Ama Dablam | 2010 N Face-N Ridge

A Germany expedition to Ama Dablam in 2010 via N Face-N Ridge, led by David Goettler. Summit reached on 6th November 2010. 2 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 6906
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID AMAD10311
Peak ID AMAD
Year 2010
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 N Face-N Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Germany
Leaders David Goettler
Sponsor Ama Dablam North Side Expedition
Success 1 False
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 -
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries Japan
Approach -
Basecamp Date 2010-10-13
Summit Date 2010-11-06
Summit Time -
Summit Days 24
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 5
Termination Notes Abandoned at 6500 due to dangerous snow conditions and avalanching
High Point (m) 6500
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 2
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 0
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired True
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits Climebed Chhukung Ri (15 Oct) and Island Peak (23 Oct)
Campsites BC(13/10,4700m),ABC(30/10,4850m),Biv1(05/11,5877m),Biv2(05/11,6200m),Biv3(06/11,6350m),xxx(06/11,6500m)
Route Notes BC at Chhukung Panorama Lodge Biv2 on North Face Biv3 on North Ridge. The two member, Sherpa-less team established their base on 13 October at 4730m at Chhukung Panorama Lodge in Chhukung village, but before attacking Ama Dablam, they went to acclimatize on Chhukung Ri (5559m) and Island Peak, both above Chhukung village. They reached Chhukung Ri's summit on 15 October and slept on it for three nights, then back to their base on the 18th. On the 23rd they summited Island Peak also in a one-day's climb. Finally on the 27th they left for the north side of Ama Dablam. They trekked southwest to Shanjo/Shangtso village on the trail to Dingboche, then south to Duwo/Dumo Glacier, which is directly north of Ama Dablam's North Face. They made ABC at 4855m on the moraine and slept there on 30 October. Now it was snowing, so they returned to base the next day. On 3 November they were back in ABC and having a close look at a route up the North Face and the traverse to the North Ridge and the summit. The following day they moved from ABC to their first bivouac at 5877m and on the 5th to their second bivouac at 6358m on the very steep (60-90 degrees) face. They crossed the face diagonally to the left to North Ridge at 6400mm on 6 November. They continued up the ridge to 6500m. But snow conditions made it impossible to go higher on the ridge. The snow was very loose on the East Face, and at 10:15 am a snow avalanche hit them and carried them down ten meters. On the North Face the snow was like sugar. They started down the North Ridge, but at 6300m they encountered cornices and seracs. It was impossible to descend the ridge any farther. They did not have enough equipment to fix ropes to rappel down the face. "We were trapped" said Goettler. They could neither retreat nor advance. They bivouacked here at a small col on the ridge and called their Kathmandu agent to send a rescue helicopter, but they worried that night that a helicopter might not be able to reach them because a strong wind was blowing from the west. According to their written report of their rescue, the wind dropped the next morning, the 7th. Above and below their bivouac there were tall seracs, and Hiraide climbed to the top the serac below to fix a rope with a snow bar for their rescue. They decided that Goettler would be taken off first and all their expedition gear, including tent, food, fuel, two 50m ropes, medical kit and phone, would be left with Hiraide. The helicopter circled them from the east in a light breeze about 9 am its to skids touched down on the top of the serac, and took Goettler to Chhukung. David was rescued. Hiraide waited at the top of the serac for the helicopter to return for him. It came 30 centimeters from him, but his instinct told him that it would be too dangerous for him to board. At the moment when he was hesitating the helicopter slid on the couloir of the NE Face "with a bang and roar." Black smoke billowed out, and there was a strong smell of oil. (Hiraide did not actually see the helicopter's rotor touch the serac because he was crouching in the snow). The pilot, Sabin Basnet, and the engineer, Purna Awale, were killed. On the following day, the 8th, Hiraide was also plucked of the mountain. At 7:00 am he heard the sound of a helicopter engine and as it approached, he gestured to the pilot that the top of the serac was a danger to the rotor; the pilot flew in several circles to check conditions and informed Hiraide that they could not pick him up where he was on the serac. He gestured that he would climb down 50m to a flat place. He was rescued 15 minutes later and, with all their gear, flown to Lukla. Hiraide's thumb was slightly frostbitten.
Accidents Fatal helicopter accident during rescue of Goettler and Hiraide
Achievement -
Agency Thamserku Trekking
Commercial Route False
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2460172
Year 2010
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) n face-n ridge

Members

2 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
David Johannes Goettler M 1978 Germany Leader Munich, Bavaria, Germany Alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Kazuya Hiraide M 1979 Japan Climber Tokyo, Japan Mountain gear shop salesman Details Other expeditions

References

2 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
AMAD10311 AAJ Hawley, Elizabeth - - 85:334-335 (2011) -
AMAD10311 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12201133400/Ama-Dablam-Northwest-Face-to-North-Ridge-and-Accident - - -