Entries from Ama Dablam

Tuesday, October 27, 2026 - 8:26 pm PT

Ama Dablam! For those who have seen it, in picture or in person, the name evokes feelings of awe and wonder. A perfectly shaped mountain rising out of the lower Khumbu Valley. Pictures hardly do it justice. 

Two mornings ago, on October 25th we were fortunate to get to stand on top of Ama Dablam. A combination of hard work, skill and a heavy dose of luck got us there. 

Originally our plan was to leave Basecamp, spend a few nights up at Camp 1, then return to Basecamp to recover before making a summit push. This is a standard approach allowing each climber's body to acclimate to the altitude before making the final push. Unfortunately after looking at the weather, we realized that we would not have the number of days required to complete both cycles and decided to compress our schedule into a single push. 

Initially we made the five hour approach from Basecamp to Camp 1 with heavy backpacks and strong legs. We felt hopeful but intimidated by the terrain above. The next day we traversed the rocky slabs between Camp 1 and Camp 2, where we spent a uniquely uncomfortable night perched in a tent with part of the floor hanging over open air. On the third morning we made a single push to the summit. The climbing was a mixture of steep rock and ice, with the final 1,200' snow ramp to the summit pushing us to our limit. 

We opted to descend all the way back to Basecamp that same night. It was a long, slow process that required us to put our headlamps on for a second time, but the warm meals and comfortable mattresses in Basecamp made the effort worth it. 

A huge thanks to our Sherpa team, the Basecamp staff and everyone following along back at home. 

RMI Guide Eric Frank

Saturday, October 24, 2026 - 12:57 am PT

Change of plans. We made it to Camp 2 today and are planning to stay here. Tomorrow morning we will go for the summit.

RMI Guide Eric Frank

October 23. 2026 2:31 am PDT

Made it to Camp 1. Relaxing got the afternoon. Tomorrow we're gonna climb the Yellow Tower to Camp 2, then come down to C1 to sleep.

RMI Guide Eric Frank and Team

Thursday, October 22, 2023 8:26pm PDT

The weather is clear and we are feeling strong! Yesterday we took an acclimatization walk up to just below Camp 1 (19,100') to stretch our legs and preview the route. Everything is falling into place. 

We were hoping to do a full stand alone acclimatization cycle before our summit push, but there is a significant storm front on the horizon next Tuesday so we are going to compress the schedule to take advantage of the current high pressure.

Today we are headed back to Camp 1 to sleep and get in position for the climb. Wish us luck. We will try to send short dispatches each day to mark our progress uphill. 

RMI Guide Eric Frank

The last two days of trekking have taken us through some of the most beautiful terrain anyone can hope to see: small Sherpa villages set next to raging rivers with giant peaks in all directions. We walked for a few hours each day, then enjoyed afternoon tea and coffee while taking in the view.

Yesterday we finally arrived at Ama Dablam Base Camp. The basecamp here sits on a grassy field positioned with views of the upper face, the climbing route to the summit. We spent the morning practicing rope accension with plenty of breaks to stare up at the peak. 

Our plan is to move up to Camp 1 tomorrow for acclimatization. The next day we hope to climb up to Camp 2 before returning to Camp 1 for a second night. After this round we should be in good position for a summit cycle and just need to wait for the weather to give us a suitable window. 

RMI Guide Eric Frank

After nearly 30 hours of travel, we finally made it to this side of the world and checked into the comforts of our hotel. It is always challenging to stay awake the whole day after a long bit of travel, but we make it until evening. 

Tomorrow the plan is to catch a helicopter into the Khumbu Valley and slowly work our way to Ama Dablam Basecamp over the course of two days. The path will take us through a scenic river valley below towering peaks. We'll check in once we get established in Basecamp and have an updated weather forecast and from plan. 

Wish us luck! 

RMI Guide Eric Frank

Ama Dablam doesn’t need an introduction — it’s the mountain that makes everyone stop mid-trek, pull out their phone, and say “what mountain is that?” It looks impossible, like a granite shark fin dropped into the Khumbu. And we got to climb it. After a few weeks of hiking, acclimatizing, and a lot of time perfecting our tea-to-oxygen ratio, our team made a summit push. We climbed to Camp 1 at 19,000 ft followed by Camp 3, then up to the summit. We skipped the infamous, and smelly, Camp 2 to avoid the cramped "sleeping" and opted to climb the Grey Tower in the daylight with No Crowds!! 

We left Camp 3 in the wee hours of the morning due to the wind whipping across the seemingly near vertical wall facing you. We needed the sun to start making the air warmer, though the face doesn't get sun for quite some time in the mornings.  The fixed lines started right out of camp, and we got into a rhythm quickly — one step, one jumar, a deep breath, repeat. The climbing from Camp 3 is the kind of terrain that keeps you smiling even while your legs burn. It’s steep, exposed, and wildly scenic — you look down and realize how much of the world is way below you. A few hours later, we were standing on the summit — some wind, blue skies, and the type of view that doesn’t feel real until you’re back at basecamp scrolling through your photos thinking, “oh yeah, that actually happened.”

We had opted to head all the way back down to basecamp after our climb, which made for a long day, but a worthwhile endeavor, nonetheless. A hot meal, a mattress, a warm dome, all after summitting one of the most iconic peaks on earth. We got back in the dark, but damn was it worth it. 

Ama Dablam always lives up to the hype, a mix of gritty weather, unreal scenery, and the kind of that technical climbing that makes you grateful for strong ropes and stronger people.

Huge thanks to our Sherpa team, the staff at basecamp, and everyone back home following along. 

Until next time,

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli

After leaving the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu and making our steady way up the Khumbu Valley over the past several days, we’ve arrived at Basecamp, perched at 15,000 ft. Ama Dablam towers above us, its iconic ridges stretching around camp. Ama Dablam is named for its resemblance to a mother cradling and protecting her child. 

What a place. We’re surrounded by 360-degree views of the Khumbu’s giants, some of the tallest and most breathtaking peaks on Earth. It’s inspiring, humbling, breathtaking. A fresh blanket of snow last week has transformed the landscape into a pristine white canvas, the air crisp as the last whispers of monsoon give way to winter here in the Himalayas.

Tomorrow, we head higher for acclimatization, up to Yak Camp, the intermediate point between Basecamp and Camp 1. We’ll tag 17,000 ft and return to BC for the night, where our routine involves as much ginger, lemon, and honey tea legally possible.

After that, we begin our rotation schedule in preparation for the big show: our summit push. For now, it’s still quiet up here, let’s hope it stays that way.

RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli