Ama Dablam Expedition

Day 1 is arrival day. We’ll be picking you up from the airport and checking you into the Kathmandu Guest House. Kathmandu airport can be a bit of an experience unto itself. Once you’ve navigated your way out, you’ll be met by your LHO team leader. Depending on what time you arrive you’ll benefit from a tour of Kathmandu which includes Durbar Square, Boudhanath Stupa and Thamel. At 8:00 pm we’ll have a team dinner and briefing before heading back to the hotel for gear checks and last-minute preparations.

We’ll start our day early and aim to depart the hotel no later than 2 am to drive to the airport that specifically services Everest region flights to Lukla. The flight itself takes around 30 minutes although we should expect around a 2-hour delay pre-departure as is typical in Nepalese aviation. Once in Lukla, we’ll be met by our porters for the expedition. Depending on the time of arrival we’ll have the chance to briefly roam around the town and grab tea before heading out on the first section of our trek. The trek to Phakding is relatively easy. There are very few uphill sections and we’ll largely be trekking in an alpine forest and between the better developed villages of the Khumbu region. We usually arrive early on the first day and don’t expect to walk for more than 4 hours. It’s a great chance to check out the town and sample your first Everest region German bakery experience. Yes, you read that right!

Our second day on the trail will be a full one as we ascend to 3,445 meters to one of the most unusual high-altitude metropolitans on the planet. The trail begins with a short 1-hour ascent to Monjo before descending down to the river. From there we’ll ascend up to one of the most spectacular suspension bridge crossings in the Himalayas. Unlike on the previous day, this will be a largely uphill trek although we’ll be taking it slow and easy to make it as comfortable and as enjoyable as possible. On the way up we’ll actually have the chance to see Everest for the very first time from a viewpoint just below Namche. We expect to arrive in town at 3 pm giving us plenty of time to explore one of the most vibrant villages on the trail.

We’ll be staying in Namche Bazaar for a second night as we allow our bodies to adapt to the high-altitude environment. After a late breakfast, we’ll visit the local museum and then ascend to the Everest View Hotel 400 meters above the town. From there we’ll be able to see Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and Everest in the distance. Lunch will be in Namche Bazaar and the afternoon will be free for us to roam around and explore. If any of us need to purchase extra gear that too is possible at this point.

Easily one of the highlights of this trek is the monastery at Tyangboche which sits at the foot of Ama Dablam and serves as a gateway to the highest mountains on the planet. The trek starts early in Namche Bazaar as we make our way out of the villages and onto the main trail that leads into the deep Khumbu valley. It begins with a flat path and slowly winds along the mountainside before a big descent to the valley floor. Lunch will be by the river at the low point of the day before ascending to 3,800 meters where the village is situated. At 3:30 pm the monastery opens for visitors and we’ll have a chance to visit and participate in the rituals of one of Buddhism’s holy sites.

This is one of the longer days of our adventure together as we breach the 4,000-meter elevation mark and put the village behind us. The day starts with a descent to the famous suspension bridge that gives the illusion of walking over Ama Dablam. From there we pass the final village of Pengboche, our lunch stop, before deviating at the fork that separates the trail to Everest Base Camp from the trail to Ama Dablam Base Camp. We’ll then begin our slow but steady ascent to the base camp at 4600 meters that will be our home for the rest of the expedition.

We’ll be staying in Ama Dablam Base Camp to rest and acclimatize for the adventure ahead of us. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in our mess tent. There will be regular opportunities to train on Ama Dablam.

We’ll depart early for our first high altitude rotation to camp 1. After breakfast we’ll make our way up the moderate trail in the easterly direction putting the mountain to our left. The trail slowly curves back to connect with the south east ridge where Camp 1 is located. Lunch will be a picnic on the trail and dinner will be served at camp 1. We will be spending the night at camp 1.

We’ll be spending a second night at Camp 1 to maximize our acclimatization.

After breakfast we’ll return to Ama Dablam Base Camp to rest and recover. The aim is to reach base camp by lunch time to enable our body to properly recover. Dinner will be at the base camp.

We’ll be staying in Ama Dablam Base Camp to rest and acclimatize for the adventure ahead of us. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in our mess tent. There will be regular opportunities to train on Ama Dablam.

It may be necessary to perform another rotation that includes Camp 2 however a decision on this will be taken during the expedition. We believe that the crossing between Camp 1 and Camp 2 provides marginal acclimatization benefits for the inherent risks on this section of the trail particularly during high mountaineering season. Regardless, once the decision is made to go to the summit, the team will spend one night at camp 1 followed by a second night at camp 2. From camp 2 we’ll perform a direct ascent to the summit and return to camp 2 for the night. We will then descend from camp 2 back to base camp.

This day is set aside as an additional base camp day in case it is needed for weather or acclimatization.

We’ll depart early back down the mountain to Namche Bazaar. Lunch will be at lower Tyangboche or further along the trail depending on the pace of the group.

Our last day on the trail will be downhill in the direction of Lukla. Lunch will be in Phakding or Monjo depending on the pace of the team. Our last night in the mountains will be spent in Lukla. Team members will have the chance to explore the local bars and coffee shops in the evening and celebrate the end of our adventure together.

We’ll have breakfast in Lukla before flying back to Manthali and driving back to Kathmandu where a celebratory dinner awaits. For those who are interested, a city tour is available with visits to Monkey Temple and Durbar Square, or you can enjoy the vibrant city bazaars and shopping districts.

The last day together is dedicated to airport transfers and farewells. Breakfast is included on the day. Please make sure to provide us with your departure details before the first day of the trip so that arrangements can be made. We’ll be arranging your shuttle 3 hours prior to departure so please do make sure to be near the hotel at the time so as not to be late. For those of us departing late, we’re happy to recommend places to visit or arrange for a city tour if you weren’t able to attend it on the first day.