Climbing Mount Everest 8848m

Mount Everest, the highest and most famous mountain in the world. For many people & cultures it’s not just a mountain, it’s a living Goddess. The mountain has been inspiring people for a very long time for just one reason; it’s the highest point of our planet! Every year again, Mount Everest attracts dozens of mountaineering expeditions and climbers to its base camps and slopes. Despite the extreme risks and difficulties, the Everest motivates people to get the best out of them and climb almost 5 vertical kilometers to stand on its grand summit. Everest is the highest, but certainly not the most technical mountain to climb in the world. Young and old people have been able to climb Everest, and so can you. It's possible with the right experience, an optimal physical and mental strength and a bit of luck! Most climbers say that climbing Mount Everest has had an everlasting, profound impact on them and we agree with them. It will be a major event in your life. Are you inspired and physically & mentally ready? Read on and let us guide you through all practical details you need to know before taking one of the biggest decisions in your life, Climbing Everest!

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+ Trip description

The trek to the Everest Base Camp

The first part of this expedition is the classical trek to the Everest base camp itself. The trek to the base camp is a great training and acclimatizing trip, trekking through beautiful and peaceful mountain sceneries, green valleys and little Sherpa settlements. You can easily trek to the base camp yourself as you'll find plenty of good lodges along the trail. If you like you can extend your trek by exploring different areas of the Solo Khumbu, like the Renjo, Gokyo and Chukung valleys, getting fit and well acclimatized. The first important goal is to reach the Everest base camp in good health and properly acclimatized, so don't rush it, take your time. The standard itinerary to trek from Lukla to the Everest base camp is 9 days. Like we said, you can also extend it if you want. You can trek with one of our Sherpa's, you can trek alone or with friends. The costs for lodging and food during this short trek are not included as you're far better of if you pay for food and lodging yourself. To give you some guidance, we will suggest you our preferred lodges along the trail.

Climbing Everest

After your arrival in the base camp, you deserve some rest in your private tent while our excellent crew will take care of you. In the first days an important acclimatizing and training program continues until you’re ready to start climbing. Climbing Everest is a multi week process of acclimatizing, ascending, descending, resting, exploring, preparing camp 1 (5900m), camp 2 (6500m ), camp 3 (7500m) and camp 4 (8000m). In the mean time you need to stay healthy, energized and patient till the time that a proper window gives you an opportunity to make a summit attempt. This is one of the main challenges, to keep yourself motivated and energized in this cold en rough mountain environmment.

Climbing Everest via the South-East ridge is not extremely technical, but as altitude and physical exertion are incomprehensible, even the slightest difficulty can be hard to deal with. As a matter of fact, the climb involves several more technical and potentially dangerous sections. The first serious obstacle is the beautiful, but risky Khumbu Ice Fall with its notorious seracs, crevasses and shifting blocks of ice. The next obstacles are the steep rock sections of the 'Geneva Spur' and the 'Yellow Band', followed by a sharp ridge section and the famous 'Hillary Step' (12m steep rock). The final part to the summit is an exposed, 40 degrees angled snow ridge before the summit comes within reach. At all difficult sections you will use fixed ropes and ladders to climb up and abseil or climb down again. After summiting you will descent in two or three days to base camp and eventually to Lukla and Kathmandu by the same route.

+ Itinerary & different options

[ Arrival in Kathmandu / free days ]

