We require that our participants have a solid foundation in cold weather management and strong physical fitness. Cold is the one of the biggest hazards for this expedition and everyone needs to be comfortable taking care of themselves independently. It is also important that you have prior experience with cramponing, harness use and walking on snow. A strong rock-climbing base will also assist with the technical sections, but strong experience with using a fixed line will also suffice. The exposure on Ama Dablam is extreme so being comfortable with heights, steep terrain and big exposure is a must.

Participants need to have excellent fitness, and the mindset to be away from home for 3 weeks or more, and a desire for rugged adventure travel. An Ama Dablam Summit climb is very physically arduous and needs to be taken very seriously. Participants need to be in the shape of their lives and be able to climb for 12-15 hours through the cold carrying a pack on summit day.

Nepal is a very remote and rugged place with few of the creature comforts we have come to expect. We try to give our climbers nice amenities when possible but, at the end of the day, this is true adventure travel and you need to have patience and be able to roll with the punches.

Guides will work with clients throughout the expedition to provide safety, advice, logistics, technical guidance, and information to best ensure the clients’ success.

If you want to join this expedition but don’t have the requisite skills, we can work with you to get you up to speed prior to the expedition. Please let us know how we can help!

You need to be very physically fit and able to dedicate time to ‘climbing specific training’ in the lead up to your expedition. Being in top shape will also ensure you enjoy your climb, feel good throughout and get the most out of the experience.

It is vital that your training closely simulates what you will be doing on the mountain. Traditional gym workouts or general fitness plans aren’t targeted enough. Instead you need to emulate long physical days (8hrs +) in the mountains

We recommend that you:

• Start specific mountaineering training at least 3 months in advance
• Train at least 5 days a week for an hour or more
• Focus on high volume but low intensity training
• A good goal is to be able to comfortably climb 1,500 vertical ft per hour with 6-8kg, 15lbs day pack
• Schedule a few weekends where you can do two or more full days back to back. Multi day hikes with good elevation are ideal.

Mindset and mental preparation are integral to your success on any peak.

You should be prepared:

• To be away from home/work for 2 weeks with short periods of being out of range
• Have a desire for rugged adventure travel
• Be open to receiving and deferring to guidance, support and advice from your guides/expedition leaders (even if you are an experienced mountaineer)
• Be comfortable having open conversations with your guides
• Be able to work well in a team environment by being supportive and respectful of fellow team mates
• Be humble, respectful and considerate even under pressure