2006 AMA DABLAM - Shorter Highlights: AMAC Collection

Last light over Kathmandu

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:44:10 GMT

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Sharing our twin otter flight with some of the Korean Silver Everest team

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 23:35:37 GMT

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Look closely and you'll see the landing strip!

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 23:35:45 GMT

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Our plane

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:46:50 GMT

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Loads that the porters carry can easily get up to 40kg and more

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 23:36:14 GMT

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Signing my "receipt"

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 23:36:22 GMT

]]>We each had to pay 1500 rupees which equates to about $20. In return we got a propoganda leaflet and an "official" receipt! We should have paid more as we were going up the Khumbu on a climbing expedition but we said we were just going trekking for 15 days!

Watch your step!

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 23:36:54 GMT

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Bridge over the Dudh Kosi

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 23:36:43 GMT

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Namche Bazaar

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 23:37:23 GMT

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First views of our objective

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 23:37:05 GMT

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Tom soaking it all in!

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 23:37:30 GMT

]]>it is an amazing mountain and totally dominates the walk up the valley....it inspires and frightens at the same time but you can't wait to get on it!

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:49:13 GMT

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The inappropriately named Paradise Lodge!

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 23:37:39 GMT

]]>A bigger dump of a lodge it would be hard to find! A total fire hazard! If this is still there in Dingboche next time I'm in the Kumbu I'll be amazed!

A favourite!

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 23:37:47 GMT

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The Lama at our Puja ceremony

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 23:37:58 GMT

]]>Our puja ceremony in Pangboche was a bit of a sad affair, coming on the back of the 6 deaths on the mountain a mere matter of days earlier it was touch and go whether the Lama would give us a blessing to set foot on the mountain. The ceremony took place in his house first thing in the morning and lasted the best part of a couple of hours. Fortunately, (although there was some initial confusion) the Lama gave us his blessing.

Day 5 and the last one of our walk in to base camp.

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 23:38:20 GMT

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macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:49:57 GMT

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Another BC shot

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:50:19 GMT

]]>The stream running through BC was permanantly frozen and had to be broken every day to collect water!

Nima and Tashi sorting gear

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 22:28:49 GMT

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Base camp view

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 22:29:21 GMT

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macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 22:30:32 GMT

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macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 22:29:56 GMT

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Sitting around

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 22:31:09 GMT

]]>A typical BC scene! Sitting around, chewing the cud and checking the route!

The classic (read predicatable!) shot

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 23:37:13 GMT

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Pemchirri setting the prayer flags

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 23:39:19 GMT

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Nima and Tashi

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 23:39:27 GMT

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The Lama

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 23:35:14 GMT

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Ari and Andries sillhouetted at 5000m

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:38:27 GMT

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Load carrying to ABC and Camp 1

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:38:41 GMT

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On the way up to Advanced Base Camp at 5450m

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:39:06 GMT

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macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:39:16 GMT

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ABC at 5450m

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:39:25 GMT

]]>no running water here at all and no snow so we had to get the kitchen porters to bring bagged up water!

Camp 1

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:39:46 GMT

]]>A beautiful camp site. We had a fixed line running between the tents as for all that it doesn't look too steep, the angle of slope running off on the right as you look at this would have meant stopping a fall unlikely. Also, the snow and ice was pretty icey.

View from Camp 1 to Base camp

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:39:53 GMT

]]>You can just make out our base camp if you look carefully! Over the side of the snow at the base of this photo the ground literally disappears and the next stop is 1500m below on the glacier!

My tent at ABC

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:40:01 GMT

]]>Beautiful views from ABC - we were above the clouds and many of the mountains felt as though they were at the same height as us.

Me showing my card to the gods on the mountain

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 22:32:12 GMT

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Leaving on summit attempt

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 22:33:22 GMT

]]>Dean and Neal leaving a day earlier than Ari, Andries and I. We would catch them up at ABC where they were planning on spending two nights to aid their acclimitisation.

Me leaving for the mountain

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:40:10 GMT

]]>Ari, Andries and I leaving. By this time, I had already decided that I would not go beyond camp 2 owing to the deaths on the mountain earlier and my belief that, for me, it was wrong to head higher when families were still grieving. I also felt that it was unduly stressful for family back home.

me at ABC

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:40:36 GMT

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Me leaving for camp 1

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:40:56 GMT

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On the slabs to camp 1

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:41:05 GMT

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macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:41:14 GMT

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At camp 1

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:41:40 GMT

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Alpenglow on Camp 1

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:41:55 GMT

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Andries at our tent, Camp 1

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:42:26 GMT

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On the early part of the route from C1 to C2

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:42:34 GMT

]]>We had two nights at C1 on the way up. On our "rest" day we had an exploratory wander along the route to C2 - this was quite pleasant as we didn't need to take rucksacks!

On route between C1 and C2

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:42:54 GMT

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Towards Camp 2

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:43:03 GMT

]]>Spot the team members at the top left of the photo. Great climbing on granite and snow.

The snow traverse at the start of route from C1

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:43:12 GMT

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macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:43:29 GMT

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Neal between C1 and C2

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:43:44 GMT

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Dean about to hit the snow ridge between C1 and C2

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:43:57 GMT

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looking ahead to C2 and beyond

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:44:05 GMT

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Dean on the VS slabs

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:44:15 GMT

]]>This was some of the best climbing on the mountain - nice granite slabs. Note however the top rope! The core sheath has disappeared completely! You wouldn't want to fall on this.

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 18:53:54 GMT

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Andries

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:44:24 GMT

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macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 18:54:15 GMT

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macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 18:54:08 GMT

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Camp 2 at about 6000m

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:44:37 GMT

]]>This was the view out of the back of my tent. Camp 2 was situated on top of a rock tower - there was just space for three tents with a further tent lower down.

Me pearing out from tent at Camp 2

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:44:54 GMT

]]>I felt good at this altitude - still had an appetite and no headache. I also slept reasonably well.

An airy Camp 2!

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:59:02 GMT

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My tent at camp 2

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:45:12 GMT

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macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:49:47 GMT

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macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 18:53:43 GMT

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Looking down at base camp

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:46:05 GMT

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Last team on the mountain!

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:46:16 GMT

]]>By the time we got back to BC the last remaining team (of two Aussies) had left leaving us the sole occupants of Base Camp. This was fantastic and left us with a real sense of isolation which, had we gone earlier in the season, would have been deprived of us...

The boys!

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:46:32 GMT

]]>Dean, me and Hadley posing in front of AD! What next guys? Mount Kenya in 2008??

Leaving....

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:46:46 GMT

]]>tinged with sadness but overall a burning desire to get back to civilisation as quick as possible!

back in Kathmandu

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:48:25 GMT

]]>having just had a shower for the first time in 23 days the next priority was a Summit Hotel burger and Everest Beer!

Chateaubriand at the Everest Steak House

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:48:37 GMT

]]>Chris and I pretty much polished this off between the two of us (with a bit of a helping hand from the team glutton, Dean)

I think perhaps a few too many beers had been drunk at this point!

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 18:47:45 GMT

]]>back in Lukla and awaiting our flight out the next morning it is traditional to have a big end of expedition party. This was added to by the presence of a 30 odd strong group of charity trekkers who had just gone to Everest Base camp and who were sharing the lodge facilities. Plenty of beer consumed by trekkers, climber, sherpas! A late night!

Ama Dablam panorama

macsmountains@googlemail.com (AMAC Collection) — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:44:31 GMT

]]>Photostitch of three images taken from base camp