Alan Arnette has a good story today on what he calls the “other” Himalaya climbs, in which he turns the spotlight on both Ama Dablam and Pumori, two popular climbing destinations in the region.
Both mountains fall below the legendary 8000 meter peak line, which keeps them a bit below the radar, despite the fact that they are both demanding climbs in their own right. Ama Dablam stands 6848 meters (22467 feet) in height, while Pumori tops out at 7161 meters (23494 feet). The two mountains are located completely within Nepal, meaning they haven’t been subjected to China’s closing of Tibet in recent years. They are also popular fall climbs as well, with mountaineers looking to tackle Everest or one of the other big peaks in the spring.
Alan points out that there are a number of teams on both Pumori and Ama Dablam at the moment. For instance, the Peak Freaks have a team on Pumori and it also the target peak for the Climb With Us Team as well. Ama Dablam is hosting teams from IMG, Field Touring Alpine, and Adventure Consultants as well.
Sometimes it is very easy to get caught up in the what is happening on Everest and the other 8000 meter peaks, and you tend to forget that there are plenty of other amazing, challenging, and beautiful mountains in the Himalaya. Thanks to Alan for reminding us that there are “other” peaks out there that are deserving of respect and attention.
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Ama Dablam is truly a beautiful peak. It's such an incredible landmark in the Khumbu region of Nepal. As you make yuour way to Everest's slopes from the Nepal side you cannot help but spend hours and hours looking up at AD's unique shape and silhouette.
Personally, though, I think Pumori is my favorite. I'll never forget my first view of Pumori from Everest's North side. I was doing an acclimatization hike to prepare my body for the ascent to ABC a couple of days later. I climbed up the trail about 1000 feet above the main Rhonbuk Glacier, following the East Rhonbuk glacier so that I could make my way around Changtse…and I looked across the divide into Nepal and saw Pumori sitting there in all her splendor. Just shimmering in the sun. From that angle Pumori has a near flawless conical shape with both sides of the peak's outline total mirror images of each other. I believe I let out an audible, "whoa!"
To this day whenever I see the name Pumori printed in a book or on the web I instantly see that view burned into my memory.
Jon
http://www.therestofeverest.com
Thanks for sharing your memories and experiences from the region Jon. You definitely have a great perspective on all of these peaks and can share them in a wonderful way.
I'm hoping to see some of these mountains for myself in 2010. 🙂