Overview
An expedition to Ama Dablam is quite an adventure! Ama Dablam is one of the most stunning peaks in the Himalayas, known for its aesthetic beauty and technical climbing challenges.
Besides the physical challenges and adventure, expeditions to Ama Dablam offer a unique opportunity to experience the rich culture and traditions of the Sherpa people, who inhabit the region around Everest and Ama Dablam.
Before embarking on the expedition, extensive preparation is necessary. This includes physical conditioning, technical training in climbing techniques, altitude acclimatization, and gathering the necessary gear and equipment.
Itinerary
Arrival in Kathmandu International Airport; reception and transfer to hotel. Most probably your hotel will be in Thamel, that is about 4km away from airport and takes about 20min when the traffic is not bad. Upon reaching hotel, room check is followed by welcome drinks and briefing about today’s activities. Probably, today being the first day in Kathmandu after a long flight from home, it’s good to have a rest for some time and then go for rambling by your hotel area.
Later in the evening you’re invited to the welcome dinner from the side of Alpine Exodus in which your expedition guide/s, assistant/s, and available number of supporting staffs are joined too. We will introduce each other with the staff as well. Return to hotel and good night by 8:30 – 9pm. O/N at Hotel/BB.
Days in Kathmandu before embarking in the remotes. Obtain the climbing permits, city tours, preparation, and lots of Q&A, last-minute shopping, and possibly further trip briefing formalities by the Officer in the Mountaineering Division, Tourism Department. O/N at Hotel/BB.
Participation as Day 02.
No matter where you fly in from out of Kathmandu or Ramechhap; only the early morning flights like 6 onwards to until 9am are good because of the windy later in the afternoonb. Only best weather-days allow late morning or the noon flights. Alpine Exodus always arranges best timing flights.
If the flight is to make from Ramechhap, we do suggest that you should reach to Ramechhap on the day before. If not the flight check in comes to be a rush. At Ramechhap, there are well established lodges and hotels for stay and meals. And Alpine Exodus's highly comfortable van takes you there from Kathmandu along the beautiful section of Dhulikhel - Bardibas Highway section. At Khurkot, leaving the Bardibas driving, crosses the Tamakoshi and reach to Manthali in totally 5 to 6hrs from Kathmandu.
The flight to LUA if from Kathmandu takes 25 to 30 min and when its from Ramechhap, it doesn't take more then 15 min. After landing at Lukla, just a few minutes to spend is to sort the loads out to the porters, until which you may try the first cup of tea from the Khumbu region.
Today's trek is easier compare to the days to come and short; to Phakding (2640m/8660ft) for 4-5hrs. Generally, its OK to pass the village if there's lot of time of the days are left and you would like to go for an hour more, but you should talk to the guide if the prebooked can be altered.
Arrive to logde, check in & rest/refresh. Later tea and then go for rambling around, dinner time around 6-7pm. Then good night...
Wake up around 6:30 and by 7, the guide expects you at the restaurant for breakfast. By 8am, the team leaves the lodge. This way we start the trek earlier and arrive to the lodge earlier as well. This way chance to have good weather. Mostly the weather in the late PM, remains cloudy and even showers a little bit. So, those who start earlier and arrive earlier avoid this.
So, starting by 8am, the team will be ready for lunchtime around 11 -12, means hiking for 3-4 hrs before lunch and aftger another 3-4hrs hiking should make a wonderful compete day. The given time doesn't count the rest, photo taking times. It's only walking time.
The team will tend to keep this as a routine for enext few days. I am sure you would love it too. Anyway, this is just a tending, but when you have better ideas and suggstion anything else or need to altercation the timing because of the emergency or anything, please know that this completely flexible.
Namche is 3440m/11284ft, so its time for NOT to gain further elevation within next 24hrs for night spending. Day hikes to gain some further elevation are the best as this makes 'trek high sleep low'. This is infact best idea when traveling in the high altitude routes.
One should read carefully the elevation impacks at your body. Acute mountain sickness (AMS) symptoms are to be well identified. The beginning symptoms that are simple and so are not terrifying anymore and those should disappear over the time after hot drinks and rested well or at least the difficulties that you're feeling should not grow further. Symptoms can be lingering or take time to disappear completely; depends on person to person, but make sure that the difficulties are not developed to further level. It can be easily cured - no need to panic! Talk to your guide and let him know the symptoms, most of those are easily handled without the help of the doctors.
At Namche on the first day most of the trekkers can feel it, but next day they should feel alright. So, see it...
This being the acclimatization day, you should be doing some of the aclimatizing activities like trek high sleep low, spend the day being active etc. Plan your dayhike with your guide.The obvious one is hike to Syangboche, then to HEV and return to Namche.
Services:
- • Certified Climbing Guide & assistant (so the ratio of guide/client will be 2:1. Additional guide/s can be arranged, but applies extra charges),
- • Base camp arrangement with a team of Cook and kitchen helpers (Helpers increase with the number of climbing team members),
- • Hotel accommodation in Kathmandu as the program with breakfast including basis. (Should clients return early from their expedition, clients will be responsible for their extra Kathmandu hotel bookings)
- • Amadablam Peak climbing permit,
- • All trekking permits and entry tickets (Sagarmatha Region Permit and TIMS)
- • All internal-local transportation including Kathmandu to Manthali transfer (depends on what month the trip falls, most probably all the high season flights take place from Manthali),
- • Expedition tents (2 men tents). Local make tents for base camp, these are warmer, cozier and stronger. For higher camps Brands Salewa, Mountain Hardwear, Samaya equipment, Kailas etc.
- • 40 kgs personal weight (Extra additional weight, clients will need to hire an additional porter, estimated $800 USD for a porter. Similarly, on the flight to Lukla after anything 15kg (this is the allowed weight on this flight) per passenger will cost US$ 2.5 for every kg. This is additional too).
