Dale Cottam approaching the summit of Island Peak 6186m. Image by team leader Chris Szymiec courtesy of Field Touring Alpine (click to enlarge).
Image of Ama Dablam from Pangboche, courtesy of Mountain Madness (click to enlarge).
|
Himalaya wrap-up: Ama Dablam summits ahead, bad form on Island Peak
Posted: Nov 19, 2008 10:03 am EST
(MountEverest.net/Madrid) "Leave the egos at home people, have fun and play safe. And, for future reference, when you decide to take down a fixed line, please be sure no one is rappelling on it!!!”
Summit news is expected on Ama Dablam today; more climbers may follow within this week. One of the teams recently acclimatized on Island Peak – and came back with tales of reckless behaviour.
Egos larger than experience on Island Peak
“The November Ama Dablam team summited Island Peak yesterday morning at about 8am,” Field Touring Alpine leader Chris Szymiec reported on Wednesday. “Everyone is feeling great and we are now headed for Ama Dablam base camp."
"Island Peak was a very busy place yesterday and despite a lot of egos, inexperienced climbers and territorial Sherpas, we managed to stay focused and have an amazing day in the hills," Chris vented. "Leave the egos at home people, have fun and play safe. And, for future reference, when you decide to take down a fixed line, please be sure no one is rappelling on it!!!”
“Chris said that island was its usual crazy self with lots of other teams and that one of these other teams began to take down a rope that someone was still rapelling down,” FTA home team explained on a later update. “Thanks to Chris, Dale and Lhakpa they kept the route safe for our crew.”
Ama Dablam: MM summit push today
As for FTA team’s plans on Ama Dablam, the climbers are already acclimatized and ready for a summit push. “We have camps 1 & 2 established and will be also setting a camp 3 in a safer spot lower on the mushroom ridge,” Chris said. “We hope to make a swift and safe summit push after a day or so of rest.”
Another team is even closer to Ama Dablam’s summit though. Seth Hobby,leader of Mountain Madness expedition on the mountain, contacted his home team over the sat-phone from C2 yesterday – hours before the team set off for towards the top.
“We are up here now in a good position to cast off for our summit day,” Seth reported. “I am looking up at the route and conditions are great. I will try to call from the summit tomorrow (today).”
Links to current Ama Dablam teams:
FTA's Ama Dablam dispatches
Jagged-Globe
Mountain Madness' expedition blogs
|
