Trip Report
Ama Dablam in the Khumbu Valley, Nepal
Friday November 27, 2015 10:05am
The SW-ridge of Ama Dablam is considered one of the classic climbs of Nepal. Unfortunately its popularity has led to increasing commercialization of this peak, which is therefore now plastered in fixed ropes right from the start of the technical climbing all the way to the very summit. Basically anyone who is able to pull on a jumar and who has money to hire a guide can get to the summit of Ama Dablam. Sadly, the numbers of fixed ropes on the mountain are increasing by the year, because as they freeze into the ice they simply get replaced by a new one the next season. At one point I counted 19 ropes next to each other!

My British climbing partner Jim Broomhead and I were lucky enough to have the peak to ourselves in the spring of 2009 and were able to climb it in pure alpine style without leaving anything behind. The quality of the climbing was excellent with everything from pure rock pitches to steep mixed climbing and clean ice. However, the sheer amount of fixed ropes that we encountered definitely took away from the experience. On some of the pitches the crux was literally not to get tangled up in the fixed lines!

This climb made it clear to me that alpine style should be the only acceptable way to climb in the mountains anywhere on Earth. Nepal needs tourism, but the tourists should honor the Himalayan peaks by staying in the valleys and enjoying the mountains from there, if they do not have the necessary skills to climb them on their own. The method that guiding companies are using now is simply not sustainable and the sad thing is that the number of peaks that they commercialize with fixed ropes is increasing.

Anyway, here are some photos from my experience with Ama Dablam:

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Ama Dablam is the peak on the right, which is on the trail to Everest.
Ama Dablam is the peak on the right, which is on the trail to Everest.
Credit: KristofferSzilas
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Close-up of the south face of Ama Dablam.
Close-up of the south face of Ama Dablam.
Credit: KristofferSzilas
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A bit of rock at the start of the real climbing.
A bit of rock at the start of the real climbing.
Credit: KristofferSzilas
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Excellent rock on Ama Dablam.
Excellent rock on Ama Dablam.
Credit: KristofferSzilas
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View towards Thamserku.
View towards Thamserku.
Credit: KristofferSzilas
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We left our tent on this eagle's nest and made what we thought would b...
We left our tent on this eagle's nest and made what we thought would be an easy dash to the summit. It turned out that this dash would require 36 hours of non-stop climbing to the summit and back. Needless to say we slept very well when we got back.
Credit: KristofferSzilas
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This mixed pitch was probably a full grader harder, because I also had...
This mixed pitch was probably a full grader harder, because I also had to avoid getting tangled up in this mess of fixed ropes.
Credit: KristofferSzilas
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A bit of rock.
A bit of rock.
Credit: KristofferSzilas
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Getting to the icy upper sections.
Getting to the icy upper sections.
Credit: KristofferSzilas
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This was the worst section of fixed lines on the climb. I counted 19 r...
This was the worst section of fixed lines on the climb. I counted 19 ropes! The climbing was straightforward ice so it didn't make any sense.
Credit: KristofferSzilas
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Climbing on the 'Dablam' hanging glacier.
Climbing on the 'Dablam' hanging glacier.
Credit: KristofferSzilas
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Falling ice from the hanging glacier is the main objective danger on t...
Falling ice from the hanging glacier is the main objective danger on this climb.
Credit: KristofferSzilas
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We kept climbing towards the summit after nightfall, which was a very ...
We kept climbing towards the summit after nightfall, which was a very exciting feeling. We ended up on the summit at midnight and had a great view of the stars and the shadow of Everest to the north.
Credit: KristofferSzilas
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We got lost on the descent because we were so tired and ended up rappe...
We got lost on the descent because we were so tired and ended up rappelling down the south face from this old backpack that was frozen into the ice. Probably the most sketchy anchor I've ever used!
Credit: KristofferSzilas
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Rappelling in the morning.
Rappelling in the morning.
Credit: KristofferSzilas
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Finally some sun to get warmed up.
Finally some sun to get warmed up.
Credit: KristofferSzilas
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When we arrived back at our tent after 36 hours on the go, we pretty m...
When we arrived back at our tent after 36 hours on the go, we pretty much fell into a coma. The next day my brain still had difficulties with simple tasks such as tying the laces on my boots.
Credit: KristofferSzilas
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We then headed over to attempt the north face of Cholatse, but that is a different TR:
http://www.supertopo.com/tr/Attempt-on-the-north-face-of-Cholatse-Nepal/t12887n.html

  Trip Report Views: 3,913
KristofferSzilas
About the Author
Kristoffer Szilas is a mountain climber from Denmark.

