Ama Dablam, Southwest Ridge in Winter. Ama Dablam was climbed several times by the southwest ridge in December of 1990. A Norwegian-Swedish expedition led by Norwegian Jan Westby climbed the mountain on December 2 when Norwegian Magnar Osnes and Swedes Per Malsten and Michael Sundberg got to the top. On December 4, New Zealander Carol McDermott made the 81 st ascent of Ama Dablam illegally, not having been given permission. He claimed it was a solo ascent, but there were Americans on the route at the same time as he, and they reported that he would have died if he had not been able to sleep in their tent at Camp III between two of them. By his own admission, he had taken absolutely no gear with him and had no camp beyond a Sherpa village. Americans led by John Reed and Chris Noble did indeed make the ascent on December 4 when Noble and Conrad Ankers got to the top. Italians Marco Della Longa, Livio Ferraris and Giovanni Ghisleni on December 22 and leader Fabrizio Rodolfi and Battista Galbiati on December 23 completed the ascent.

Elizabeth Hawley