Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
| Messages 1 - 51 of total 51 in this topic |
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Original Post - Nov 26, 2009 - 10:00pm PT
|
Three different views of climbing Ama Dablam in 1979 once it was opened up for climbing again.
Tom Frost's account from Summit August-September 1979.
Doug Robinson on mixed ground between Camps 1 and 2. Tom Frost photo.
And two perspectives from Mountain March -April 1980.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
|
|
Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
|
|
|
Nov 27, 2009 - 02:39am PT
|
Awesome. I'd love to climb that mountain.
|
|
neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
|
|
|
Nov 27, 2009 - 03:15am PT
|
hey there steve, say... this is a really great way to present a climb like this:
in a three-in-one view... really neat...
thanks for the shared info...
:)
edit: oooopsss, the pictures are just fully downloading, ... did NOT know there were so many nice ones... had only see the first half of the post...
great mountain shots... :)
|
|
Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
|
|
|
Nov 27, 2009 - 09:38am PT
|
Thanks!
I'm interested in anything about Nepal, Khumbu, and Sherpas.
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 27, 2009 - 06:21pm PT
|
Jeff's solo adventure is truly inspiring and out there! I hope that he will join in.
|
|
wildone
climber
GHOST TOWN
|
|
|
Nov 27, 2009 - 06:23pm PT
|
How many hook placements did they enhance?
|
|
Fritz
Trad climber
Hagerman, ID
|
|
|
Nov 27, 2009 - 08:06pm PT
|
Steve: Thanks for posting up a great group of articles. I looked at the post on my first read ------and had "dejae vue all over again."
I had read the two articles from Mountain, while researching Royal Robbins ads, about a week ago.
What's the odds that two Tacoites would be reading the same 1970's Mountain articles in such a short time-span?
That Jello-----he was a "rope rocket."
|
|
ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
|
|
|
Nov 27, 2009 - 10:35pm PT
|
How many hook placements did they enhance?
Hey Wildobeast. Keep your adolescent remarks within the WOS threads and stay out of Steve's historical contributions, unless you have something pertinent to add. You're like the heckler in the back of the classroom, who knows nothing of the current discussion. Right, this is history son, so pay attention.
Arne
|
|
wildone
climber
GHOST TOWN
|
|
|
Nov 27, 2009 - 11:52pm PT
|
Deleted.
|
|
Majid_S
Mountain climber
Bay Area , California
|
|
|
Nov 28, 2009 - 12:28am PT
|
Picture of Ama Da Blan taken from our tent in 2002 on Lobuche BC
[/url]
[/url]
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 28, 2009 - 12:42am PT
|
What an amazing mountain! Nice shots, Majid.
|
|
johntp
Trad climber
socal
|
|
|
Nov 28, 2009 - 08:47pm PT
|
Awesome! I remember raptly reading this stuff; too bad I moved too many times and always purged before each move. I left too many mags and catalogs and gear on the curb.
Jello's account of Ama Dablam is one of my favorite reads.
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 28, 2009 - 09:44pm PT
|
Another view from the Book of Modern Mountaineering edited by Malcolm Milne, 1968.
|
|
Michael Hjorth
Trad climber
Copenhagen, Denmark
|
|
|
Nov 30, 2009 - 05:12pm PT
|
Yes, it was an inspiring article. Possibly to the extend that me and my Danish friends went there in Oct. 1988...
We were there I think in the last season where it was possible to be alone on the South Ridge. And we managed to climb the mountain in pure alpine style, not using the old fixed ropes nor sherpas above base. Well, my friends did; I ran out of steam at c. 6400 m and waited at the snow shoulder (the "Dablam") while they went up. One week later two more from our group reached the summit. A good trip!
Here is a recorded report (mp3-file) from the Radio Nepal:
Radio Nepal
And some pictures.
