Ama Dablam Base Camp | Update October 2021

The lodges of Ama Dablam base camp

 October 27th 2021

The information available on Ama Dablam Base Camp on the internet has mostly been sketchy and so I decided to go up with my group to see the base camp and check the route and the new lodges built there. 

We left Pangboche around 7- 15 am walked to the end of the village and passed the last Sonam Lodge. A little ahead of the Sonam Lodge there is a path going down to the river - take this path and in 5-10 minutes you are down to a bridge across the Imja Khola - cross the bridge and then start climbing steadily uphill for 30-45 minutes to reach the ridge line - there are some multiple trails but the general direction is uphill. 

Reach the ridge and swing left on a flattish trail for about 15-20 minutes. This trail then drops into a broad meadow where we found yaks grazing and a view to the west including Pumori on the Khumbu Glacier. From this point Pheriche could also be seen below. 

The trail then begins another long climb turning to the right for about an hour mostly with rocks and boulders - it crests another ridge line where you find a sign on a rock saying “lodge 5 min”. It is actually 20-30 minutes from here to the lodges! 

Follow the trail which again swings right and there are large white arrows on the rocks indicating the route. Finally turn the last bend and on a meadow there are two lodges and the tents of the Base Camp. The altitude reads 4500 metres - a climb of approximately 550 metres from Pangboche which could take anything between 2.5 to 3.5 hours depending on your climbing speed. 

There are two new lodges at the Base Camp - The older Ama Dablam Base Camp lodge and the new Himalaya Lodge. Both the lodges would be open in the spring and autumn season and would possibly close in winter mid December to early March and again in the monsoon months June to mid September. If you trek to the base camp it makes sense to stay the night to get a chance to see the spectacular sunset views on Ama Dablam as well as Taboche across the valley. You can always check in Pangboche if the lodges are open as the lodge owners are from Pangboche. 

Walking 15-20 minutes uphill from the lodges you come to another flattish meadow where there are more tents - the main base camp from where the climbers attempt the peak. While we were there Seven Summit Treks had a group on the mountain and we could see the climbers through the telescope moving very slowly on the final summit ridge. 

Ama Dablam Base Camp is a good add on to an Everest trek and it also helps acclimatization. If you spend one night here you can skip the extra night at Pheriche or Dingboche.  The way down would be 2-3 hours depending on your downhill skills and can be hard on the knees.

Pangboche to Ama Dablam Base Camp 27 51 10N 86 49 10E  4500 metres 2.5 to 3.5 hours up and 2 to 3 hours down. 

The view on the descent - Kwangde, the Imja Khola, lower and upper Pangboche, Tengboche monaster, part of Phortse village, Mongla and the Everest view hotel on the ridge below Kwangde

For more information on our treks and  photo workshops do visit www.southcol.com

For photographs of the Himalaya do visit www.sujoydas.com