Ama Dablam “5 peaks” Alpine mountaineering course in the Himalayas (33 days)

After a year and a half of planning, a new attempt was made on Ama Dablam. This time a third person joined the climbing party. Acclimatisation on Lobuche gave us a foretaste of what the numerous pitches on Ama Dablam's steep terminal slopes would feel like. Good weather conditions and a swift Alpine style climb to C1, C2 and finally the summit concluded this project. Thank you so much Jyamchang for guiding us up there! The timing of the climb (before Autumn's commercial expeditions), choice of porters and additional logistics were once again very professional.

As some famous mountaineer once said about his Sherpa climbing partner, Jyamchang belongs to a new generation of Nepali guides who really love to climb. For them, mountaineering isn’t just about business. And that’s the reason why we got along very well whilst attempting the ascent of Ama Dablam in April 2017. We were lucky enough to be able to meet beforehand in Chamonix for a thorough check-up of the equipment and a briefing on the various logistics. I found him to be that kind of straight-to-the-point, smiling and organized person I was hoping to have as a guide and partner for an ambitious climb above 6000 meters, which I had only performed once before (on Island Peak). We met at the airport in Kathmandu and joined a good friend of mine and his trekking guide, who accompanied us during the acclimatization trip across the 3 passes and on to EBC. This gave us plenty of time to get our bodies accustomed to altitude. Jyamchang and I performed a daily health check-up to monitor the effects of altitude, a routine which I found to be very professional. We had agreed during our first Skype discussions that we were going to climb alpine style. That is minimum logistics, no fixed ropes etc. The idea of climbing a difficult mountain such as Ama Dablam without these facilitating artefacts strongly appealed to me, and I appreciated that Jyamchang pushed for this approach of the climb. This was not just pulling the client to the top of the mountain and then collecting the summit bonus. Unfortunately, due to poor weather conditions the day before summit day, we were unable to reach the summit. However, I found that Jyamchang’s attitude during the difficult descent with rapidly degrading weather conditions, and another party that we had to help descend, was again showing a professional and competent approach to the mountain environment. All in all, we had a great time in the beautiful surroundings of the Khumbu valley and may be climbing together again in a future expedition. I can strongly recommend Jyamchang for trekking and climbing elsewhere in the world (Jyamchang also guides in Norway). Martin, 32 - Belgium

Our guide Phurpur was amazing and the climb was surreal. However, we finished the trip early due to a fast pace while walking and this meant we had to pay for our own food and accommodation from day 17 to 20. Which we felt was unjust as we were penalised for going faster than normal, had we known this was the case we wouldn’t have done it. Also be warned, although our guide was amazing, we didn’t get the IFMGA guide as advertised, we got a trekking guide. Finally, we did not receive a 3-day glacier course as promised on the itinerary. We raised these points to Jyamchang, but no compromise was made on their behalf. Overall, happy with the guide but very disappointed with the company and how they dealt with our situation. If the listing was properly advertised and you received what was listed with no catches and clauses we would have been happy, but this is not the case.

We had the pleasure of climbing Island Peak with High Himalayan; our trip included Everest Base Camp, Kala Patthar and Island Peak. Jyamchang and his entire team did an extraordinary job of taking care of us, always doing the extra to take care of us and make sure we had the best possible opportunity to succeed with our climb. The team is both skilled and strong, and helped us in every possible way, such as carrying extra from our personal equipment to relieve our loads etc. We would not have succeeded on Island Peak without the care, support, help and patience from a strong team of climbing guides. One area for improvement; we would have appreciated more information about practicalities, equipment, itinerary etc before the trip. I hope to return to Nepal again in the not-too-distant future and would be happy to make a new trip with High Himalayan.

1. First of all, the trip is ill-advertised, referring to Jyamchang as the accompanying guide but in reality he is not the same guide who accompanied me. 2. I asked a number of questions on the explore-share platform, most of which remained unanswered until the day I met the actual guide in Kathmandu. 3. Most worrying, is the fact that I clearly asked if 14 days were enough to summit Mera (for which I have been told they are indeed enough). However, the first thing I was told upon arriving in Kathmandu was that I have little mountain time and that I should postpone my return flights. I was also later informed, that most people who successfully summit Mera usually take a day or two more acclimatisation days in Khare. 4. The agreed plan was to return from Lukla directly to Kathmandu. One day prior returning, I was informed that due to the high season, flights are redirected to another airport and an extra 6 hour drive is required to reach Kathmandu. Otherwise, to fly directly to Kathmandu one needs to catch a helicopter flight and add another 50USD. After researching, I found out that this is true and happens in the beginning of October, however the company failed to inform me and plan in advance. 5. Hotel in Kathmandu was basic but nice, however air conditioning and TV did not work and on my last day I even had ants on my bed, fridge and sink. 6. The guide and porter to whom I was allocated, Pekma and Ganesh, were really nice and helpful people. Pekma (guide) was knowledgeable about the surrounding environment, Nepalese lifestyle, had significant mountain experience and was very supportive throughout the trip. Pekma managed all lodges and tea houses which were adequate. Food in the mountains was good and Pekma always assisted what foods are best to eat according to the location and availability. I did not experience any gastrointestinal issues. In conclusion, I would not recommend this trip if you aim for a successful summit.