Everest Expedition South-East ridge		Different options
1 - Kathmandu - Briefing 2 - Kathmandu - Free 3 - Lukla - Phakding 4 - Namche 5 - Excursion 6 - Pangboche 7 - Dingboche 8 - Dugla 9 - Lobuche 10 - Gorak Shep 11 - Excursion Kala Pattar 12 - Everest Base Camp 13 - Everest Base Camp 14 - Excursion 15 - Everest Base Camp 16 - Everest Base Camp 17 - Excursion Camp 1 18 - Everest Base Camp 19 - Camp 1 20 - Excursion Camp 2 21 - Everest Base Camp 22 - Everest Base Camp 23 - Everest Base Camp 24 - Camp 1 25 - Camp 2 26 - Camp 2 27 - Excursion Camp 3 28 - Everest Base Camp 29 - Everest Base Camp 30 - Everest Base Camp 31 - Everest Base Camp 32 - Camp 1 33 - Camp 2	34 - Camp 2 35 - Camp 3 36 - Camp 2 37 - Everest Base Camp 38 - Khumbu 39 - Khumbu 40 - Everest Base Camp 41 - Camp 1 42 - Camp 2 43 - Camp 3 44 - Camp 4 45 - Summit Everest 46 - Summit Everest 47 - Camp 2 48 - Everest Base Camp 49 - Everest Base Camp 50 - Everest Base Camp 51 - Everest Base Camp 52 - Everest Base Camp 53 - Camp 2 54 - Camp 3 55 - Camp 4 56 - Summit Everest 57 - Summit Everest 58 - Camp 2 59 - Everest Base Camp 60 - Everest Base Camp 61 - Pheriche 62 - Namche 63 - Lukla 64 - Kathmandu 65 - Extra day	Do you prefer a different route or itinerary? Just contact us and we will be more than happy to think with you and organize the tailor made trip you're looking for...

[ End of services / free days / departure / continue travelling ]

+ What's included & excluded in the price?

To make things easy for you, we have put together different service packages that suit most people. However, if you want to make it really special, we also provide full tailor made services. Have a look at the fixed packages first or download a detailed comparison sheet.

» Download Comparison Sheet (pdf)

Summit Service - Pro
The Pro package provides you a full organized and guided expedition until the summit. This package includes organizational arrangements, a complete professional, experienced staff & crew, all needed equipment, all services and luxuries that makes your entire expedition as comfortable as possible. The staff takes care of all tasks and activities, you are not required to help.

Summit Service - Basic
The Basic package provides you a full organized and guided expedition until the summit. This package includes organizational arrangements, a small professional, experienced staff & crew, essential equipment & services only, without the luxuries of the Pro package. Although professionally organized, this package is much more basic and adventurous, you are required to help with all tasks and activities.

Base Camp Service - Pro
The Pro package provides you all services up to base camp and in the base camp (or ABC) itself for the entire expedition. This includes all organizational arrangements, a complete professional, experienced staff & crew, all needed equipment, all services and luxuries that makes your trip to the base camp and in the base camp itself as comfortable as possible. Above base camp you organize everything you need yourself and you are responsible for your own safety, equipment, food and strategy.

Base Camp Service - Basic
The Basic package provides you all services up to base camp and in the base camp (or ABC) for the entire expedition. This includes all organizational arrangements, a small professional, experienced staff & crew, essential equipment & services only, without the luxuries of the Pro package. Although professionally organized, this package is much more basic and adventurous, you are required to help with all tasks and activities. Above base camp you organize everything you need yourself and you are responsible for your own safety, equipment, food and strategy.

+ How difficult is this trip?

We have rated the Everest Expedition in Nepal with E4. This means that it's a very streneous trip while the climbing sections are difficult (difficile). Have a look at a general description of these codes! Below we'll try to describe the specific difficulties of this trip.

Everest Base Camp - 5350m
In this expedition you will fly to the tiny airstrip of the small but busy mountain village of Lukla using a small STOL aircraft. From Lukla you trek across very good trails, though little mountain villages, deep, green valley’s, across suspension bridges and wild rivers up to colder alpine areas of the Everest Base Camp. From Namche Bazar, the main trade center with all modern facilities, you trek through wide and deep valleys to the famous villages of Pangboche, Pheriche (and the Himalayan Rescue Association health clinic), Lobuche and Gorak Shep. The last part involves trekking across good trails, moraines and the Khumbu glacier until you reach the wide base camp near the Khumbu Ice Fall.

