Himalaya Fall 2009: Summit Bids Begin on Ama Dablam

I'm jumping back into my blogging duties, as I get back to my normal schedule at last, and I'll start things off by getting caught up on the ongoing events in the Himalaya, where teams are setting the stage for summit bids on Ama Dablam, Pumori, and more.

The IMG Team has updated their blog this morning with news that the climbers have reached Camp 2, and are now in a position to make the push to the summit tomorrow, skipping their stay in C3 altogether. They say the weather remains good, and the conditions on the mountain are excellent as well, but they are making one final alpine style push because of falling ice at Camp 3 in the past. Stay tuned for updates tomorrow, as it looks like they'll be topping out.

Field Touring Alpine has updated their blog as well, reporting that their team arrived on Ama Dablam Base Camp late last week, with the team heading over to Island Peak to make an acclimatization climb. Everyone is reportedly in good spirits, although they have suffered a few bouts of GI, as has been known to happen when traveling in a foreign country, especially at altitude. Look for more updates from FTA soon with news on their progress as well.

The Adventure Consultants are also on Island Peak, and today's dispatch says that they are continuing their trek through the Khumbu, which helps serve as an acclimatization exercise as well. A number of the members of the team are planning on heading up to Everest BC today, which makes for a scenic trek, but they'll find it deserted when they arrive, as it has been a quiet place this Fall.

Switching mountains, we'll jump over to Pumori next, where the Peak Freaks are reporting that lead climber Tim Rippel was hit by a large chunk of ice last night while sleeping in his tent. The ice managed to break several of Tim's ribs, and while the team has elected to carry on, he won't be joining them as they go up the mountain. He has instead been replaced by Norwegian climber Lars Haugen, who will lead the team up to C2 today. They are currently looking to reach the summit as early as tomorrow. Check out the Peak Freaks video below for more information on the mountain and the climb. Good stuff.

Finally, The Peak Freaks aren't the only team on Pumori of course, as the Climb With Us Team continues their efforts as well. The latest news from that bunch includes a blog post by Rock Climber Girl Sara Lingafelter, who gives a personal account of her own issues with dealing with altitude. Unfortunately for her, the altitude caused her to have to back down the mountain and recover from some AMS symptoms. She has since rejoined her team, which is currently in in ABC, and will be heading up to C1 tomorrow. From there, they'll wait to see what the weather conditions look like before beginning their own assault on the summit.