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Everest
Hard
60 Days
Adevnture
Hotel/Trekking guest houses/Tent
2 - 15 People
May
8848meters
This Everest expedition requires a high level of climbing proficiency on steep, exposed and technical skill and altitude experience above 7000m, 6+ rock and Ice climbing experience, capable of 7/8 hour walk a day and for the Summit day 12/15 hours walk.
Excellent physical and mentally condition are required for Everest Expedition. Basic recommendation for the training with National mountaineering climbing institute or with professional mountain guide.
Standing incredibly tall at just over 29,000ft above sea level- Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world, silhouetted against the shared sky of Nepal and Tibet. Spending 55 years of its conquest even it is still as beguiling and magnificent as ever. Each year, people from across the world take on the ultimate challenge of Everest Expedition; the ascent of Mount Everest. This mountain has many names: Chomolungma, Sagarmatha, Qomolungma or Mt. Everest. Which ever name one chooses, its mystery still lives on. It was first climbed by Sir E. Hillary & Tenzing Norgay on 29 May 1953.
We, keep an outstanding pride to achieve a record of 75 percent of success out of 48 expeditions through 2 decades.
We are proud to run 1st Pilipino Expedition, 1st Iranian Expedition, 1st Greek Expedition, 1st French Woman Expedition and 1st Thai Expedition.
Everest is our tallest mountain. It is difficult enough to have killed many climbers in horrible falls and deep crevasses.
Its altitude and the technicals of the climb are not not to be underestimated.
The death zone above camp 4 has taken many strong and skilled climbers lives. That implies that Everest require intensive training. You might be lucky and the climb might go well even if you didn't do your homework. But you will certainly notice that Everest live up to its fearful reputation should the conditions turn against you. By then though, it might simply be too late if you are not well prepared.
Everest is also an extremely beautiful mountain. And just as we continue to launch ourselves into space even though missions sometimes turn into tragedy, mountaineers will always try to climb Everest to experience the majesty, beauty, and adventure of our closest frontier to Universe.
Base Camp is like a Formula One car racing depot. Satellite phones buzz in international tents as the worlds languages mix in thrilling accounts of the latest. Journalists, families and climbers exchange news and emotions between the mountain and the world. For no alpine peak fires imagination like Mount Everest.
You handle the latest tech gear, but wash your clothes in frozen lakes, where you crush the ice and work quickly before it freezes over again. Drying up, the damp clothes freeze into strange ice formations at night. The same happens to your wet hair. And your toothpaste. You finish your meal quickly for it immediately cools on your plate. You eat buffalo meat. It's fresh until it starts to smell. Then you wait. After a few weeks the odour vanish. At that point your BC sherpa-cook start to include it in your diet again, as a very special buffalo jerky.
You listen to the frequent avalanches coming down Nuptse, Lho La and Pumori. You throw silent glances at the icefall and listen as it collapses with a horrendous crash. Base Camp is a place of hope, fear, frustration, conflicts and life-long friendships. Some climbers will experience their dream fulfilled, others will have to return home with an unfinished task. You'll look around you and try to guess. But only destiny will know which fate is to be yours.
This place is similar to a huge horror-chamber at an amusement park. Only this one is for real. There are countless scary things that can happen here.
A crevasse might open under you. An ice-pinnacle can fall on top of you. The entire area can collapse. It's simply not a place for a picnic and most of us just concentrate on getting out of there as quickly as we possibly can.
Be sure to always clip in to the ropes. But also to unclip fast if an avalanche strikes. Should that happen, take cover behind a wall or a pinnacle. Jump into a crevasse as a last resort. The avalanche could be small, but hurl huge ice boulders at you. Watch carefully for ice pinnacles posing in a nasty angle. Do definitely not have your snack brake below one of these. They snap in a second.
Check the ropes and the screws before entering a ladder. Cross the ladders slowly and carefully. Try to fit your crampon between two rails. Sometimes, a nearby avalanche or heavy wind sets the ladder in motion. Just stay calm and focus on each step and you'll be fine. It helps to lean on the ropes, either backwards or forward, depending on the angle of the ladder. The ropes are slack, so leaning on them stretches them and provides a better balance. Even more helpful is if your climbing buddy stretch the ropes for you while you cross the ladder.
