Ama Dablam Expedition

Altitude: 1400m

After you land at the Kathmandu International Airport, our staff will welcome you to Nepal. A short drive from the airport takes you to the hotel in Thamel. You will stay in a 3-star hotel in the vibrant city of Thamel. After checking into the hotel, you have a whole day by yourself.

We all gather for a gaggle briefing on the Ama Dablam Expedition in the evening. Then, you will be introduced to the crew, and we shall enjoy the welcome dinner in a Nepalese restaurant. After dinner, you can enjoy the nightlife of Thamel or get to bed early.

Overnight in Kathmandu

Meals: Dinner

This is our relaxing day in the city of Kathmandu. Moreover, our mission for the day is to get climbing permits and explore the beautiful city of Kathmandu. Also called the city of temples, Kathmandu has many world heritage sites worth exploring.

In the morning, we visit Swayambhunath, known as the Monkey temple. On the silent hilltop, the entire valley is visible from the Stupa. Then, we visit the Pashupatinath, the temple of Lord Shiva. Within the area, much architectural heritage holds tremendous importance in Nepalese history.

Then, there’s the Boudhanath stupa, the biggest stupa in Nepal. You can often see Nepalese and Tibetan Buddhists chanting mantras on the premises. Lastly, we head to Kathmandu Durbar Square, the home of the former kings of Nepal. Here, we can see the palaces, temples, and the home of living goddesses.

In the evening, we went back to Thamel to go shopping. Ask your guide to help you shop the trekking gear. Later, you can enjoy the night on your own.

Overnight in Kathmandu

Meals: Breakfast

Altitude: 2,550 metres

Duration: 3-4 hours

We’ll start the Amadablam Expedition with a morning flight to Lukla (2,840m). First, we drive to the domestic terminal of Kathmandu airport and catch the flight to Tenzing Norgay airport, a gateway to the Khumbu Region. This is often an exciting flight that bestows us the very first glimpse of Everest within the distance.

We’ll meet the rest of the crew in Lukla and depart immediately for our first night in the mountains. In the first part, we slowly walk on the trail to the village of Phakding. This is the most leisurely trek as we head on the leveled trail. We headed to the village of Phakding, situated on the banks of the Dudh Koshi. On the short walk, we enjoy the very first views of the Everest region.

Overnight in Phakding

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Altitude: 3,440 metres
Duration: 5-6 hours

We begin the day after a warm breakfast in the tea hotel. On the trail, we first walked to the village of Monjo, which is about 2 hours of walk. We further continue the trek passing a couple of impressive bridges, including the Hillary suspension bridge.

The views of the mountains often accompany us during the entire trek. We get some insight into the culture of the famous Sherpa people. This can often be challenging due to the increasing altitude. After about six hours of walking finally brings us to the Namche Bazaar.

Namche Bazaar is a big town on the premises of Khumbu. Namche used to be the trading center for the Tibetans in the mountains. For the evening, we crash into the cozy remote houses operated by the people of Namche.

Overnight in Namche

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

We are already dwelling at a very high altitude, so we will occupy Namche for an additional day. This allows us to acclimatize properly at such an elevation. But we will not waste an entire day in the hotel. As we wake up with the amusing sunrise views from the village, we enjoy breakfast in the hotel.

An excellent option is to enjoy the stunning vista and the panorama of the peaks from the Everest view hotel. For that, we hike to the hilltop in the morning. Also, we visited the local museum and a school made by Sir Edmund Hillary himself.

A stay in Namche is an excellent way to witness the lifestyle of the Sherpa people. In the evening, we enjoy some cake in the Namche bakery. There are some finest restaurants and guest houses in Namche for our accommodation.

Overnight in Namche

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Altitude: 3,700m
Duration: 6 hours

After being fueled by the warm Breakfast in Namche, go for an additional day of trekking at the Everest Base Camp. The breathtaking Himalayas, such as Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam, are visible right before our eyes.