Comments
HermitMaster

Social climber
my abode
  Nov 27, 2015 - 10:22am PT
Wow!!!

Great report.
Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber
Out Of Bed
  Nov 27, 2015 - 12:22pm PT
ooo, thats tat right there! A frozen into the matrix abandoned, pack? SCARY!
glad to see you where aware of it at least ,
what will the children make of it?
"what ? No Boltz?"
(Sorry Ive been responding to another thread, where people,new to climbing & from the Indoor game, are endorsing bolts)
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
  Nov 27, 2015 - 12:25pm PT
sacred heart of the mountain

very nice

Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber
San Francisco
  Nov 27, 2015 - 12:25pm PT
Hell yeah! Great route to mini trax!

:)

Thank you for another awesome report.
KristofferSzilas

Mountain climber
Denmark
Author's Reply  Nov 27, 2015 - 12:29pm PT

Actually, at first we simply wanted to thread our rope through the cord, but in a brief moment of clarity I thought we better give it a bounce test before we pulled the ropes from the anchor above us.
That turned out to be a good idea as you can see.

We then tried to add an ice screw that we had found, but it hit rock half way in every place we tried it.
In the end we simply equalized this ice screw and some webbing on the pack and hoped for the best...
Steve Grossman

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
  Nov 28, 2015 - 02:37pm PT
Radical Rap Anchor...

Seems like all those fixed lines would pose a problem for clients if you were bothered by them.
wbw

Trad climber
'cross the great divide
  Nov 28, 2015 - 07:29pm PT
Awesome looking route. Great trip report!
lars johansen

Trad climber
West Marin, CA
  Nov 28, 2015 - 07:44pm PT
Thanks for this report on your great adventure.-lars
KristofferSzilas

Mountain climber
Denmark
Author's Reply  Dec 4, 2015 - 09:04am PT
UIAA Statement regarding Proposed Restrictions on Mount Everest

One could wish that UIAA and the Nepalese government would do the same for Ama Dablam, which is far more technical than Everest and therefore has even more fixed lines desecrating it.
le_bruce

climber
Oakland, CA
  Dec 4, 2015 - 09:15am PT
Beautiful. Really like the hanging glacier shot as the sun is going down over clouds.

What sort of temps are you in here, ballpark? Pulling on granite gloveless is not an image I'm used to seeing in the big Himalayan peaks.

johntp

Trad climber
Punter, Little Rock
  Dec 4, 2015 - 09:39am PT
Nice TR. Why don't they cut the exposed portions of old fixed ropes to minimize the clutter?
KristofferSzilas

Mountain climber
Denmark
Author's Reply  Dec 4, 2015 - 09:48am PT
In the sun it was great. Maybe +15 degrees Celsius.
At night near the summit it was maybe -25 degrees Celsius, because I could not stay warm even when climbing while wearing my fiber jacket. My body was shivering uncontrollably non-stop for about 10 hours that night, so I was pretty drained of energy the next day and could not think straight.
Ezra Ellis

Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
  Dec 5, 2015 - 03:15am PT
World class my friend!
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
  Dec 5, 2015 - 09:54am PT
So beautiful!!
kaholatingtong

Trad climber
The fake McCoy from nevernever land.
  Dec 5, 2015 - 10:09am PT
Wow! Fantastic pictures and an excellent trip report. The ropes are ugly, no doubt, but fortunately you got a full value experience you could share with us!
BASE104

Social climber
An Oil Field
  Dec 5, 2015 - 10:09am PT
Wonderful. Sad to see all of the fixed ropes. I think that other than Everest, Ama Dablam is one the most guided routes in Nepal.

It would be hell to clean it up. Many of those ropes look frozen in for much of their length.
KristofferSzilas

Mountain climber
Denmark
Author's Reply  Dec 5, 2015 - 02:02pm PT
Views from the Eagle's nest bivy:


Ken M

Mountain climber
Los Angeles, Ca
  Dec 5, 2015 - 05:48pm PT
Why don't they cut the exposed portions of old fixed ropes to minimize the clutter?


Who is "THEY"??
johntp

Trad climber
Punter, Little Rock
  Dec 15, 2015 - 11:22am PT
Who is "THEY"??

The guides. Clean up your trash.

BBST
Larry Nelson

Social climber
  May 4, 2016 - 12:38pm PT
Bump for a TR
pud

climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
  May 4, 2016 - 02:28pm PT
Knar !
guido

Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
  May 5, 2016 - 09:45am PT
Awesome TR!
Mark Force

Trad climber
Ashland, Oregon
  May 5, 2016 - 09:59am PT
Inspirational!

As iconic mountains go it has to be one of the most beautiful, exotic, magical, mystical....
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