Ama Dablam:
From Tengboche:
Tengboche Monastery before the fire in 1989:
From Khumjung:
ABC and Kantega:
Bo Christensen and me on the ridge in 6000 m:
On Ama Dablam South Ridge:
Soren Smidt before the Mushroom Ridge:
Soren Smidt on the upper slopes. It's me on the snowledge down to the right:
Soren and Bo on summit; Lhotse and Everest behind:
Getting the records straight with Himalya chronicler Elizabeth Hawley:
We even wrote a book!
Michael
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 2, 2009 - 10:17am PT
|
Michael- Fantastic adventure for your team! Thanks for sharing the photos.
Do you recall what year the mountain was closed to climbing?
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 3, 2009 - 11:53pm PT
|
The classic Tom Frost shot of Jeff looking stud!
|
|
Jello
Social climber
No Ut
|
|
|
Dec 12, 2009 - 02:26am PT
|
I agree with Pate: great pics, Michael! What a classy mountain...
And Steve, Tom Frost can make anyone look like a stud, when all the while the real stud is behind the lens.
-JelloTheWobbly
|
|
Michael Hjorth
Trad climber
Copenhagen, Denmark
|
|
|
Dec 12, 2009 - 05:53am PT
|
Thanks; it's an honour to show them and get comments from you guys!
Steve: No, I do not recall when it was closed. Maybe Jello would know: The 1979 was the first expedition since the 1961, where Bishop and Hillary et al fell into bad standing due to their slightly illegal climb. As it was climbed regular after the Frost-Lowe et al ascent, maybe it was before 79?
When I write that ours was the last chance to be alone, only means that after 1988 Ama D became one of the most popular peaks for guided expeditions, knitted into an amour of fixed ropes. So it goes ...
**
With a slight drift I can mention that one hour ago I said farewell to wellknown climbing sherpas Pertemba Sherpa (of SWF-Everest fame) and multi-multi everester (and recently Ama D) Phurba Tashi Sherpa, who stayed in my flat during the Summiteers Summit here in Copenhagen. Nice guys, lots of stories!
Will put up a climbing related COP15-thread soon...
|
|
Michael Hjorth
Trad climber
Copenhagen, Denmark
|
|
|
Feb 17, 2011 - 08:09am PT
|
- another selfish bump...!
|
|
survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
|
|
|
Feb 17, 2011 - 09:00am PT
|
SWEET!!!!
|
|
guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
|
|
|
Feb 17, 2011 - 03:39pm PT
|
ASB-"another selfish bump" is fine with me as I missed this before and it is a classic. Sweet as..............
|
|
Barbarian
Trad climber
The great white north, eh?
|
|
|
Apr 13, 2011 - 12:28pm PT
|
Bumping this agin for great content.
BTW - Is there anypone else here who wishes we could get Tom Frost to get on SuperTopo and tell us some storiies? He's a great guy, super photographer, and gear designer extaordinaire!
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - May 11, 2011 - 02:11pm PT
|
Tom isn't likely to post here as he really isn't a computer entertained kind of guy. I can easily get questions answered for you as I am currently his biographer and talk with him on the phone several times a week.
If you want to ask him questions about his experiences in person then come to the gathering in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the FA of the Salathe Wall happening in Yosemite Valley On October 22.
Tom makes himself available to everyone at these special events. Since he stopped doing slideshows at the Lodge this is your golden opportunity to get a hit of the man if you desire to do so. He is totally service oriented in his personal philosophy and isn't inclined to leave any gathering before all questions are answered.
|
|
Ain't no flatlander
climber
|
|
|
May 11, 2011 - 02:41pm PT
|
Ask Tom to tell you the story behind his photo of Harlin on the Aiguille Du Fou in '63. Whose idea was it for Harlin to "walk the plank?" Still one of my favorite alpine photos.
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - May 11, 2011 - 03:45pm PT
|
Will do.
|
|
cleo
Social climber
Berkeley, CA
|
|
|
May 11, 2011 - 05:31pm PT
|
Wow!