Walking in the thick forest of Pine, Oak and Rhododendron, we walk further inside the Khumbu region. After a brief walk, we reach our destination, i.e., Phortse. This village is understood as the foremost beautiful paradise within the Everest region. We crashed into one of the tea houses for the night.

Overnight in Phortse

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Altitude: 4,400m
Duration: 6 hours

After breakfast, we walked parallels to the canyon of Imja Khola River. The pristine blue waters from the mountain will also melt our hearts. From here, the walk to the village of Pangboche is rather steep. Pangboche has been called the most important settlement of Sherpas within the region.

Enjoy an excellent opportunity to watch a typical Sherpa village while you have lunch here. After some hours, we joined the path that led us to the rugged landscape. We now walk outside the forest into a different landscape thanks to dry and deserted mountains. After some hours, we will reach Dingboche, another beautiful mountain settlement.

Overnight in Dingboche

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

After the challenging walk, our body needs some rest before we walk closer to the mountains for Amadablam Expedition. Today, we stopped in the village of Dingboche. After breakfast, we head for the acclimatization hike on the nearby hilltop. The stunning views of Makalu, Cho Oyu, and Lhotse from the top of Chukung Ri cannot be missed. After enjoying the views and some rest, we return to the Dingboche. Then, it’s lunchtime.

For the evening, you can either rest in the hotel, or we shall wander around the village of Dingboche. Get to bed early, as we have a tough day.

Overnight in Dingboche

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Altitude: 4,570 meters
Duration: 4 to 5 hours

Today we leave the classic trail of the Everest Base Camp and choose a backcountry route far away from the village for the Amadablam Expedition. After breakfast, we walk on the tiny yak herder settlements that revolve around the bottom of Ama Dablam.

The uphill walk along the river offers some of the most prodigious views we have yet to witness. As we move closer, the southwest ridge of Ama Dablam gets clear. After a short downhill walk, we prepare to climb to the base camp.

The Ama Dablam Base camp lies beyond the grassy valley at the bottom of the mountain. We arrive early so our porters can set up the camp and prepare the food. In the evening, we will explore the nearby areas and have a wonderful time with our guests.

Overnight in Ama Dablam Base Camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

We walk up with the views of the spectacular mountain all around us. After the breakfast break, we can climb the nearby hills to acclimatize our bodies before the actual climb. Then, we let our bodies have enough rest and rejuvenate from all the hectic walks in the mountain. The Sherpa will also make the prayer for our successful climb.

We practice a sophisticated fixed-line training course by our Sherpa in the daytime. They teach you to climb the cliffs and rocks on the way to the summit. We spend more than half of the day practicing all the techniques.

We shall learn to clear the jumbling vertical lines, rappelling, arm-wrapping, and using anchors and ropes. In the evening, we all gather to enjoy a warm dinner. Interact with your crew and listen to their stories of previous climbs so that you can be mentally prepared for the trek. Later, we will pack our bags and prepare everything for the morning.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Altitude: 5,182 meters
Duration: 4-6 hours

It is normal to spend at least one night in Yak camp to acclimate your body before the final push. So, we woke up and headed to the yak Camp. After a brief moment at the top, we walked back to the base camp.

Overnight in base camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

This is the final day before you are ready to climb further up the mountain. Also, the Sherpa will give you some additional training. Make sure you feel physically and mentally well before beginning the climb.

Overnight in base camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Altitude: 5,639 meters
Duration: 4-5 hours

We leave the base camp in the morning after breakfast. The first part of our climb includes the trek to the Yak camp (this can be our stop for the night if you cannot climb to camp 1). After some brief moments here, we now head to the Southwest Ridge.

This portion turns from a plateau to a real knife-edge, bringing us closer to the camp. The climb moves on the easy sandy trails before it gets to the outsized talus field. Crossing over the huge granite boulders, we climb the final 200 meters on fixed lines.

The Sherpas perch the tents of Camp 1 in the fantastic airy position over the rock platforms. Our first night in the middle of the mountain will be pretty thrilling.

