Mt. Everest AMA DABLAM Expedition- 29 days

After your first night in Kathmandu, you will be well informed on arrival about the time for your half-day guided sightseeing tour in Kathmandu at places of interest. Swoyambhunath ( Monkey Temple) Situated on a hill, Swoyambhunath is both a Buddhist and a Hindu Temple. The origin of the Kathmandu valley is closely linked to this temple. Also known as Monkey Temple, the sprawling tree-filled grounds of the temple are home to many monkeys.

Transfer to the domestic airport for one of the great flights of the Himalaya. 
If the sky is clear during the flight, one can get the first views of the Mt.Everest. 
The Twin-Otter / Dornier or similar aircraft will take off from the hillside village of Lukla, the starting point of the trek. Here, meet the staff and the porters and set off straight away for Phakding, situated on the banks of the Dudh Kosi River, which drains the whole of the Khumbu.

Rest and at leisure, allowing the bodies to become more acclimatized to the altitude of 11,300ft /3,440m.

The well worn Everest trail contours around the side of the valley high above the Dudh Kosi, with good views of the great peaks of the Khumbu, including Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam, and then passing several villages and numerous tea shops, descending steeply to a bridge over the Dudh Kosi. The village on the far side is an excellent lunch spot, and here one can rest a little before making the steep climb to Thyangboche. Although tiring, the 2-hour haul up the zig-zag path has numerous distractions, with rhododendron bushes, beautiful birds, and superb mountain scenery. Thyangboche is famous for its monastery, the largest in the Khumbu. It was destroyed by fire (an elderly monk tried to put out his new electric fire by pushing it face down onto the floor!), but it has now been rebuilt and is as grand as ever.

Descending gradually through woods, cross the Imja tse Khola and climb steadily to the village of Pangboche. This is directly opposite of Ama Dablam (6,856 m.), and is a good place to stop by for lunch and an overnight camp overlooking the excellent view of Ama Dablam, Kangtenga, and Thermasarkhu. Afternoon free for a local hike to the upper village and a visit to the local old monastery.

From the camp descend towards the Imjatse River and cross the small wooden bridge. After the river, a steep climb of 40 minutes leads to a large meadow with a couple of shepherd huts. From here, the walk is on the gradual uphill path till the base of Ama Dablam is reached. The camp is on the large field beneath the towering, majestic peak of Ama Dablam.

A rest day, an optional hike towards the advanced camp with the wonderful views of the surrounding beautiful landscapes.

During these 12 days, you will be engrossed in dividing the loads and checking your equipment for the final assault. It is impossible to predict the exact day-by-day itinerary for this period. The team will be broken down into climbing groups who will work on the mountain for several days before returning for a rest at Base Camp. While one group is pushing out the route and fixing ropes, another may be carrying loads up to higher camps. Ray Delaney climbed the South West ridge of Ama Dablam with Joe Simpson in April 1990. His route description is as follows. From Base Camp, follow old grassy moraine ridges roughly eastwards to a broad saddle from which one can see a Mingbo-La. From the saddle, turn north and climb up rocky ground and finally through boulders to the ridge below Pt.5, 705, which is the site of camp I. There are four or five tent platforms. From Camp I: Cross a rocky bowl (tricky if snow-covered) until below two rock fingers, then move on to a ridge proper. Climbing the ridge involves rock climbing of severe standard with steps of VS (USA 5.6). Camp II is at the top yellow tower, which gives one of the hardest pitches on the climb at VS/Hard VS (5.8). From Camp II: Skirt a red rock bluff on the east and follow a ramp line to a gray tower. Move onto the ramp (some stone falls) and climb to an amphitheater. Continue up a broad gully between the gray tower and the lower rock buttress and climb a snow slope to ‘ Santa’s Grotto’ at the start of Mushroom Ridge. Possible bivvy site. Follow the mushroom ridge to a crevasse in the upper face, which offers another good bivvy site. Climb the snow/ Ice slope to the right of the face, and then follow mixed ground to the top of the highest hanging glacier. An ice crest now leads in a magnificent position to the summit. Grand Views! We all need to be back at the base camp by Day 21-22. At this point, the porters will arrive for our walk out to Lukla.

Today, after regaining energy after the hard climb, everyone will be engaged in cleaning up the base camp and packing. Please take all the dead, used, or unused batteries back home.

Retrace the journey back to Monjo via Namche Bazaar for the overnight stop.

The flight time to Kathmandu is scheduled for the morning normally, because of the wind in the afternoon, sometimes the flight time can be delayed due to bad weather and other reasons. This scenic flight from Lukla takes about 45 minutes to Kathmandu, and a panoramic view of the snow-capped peaks can be seen from the window of the plane. Arriving at Kathmandu domestic terminal, our staff will receive and transfer you back to the Hotel.

A free day in Kathmandu, please inform our staff if you would like to go on another short tour in and around Kathmandu Valley. In the evening, enjoy a complimentary farewell dinner at a local Nepali restaurant with a cultural program.