Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a bowl, combine the cookie crumbs and butter; pat the crumb mixture over the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
PREPARE THE FILLING:
In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and cloves; beat with a hand mixer at medium speed until smooth and fluffy, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add the pumpkin to the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Spread the pumpkin mixture over the baked crust layer.
Bake for 1 hour or until the cheesecake tests done (doesn't jiggle in middle when shaken). Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Chill, covered, for 3 hours but no longer than 48 hours. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cheesecake and remove the sides.
ADD THE TOPPING:
In a chilled bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream. If your cheesecake cracked during baking (likely), just spread the whipped cream over the top with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice and the crack is hidden!
Notes
I find that the only way to get really fine gingersnap crumbs is to either use a food processor or a really powerful blender (like a BlendTec).