Ama Dablam | 2018 SW Ridge

A UK expedition to Ama Dablam in 2018 via SW Ridge, led by James Holding. Summit reached on 19th November 2018. 14 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 10007
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID AMAD18360
Peak ID AMAD
Year 2018
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 SW Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality UK
Leaders James Holding
Sponsor Jagged Globe Ama Dablam Expedition 2018
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, Canada, New Zealand
Approach -
Basecamp Date -
Summit Date 2018-11-19
Summit Time -
Summit Days 0
Total Days 0
Termination Date -
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 6814
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 2
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 9
Summit Members 4
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 5
Summit Hired 5
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 False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits -
Campsites BC(4600m),ABC(55000m),C1(5700m),C2(5900m),Smt(19,28/11,08/12)
Route Notes Report from Jagged Globe website: Conditions on the mountain were good. The Dablam serac looked benign, with a corridor on it’s righthand side up the headwall. The rock ridge to Camp 2 was virtually free of snow and ice, offering the enticing prospect of sun-kissed, solid granite scrambling. Was it really going to be Fire and Ice? Approach shoes for the rock and a switch at Camp 2, to boots with altitude and crampons for snow? Pemchhiri had recent experience, just days earlier, with Robert, extending his Cholatse expedition for a Khumbu double. Young Sherpas, Gyan and Babu, keen to add Ama Dablam to their logbooks, confirmed our hopes. The season so far had been dry but high winds had also been a feature. With our summit phase scheduled for December, we knew we would have the mountain to ourselves, yet we required a calm weather window to keep the windchill of low temperatures at bay. Patience was needed, as was further acclimatisation, a four day rotation phase. We headed up for a night at advanced base, continuing the next day, past Camp 1 at 5700m, to gain 5800m along the fixed ropes, before returning for a first night there. Camp 2 and the legendary Yellow Tower were the next days objectives. With just light rucksacks for the day and light footwear, we set out with high hopes and warming rock. Camp 2 lies just beyond the crux rock pitch on the tower and even fixed ropes make this a gasping experience at 5900m. Andrew tackled it cleanly, to the amusement of the Sherpas, as he found a precarious resting place, without weighting the safeguarding, fixed line. As a single pitch at sea level it would weigh in as a quality HVS. I weaved my way, following his example, chuffing like a steam train, to latch the finishing edge and a moment of ridiculous glory. We slid down the solid lines and tailed the traverse ropes to regain Camp 1 and I insisted we spend another night there. At least the next day back to base would see us served one of Kanchha’s feasts. Rest and active recovery were the order of the next couple of days, even a slow walk to 5200m was imposed. My mantra of “listen to the mountain” and “listen to yourself” was repeated, to focus peoples’ minds in readiness for the challenge to come. We discussed clothing and tactics to prevent the very real risk of ‘cold injury’ and Mark and I made daily checks on the mountain forecast via WiFi and 4G at signal point – not quite from the comfort of the mess tent but not too far from base. We tracked an upcoming weather window. It takes maturity to listen carefully enough to one’s feelings about a summit bid. Ewan and Mark chose with the wisdom of their years of mountain experience. We will share other summit bids in the future. With Kamchanu Sherpa paired with Tony, Rakesh with Hannah, Rinji with Andrew, Pem to lead with Fatima, allowing me mobility, we left base, aiming to slowly gain Camp 2 in two days. The night at Camp 2 was going to be a short one, with a start scheduled for 2am. Stars lit the inky night and the winds were light, so the stoves were lit at 1am. Crampons scratched on the rock of the Grey Tower but soon runnels of snow and ice got our hearts thumping, blood pumping and lungs panting. Hand warmers slipped into gloves kept fingers nimble enough to manage ascender switches. Surely sunrise would bring some warmth? Tony knew himself well enough from Seven Summits and more to retreat to base in control. The remainder plugged on, yearning for daylight. The Mushroom Ridge had little snow but dawn brought the steep barrier of ice cliffs below the level playing field, where prior to an avalanche in 2006 a camp used to be situated. We strained up the lines and there before us lay 500m of headwall. Set at forty to fifty degrees the slope to summit made it seem close, it wasn’t. In tune with Pem, it took little more than a nod upwards and a few words to confirm our window of opportunity was open wide enough to proceed, even though we knew, after six hours of effort, we needed four more for the ascent, with a further five to slide the lines back down, minimum. The Sun joined us for our slow-motion promenade. I drifted upwards, passing pairings, looking carefully. Near the Dablam, Fatima and Pem turned around, only four hundred metres left and she’s strong but smart too. Andrew continued, two thousand metres higher than his European best. Rinji led and I kept an imaginary elastic, ten double steps long, between Andrew and me. The summit ridge line edging closer. Hannah persisting behind us with every step an effort of will. The summit vista was huge. The task of descending was no small matter either, requiring care and concentration. There was soup and sleep waiting for us, the end of a big day. Only hours later we were down at base. Jamie Holding, IFMGA
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency Summit Nepal Trekking
Commercial Route True
Standard Route False
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference False
Primary ID -
Checksum 2463700
Year 2018
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) sw ridge

Members

14 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
James Rowland (Jamie) Holding M 1959 UK Leader Bangor, Wales Teacher & alpine guide Details Other expeditions
Robert Adrian Barton M 1964 UK Climber London, England IT manager Details Other expeditions
Mark Goodall M 1959 UK Climber - - Details Other expeditions
Tony Alan Hampson-Tindale M 1947 New Zealand Climber Johannesburg, S Africa Company director Details Other expeditions
Andrew Marshall M 1979 Australia Climber - - Details Other expeditions
Ewan James Ritchie M 1960 UK Climber Surrey, England - Details Other expeditions
Benjamin Taylor M 1987 UK Climber - - Details Other expeditions
Hannah Ming-Siu Vickers F 1983 UK Climber Huntington, Cambridge, England Research fellow Details Other expeditions
Fatima Williamson F 1962 Canada Climber Toronto, Ontario IT manager Details Other expeditions
Babu Ram Magar M 1990 Nepal H-A Worker - - Details Other expeditions
Ang Ringi Sherpa M 1991 Nepal H-A Worker Chankhu-6, Dolakha - Details Other expeditions
Pema Tshering (Pem Chhiri) Sherpa M 1980 Nepal H-A Worker Chankhu-6, Dolakha - Details Other expeditions
Gyan Bahadur Tamang M 1993 Nepal H-A Worker Timal, Kavre - Details Other expeditions
Mitra Bahadur (Rakesh) Tamang M 1987 Nepal H-A Worker Beding, Dolakha - Details Other expeditions

References

1 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
AMAD18360 - - https://www.jagged-globe.co.uk/news/report.php?id=1481 - - -