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - May 11, 2011 - 08:02pm PT
|
Little known fact- Tom Frost engineered the Hummingbird tools and the Footfangs working with Greg and Jeff.
|
|
marv
Mountain climber
Bay Area
|
|
|
May 11, 2011 - 08:02pm PT
|
that's incredibly cool. I've fantasized about climbing the West Face in winter.
guess I'll get to it out after my Cerro Torre-Fitzroy mega-enchainment
|
|
Johnny K.
climber
Southern,California
|
|
|
May 12, 2011 - 06:37pm PT
|
Such crisp history,delightful to read!Thanks!
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - May 13, 2011 - 11:37am PT
|
How cool must it have been for Jeff's father, Ralph, to get to see his son climb and lead so brilliantly! This was a family affair. Once Tom figured out that the 5K that he was going to make on the expedition was enough to cover his family's expenses, he invited them along and encouraged the rest of the expedition to do the same. The atmosphere which resulted was unique for an expedition and made the experience even richer for the participants.
|
|
philo
Trad climber
Somewhere halfway over the rainbow
|
|
|
May 13, 2011 - 12:56pm PT
|
This amazing thread is thoroughly Groovy.
I will return to this many times.
There are no shameful bumps of this thread.
|
|
survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
|
|
|
May 13, 2011 - 01:00pm PT
|
Dear lord, save us from wow really?
|
|
Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
|
|
|
May 13, 2011 - 01:18pm PT
|
The family atmosphere added so much; really it became the defining tone of basecamp and beyond. This is the only trip I've been on that had the classic Himalayan expedition form, but it felt entirely different from all the accounts you read where the expedition falls victim to warring factions and raw ambition.
We had none of that, laughed a lot instead. Everybody felt competent within themselves and trusted one another, and there wasn't much question that we could do the climb. The bigger goal was making a film anyway, and that felt very doable too. The weather was basically perfect and the climbing was classic alpine, up to 5.8 on good granite, patches of 50-degree water ice mixed in among bomber steirofoam snow climbing in a breathtaking setting.
We got up every day and went climbing in inspiring conditions. At the end of a month we had put 10 people on top -- all but one of those who wanted to -- we had the makings of a good film in the bag, we were all still friends and there had never been so much as a raised voice the whole trip.
Ralph Lowe was amazing. He was under severe warning about a heart attack and had gotten reluctant permission from his doctor to go no higher than basecamp at 15,000 feet. Yet one day he wandered into Camp I at 19,000 feet. After hearing Jeff Lowe's stories of being taken to climb the Grand as a young boy, it came full circle to meet his Dad who had made that happen.
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - May 17, 2011 - 09:44pm PT
|
Thanks for weighing in Doug!
Tom has remarked several times to me about how good you are with kids and how much easier that made it for Marna and Ryan to settle in and have a memorable time in Base Camp.
The Sherpas put major emphasis on family so they must have really been grooving on the scene when they could relate so easily to what this particular expedition was about. Tom's account in the AAJ talks about the Sherpas ducking out to check in down in their own villages making their work that much smoother at home.
Dreamy expedition for everyone climbing the neighborhood mountain!
Had the film assignment been less sports and more culturally oriented the whole experience could have been captured to yield an astounding documentary. Hard to not see the missed opportunity on this one!
|
|
yo
climber
a tied-off Tomahawk™
|
|
|
May 17, 2011 - 10:06pm PT
|
What about this rumor: the regulation-size green army duffle chockfull of Reese's peanut butter cups, Snickers, Hershey bars, Baby Ruths, Jolly Ranchers, who can say what other Western delights?
It was kept under lock and key 24/7 by some weak-willed individual. Could it have been Bossier? Super-agent Rodney Korich? Who can say. There were conniving children afoot, not to mention sly Sherpas.
Doug's recollections are nice but when the duffle dipped toward empty well ahead of schedule, oh, the fabric of the expedition was tested indeed.
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - May 17, 2011 - 10:23pm PT
|
Who is your source for all these important rumors?
|
|
tylerbotzon
climber
cayucos ca
|
|
|
May 17, 2011 - 11:26pm PT
|
I just got back 3 days ago, From an alpine style attempt of this incredible mountain. Early season mega monsoon weather with tons of snow shut down the climbing between camp 1 and camp 3. This is one of the most beautiful climbs I have ever seen! I'm on my way back to alaska to work and save up for round 2! In a trance because of this mountain..
|
|
Doug Robinson
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
|
|
|
May 18, 2011 - 12:23am PT
|
Sorry to hear you got snowed out, Tyler.
