Ama Dablam Expedition Dispatch

November 7, 2015 – Two Dispatches from Brent Bishop

Find two dispatches below. One for the team and one for our Sherpas.

We’ve had two rest days and will start our summit push to Camp I tomorrow morning. From Camp I we will move to Camp II for another night. This segment will involve climbing mostly on technical rock terrain and will take us through a final vertical pitch on the Yellow Tower.

Camp II will be precariously perched on the edge of the Yellow Tower. The climbing to Camp III will take the team along the exposed snow and ice mushroom ridge. Once at Camp III, we will have an early morning climb up the fluted snowfields above the Dablam that lead to the summit. If all goes well, we will be on the Summit of Ama Dablam on the 11th.

The number one goal of our rest days is to do exactly that – rest. So for the last two days we have done nothing but eat, drink, and sleep. We also sorted and packed our meals for the next four days. Our friend Peter Hillary (Sir Edmund Hillary ’son) visited for a few hours yesterday. Peter has been on numerous expeditions with our Sirdar, Ang Temba, and Brent, our Western Climbing leader. Peter was leading a small trek and decided to detour to Ama Dablam when he heard news of our team at Base Camp. Tea and stories passed the afternoon. When Sherpas heard that Peter was in camp, photos were taken and connections to the Hillary family were made. It’s hard to overstate the positive impact that Ed Hillary, and his legacy through the Hillary Trust, has made in the Khumbu region. So, having Peter as our guest is kind of like royalty showing up for tea.

Sherpa Dispatch

A dispatch acknowledging our Sherpa staff is long overdue. Enough superlatives can’t be given to our team, and without them we would have little to no chance for success; they literally make climbing the mountain possible. The work load that is carried is phenomenal and the enthusiastic attitude is never wavering. Sir Ed Hillary once said (paraphrased) that the Sherpas actually possessed the traits that we, as westerners, liked to think we embody. More importantly than simply the logistical support, our Sherpa staff gives the team a wonderful human connection to the region. What makes climbing in the Khumbu so special is not just the pure act of climbing these ethereal peaks, but the shared experience made possible with our Sherpa friends.

Our team is led by our Sirdar, Ang Temba, and everything runs through him. Temba was a strong Everest climber in his youth and has taken a leading role in organizing climbing and trekking expeditions for the last 25 years. As an elder statesman in the community, he makes everything we do possible. We have two experienced climbing Sherpas, Palden and Lakpa. Both these Sherpas have been on Everest and Ama Dablam multiple times and their strength is amazing. They help carry loads, fix lines, and make the climb possible - period. An army runs on its stomach and an expedition is no different. Our cooks name is Jatha and he surprises us every day with what he serves us at Base Camp: baked goods, yak steaks, pizza, fried chicken and even tuna sushi. All this is at 15,000 feet. Jatha has two helpers, Pasang and Selia, and they collect water and act as prep cooks. If it sounds as though Base Camp is a bit luxurious, it is, but this is how most expeditions in Nepal are staffed.