- • Chocolate, energy bars, hydration pills, biscuits, canned foods, etc.
- • Burners and expedition equipment,
- • 1 bottle of oxygen (for emergency use only),
- • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner on trek and expedition days,
- • Lodge accommodation during the trek,
- • A porter per two guests on trek (the expedition porters may not follow the Gokyo loop trail. They head directly to ABC from Namche),
- • Kathmandu (or Manthali) to Lukla and return flight tickets,
- • Arrival pick-up and departure,
- • Basic First aid kit
- • Welcome/Farewell Dinner
Extras;
- • Visas and travel insurance, international airtickets,
- • Entertainment and food (in Kathmandu),
- • Bottled drinks and beverages,
- • Evacuation (will be done in your account),
- • Summit Tips ($800 USD),
- • Single supplement Charges,
- • Laundry, Phone services, Personal expenditure transactions,
- • Walkie-talkie/ Satellite phone,
- • Gamov Bag (also called APC chamber we suggest to have one),
- • Optional trips,
- • Tea breaks, chocolates or other snacks, and any meals besides breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- • Delay and cancellation because of natural phenomenon,
- • International flights to Kathmandu,
Previous high altitude climb of at least 1 X 6000M and several technical peaks of with alpine/mountaineering climbing experiences are absolutely necessary in order to climb Amadablam peak.
Climbers need to have good knowledge and experience of hiking/climbing using crampons on snow, ice and steep surfaces. Be comfortable in using a fixed rope to climb on steep and exposed sections, traversing on mountain slopes and climbing through spurs on the routes. Climbers must be knowledgeable with the use of climbing gears, basic rope techniques like tying safety knots, and abseiling when coming down from the mountains. And importantly the clients have the mentally and strongly prepared to climb in cold and windy conditions.
- Helmet ( Black diamond, Petzel )
- Alpine Ice Axe (65-70cm)
- A mountaineering harness, with adjustable leg loops.
- Carabiners: 3 locking and 6 regular
- Rappel/belay device: ATC or figure 8
- Crampons 12 points
- Mountaineering boots [Mountaineering boots suitable for above 8000m; La Sportiva or equivalent],
- High cut trekking boots/water proof trek to base camp & low cut like tennis shoes for evening wear,
- Thermal mountaineering socks or equivalent: 5-6 pairs
- Liner socks or equivalent: 5-6 pairs
Body Layers:
- Expedition suits – North face Himalayan suit or similar,
- 4 merino base layers: top / bottom set,
- 5 mid layer top: breathable Underwear,
- Lightweight Nylon Pants: 1 pair,
- Hooded Soft Shell jacket To be worn over other layers,
- Soft Shell Guide Pants: Gore Tex and breathable,
- Hooded Hard Shell: Gore Tex and breathable,
- Hard Shell Pants: Gore Tex and breathable, big enough to wear over your guide trousers,
- Insulated Down Jacket with hood: North Face Himalayan parka or equivalent
- Insulated synthetic Pants: Worn primarily when climbing below Camp 2
- Long jones equivalent to Rab’s Polartec or equivalent: 2 pairs
- Wool hat (ski hat)
- Sunhat: To shade your face / neck from the sun on a hot day
- Buff: To protect your neck / face from the sun
- Glacier glasses: Full protection with side covers or wrap around
- Ski goggles: To be worn on summit day in the event of high winds
- Lightweight synthetic liner gloves: For wearing on a hot day; 2 pairs
- Soft shell gloves: To wear for moderate cold / wind
- Shell glove with insulated liner: To wear for severe cold / strong wind
- Expedition Mittens for bad weather
- Head torch: 1 normal for base camp and 1 with remote battery systems for climbing at night. This will be used whilst climbing at night
- Expedition Backpack: 65L pack should be large enough.
- Trekking Backpack: To carry on the trek to base camp. Simple and light.
- Sleeping Bag: Rated to at least -40°F. Goose down or synthetic
- Compression stuff sacks: 3 large ones; for reducing volume of the sleeping bag, down parka, etc., in your pack.
- High Quality sleeping pad (1 for base camp and 1 for high camps): Full length is preferred,
- Closed cell foam pad: To be used in conjunction with the inflating pad for warmth and comfort when sleeping,
- Trekking poles with snow baskets: Adjustable poles,
- Cup: Plastic insulated cup for drinking,
- Bowl: A plastic bowl for eating dinner or breakfast,
- Spoon: Plastic spoon,
- Sunscreen: SPF 50 or above,
- Lip balm with sun block,
- Water bottles: 2 wide mouth bottles with 1 litter capacity,
- Water bottle parkas (2): fully insulated with zip opening,
- Thermos: 1 liter (buy a good ones to keep your water warm for longer hours),
- Pee bottle: 1 liter minimum bottle for convenience at night in the tent,
- Toiletry bag: Include toilet paper and hand sanitizer and small towel
- Hand warmers & toe warmers
- Pen Knife or multi tool (optional)
- Camera: bring extra batteries and memory cards
- Personal solar charging system (optional but recommended)
- Duffel bags (2) with locks: To transport equipment,
- Base Camp extra Items: Kindle, I pad, smart phone, etc,
- Snack food: Please bring a few days of your favorite climbing snack food such as bars, gels, nuts, beef jerky, etc. A variety of salty and sweet is recommended to give you extra energy.
- Small personal first aid kit: Include athletic tape, Band-Aid’s, Ibuprofen, blister care, personal medications, etc
- Medications and Prescriptions: Bring antibiotics (Azithromycin, etc.), and altitude medicine such as Diamox and dexamethasone etc as per your physician suggested.