Ama Dablam 2009 Team | Field Touring Alpine
Field Touring Alpine Ama Dablam & Island Peak 2009 Team Page
We are very excited about our 5th annual trip to Ama Dablam and Island peak beginning in mid-october and led by Chris Szymiec. Chris is coming off his successful climb on Satopanth and making his 4th trip to Ama Dablam. We have one team starting on October 15 which will be assisted by Ian Blessley and Sam Tyler and a second starting on November 4 that will be assisted by Ian, Sam and Brad Jackson. On both trips our teams will acclimatize on Island Peak before heading over to Ama Dablam. We have concurrent trekking groups joining us for Island Peak who will then head on over to Everest BC, over the Cho la to Gokyo and finally back to Kathmandu. We have room on both trips for climbers and trekkers so we hope you can join us!
Ama Dablam information page | 2009 Dispatches ( Beginning in October) | follow us on twitter @fieldtouring
Our Sponsors
The following companies have been gracious enough to help support this expedition:
Team Members
Chris Szymiec (Canada) Expedition Leader
Living full time in the Canadian Rockies Chris’s typical weekends include quick trips up snow and ice climbs and skiing back down to the car! Originally from the Alberta, Canada, Chris has climbed in personal and commercial expeditions throughout the Rockies & the Himalayas. Chris has many alpine climbs to his name including summits of Ama Dablam (2006, 2007 & 2008), Island Peak (2007 & twice in 2008), Aconcagua (2009) and Spantik (2007). Chris has also guided expeditions to Cho Oyu (2007), Gasherbrum 2(2008), Broad Peak & many other peaks in Nepal, India & Kashmir. Chris is currently leading our Gasherbrum II, Broad Peak, Spantik, Island Peak, Ama Dablam, Aconcagua climbs and Everest Base Camp treks as well as working on several new trips including Satopanth and Nanda Devi East.
Ian Blessley (UK) Assistant Leader
Ian will be an assistant guide on the trip after a very successful trip to Spantik in 2007 with FTA where he was a guide-in-training and summited the 7027m peak along with Chris Szymiec and 8 other members over two days. His experience working with Chris on a nearly identical peak will serve him and the members well! Ian has travelled extensively through out the world both working in some harsh and hostile environments. In 1997 he visited Pakistan and climbed Mingli Sar (6050m), then travelled to Nepal, Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar, as an independent traveller climbing Kala Pata and Kilimanjaro. While in the Armed Forces in the Infantry, reaching the rank of Captain, he served in the jungles of Brunei and Belize, as well as visiting Kenya and deploying across the North of Afghanistan. In the UK he enjoys spending time walking and climbing across his country.
Brad Jackson (Australia), Assistant Guide
Brad joined FTA on Ama Dablam in 2005 and has since been to the Himalaya numerous times including climbing Island Peak, attempting Everest and has a vast knowledge of the region. We are excited to have him joining us for our November group!
Sam Tyler (USA), Assistant Guide
Sam Tyler grew up in Nantucket Ma. He has worked as a guide since 06 and has guided on both the East and West coasts, Alaska,and Argentina. He has been on three expeditions to Aconcagua, and one expedition to Denali. Sam holds a Wilderness First Responder and Health Care Provider through SOLO. Is a Leave No Trace Trainer, Avalanche 1, and is a AMGA Top Rope Site Manager.`
Sandy Hoby (NZ), Climber
Sandy has climbed Island Peak and attempted Everest and we welcome this experienced climber aboard!
Michael Herbert
"Was born and grew up in Southern England. Used to go walking and scrambling with friends in the English Lake District and the Scottish Highlands. My current occupation is as a project manager in an oil and gas services company. On account of my work I moved from the UK to Singapore just over ten years ago. Since moving to Singapore I have travelled to just about everywhere in S.E. Asia. The relatively close proximity of Singapore to the Himalayas has meant I've visited them on a number of occasions, starting with trekking and last year attempting Everest on an expedition which included Brad and Sandy. Originally we were going to attempt the mountain from the Tibetan side, but on account of last years' restrictions on foreigners in Tibet following the unrest in Lhasa and the Chinese Everest Olympic Torch expedition, we switched to the Nepalese side of the mountain only about a week before the start of the expedition. I got to about 8,400 metres before turning round on account of fatigue. The highest hill in Singapore is 162 metres, so there is not much opportunity for altitude training here!"
Henrik Olsen (Denmark), Climber
Hi everyone, I am Henrik and come from the very flat Denmark. 39 years of age, and been climbing since 1999, both rock, ice, and high altitude. Done with the 7summits in 07 and now find time to climb other sweet mountains. I also do stuff like multisport aventure raceing, and racebike and mountainbiking. See more of me www.7summits.dk Looking forward to seeing everybody in Kathmandu!
