Ama Dablam (6,812 m; Nepal's Department of Tourism also uses 6,814 m) is the mountain that trekkers on the way to Everest photograph more than any other, often called the most beautiful peak in the world and the "Matterhorn of the Himalayas". It rises in the Khumbu region of Nepal, inside Sagarmatha National Park, and for several days dominates the eastern sky above Tengboche and Pangboche. Its name means "mother's charm box" in Sherpa: the long ridges are a mother's arms, and the hanging glacier below the summit is the dablam, the amulet box worn by Sherpa women; it is also translated as "mother with a pearl necklace".
The first ascent was made on 13 March 1961 by Mike Gill, Barry Bishop, Mike Ward and Wally Romanes, members of Sir Edmund Hillary's Silver Hut scientific expedition, by the Southwest Ridge that almost every climber follows today. Fixed ropes have made the route popular, and Ama Dablam is now one of the most climbed peaks in Nepal, but it remains a technical climb on rock, ice and exposed ridges under a hanging glacier that killed six people in 2006.
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Ama Dablam is not high by Himalayan standards: 6,812 m according to most references (the Department of Tourism's peak profile gives 6,814 m, and its royalty table 6,812 m). What makes it famous is its shape. Seen from the Everest trail it is a sharp pyramid flanked by two long ridges, standing about 3,000 m above the villages of Tengboche and Pangboche, with a hanging glacier, the Dablam, clinging below the summit. Climbers and trekkers often call it the most beautiful mountain in the world, and it is widely known as the "Matterhorn of the Himalayas". It appears on Nepalese banknotes and was long used as a corporate logo by an investment company.
The mountain has five main ridges and five main faces. Besides the main summit there is a lower subsidiary peak; sources disagree about its height. The normal route, the Southwest Ridge, starts from the Imja Khola valley close to the main Everest trek.
In the Sherpa language ama means "mother" and dablam is the traditional double pendant, a charm box holding pictures of the gods, worn by Sherpa women. The ridges on either side are seen as a mother's arms protecting her child, and the hanging glacier as the dablam on her chest. Some translations render the name as "mother's necklace" or "mother with a pearl necklace".
Ama Dablam stands in the Mahalangur Himal of Nepal's Koshi Province, about 152 km northeast of Kathmandu, inside Sagarmatha National Park. The approach is the same as for Everest: a flight to Lukla (2,860 m), two days' walk to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m) and then on past Khumjung and the monastery of Tengboche (about 3,870 m) to Pangboche (3,985 m), the Sherpa village that serves as the base for the climb. Base camp lies on a grassy meadow near the floor of the Imja Khola valley above Pangboche, about two days' walk from Namche; a stream runs through it. A second approach leads via the Mingbo valley.
For trekkers, the best views come from Tengboche, from the trail between Pangboche and Dingboche and from the lodges of Kyangjuma (Kenjuma) above Namche. A visit to Ama Dablam base camp makes a good acclimatisation day trip from Pangboche on the way to Everest Base Camp.
Almost all ascents follow the Southwest Ridge, the line of 1961: about 1,500 m of climbing with rock moves of roughly 5.7–5.9 (YDS) and ice up to about 60°. Sherpa teams fix ropes on most of the route each season.
Before 2006 most teams placed three camps. Since the serac fall of that year many climbers skip Camp 3 and make a very long summit day from Camp 2, and in autumn 2008 the line above was moved further right of the Dablam onto steep blue ice. A typical expedition needs about a week to walk to base camp with acclimatisation, roughly two weeks on the mountain and about four days back to Kathmandu, depending on flights from Lukla.
The other ridges and faces are much harder and rarely climbed: Jeff Lowe soloed the south face in 1979, a French team climbed the North Ridge in the same year, Michael Kennedy and Carlos Buhler climbed the northeast face in alpine style in 1985, and in 1996 the Slovenians Tomaž Humar and Vanja Furlan won the Piolet d'Or for their route on the northwest face.
Ama Dablam has its own line in Nepal's royalty table. According to the Department of Tourism's 2026 figures, a foreign climber pays US$1,000 in spring or autumn and US$500 in winter or summer; Nepali climbers pay NPR 40,000 in spring. Each expedition deposits US$2,000 for garbage management, the rate for Khumbu peaks over 7,000 m and for Ama Dablam, and must take a government liaison officer. Teams register with the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee in Namche, and rubbish from Khumbu peaks other than Everest has to be carried to Namche or Kathmandu. On top of this come the Sagarmatha National Park entry fee (NPR 3,000 for foreigners) and the local Khumbu Pasang Lhamu municipality permit. Most climbers join a guided expedition; costs vary widely with the level of support.
