원정 개요

It was planned to have a C2.7 at 6150m and to make the team's summit bid from C1 on 3 November, move into C2.7 on the 4th and stay there on 4 November en route to the summit on the 5th and descend to C2 later that day.

However C2.7 was never occupied. At 5:40 am on the 3rd, a Sherpa named Dendi, climbing with five Swiss, was fatally hit by falling ice which fell on the route from above C3 (6300m) and struck him in the face. Its blows fractured the pelvis of one of the members and injured others, but Dendi was the only fatality amongst the groups climbing that day.

However, one death was all that was needed to put a sudden end to this and other Ama Dablam climbing efforts this season. Two of the IMG team's Sherpas, Chewang Lendu and Nuru Gyalzen, had reached this expedition's high point, 6150m at C2.7 on the 4th, at the same time, Allen, Field and Heinle and got to 6120m at the top of the grey tower, the high point for the members.

All members and Sherpas were in BC by that afternoon, and all left BC on the 5th.

Allen said he doesn't want to climb the SW Ridge as long as the Dablam is active; the whole section is unstable, and he judges it could stay that way above that section of the route for up to two years.

David Medlar got sick with a respiratory infection on 20th October and got only to C1, then left the team. Joshua McDowell had several bouts of intestinal troubles and also went no higher than C1 before he left. Kara Stinson's high point was also C1; she was not capable of climbing high as she didn't have the necessary coordination and balance.

Sherpas:
Chewang Lendl, 19/4/80, Phortse, Cho Oyu X2, Everest X5, Lhotse X6, Manaslu X1
Nuru Gyalzen, 18/8/73, Phortse, Everest X6, Manaslu X2