원정 개요

First intended to climb SW Ridge route for acclimatization, then try the NW Ridge route. Only the SW Ridge route was attempted.

From Club Pirineista Mayencos blog (Google translated):

After a long journey from Spain, with step by Dubai, Kathmandu and Lukla, and several days of trekking through the beautiful and famous Khumbu valley, the 16 members of Club Pirineísta Mayencos arrive on October 24 to the base camp of Ama Dablam. Ten days on the one hand are enjoy the wonderful scenery, and on the other, a certain anxiety on the part of the expedition to start his challenge.

The next day begins acclimation hard work and portering material to different height fields. During this long process, group members fit differently height, delaying the scheduled date for the summit until 6 November (14 days after reaching the base camp), consuming most of the time they have available for your goals: reaching the summit by the normal route and get a perfect acclimatization and then try to climb the same mountain on its western face, "Direct American" via its main objective. This, together with the arrival of winter, the wind increased in height and freezing temperatures, away all climbers summit of their expectations and our team of its main objective. During this period, the members of the group seen as different climbers down the mountain with frostbite on their extremities, being also witnessed two complicated rescue helicopter, more than 6000 meters above sea level mountaineers who have suffered extreme cases of sickness height, which highlights the difficult challenge climbers face.

After a tedious acclimatization, and the pressure of lack of time and the progressive tightening of conditions to climb the mountain summit date is set. On November 4 the ascent to Camp-1 starts, 5700 meters, comfortable way but very long, where you save a steep slope, to the beginning of the southwest ridge. From this point the real appear complications mountain (altitude and technical difficulty), but dwarfed by the great work of the "sherpas" tall each season install a fixed rope from this point to the top.

The second day a rocky, winding and very sharp edge, where necessary technical rock climbing depositing them in the spectacular Camp-2, located at 6000 meters, called "Gathering of Eagles" are is crossed, where a small number of balance in tiny shops make shelves, defying gravity, but with the special charm that gives this location.

After a short night, the ascent to the summit at two in the morning, plunged into total darkness, broken only by the light of the frontal starts. The terrain becomes increasingly vertical purely winter, combining ice climbing and snow with rock mixed areas. Gradually he is gaining height with the first light of dawn reach the big serac where sometimes the Camp-3 is mounted. several collapsed ice ridges that give access to the final part of the mountain are exceeded. From this point causes the wind presence, with altitude, mountain unprotected and low temperatures, decrease forces alpinists.

The last hundred meters of altitude are made especially hard, getting to summit at 11 am on November 6, on a sunny morning, but very cold and windy.

After a brief rest at the summit and enjoy the spectacular views that make this mountain an exceptional viewpoint, the long descent, a combination of successive abseiling provided by the fixed ropes depositing climbers in Camp-2 starts where rest the night after the long day.

The next morning all the material collected height fields, and the heavy burden arrive at Base Camp, where they face the two cooks. Tired but with a big smile on their faces gaunt.