November 7, 2010

Looking down the route from near the old Camp 3 site (not used much anymore). The tents at Camp 2 are visable lower on the ridge. (Photo by Justin Merle)

IMG guide Mark Allen reports that the climbers successfully reached Camp 2 and they are on track for their summit bid.  They said that they did not see the helicopter crash today that has been reported.  Apparently the Fishtail Air AS350B3 crashed somewhere on the mountain today, while doing a rescue, but it was nowhere near our team.

Marks says everyone is doing well and they are looking forward to the climb tomorrow.  We’ll keep you posted!

Eric Simonson

November 5, 2010

The ridge from C2 to the summit. (Photo by Justin Merle)

IMG leader Mark Allen reports form Base Camp at 15000 feet (4600m) that the team had a couple good rest days after their practice run up to Camp 1 at 18860 feet (5750m).  Now they are set to head up for the summit.  The weather report is good, the team is ready, and our sherpa team has done a great job preparing the route and camps.  Several other teams went to the summit in the past few days and they report that all the monsoon snow has slid off the Dablam Glacier (above Camp 3) leaving the slopes to the summit icy and firm, just the way we want it to be (no snow avalanche hazard).

The plan is for the team is to go back up to Camp 1 today, then tomorrow to push on up to “Camp 2.7” on the Mushroom Ridge, at about 20,500 feet (6250m).   Camp 2.7 is between the historic Camp 2 and Camp 3 sites, and provides an intermediate location.  From there the plan would be to go to the summit on the 8^th and back to Camp 2, and back to Base Camp on the 9^th.

Hopefully the mountain says “yes” to this plan.  We’ll keep you posted!

Eric Simonson

November 4, 2010

Approach hike to Camp 1. (Photo by George Dunn)

Rest day number one is in the books for the Ama Dablam crew. Mark called in last night to report that all is well and everybody is using these two days to heal up the best they can. After the rest days, the team will head back up to C1 then on up to their second camp located on the SW ridge at roughly 21,000ft. They’ll summit from this camp then drop down a little lower before heading back to C1 and on down to BC.

Until then it’s another well deserved lazy day at Ama Base Camp.

Tye Chapman

November 3, 2010

A photo from the tents at Camp 1. (photo by George Dunn)

Ama Dablam guide Mark Allen called in this morning to report that the team is back down at Base Camp safe and sound. All their needed equipment and food have been successfully cached at C1. A rest day or two and then they’ll be heading back up for the final time en route to the summit!

That’s all for now…but more to come!

Tye Chapman

November 2, 2010

Mark Allen and the IMG team made it up to Camp 1 today and sent us this SPOT from there.  The photo below on the right is a good shot of the slabby rock leading up to Camp 1.  So far so good!

Eric Simonson

November 1, 2010

IMG leader Mark Allen reports from the 4600m (15,088ft) Ama Dablam Base Camp, that the team is doing well.  Panuru and Ang Pasang returned to BC after fixing on the upper mountain and it sounds like the route is in good shape.  Mark reports that “the Main Lama from Pangboche came up and gave our climbing team an extreme blessing for our puja ceremony.  The climbing Sherpas erected several rows of prayer flags that are intended to give us safe climbing. Then, it snowed over night up to 4″ in Base Camp, forcing us to take another rest day!”

Many of you have asked about the new “cell phone service on Everest” that has been in the news lately.  We sent Mark out with a new data network card for the laptop to experiment with, and a GSM cell phone as well.  So far it seems to be working OK, but at Lobuche BC there was no cell service, so we needed the satellite phone.  At Ama Dablam BC they have to walk about 200m out of camp to hit the cell tower.  My impression is that the sat phones will still be needed by expeditions to provide redundancy, as the cell service is still spotty in the upper valley.

The weather is now looking good, and everyone is excited.  The current plan is to move up to Camp 1 on November 2.  They will send the gear duffels up to 17700ft on yaks, from where they will ferry the loads up to C1 (5750m, 18860ft).  The next day the team will head up onto the ridge towards Camp 2 for more technical training and acclimatization, then descend back to BC for a couple more rest days, before heading back up for the summit bid.

We’ll keep you posted!

Eric Simonson

October 28, 2010

IMG sirdar Ang Pasang reported from Ama Dablam Base Camp a couple days ago that he and Panuru Sherpa have now set up the BC in preparation for the arrival of the climbers after they wrap up their acclimatization on Lobuche Peak.  Ang Pasang and Panuru are two of our most senior sherpas, and they have each climbed Ama Dablam multiple times.  Now, Ang Pasang reports that they have completed their first trip up to Camp 1 to claim a tent site at the camp.  They also took 750 meters of fixed rope up with them.  Tomorrow they are planning to climb up to Camp 3 and fix ropes along the way.  Several other sherpas from other teams are also going up with them to work on the fixing, so they are hoping to get new rope fixed on much of the route over the next couple days.  We’ll look forward to getting a report on the climbing conditions on the route from them when they get back down!

Eric Simonson

Camps 1,2 and 3 at Ama Dablam

October 28, 2010

IMG guide Mark Allen called on the sat phone to report that the team had a nice climb of Lobuche Peak today, followed by a safe descent back to Base Camp.  It was a long hard day, but everyone is back down and doing well.  Tomorrow the plan is to descend to Dingboche, where they will have a well earned rest day.  Congrats to the guides, climbers and sherpas for a job well done!

Eric Simonson