Ama Dablam Expedition- 30 Days

The glistening dove-white caps and elegance resonating from whichever angle, Ama Dablam has raved for her majestic appeal and appearance spell-binding to many who have had the good fortune of witnessing her. Ama Dablam gets in name from the Sherpa language which means "mother's necklace". A technical climb this, Ama Dablam Expedition is one of the most famous destinations among mountaineers and enthusiasts. The route offers diverse and persistent climbs with quite a reasonable level of difficulty.

Also known as the "Matterhorn of the Himalayas", we begin our journey to its peak with a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla and then trek through Namche Bazaar, Debuche and Pheriche before setting up at Amadablam base camp. The expedition and the trek leading up to it focuses acclimatization and familiarization with the terrain. The popular way of ascent to Ama Dablam is via the South-Western Ridge, the same route that was followed by a team in the first ascent of the mountain. Three high camps are set up at strategic points for the expedition. The Ama Dablam Expedition moves through Camps I, II and III and on our route, we will be climbing through some of the most spectacular, wide-ranging and aesthetic terrains any mountaineer could anticipate. Blizzards, avalanches, hanging glaciers, soaring edges, and steep faces make it one of the most difficult yet exciting mountains to climb. Throughout the journey to its summit, Ama Dablam offers panoramic views of the Mt. Everest (8848m), Mt. Lhotse (8516m), Mt. Makalu (8463m), Mt. Cho Oyu (8201m) and many more Himalayan peaks. The season between March to June and September to November is considered as the best season for this expedition.

Ama Dablam Expedition is an excellent mix to experience culture, nature, and adventure. We, at Amazing Nepal Trek and Expedition, and our team will offer you the most excellent logistical preparation along with the essential training to make you mentally and physically prepared for scaling the summit. So, join us to make Ama Dablam Expedition your next destination for a travel experience you will never forget.  

Cost Includes

• Arrival airport pick and drop.
• 2 complimentary dinners
• 3 Nights at ★★★ hotel in Kathmandu.
• Personal equipment checking in Kathmandu and guided shopping trips for renting/hiring and purchasing
• Entire land commute during the trip
• Domestic flight fare, airport tax and domestic transfer.
• Standard Tea-house/ Lodge during the trek.
• (B,L,D) Meals during the trek.
• Expedition permit fee/peak permit/royalty
• Climbing Guide (Licensed & Experienced), Enough porters and staffs
• Private High-Altitude Tents/Gamow Bag/PAC Chamber
• Kitchen cookware and staffs
• Duffle Bag (50+ ltr)/Extra baggage/Cargo fee
• Garbage disposal deposit
• Sleeping bags and down jacket for Base Camp purposes
• Private tent/High Altitude Tents at Base Camp with mattress
• Dining tent at Base Camp with a gas heater
• Toilet and shower tent at base camp
• Quality high altitude frozen dried food and individual packet food
• EPI Gas with burner for high camps
• Satellite phone and payable for personal use ($3 p.minute)
• Oxygen with mask set for medical purposes at base camp
• Daily wages, equipment bonus for staff + liaison officer
• Local team members' insurance
• Climbers’ Certificate (Issued by Government)
• Arrangement of Rescue/Medical Helicopter service; covered by your Insurance agency

Cost Excludes

• Visa & Processing Fee
• International flight fares
• Meals other than during the trek and dinners in Kathmandu
• Mineral water and refreshments during the trek
• Personal gears and equipment
• Travel insurance (Cover Helicopter evacuation and Trip Cancellation charges)
• Guide/Porter Tipping

Accommodations:

Tea Houses: There are several tea houses available in the Khumbu region which offer basic accommodation for trekkers and climbers. These tea houses provide simple lodgings such as a bed and a blanket, shared toilets and hot showers, and basic meals.

In some of the places like Lukla, Namche Bazaar you have the possibility to sleep in the relatedly comfortable rooms they have attached bathrooms and running hot showers.

Base Camp: Once you reach the base camp of Ama Dablam, you will need to set up your own tents for sleeping. There are no permanent lodgings at the base camp, so climbers must bring their own camping gear or rent it from a local outfitter.

High Camps: There are two high camps on Ama Dablam, and climbers will need to bring their own tents for sleeping. These high camps are situated at 5,700 meters and 6,400 meters above sea level respectively.

Meals:

Tea Houses: The tea houses in the Khumbu region typically serve basic meals such as dal bhat (rice and lentils), noodles, soups, and vegetables. Some tea houses may also serve Western dishes such as pizza and pasta.

Base Camp: At the base camp of Ama Dablam, climbers will need to bring their own food or hire a cook to prepare meals for them. Common meals at base camp include soups, stews, pasta, and rice dishes.