Eric De Waard (Netherlands), Climber
"About 6 years ago, I went to Nepal for the first time. For me this was a very special trip, doing 3 trekkings including the Everest BC trekking. This is were I've seen the beautiful Ama Dablam for the first time. After that, I started climbing whenever I could and at this moment, ice climbing is the thing I love the most. 3 years later, together with friend of mine, we signed up for a dutch climbing expedition in the autumn of 2006 to the Ama Dablam. Due to a lot of snow above camp 2, the fact that we were there a bit early in the season (september) and other circumstances, we didn't reach the top. I'd love to give it another go, so here I am!"
Emilia Takahashi (Brazil), Climber
Emilia will be joining our team at BC for the Ama Dablam climb after trekking independently in the Khumbu for several weeks. She lists Aconcagua, Tronador, Lanin & Huayna Potosi in her expedition background. you can follow her dispatches in portugese at http://emiliayoko.blogspot.com/
Oscar Raap (Netherlands), Island Peak and Everest BC trek
"Hi, my name is Oscar Raap from Amsterdam, The Netherlands and I'm very much looking forward to my first trip to Nepal. The Himalaya dwarf every mountain I've seen before, so I've probably got a tough job on my hands with the trek to Ama Dablam and Everest. If all goes well I'd like to get on top of Island Peak with my good friend Eric, before he continues with the Ama Dablam climb. I can't wait!"
Christine Li (USA), Island Peak and Everest BC trek
"Hey this is Bo from Fremont USA, my friends call me Christine, I was original from China and have been living in California for almost 10 years, love sierra mountain and visit there quite often. I start to learn rock climb in early 2008 and fall in love with it, and go out climbing almost every weekend this season. Never been to Himalaya range before and it's my dreaming place, start to get exciting now !"Hong Bao (USA) Everest BC trek
"Hi This is Hong, I'm a computer software guy and seems always busy on writing code. But, I love nature and really enjoy to explore wildness with my wife together. So, here i am, looking forward this exciting Nepal trip !"
Rai "Tsering" Parsu Ram (Nepal), Climbing Sherpa
Date & place of Birth. Rakha 4 Kotang 1969 Training: Basic and advance course of Mountaineering from Manang Mountaineering Institute Mountaineering Back Ground: Mount Makalu up to Camp three Mount Sisapangma up to 8000 meter Mount Cho Oyu up to 7500 meter Mount Ama Dablam Summit (4 times) Trekking Peak: Mera Peak (15 time summit) Island Peak (15 time summit) Lobuje Peak (10 time summit) There is no more hard working and reliable sherpa on the Ama Dablam. Helping to set the high camps early and support members delayed by illness or slow acclimation, Tsering is a revered and crucial member of our team. Competent and strong as a climber and gentle and sincere by nature he is a pleasure to spend a month with!
Lakpa Sherpa (Nepal), Climbing Sherpa
Date & place of Birth: Kurima, Solu Khumbu 1972 Training: Basic and advance course of Mountaineering from HIM Darjeeling Mountaineering Background: Mt. Ama Dablam Summit (7 times) Mt Cho Oyu Summit Mt Everest to 8300m Trekking Peak: Mera Peak (20 time summit) Island Peak (20 Time summit) Lobuje Peak (15 time) Lhakpa summited along with 16 members over the last three years and has proven a phenomenally strong and dependable guide on Ama Dablam. Just prior to the 2006 Ama Dablam Climb Lhaka and an all-star nepali team completed an 800m ice climb that first ascensionist Catherine Desteville once claimed would never be repeated.Our members in 2006 were treated to a viewing of the climb's video in namche and our respect for Lhakpa was redoubled!
Ratna Man Gurung (Nepal), Base Camp Cook
Date & place of Birth: Barpkak, Gorkha 1969 Training: Basic and advance course of cooking Mountaineering Back Ground: Ramduk Peak (Summit) Working as cooking since 1995, Ratna has been on more than 30 Expeditions and has been our base camp cook in 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008 will be our BC cook for Ama Dablam for a 5th time (not to mention twice for Cho Oyu as well!) No expedition would succede without a great cook and base camp manager and Ratna manages our health and home with a friendly and caring touch. He also has a wicked sense of humour so be forewarned!
Siddhi Bahadur Tamang (Nepal), Climbing Sherpa
This will be Siddhi's 6th trip with FTA and we could not be more excited to have him along. He is making the transition from kitchen boy and high altitude porter to sherpa and has now served as a sherpa on Ama Dablam, Island Peak and Cho Oyu. He is also the resident nepali language instructor and takes great pride in helping our members to gain facility in nepali and during snowy days at BC this activity can be a life saver when the cards are worn and the batteries low! Inquisitive, funnny and capable there is little Siddhi will not accomplish if he wishes. We have supported him by helping him to take a mountaineering course this past summer and we hope to keep nurturing his goal of becoming a full-time Sherpa guide.
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