Overnight in Camp 1

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Altitude: 5,944 meters
Duration: 4 hours

We begin the second day of your mountain climbing quite early. You get the first taste of technical mountain climbing right after leaving camp 1. We clip into the fixed ropes set by our Sherpa and climb to camp 2. The climbing will be incredibly thrilling, with short steps and countless fourth to easy fifth-class moves. The Yellow Tower, renowned as the climb’s crux pitch, is also found here.

We shall settle quite early in the day as our porters prepare the food and bed for the night.

Overnight in Camp 2

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Altitude: 6,812 metres
Time: 8-9 hours

Get ready for the most important day of your climb in the evening. We leave the second camp quite early and aim for the summit before the weather worsens. Today’s climb is technical and needs constant guidance.

Although some parts of the trail are easy, handling yourself at such an altitude and cold temperatures is complex. We climbed the steep snow and ice to the summit. As we reach the top, the staggering view of six 8,000-meter peaks will be smiling down on such. Almost five hours of trek to the summit will be worth the mind-blowing views from the top.

After a brief moment at the summit, we climbed down to camp 2. Although the descent feels more accessible, it’s when most accidents happen. Make sure you walk carefully and listen to every word from the guide.

Overnight in Camp 2

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Altitude: 4,570 meters
Duration: 2 to 3 hours

We wake up with the pleasing feeling of a successful climb to the summit. After the hot breakfast, we get our bags ready. Cleaning our camp, we begin the descent towards Camp 1. Strolling on the technical slabs, we quickly get to camp 1.

After some rest here, we further retract the path to the Yak Camp. Since this is the same path you initially climbed, you will be well aware of the dangers. In mid-day, we will find ourselves in the base camp. Have some rest as our team prepares the food and the tent. We celebrate the success of the Ama Dablam Expedition.

Overnight in the base camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

As you should know, the weather in the mountains is quite unstable. Also, we cannot climb Ama Dablam in too much snow or strong wind. Before heading for the summit, we ensure that the weather is in our favor.

Similarly, we cannot ignore the chances of a medical emergency. Suffocation and weakness are very common in such altitudes. We reserve this day for the Ama Dablam Expedition for unfortunate cases.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Altitude: 3,440 metres
Duration: 6-7 hours

We leave bottom camp as we hike to Capitol Hill and Pangboche. This is the hardest part of today’s journey. After some rest in Pangboche, we continue to trek down the valley. Moreover, walking in the thick forest, we walk to Thyangboche, which houses the largest monastery in the Khumbu region.

We will visit the monastery as we stop for lunch. Then, we continued the walk in the enormous sink to the Dudh Koshi River. After crossing a suspension bridge, we get to Sanasa. Now, walking along the hillside, we finally reach the village of Namche Bazaar.

Overnight in Namche Bazaar

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Altitude: 2,850m
Duration: 6-7 hours

This is the final day of trekking in the mountains for the Ama Dablam Expedition. Now, we wake up within the premises of the spectacular Khumbu. Then, we shall descend for an hour before we get to the high bridge. Along the Dudh Koshi river, we retrace our path to the village of Phakding.

We stop here for some moments before lunch and make the final two-and-a-half-hour walk. After we reach Lukla in the late afternoon, we enjoy one final dinner with the entire crew. The crew will leave us in the morning. Enjoy your final night spent in the proximity of the mountains.

Overnight in Lukla
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Altitude: 45 minutes
Duration: 45 minutes flight

You will wake up early for breakfast and head to Lukla Airport. We shall schedule your flight to Kathmandu early in the morning when the weather is still evident. This also gives us an entire day to explore the city of Kathmandu.

Moreover, you can stroll around your hotel at Thamel and buy souvenirs for your loved ones. In the evening, we shall gather for the Farewell dinner on behalf of the team, where we celebrate the successful accomplishment of the Journey.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

This is your last morning in Kathmandu, our Ama Dablam Expedition ends here. We shall drive you to the airport as per your flight schedule.

Wish you an incredible journey back home.

Meals: Breakfast