High Camps: At the high camps on Ama Dablam, climbers will need to bring their own food or hire a cook to prepare meals for them. High altitude cooking can be challenging, so it is important to hire a cook with experience cooking at high elevations. Common meals at high camps include dehydrated or freeze-dried meals, soups, and energy bars.

Certificate:

After the trek is over, you will be provided with ANTE adventure certificate.

Size of Group:

Trekking/Trekking Group Size of our group can range from two people to ten people. In case you want to travel alone, do not hesitate to write to us. We will plan accordingly. In case, you more than ten people, please do let us know so that we can develop and improvise plans and itinerary.

Acclimatization:

Acclimation is the process of allowing the body to adjust to the decreased oxygen levels at higher altitudes. It is an essential part of climbing Ama Dablam or any other high altitude peak in the Himalayas. Here are some reasons why acclimation is important for Ama Dablam climb:

• Prevent Altitude Sickness: Altitude sickness is a common problem at high altitudes and can be life-threatening if not treated promptly. Acclimating properly can help prevent altitude sickness by allowing the body to adjust to the lower oxygen levels at higher altitudes.
• Improve Physical Performance: Acclimating properly can improve physical performance by increasing the body's ability to utilize oxygen. This can help climbers to climb higher and faster with less fatigue.
• Improve Mental Performance: Altitude can also affect cognitive function, and acclimating properly can help improve mental performance at high altitudes. This is important for climbers who need to make critical decisions while climbing.
• Reduce Risk of Injury: Acclimation can also help reduce the risk of injury by allowing the body to adjust to the physical demands of climbing at high altitudes. This can help prevent injuries such as muscle strains, joint sprains, and fractures.
• Increase Safety: Proper acclimation can increase safety by allowing climbers to make informed decisions about when to continue climbing or when to descend to lower elevations. This can help prevent accidents and injuries on the mountain.

In summary, acclimation is a critical component of climbing Ama Dablam or any high altitude peak in the Himalayas. It can help prevent altitude sickness, improve physical and mental performance, reduce the risk of injury, and increase overall safety on the mountain.

How to respond to Altitude Sickness?

• Please do carry first aid box
• Please consult your physician
• Please do keep on informing our crews if you feel uneasy
• Please do walk in the group so that you can help each other

Travel Insurance:

We would like to recommend you to get your Climbing/trekking insured. Since you are trekking in probably one of the wildest and challenging routes or climbing a technical mountain, you need to be cautious of anything inevitable. You may need helicopter evacuation and get your trip canceled. You may get injured and get your baggage theft and so on.

Permits and fees:

The government local body charges some amount of fee for every you make to the World Heritage sites, National Park, restricted areas along climbing royalty. The price we charge includes all the fees. 

Flight Delay in Kathmandu-Lukla-Kathmandu
Twin Otter and Dornier is the primary mode of transport to and from the airstrip at Lukla. This service is fairly dependable. Sometimes, flights (to and from Lukla) may be canceled due to mountain weather conditions or technical problems. In such case, Amazing Nepal will charter a helicopter to ensure you are on schedule for your international flight. The helicopter can fly if the visibility is 1500m, while the twin otter can fly if the visibility is 5000m, as per Nepal’s Civil Aviation rules.

The cost of the helicopter is payable directly to our Kathmandu office in the event that this service is utilized. US cash, traveler’s cheques, or credit cards (Visa Cards, Master Cards only) are accepted. You will be given a receipt upon payment so that you may claim the amount from your travel insurance. The minimum cost will be US$500 and maximum US$3500 depending on the number of group members.

It is recommended that you should arrive in Kathmandu a day earlier before you start your trek. When you arrive a day earlier, you will have time to rest as well as time to buy trekking equipment. Similarly, it is best to have some extra days after you have finished your trek because your flight to Kathmandu/Lukla might be canceled due to bad weather. So all together it is recommended to have a few extra days beside the trip schedule so that you don’t miss your International Flight.

If you want to book a Amadablam Expedition with Amazing Nepal Trek and Expedition and still wondering about the essential equipment for your Expedition Campaign, here we are more than happy to offer our checklist for your references. Please make necessary amendments to our checklist as per your need and convenience. For some case, if you couldn’t get any of these listed equipment/gears in your hometown or you’re in a rush before you fly to Kathmandu, don’t worry! The listed necessary items mentioned below can be easily purchased here.
Except for your daypack, the porters and yaks carry all your heavy gears and luggage. While Trekking from Lukla, you can wear a T-Shirt and trousers. You will need your down jacket around base camp until the sun hits camp after breakfast. Above the Base Camp, carry also ice axe, crampons, sleeping bag, snacks in your rucksack. The Sherpas will carry other heavy items and gears in the mountain. 