Occasionally, you will encounter a large wall of ice. Those walls are usually roped, use your jumars. Climb the ropes by kicking your crampons into the ice and then lean on your legs. Don't hang on the rope, it is exhausting and dangerous.
Climb the icefall early in the morning. Climbers usually head out at 4-5 AM. Don't leave BC later than 6 AM. The icefall thaws later in the day and avalanches become more frequent. Plus you'll boil.
(Climb time: 5-8 hours not acclimatized, 3-5 hours after acclimatization)
This is a vast, flat area of endless snow, deep crevasses and mountain walls frequently washed by avalanches. Here we set up camp 1. At night we listen to the deep, murmuring cracking sounds under our tents. It is the crevasses opening and closing deep down in the glacier beneath. You keep your fingers crossed that it won't happen right under your tent. At least not just now, while you are in it. Pounding headaches torture you. But it is here that for the first time, just a few steps around a corner, we gain first close sight of Everest.
Be sure to set camp away from tiny cracks, those possibly hiding the mouths of large crevasses.
Climb this area clipped to the fixed ropes, since crevasses lay hidden everywhere under the snow. You could remove your crampons on this climb. Sometimes, weather can turn this usually easy part into a difficult one, due to deep snow and whiteout. Always start out in good time. Stay away from the walls, they avalanche frequently. Later in the season (end of May) this snowy area starts to turn rotten and can turn quite nasty.
(Climb time: 4-7 hours not acclimatized, 3-5 hours after acclimatization)
After an endless, slow march through the silent valley, you reach at last a rocky patch, at the foot of the icy Lhotse wall. This marks camp 2. This place is absolutely stunning. Clouds roll in from the lower ranges of the Himalayas, up the valley and into the camp. While acclimatizing, we spend time looking for cool old climbing gear; left here by all of Everest's climbing history. This is also the last chance to get a decent, prepared meal. We eat all we are handed because soon we'll be surviving on instants only.
Don't camp too close to the Everest face, since it avalanches once in a while. Although tempted to idly hang around camp, bring yourself to take walks to the Lhotse face. It will speed acclimatization and relive altitude problems. The walks force you to breathe deeper and faster, thus saturating your body with more oxygen.
Imagine sliding a fun, icy slope on a sunny winter's day. Only this one is 1200 meter (4000 ft) high. This is not a place to play. The dangerous part is to hang on to rope of dubious strength and to change carabiners between the ropes. You might feel not too clear in your head, especially upon coming down, but it's crucial to concentrate. One slip and you are gone, far higher up than you had intended really.
The camp here is a true eagle's nest, placed right out of the wall. Going to the toilet at night is a tedious task to dress and secure oneself. In addition, just to find a spot for it on this narrow platform is tricky enough. But the view is grand and by now you are well on your way to the summit.
The climb towards the wall is a flat walk that gets you nicely warmed up. At the wall, you will step in to the ropes and the icy incline begins immediately. After an hour or so, you will reach the "Ice bulge", an icy, bumpy part. After that, it is a pretty uneventful, steep ice climb to C3. Occasionally, you will hear a howling sound and watch rocks catapult down the wall. Blocks of ice sometimes come falling behind climbers. Watch your head, lean on your legs (not the rope) and rest on the lines only occasionally.
The climb will be either easy or hard, depending on weather. A dry, cold season means sheer, blue ice. Maintain your crampons sharp. Deep snow makes the climb easier, but increase the risk of avalanche.
After C3, you will traverse the wall towards the Yellow Band and the Black Turtle. These are rocky sections on the wall, secured by a tangle of old and new ropes. Check the ropes well and watch for rock falls from climbers above you. Another traverse takes you to the foot of the last wall to C4. This part is steep but not very high and soon you'll put your nose above it's edge, thus entering the land of the spirits ' the Deathzone.
(Climbing time: 5-8 hours not acclimatized, 4-6 hours acclimatized.
Camp 4 sits on a plateau resembling a moonscape. You are at the edge of the atmosphere and the sky owns a strange, dark blue color. It is surely the closest you can get to space on earth.
