Ama Dablam Expedition Dispatch

November 4, 2015 – The Push to Yak Camp and Camp I

We are back at Base Camp after a successful rotation to acclimate higher on the mountain. The team first moved up to what is referred to as Yak Camp at 17,600 feet. It’s called Yak Camp because Yaks can actually walk to this camp. The hike up is relatively easy walking and takes you into the Mingbo glacier drainage of Ama Dablam.

The camp sits on a barren shoulder that is covered with scree and small boulders and is absent of water. The snow that made passage difficult on Lobuche was still present, so melting snow to hydrate and cook with was easy.

The following day we moved up another 1,300 feet to Camp I. The day started off easy enough on a faint path through scree, but then the trail winds through a large boulder field and finally up through a short head wall to get to camp. Hopping from boulder to boulder is not an easy task at over 18,000 feet, nor is ascending a fixed line for 100 meters (328 feet), but the team moved well over this terrain.

Our camp site is situated just off the true Southwest ridge, giving us stunning views of the South face and the route above. Since there are no good places to place a tent in the 45 degree rock slope, we had to make platforms in the rock to pitch our tents. Of course our climbing Sherpas, Palden and Lhakpa, did the heavy lifting with construction. We spent a tranquil night perched on the side of the ridge and received the sun's first rays the following morning. Everybody slept relatively well and is acclimating on schedule.

Three hours of movement from Camp I had the team back to Base Camp. It’s amazing how the body feels when you descend 4,000 feet and there is air to breath. The team will rest, stockpile calories, and hydrate, before our summit push. For now, we are strong and moving well, and are in a good position to take advantage of a summit window.