Below is the checklist of equipment that is required for the trek/climb:

Climbing Gear
Ice Axe: A 60 cm length is probably the most useful length. Bring a lightweight axe with a pick that will stick easily in hard glacier ice (for example the Petzl Sum-Tec Mountaineering Ice Axe). Attach a lightweight wrist leash that is usable for climbing steeper terrain. The summit day is a consistent 40 degrees, so a shorter axe is necessary.
12-point Crampons: These must be sharp and must fit your boot perfectly.
Climbing Harness: Make sure the buckle is easy for you to thread in cold conditions! Gear loops will be useful for this trip as well as adjustable leg loops.
Climbing Helmet: Required. Be sure you can comfortably fit a warm hat underneath.
Hardware: Bring 3 locking and 4 lightweight regular carabiners. It is helpful if at least one of the locking carabiners has a "key gate", like the Petzl Attache. Bring one handled ascender and one Petzl Tibloc for ascending the fixed rope. You will need rigging material — two sewn 48" nylon slings and 10' of 8 mm perlon should be sufficient. Also, include one small 5 mm prussik loop (about 4 feet of cord tied with a double fisherman's knot) for a rappel backup. For rappelling the Black Diamond ATC Guide is good since it can handle ropes from 7.7mm to 11mm. A Figure 8 is an old standby and works on a variety of ropes and also icy ropes. While it twists the ropes more, it is quite foolproof. You might consider both, in case you drop one of them and lose it. 

Backpack & Sleeping Bag
Climbing Backpack: Medium size internal frame pack (60-liter capacity). Look for a pack which is comfortable to carry, very durable, as light as is reasonable and one which has a minimum number of bells and whistles.
Sleeping Bag: Bring a sleeping bag comfortable to -20°F. Down is lighter and much more compressible. Be sure to bring a compression stuff sack. Keep in mind that many of your nights will be much warmer than -20, especially on the trek into base camp.
Sleeping Pads: Bring one RidgeRest or Thermarest pad. A stuff sack helps prevent punctures. 

Camp Accessories
Headlamp: Bring a good LED headlamp with 2 sets of lithium batteries for cold conditions. I'd recommend the Petzl MYO RXP.
Water Bottles: 2 wide-mouth plastic water bottles with insulated covers. A small Thermos bottle is great for cold mornings.
Water Treatment: Iodine tablets (Potable Aqua or similar) or iodine crystals (Polar Pure). One bottle of Potable Aqua (enough to treat 25 liters) should be more than sufficient.
Utensils: Bring an insulated mug with a lid, a decent-sized bowl, spoon, pocket knife and lighter. You are better to bring lighters from the US. TSA says you can carry them on, or pack two in a DOT approved case. Kathmandu lighters are not very good. 

Footwear
Double Climbing Boots with expedition liners. Make sure your crampons can be adjusted to fit them! The newer insulated boots like the Scarpa Phantom 6000, or the La Sportiva Spantik, are ideal for the climb — they climb well enough on the rock sections to Camp 2 and are warm enough for up high.
Approach boots. A good example is the La Sportiva Trango S, which will work on the trek and approach to Camp 1, and even up to Camp 2 if conditions warrant.
Gaiters and Yaktrax or Kahtoola Microspikes in case of snow.
Socks: Four sets of climbing socks. 

Clothing
Insulated Parka: Heavyweight insulated expedition parka with hood.
Shell Jacket: Lightweight waterproof-breathable construction with a hood.
Pants: Lightweight waterproof-breathable shell pants or bibs with full-length leg zippers (so they can be put on over boots/crampons). ALSO, insulated pants with full-length zippers for evenings and cold summit days (either down pants OR synthetic insulation full-zip pants like Mountain Hardwear Compressor Pants). Down suits will work but can be heavier and bulkier to carry in your pack.
Mid Layers: Fleece or Soft Shell layering pieces that work well with the rest of your clothing. A Soft Shell jacket and an expedition weight longjohn top will work well.
Climbing Pants: Look for construction that provides freedom of movement and/or stretch materials. The fabric should be a breathable synthetic that preferably holds up to abrasion. I'd recommend a Schoeller fabric climbing pant for general use and zippered fleece pants for the summit push.
Base Layers: 2 synthetic tops and 1 bottom. Zip neck tops are the way to go. 

Outerwear Accessories
Mittens: Fleece mittens with an over mitten. Nothing competes with a mitten for warmth when the going gets tough.
Ski Gloves: A warm insulated glove with leather palm will be worn a lot of the time.
Light Gloves: Polypropylene or fleece. Leather palms handle the fixed-line better.
Leather gloves or good abrasion resistant climbing glove for the rock sections.
Stocking Hat: Wool or fleece stocking hat with ear protection.
Neck Gaiter and/or a Buff (highly recommended).
Baseball hat and Bandana. 

