Ama Dablam | 2008 SW Ridge

A Canada expedition to Ama Dablam in 2008 via SW Ridge, led by Chris Szymiec. Summit reached on 25th November 2008. 8 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 6200
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID AMAD08328
Peak ID AMAD
Year 2008
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 SW Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Canada
Leaders Chris Szymiec
Sponsor Field Touring Alpine Ama Dablam Expedition 2008
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 -
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Australia, UK, USA
Approach -
Basecamp Date 2008-11-20
Summit Date 2008-11-25
Summit Time 1200
Summit Days 5
Total Days 7
Termination Date 2008-11-27
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 6814
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 3
Fixed Rope (m) 60
Total Members 6
Summit Members 4
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 4
Summit Hired 2
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken True
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits Climbed Island Peak (all members except Bampton)
Campsites BC(20/11,4600m),C1(21/11,5620m),C2(23/11,6000m),C3(24/11,6370m),Smt(25/11)
Route Notes Field Touring Ama Dablam Expedition 2008, led by Chris Szymiec - 1 Dec 2008 The summit party consisted of Bampton, Davis, Szymiec, Wilkinson, Ms. Pasang, Lhakpa and Jangbu. Lhakpa and Jangbu started for the stop on 25 November at 6:00 am, and they all left C3 for the summit between 7:30 and 7:45 am. Ms. Pasang turned back at 9:00 am at 6600m because her feet were cold; she went down to C2. The other members of the summit party went on up to the top: Jangbu got there at 12:00 noon while the others summited between 1:00 and 1:30 pm. The members returned to C3 at 4:00 pm, but the Sherpas descended to C2: Ms. Pasang and Jangbu returned to C2 at about 3:00 pm, and Lhakpa, who had stayed close to the members, was in C2 at about 5:00 pm. All members were in BC on the 26th. The temperature on the summit was minus 15 degrees Celsius, but there was no wind at the time (it had been windy at the start of the day's climb). Szymiec got slight frostbite on the tip of one finger while he shepherded his members to the top. Non-summiting members: Bampton was not acclimatizing, developed slight cerebral edema, had no energy; stayed in BC during climbing period. Cottam went to C2 on 22 November, thought about his children back home and the danger of avalanching from the Dablam, and decided not to go higher; descended to C1 on the 23rd, left BC on the 24th to go to Dingboche village to send e-mail to his family to confirm he was well. The route above C3 had been scoured by avalanching ice from the Dablam so it was all hard ice, and there are many more crevasses above the Dablam. So the route is more difficult and takes much more time to surmount than in previous years when it was covered by snow and the crevasses had not opened. It is also more dangerous with "more pealing off the Dablam." All of the Dablam is going to come down, Szymiec believes. He had been on Ama Dablam twice before; because of the avalanching, "I really don't want to go back again," he said. Sherpas: Parsu Ram Rai, 39 yrs, Rakha-4, Khotang Miss Pasang Futi Sherpa, 24 yrs, Monzo, Chaurikharka-1, Solu Lhakpa Sherpa, 1968-69 (2025), Tamku, Lokhim-9, Solu, Cho Oyu 2/10/08 Jangbu Sherpa, 21 yrs, Sisuwakhola-1, Sankhuwasabha (Lhakpa's nephew)
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Su-Swagatam Treks
Commercial Route True
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2459414
Year 2008
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) sw ridge

Members

8 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Noel Keith Bampton M 1950 Australia Climber Pomona, QLD, Australia Farmer Details Other expeditions
James Lurence Bingham M 1975 UK Climber Twickenham, Middlesex, England Financial consultant Details Other expeditions
Dale W. Cottam M 1967 USA Deputy Leader Cheyenne, Wyoming Attorney Details Other expeditions
Neal Keith Davis M 1977 UK Climber Sydney, NSW, Australia IT consultant Details Other expeditions
Christopher Stephen (Chris) Szymiec M 1973 Canada Leader Edmonton, Alberta Alpine guide & emergency medical technician Details Other expeditions
Damian Gerard Wilkinson M 1978 UK Climber Leeds, W Yorkshire, England Physician Details Other expeditions
Jangbu Sherpa M 1987 Nepal H-A Worker Chitre, Sisuwa-9, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions
Lakpa/Lhakpa Sherpa M 1968 Nepal H-A Worker Tamku-9, Makalu-Barun - Details Other expeditions

References

0 recorded references.