Ama Base Camp view of the Dablam

We've arrived at Ama Dablam Base Camp feeling well. The legendary Tim Mosedale base camp hasent disappointed; a mess tent with heaters, crisps, olives, sweats and enough tea to drink to make your eyes bleed. Amazing.

After hearing rumours about the stability of the Dablam this year, we finally got our first view of the dablam through the spotting scope; the prospect of summiting doesn't look good.

On summit day you have to climb in the line of fire from the unstable seracs for about 1 to 2 hours. Couple this with the fact that each time we look through the spotting scope new impact craters have emerged on the climbing route below. We don't have confidence that the odds are in our favour of winning a game of Russian Roulette with the Dablam ' s seracs.

There have been a number of independent climbers running the gaulnet of falling ice, but in the current state the risk seems unjustifiable. Additionally the large cracks surrounding the main serac seem to be slowly joining up by the day.

View of the Dablams unstable seracs overhanging the route (climbers visible just above the bergschrund)

So whats our plan? To continue as planned and hope the seracs overhanging the route seem to stabilise to give us a chance of safe passage. And if they don't stabilise?  Looks as if our high point will be the shoulder of the route before we enter the firing line of the Dablam.