airport. We checked their gear and went shopping for high altitude clothing and boots, also changing money and buying some snack food at the supermarket. The two members who arrived yesterday woke up and we checked their gear and took them shopping as well. We had a lovely lunch at a garden restaurant. Some of our team were feeling a bit jet laggy, so took a nap. We checked the weather forecast and a big storm is supposed to come in on the 28th, so we decided to fly tomorrow, on the 27th. It’s a challenging decision to make and involves a bit of “gear-changing” but, what to do, its better than getting caught in a transport bottleneck due to Lukla airport closures. Our members are to be commended for their ability to switch plans on such short notice and be so flexible and adaptable. Truly the mark of a real mountaineer. We had an amazing dinner at the lovely Ying Yang restaurant, and reviewed some expedition logistics with everyone while we sipped our drinks and crunched on yummy food in a private quiet comfortable and rather well appointed dining room. During dinner some last minute arriving members joined us after finishing their gear shopping at the wonderful Kathmandu shop which kindly agreed to stay open late. After the meal we bought a few more essentials and then retreated to the hotel to finish packing and go to bed early as tomorrow will be a big day. Good Night and Rest Well.

BTW our members who began their trek early have now reached Namche, after hiking up the big Namche Hill and are relaxing comfortably in their Namche hotels. Have fun up there friends!!

Caption : Members having dinner at Kathmandu restaurant. Lobuche + AmaDablam Ready to fly Lukla.

25 Oct - Ama Dablam News and Lobuche News: Late last night some members arrived from Singapore. Early this morning one of our members went to the airport to catch the helicopter to Lukla, which involved a fair bit of sitting around and waiting in the ktm airport. Later on this morning a few of us enjoyed breakfast together and afterward we checked some more member’s gear and went shopping to rent/hire their high altitude down gear, mitts, boots, and sleeping bags. Some more members arrived mid morning. They had lunch and then went to bed after the long flight. This afternoon one of our members dropped off their duffle bags / hold-alls here in the hotel, because their plan is to take a bus and jeep up to the starting point of the trek, using the new road system, rather than fly to Lukla. We all met for dinner at 630 pm this evening and enjoyed the delicious food and excellent service at the Roadhouse, including amazing pastries for desert and complete with Irish coffee. Finally we went out to the pub to see someone about a dog, and shared stories and lively discussion. Now it’s off to bed for a comfortable night’s sleep. Btw several of our members are already in the Khumbu and getting a head start on their acclimatization. They have been sending us their photos and videos. Looks like they are having a grand time of it!

Caption : Enjoyed the delicious food and excellent service at the Roadhouse.

Caption : We checked some more member’s gear and went shopping to rent/hire their high altitude down gear, mitts, boots, and sleeping bags.

24 Oct Ama Dablam and Lobuche News: Yesterday a few members arrived, we checked their gear, did shopping for the few missing bits and pieces and they flew to Lukla this morning on the first flight. Incredible weather. Today more members arrived and we had a look at their gear and they went to the Ktm hire shop and hired/rented the high altitude warm clothing, big mitts and big boots. They changed money and got cash out of the cash machine. We ate a few meals together especially yummy pizza, and then went out to a local Pub to enjoy our team camaraderie and stay hydrated