Personal Accessories
Eyewear: Bring good sunglasses with side protection. For contact lens wearers, ski goggles with light color lenses (for use at night) might be useful in windy conditions. The ski goggles are essential for all climbers in really stormy conditions and can serve as an emergency back up for broken or lost sunglasses.
Vision correction: Bring extra prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses if you wear them. Lens solutions are not widely available in Nepal, bring enough for the duration.
Wrist Watch: With alarm and night light. An altimeter watch is useful.
Basic First Aid: Hand sanitizer (Purell), moleskin or Compede, athletic tape, aspirin (some climbers take a baby aspirin every day up high) and/or ibuprofen/acetaminophen, Imodium, Band-Aids, antacid, insect repellant, earplugs, and two rolls of toilet paper in quart Ziploc bags (we will have a supply at Base Camp), small towel, soap/shampoo.
Skin Care: Sunblock lotion (at least #30 protection factor — have at least one smaller tube (1 oz) that can fit in your pocket) and lip salve. Put your lip protection on a string and hang it from your neck. That way you'll use it. It also works great for your nose.
Garbage Bags: 2 or 3 large plastic bags make great liners for your pack in wet weather.
Personal Snack Food: The food is great on the trek but you might enjoy a few snacks (not more than 5 pounds) from home and also some drink mixes if you like these to add to your water bottle (let the iodine have 30 minutes contact time before adding). Summit climbers should bring some high altitude snacks they prefer for hard days, approximately 10 pounds including a drink mix like Cytomax. Include a number (10-20) of Gu, Power Gel or similar for the upper route.
MP3 Player and Books. Plan on sharing books with the Base Camp Library we establish every year.
Pee Bottle
Chemical Hand Warmers (6)

Prescription Medications:
Please consult your doctor.

Travel Items
Duffel Bags: We normally pack all our equipment in two large duffel bags. Make sure they are well labeled with indelible ink as well as a travel tag. The duffels go on the trek/climb with you and will be carried by porters and yaks. Expect for them to get wet and muddy, so rugged, waterproof duffels are good. Bags with wheels are nice for the airport, but the porters and yaks don't like to carry them, so don't bring wheeled bags (or at least not two of them). You will also store some travel clothes at the hotel in Kathmandu while trekking, so a small additional bag with a lock might be handy. You'll want padlocks, but for flying out of the USA, it might be better to use plastic zip ties which can be cut by TSA staff if necessary (bring extra zip ties). Tip: Bring 5 large plastic garbage bags to pack gear inside duffels to protect gear from rain.
Daypack: A smaller rucksack makes a great carry-on bag for your flight and is useful during the trek.
Travel Wallet: Some type of secure travel wallet is a must. Remember a pen for travel documents.
Passport (valid for at least 6 months after the trip ends with sufficient extra pages for visa stamps and in the same name as airline ticket (or with endorsement-for women who changed name w/ marriage). It is easy to get your Nepal visa on arrival in Kathmandu at the airport... bring a passport photo. Bring a copy of the information pages and a couple of extra passport photographs. Carry these in a separate location. You'll be glad you did if you ever lose a passport.
Camera: with spare batteries, and film or memory cards, but keep it reasonable in size and weight. Consider a small USB drive to make it easy to share photos with your teammates.
Casual Clothes: For travel/meals in dining rooms. You'll want a shirt or two with a collar to wear on flights and for restaurants. A sweatshirt or light jacket might be nice in the evening. Tip: Keep your travel clothing modest, please do not wear short shorts and skimpy tops, the locals take offense.
Bathing Suit: Some of the hotels have pools (eg, in Kathmandu). Trekking Gear
Trekking Poles: Poles come in handy for balance and easing impact to your knees. Get collapsible poles that can attach to your backpack and fit into your duffle.
Backpack: You may choose to bring a smaller "daypack" for your airline travel carry on, and this can be used on the trek if you want to carry a smaller (35 liter or so), light trekking pack. You need a pack big enough for your clothes, water, camera, food, etc during the day.
Pack Cover: Waterproof rain cover for your trekking pack.
Tip: Bring 5 large plastic garbage bags to pack gear inside duffels to protect gear from rain.
Trekking Clothes: Light hiking pants and/or hiking shorts for warm weather down low- NOT cotton. Shirts for hiking on nice days (t-shirts OK, quick-drying synthetic fabric is better.) Don't overdo your trekking clothes. A pair of shorts, long pants and a couple of shirts will do. You can hand wash them during the trek as needed.
Lightweight Approach Boots: Find a pair that fits and log some miles in them before your trip. A low-cut shoe is adequate, but some hikers will prefer more ankle support.
Sleeping Bag: Climbers will make due with their expedition bag, trekkers only can get by with a lighter bag rated to 10°F.
Sleeping Pad or Thermarest (one light one is sufficient, you will be provided a thick open cell foam "trekking mattress".