Everest Camp 1 - 5900m
Camp 1 is reached by climbing through the dangerous labyrinth of ice towers, crevasses and ladders of the Ice Fall itself. The entire route throught the Ice Fall is chosen and maintained by the Ice Fall doctors, a specialized team of Sherpas that are responsible for this task. Every expedition pays a fee per climber to use these services, sodo we. Climbing through the Ice Fall may be the trickiest, but also ome of the most fascinating and beautiful parts of the expedition! Camp 1 is located a few hundred meters at a flat section above the Khumbu Ice Fall

Everest Camp 2 - 6500m
The next goal is to cross the Western Cwm to camp 2 (advanced base camp). Camp 2 is reached by crossing a wide, flat and crevassed glacier valley. As there’s almost no wind in the Cwm, it can get very hot here, a complete different challenge that should not be underestimated. Sun burn is not just irritating and painful, it may be the reason why you have to give up your expedition. You wouldn't be the first one! Camp 2 is located at obvious rocks at a flat area at the left side of the valley, just before the terrain becomes steeper again.

Everest Camp 3 - 7500m
Reaching camp 3 requires climbing the slope with an angle of 45 degrees for about 900m, using fixed ropes. The steep angle and hard ice makes it difficult to get a grip with your crampons while clipping on and off the fixed ropes, so be careful here!

Everest Camp 4 - 8000m
Our next step is to cross the rocky parts of the Yellow Band (12m moderate rock) and the Geneva Spur (50m rock 60 degrees). These barriers are technically not very difficult, but they are a challenge at an altitude of 7700m. Easy rocks lead to camp 4 at the huge South Col (8000m).

Everest Summit - 8848m
The South summit ridge starts with an angle of 20-50 degrees hard packed snow/ice slope, steepening near the flat Balcony (8382m). From here you continue to the South summit at 8750m across the snow ridge with an angle of 30-35 degrees. Just below the South summit it gets steeper and rocky. At 8765m you will reach the Hillary Step (12m steep mixed rock/snow) after which an exposed snow ridge with an angle of 40 degrees leads to the summit. The summit is normally reached after 8-12 hours climbing. A long descent to Camp 4 at the South Col has still to come!

Back to Everest Base Camp
After a successful summit attempt you will descent in a couple of days to ABC. Depending on the situation and time frame, you may choose to return to Kathmandu earlier as planned or hang out in the base camp until the entire expedition departs from the mountain.

In general...
Although Mount Everest is known as a ‘not technical’ mountain, it is the highest peak of the planet and notorious for it’s number of deaths due to accidents, health problems at extreme altitude, complete lethargy and extreme difficulties in weather conditions. The ascent and descent itself is not very technical as most of the slopes do not exceed an angle of 30 to 50 degrees. However, there are a few, short, technical climbing sections of very steep rock. To ensure safety, ropes will be fixed at all difficult sections and ladders may be used at some places. However, you should feel comfortable with basic rock and alpine climbing techniques in winter conditions at higher altitude, like: using ice axe and crampons, anchoring, belaying, abseiling and crevasse rescue. All members should have knowledge and experience in winter camping, avalanche danger and recognition, prevention and treatment of high altitude sickness and frostbite.

This expedition is open for climbers with previous mountaineering experience at higher altitudes (7000m-8000m). As you’re part of a group during difficult situations and demanding activities, you must have experience in working and living in and with a group of people who share the same, common goal. An easy going, flexible attitude is a must.

* Note 8000m peaks: This mountain is more than 8000m high. Climbing above 8000m (death zone), involves an increased risk of serious health problems, complete lethargy and very extreme weather conditions. For personal safety reasons you should be able to climb independently and be able to survive without help from anybody else.

+ What clothes & equipment do I need?

After booking we will send you a final, detailed clothes & equipment list with all the required clothes and (climbing) equipment that you need for this trip. To get a really good idea what you will get from us, you may download an example equipment list.

» Download an Example Equipment List (pdf)

+ What is the best time to make this trip?

An indication of best seasons to make this trip (stable weather and clear views)

• Spring: April, May
• Autumn: September, October

Indication of temperatures: (depending on weather conditions)

• Below 5000m varying from: Day time: +10ºC / +30ºC. Night time: -10ºC / +15ºC
• Above 5000m varying from: Day time: -5ºC / +30ºC. Night time: -15ºC / -40ºC

The Nepalese side of Mt Everest is known for its strong winds (chill factor) higher up the mountain. Beside the wind you may encounter deep snow, heat and very strong sunshine. Mountain storms and fog (white out) are unpredictable and can arise quickly, changing trekking & climbing conditions dramatically. Rain, snow and strong winds are always possible.