원정 개요

Report from Giampaolo Corona (7 May 2021):

BC(19/04,4600m),C1(25/04,5800m),Smt(29/04

Climbed alone. Left C1 at 3:30 am, summited at 11:45 am, stayed 1 hour, then descended to C1 arriving at 6:00 pm. Bad weather during last part of ascent and in descent. Left BC on 4 May. Also climbed Lobuche East.


Report from James Muhia (3 May 2021):

BC(27/04,4600m),C1(28/04,5600m),Smt(29/04),C2(29/04,5900m)

Climbed alone from C1 (Sherpa stayed in C1). Left C1 at 3:15 am, summited at 4:15 pm, stayed 10 minutes, then descended to C2 arriving at 11:45 pm. Heavy snow in afternoon.

From Muhia's Facebook post:

THE MOST INTENSE 30 MINUTES of the entire Ama Dablam experience.

BACKGROUND: Ama Dablam is not your everyday mountain. It's rated 5D in technical difficulty; with steep and vertical mixed rock, ice and snow climbing. When I decided to push for the summit from camp 1, my climbing Sherpa was not in full agreement because of the risks of a long day/exposure. All things considered (especially the weather forecast), this was my best chance to get to the summit and I assumed all the risks. I was not worried about acclimatization since I had been running on top of Kilimanjaro barely a week earlier. The day was long alright, with a 4:15 pm summit. Most of the decent would be in darkness; alone.

After descending afew meters, I dropped/lost my abseiling/belay device (ATC). I had a figure 8 which I continued to use to descend slowly, until I got stuck mid-rope, on what seemed like an overhang. I tried to give weight and tag on the device but I couldn't move an inch. Maybe because the rope was frozen or because the rope was not going straight down but a bit horizontal to a sort of a traverse. I tried to swing to get hold of a rock. Nothing. After about 10 minutes I was exhausted. I panicked. I screamed. Then I calmed down. I let go of the rope and I was just hanging suspended upside down by the harness. I felt a strange calmness and warmth and I though maybe I could hang up there until morning and hope the 2 guys I had left at camp 3 will find me on their way down in the morning. As I hang there I was not worried. I knew there was a way out, I just couldn't figure it out yet. I reached inside the inner breast pocket of my jacket to get out my phone to record a message. Instead, I pulled out a photo of my daughter (I always carry my kids photos on these expeditions. They remind me I need to get back. Safely). They say fathers and daughters have a special bond. I agree. As I stared and smiled at her face I remembered I had a jumar/ascender and immediately I knew what I needed to do. It would be exhausting and extremely painful, but it got me to camp 2.


Report from Katrin Glashauser (2 May 2021):

BC(17/04,4600m),C1(24/04,5500m),C2(28/04,5900m),xxx(29/04,6400m)

Team of Glashauser (with Jangbu Sherpa), Stregell (with Khungbu Sherpa), and Elisa Barba (with another Sherpa) reached 6400m on 29 April, then turned back due bad weather. Weather was OK (only partly cloudy) until 7:00 am. Then heavy snowstorm started at ~9.00 am and forced the expedition team to turn back to C2, where Glashauser and Strengell spent the night, whereas Barba went back to basecamp during the same day.

Machado quit due to exhaustion before C2 at 550mm on 29 Apr and went back to basecamp due to exhaustion. Team left BC 1 May.