Ama Dablam | 2009 SW Ridge

A UK expedition to Ama Dablam in 2009 via SW Ridge, led by Adrian Ballinger. Summit reached on 6th November 2009. 9 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 6545
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID AMAD09311
Peak ID AMAD
Year 2009
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 SW Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality UK
Leaders Adrian Ballinger
Sponsor Alpenglow Ama Dablam Expedition 2009
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 Japan, USA
Approach -
Basecamp Date 2009-10-24
Summit Date 2009-11-06
Summit Time 0910
Summit Days 13
Total Days 15
Termination Date 2009-11-08
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 6814
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 6
Summit Members 5
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 3
Summit Hired 3
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 -
Campsites BC(24/10,4600m),C1(27/10,5800m),C2(05/11,6250m),Smt(06/11)
Route Notes This expedition skipped the usual C2 site and made their bid for the summit from their second high camp at 6250m which they called Camp 2.7. It was "significantly" above the normal C2 and just below the old C3 site at 6300m. Ballinger said it doesn't make sense to use the old site: there is nothing falling from above now, "but the potential is still there." It took an hour to dig platforms for tents at C 2.7, but in addition to the greater safely at 6250m, this site "was used only by us and is clean and near fresh water" from clean snow; C2 and C3 sites are "disgusting" from rubbish and polluted snow. On their summit day, 6 November, all the members and their three Sherpas set out from C 2.7 at 6:00 am. Half an hour later Gessert dropped out at 6300m because of exhaustion. He descended to C1 that day and down to BC the next day. The five remaining members, Ballinger, Harris, Suzuki, Tamura and Toyama, and Sherpas Dorje Sonam Gyalzen, Phurba Tashi and Rita Dorje reached the summit between 9:10 am (Toyama) and 10:00 am (Suzuki). The weather was "perfect, windless, gloves off." All returned to C1 that evening between 5:00 and 7:00 pm. Suzuki was the one who came in last because she had twisted her ankle descending from the top. Although it was painful, she got down to BC and walked two days to Lukla, and was still walking (with a slight limp) in Kathmandu the day after had she landed. All members were in BC on the 7th and left for Lukla on the 8th. Oxygen was taken with the team, but they didn't use it. It was however used when Ballinger took two Sherpas with him on 30 October up to 6300m, where he administered it to Christian Hotter, a member of an Austrian expedition led by Franz Kroell, was in trouble from cerebral edema and serious frostbite after having spent the previous night out in the open. The necessity of helping to rescue Hotter put an end to Ballinger's plan at this point, after his team's acclimatization period, to do a one-day round trip alone from BC to summit to BC. Sherpas: Dorje Sonam Gyalzen, 24/5/81, Phortse, Everest X11, Manaslu X1 Phurba Tashi, 24/5/71, Khumjung, Everest X15, Cho Oyu X5 Rita Dorje, aka Ang Rita, 24/10/77, Phortse, Everest X5
Accidents Only Suzuki's twisted ankle
Achievement -
Agency Mountain Experience
Commercial Route True
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2459806
Year 2009
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) sw ridge

Members

9 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Adrian John Ballinger M 1976 UK Leader Olympic Valley, California Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Todd Gessert M 1974 USA Climber Ferndale, Michigan Pilot Details Other expeditions
James Harris M 1979 UK/New Zealand Climber Tipperary, Ireland Golf pro Details Other expeditions
Sakurako Suzuki F 1971 Japan Climber Meshima, Shizuoka, Japan Tour operator Details Other expeditions
Shinji Tamura M 1966 Japan Deputy Leader Zermatt, Valais, Switzerland Alpine guide & travel agent Details Other expeditions
Natsu Toyama F 1977 Japan Climber Takaraouka, Hyogo, Japan Tour leader Details Other expeditions
Dorje Sonam Gyalzen Sherpa M 1981 Nepal H-A Worker Phortse, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Phurba Tashi Sherpa M 1971 Nepal H-A Worker Khumjung, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Rita Dorje (Ang Rita Dorje) Sherpa M 1977 Nepal H-A Worker Phortse, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

0 recorded references.