Climbers ready to ascend Mt Ama Dablam as Sherpas gain access to summit

KATHMANDU: More than 400 climbers are all set to attempt to stand atop the Mount Ama Dablam in Khumbu region of eastern Nepal after a six-member rope fixing team successfully reached the summit of 6,812 metre-peak on Wednesday morning.

According to Iswari Paudel, the Managing Director at Himalayan Guides Nepal (HGN) Pvt Ltd, climbing Sherpas include Pemba Wongdi, Pasang Tenji, Nima, Lhakpa Wongchhu, Temba and Thuktan. They reached the summit of the mountain at 11:49 am. “The team first reached the summit while fixing the ropes from Camp II,” he shared.

Expedition Operator Association Nepal has assigned HGN to fix the ropes on Mount Ama Dablam this season. Sherpas struggled hard to open the summit route as bad weather had caused a delay to proceed with rope fixing work last week, Paudel added.

After the Sherpas open the route to the summit, more than 400 climbers who obtained permits from the Department of Tourism (DoT) under Nepal's Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation could ascend to the summit of Mount Ama Dablam now.

More than 200 foreign climbers along with their high altitude workers and support staff have already reached base camp for acclimatisation, a DoT official Gyanendra Shrestha said.

Mount  Ama Dablam receives hundreds of climbers every year since American climber Barry Bishop reportedly made the first ascent to the majestic peak in 1961.