Ama Dablam | 1986 S Face-SW Ridge

A Yugoslavia expedition to Ama Dablam in 1986 via S Face-SW Ridge, led by Darko Berljak. Summit reached on 16th October 1986. 7 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 925
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID AMAD86302
Peak ID AMAD
Year 1986
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 S Face-SW Ridge
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality Yugoslavia
Leaders Darko Berljak
Sponsor Zagreb Mountaineering Expedition Ama Dablam 1986
Success 1 True
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 48th,50th,51st
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries -
Approach Khumbu Valley
Basecamp Date 1986-10-01
Summit Date 1986-10-16
Summit Time 1130
Summit Days 15
Total Days 19
Termination Date 1986-10-20
Termination Reason 1
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 6814
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 1
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 7
Summit Members 3
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 -
Campsites BC(01/10,4600m),ABC(09/10,5250m),C1(14/10,6100m),Smt(16,18-19/10)
Route Notes 1st BC at 4600m at bottom of West Face (usual site) 2nd BC at 5250m near lake at bottom of South Face (between the 2 South Ridges) C1 at 6100m at snowhole 150m below shoulder of eastern South Ridge between seracs. Each summiter climbed alone from shoulder snowhole since route on S Face fixed all the way to this shoulder with 860m rope. Face mostly snow and ice but rock also. Steepest was 65 degrees, average 55 degrees - UIAA 4+ to 5-. Difficulty on only 20m of rock, estimate of rock 3-4 UIAA. 250m total rock climbing on face, 250m ice climbing in upper part (into serac). Route on face led up a small ridge on left side of face (left of Jeff Lowe's route). Technically not so difficult and really didn't need fixed ropes, but Kovic and Benkovic felt. Butkovic got pneumonia; Bago got frostbite and also bad digestive illness. Butkovic left BC 16 Oct with Berljaks. Berkovic left BC 19th. Other 4 left 20 Oct. Berkovic - 24 Oct 86 1st BC at same site as Czechs for West Face (4400-4500m on South Face), so made a 2nd BC near lake just under South Face at about 5200m on 10 or 11 Oct. Next day Bago and he fixed 450-500m rope; Alikalfic and Puzak fized 400m more to slope from ridge. 15 Oct midnight Puzak, Bago and Butkovic and he started from BC and 5 am Puzak, Bago and Butkovic went back down, but he kept on up with tent food stove 2 gas. He went up to end of fixed ropes, took last one because 80m steep section above, using rucksack as belay; did this twice; placed tent under seracs at ice hole 100m below shoulder at about 6100-6200m. 15th Alikalfic brought more rope to him and descended Berkovic he put in more fixed rope. 16th he started up 6:45 am and route now normal route to top. Arrived at top without any fixed rope at 11:30 am and returned to BC (2-1/2 hours from top to tent), arrived tent 3:00 pm. Left tent to moraine 1 hour only, down fixed ropes and arrive BC 6:30 pm 16th. Leader and wife stayed at lower (1st) BC.
Accidents Butkovic got pneumonia; Bago got frostbite & bad digestive illness; Butkovic left BC Oct 16 with Berljaks; Berkovic left BC Oct 19; other 4 left Oct 20
Achievement 1st Yugoslav ascent; new route
Agency Mountain Travel
Commercial Route False
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2451541
Year 1986
Summit Success True
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) s face-sw ridge

Members

7 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Edin Alikalfic M 1959 Yugoslavia Climber Zagreb, Croatia, Yugoslavia Engineer, mathematical Details Other expeditions
Mario Bago M 1953 Yugoslavia Climber Zagreb, Croatia, Yugoslavia Factory admin staff Details Other expeditions
Darko Berljak M 1950 Yugoslavia Leader Zagreb, Croatia, Yugoslavia Economist Details Other expeditions
Jasna Berljak F 1950 Yugoslavia Climber Zagreb, Croatia, Yugoslavia Worker, botany lab (University of Zagreb) Details Other expeditions
Davor Butkovic M 1954 Yugoslavia Climber Zagreb, Croatia, Yugoslavia Mountaineering equipment salesman Details Other expeditions
Branko Puzak M 1956 Yugoslavia Climber Zagreb, Croatia, Yugoslavia Geography student Details Other expeditions
Janez Benkovic M 1959 Yugoslavia Climber Kamnik, Slovenia, Yugoslavia Professor of physical education Details Other expeditions

References

4 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
AMAD86302 AAJ Berljak, Darko - - 61:238 (1987) -
AMAD86302 AAJ - - - 62:199 (1988) -
AMAD86302 MM - - - 113:8 (Jan 1987) -
AMAD86302 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12198723802/Ama-Dablam-South-Face - - -