As on Everest, the climbing seasons are spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October). Autumn is by far the busier season: in autumn 2025 Nepal issued Ama Dablam permits to 494 climbers in 39 teams, compared with 106 in spring 2025, partly because guides are busy on Everest in spring. Autumn days grow colder and the weather less stable as November approaches; spring gets warmer but can bring late-winter storms. Winter ascents are possible but rare. For trekkers wanting the view, October–November and March–May give the clearest skies; the summer monsoon hides the peak in cloud.
On the trek to Pangboche, teahouses in every village sell boiled and bottled water; treat tap and stream water with a filter or tablets and carry reusable bottles, since plastic is not recycled in the Khumbu. At base camp a stream supplies water, which expedition cooks boil. On the mountain there is no running water: climbers melt snow at the camps, or carry water from below to the rocky Camps 1 and 2, so a stove, fuel and a good insulated bottle are essential.
The Khumbu has some of the best connectivity in the Nepal Himalaya. Ncell has run 3G along the Everest trail since 2010, Nepal Telecom SIM cards are generally considered more reliable in remote areas, and Everest Link sells prepaid Wi-Fi cards that work in lodges along the main trail, including the Pangboche area. On the mountain, coverage is unreliable and teams use satellite phones and radios; Nepal requires official permission for expedition satellite phones. In an emergency dial 1144 (Tourist Police) or 100 (Police); the Himalayan Rescue Association runs an aid post in Pheriche in the main seasons.
The main objective danger is the Dablam itself. On the night of 13–14 November 2006 a large serac broke off the hanging glacier and swept away tents at Camp 3, killing six climbers, three Europeans and three Nepalis; witnesses said the camp had not been in an unusual spot. Parts of the Dablam collapsed again in late 2008. Other accidents include falls on the ridge, rockfall and icefall: in November 2016 an earthquake of magnitude 5.4 released ice that killed the Pangboche Sherpa Lakpa Thundu at about 6,000 m. In April 2025 an Austrian climber died after a fall on the descent, and in October 2025 two climbers died in separate incidents, one hit by falling ice.
Helicopter rescue is possible from base camp in flying weather, and after serious accidents helicopters have lifted people off the mountain on a long line; insurance must cover this. Acclimatisation matters: the week-long walk in, with side hikes, is the usual preparation, and the first ascent party had spent the winter living at 5,800 m.
Alfred Gregory led the first attempt in 1958, when John Cunningham and Giuseppe Pirovano reached about 6,100 m on the Southwest Ridge. In May 1959 the British climbers George Fraser and Mike Harris were last seen at about 6,400 m on the North Ridge and never returned. In the winter of 1960–61 Edmund Hillary's Silver Hut expedition, a landmark study of high-altitude physiology, lived in a prefabricated hut at about 5,800 m in the Mingbo valley beneath Ama Dablam. On 13 March 1961 four of its members, the New Zealanders Mike Gill and Wally Romanes, the American Barry Bishop and the British doctor Mike Ward, reached the summit by the Southwest Ridge. They had no permit for the peak, and the Nepalese government cancelled the expedition's permit for Makalu; after negotiations and a fine, Hillary was allowed to continue. Permits for Ama Dablam were not issued again for years, and the second ascent came only in 1979.
How high is Ama Dablam? 6,812 m (22,349 ft) in most references; Nepal's Department of Tourism also lists it as 6,814 m.
How long does it take to climb Ama Dablam? About three to four weeks from Kathmandu: a week to reach base camp with acclimatisation, roughly two weeks on the mountain, and a few days back. Summit day from Camp 2 or 3 is long.
How difficult is it? It is a technical climb: rock up to about 5.7, steep ice and very exposed ridges, all at over 6,000 m. You need rock and ice climbing experience and previous altitude experience, even with fixed ropes.
How much does the permit cost? As of 2026 the royalty for a foreign climber is US$1,000 in spring or autumn and US$500 in winter or summer, plus a US$2,000 garbage deposit and liaison officer costs.
Where can I see Ama Dablam without climbing it? From the Everest Base Camp trek, especially Tengboche, Pangboche and the trail to Dingboche; base camp above Pangboche is a popular day trip.
Is there water on the way? Teahouses sell boiled water up to Pangboche and a stream runs through base camp; above that climbers melt snow.
Is there mobile coverage? Yes in most villages on the approach, via Ncell, Nepal Telecom and Everest Link Wi-Fi; on the mountain rely on radios and satellite phones. Emergency numbers are 1144 and 100.
When is the best time to climb? September–October and April–May; autumn is the main season.
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