Ama Dablam. An American team led by Annie Whitehouse had planned to attempt Tawoche first and then Ama Dablam, but when they reached Tawoche, they decided against trying it. Deep unconsolidated snow lay at its base and the couloir they had thought to climb was bare rock rather than the ice they had expected. They went immediately to Ama Dablam, made Base Camp there on November 18 and climbed to the summit by the normal south ridge in three waves, all before the official beginning of the winter season, which starts on December 1 ; they informed the Nepalese authorities that they climbed earlier than their permission had been granted for because of threatening weather. Sandy Stewart and Eric Reynolds went to the summit on November 23, Annie Whitehouse and Clay Waldman on the 26th. Todd Bibler made a fast solo ascent and was on top later on the 26th. They had three camps above Base Camp. Because they climbed before the official beginning of the winter season, the Nepalese authorities on February 22, 1988 announced that all five summiters are banned from climbing any Nepalese mountain for the next five years.

Michael J. Cheney, Himalayan Club, and Elizabeth Hawley