Our experience was radically different: sunbathing naked at Camp II (19,600') pretty much any morning up there. The camp was on an ice shelf fifty feet down off the east side of the ridge. You'd pull your foam pad out of the tent, stretch it across the ice and up the granite for a backrest, look straight off at the sunrise over the Mingbo La at about the same elevation, and roll up some of the local ganja. Then suit up and carry a load and it would be snowing lightly as we came back down the fixed ropes in the afternoon.
I didn't touch that green duffel, I swear...
|
|
Majid_S
Mountain climber
Bay Area , California
|
|
|
May 18, 2011 - 02:45am PT
|
I think I had the best view off my hotel room from Loboche advance camp
[/url]
[/url]
|
|
rodney korich
Mountain climber
evergreen,co
|
|
|
Jul 11, 2011 - 03:43pm PT
|
my alabi is that i was over on the Arun river scouting for the second film
|
|
reddirt
climber
PNW
|
|
|
Jul 31, 2011 - 01:12pm PT
|
a bump for Jello
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 28, 2013 - 08:58pm PT
|
Tell us more rodney.
|
|
Scole
Trad climber
Joshua Tree
|
|
|
Dec 29, 2013 - 05:11pm PT
|
Ama Dablam (Mother's Charm Box) is one of the most beautiful mountains in the world, and one of the best I have climbed. It would have been nice without all the ratty fixed lines and the electron ladder fixed on the 5.8 pitch made it impossible to free, but what an amazing place!
I was impressed with the sacrifice that all of the teams on the mountain made when one of our team members was seriously injured by rockfall. Everyone stopped what they were doing and helped with the carry out. Several teams sacrificed their own summit chances to help an injured foreigner.
|
|
Michael Hjorth
Trad climber
Copenhagen, Denmark
|
|
|
Dec 29, 2013 - 05:49pm PT
|
Nice to see this string rolling again! I could add a few shots of semi naked friends sunbathing at altitude on our autumn 88 trip - just to back up Guido's story...!
Until then: Happy New Year!
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 31, 2013 - 03:09pm PT
|
Right back at ya, Michael!
Post and Proost!
|
|
Michael Hjorth
Trad climber
Copenhagen, Denmark
|
|
|
Nov 16, 2015 - 02:04pm PT
|
Hm, seems that I totally forgot my promise to post more photos from our 1988 (post monsoon) Danish Ama Dablam Expedition. The half naked people though are rather boring - and the following only slighty less. Anyway...:
Me hiking towards ABC:
ABC:
Bivouac on the Dablam:
Our doctor Henrik Jessen Hansen on summit. Makalu behind:
The team:
Henrik being carried out due to frostbite. Taweche behind:
A small Swiss group with young photographer Robert Bösch (of Mammut fame, right) swapped their N-Ridge route with our S-Ridge, which they dispatched quickly after our ascent:
Michael
|
|
KristofferSzilas
Mountain climber
Denmark
|
|
|
Nov 16, 2015 - 02:57pm PT
|
Too bad that some people apparently don't respect the mountains any more. Ama Dablam is getting uglier by the year because of tourists who wants to summit at any cost...
This is what that mountain looked like when I did an alpine-style ascent of its SW-ridge in 2009:
The crux of this climb has literally become not to trip over fixed lines!
|
|
Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
|
|
|
Topic Author's Reply - Apr 8, 2017 - 04:13pm PT
|
Bump for the love of a pristine peak...
|
|
originalpmac
Mountain climber
Timbers of Fennario
|
|
|
Jan 20, 2018 - 07:31pm PT
|
Good stuff.
|
|
Bale
Mountain climber
UT
|
|
|
Aug 29, 2018 - 10:53am PT
|
Bump for Jeff and Tom.
|
|
| Messages 1 - 51 of total 51 in this topic |
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!