Only a small climb above camp, you look down the Tibetan plateau with it's vast brown plains, white glaciers and the other alpine giants - Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu -in the distance. It's all magic and unreal.
Yet, this is also the place were the media, fame and fun of BC definitely are gone. Only fear remains on everyone's face. People don't talk a lot. Resting in your tent, feeling weak already, you try to get some sleep as night falls outside. In a couple of hours you will start to put on your gear for the final part of the adventure - the summit push.
The wall towards the summit is steep and dark, you are in the death zone and you can't help thinking that within the next 48 hours, there is a very real risk that you might not live.
Go over your gear in daylight. Have everything neatly organized. Drink at least 3 liters of fluid or more if you can. Bring another 2 liters of hot fluid on the climb. Get your axe ready, prepare the Hot Tronics. You will feel great as long as the day is bright but lose spirit fast when night falls. The cold, scary darkness outside is anything but inviting. The wind rustle the tent canvas. You will probably not be able to sleep a wink. Take it easy. As soon as you start out on the climb you will feel much better. Fear is always worse than reality.
Finally, the hour is come. At about 11 PM we put on the final gear and step out in the night. There, in the distance, we can see a worm of light slowly moving up a dark wall. It's climbers head torches flickering in the dark. It's completely silent. Nobody talks. If you do, you whisper. It is absolutely terrifying and you climb and climb, awaiting fthe first ray of dawn. It's desperately cold. It's steep and at parts very icy. The ice axe and the crampons barely cut into the ice. You need to pee. Forget it. Someone turns around. "Can't go on, good luck".
A cold, white moon rises from below, but you hardly glance at it or even the bright twinkle of Universe above. The adrenaline keeps your body moving. And then, suddenly, after hours and hours of despair, you notice a thin blue beam of light at the horizon. Sunrise! If you are lucky, now is the time for the fabled mountain ghost. The mountain projects itself onto the morning fog. The shadow towers in front of you like a giant mirage. Beneath lies the world in all its glory, glowing in the rising sun. You feel the warmth and all hope returning.
You kick your feet to beat the oncoming frostbite. You are at the Balcony, having a short rest, changing to a new oxygen bottle. A ridge lay ahead, and just above you, not far at all, is the South Summit. You begin to enjoy the view, and the possibility of success. Finally, you step up onto the small plateau of the South Summit, and there - just around the corner - is the Everest summit itself!
You have watched it so many times from the distance, and suddenly it is so strangely close. Just right there, only 95 meters / 310 ft away. You can almost touch the white tail of snow.
This is as far as we came in 1998, so our report on the site had to end here. On this update however - following our 1999 attempt - we are very happy to at last be able to guide you all the way - to the summit!
When you reach the South Summit you are just a couple of hours from your dream come true.
But there is one more obstacle in your way. The Knife Ridge. You will gasp upon seeing it. It is steep and looks truly nasty. The ridge towers almost freely over Nepal and Tibet, it's sharp and very steep. Hillary Step is in the middle somewhere, a rock climb in the sky.
You step onto the ridge via a small, half open tunnel from South Summit. You climb with your crampons at a sharp, crooked angle towards the side of the ridge. Occasionally, the snow gives way and you slide down for a hairy second. This is not a place to climb without fixing ropes. Clip in carefully, focus on each step and keep moving.
If there is a lot of snow, the ridge could be almost wide and quite nice. We had a dry, sharp climb.
The Hillary step was, in our opinion, not too bad. Although very exposed at parts, the climb is fast and feels safe, given the conditions. The danger is to get tangled in the ropes. Bring a good knife. Check the ropes well for strength.
After the step, you will spot white, strange wave-formations of frozen snow pointing out from the summit. Keep climbing towards them. This section is usually unroped, yet not too steep. Still, be careful and use your axe. You might eagerly look for the summit now, yet all you'll see is a white edge on the horizon. You will not know how far you have left and feel frustrated and tired.
Then you reach another white edge, but this time ' it doesn't continue. Behind it, there is instead a slope down. You are peeking down at the North side of Everest. You have reached the summit, friend.
(Climbing time: 8-16 hours)
Most accidents occur upon climbing down. Be sure to have enough oxygen to come back. Don't relax for one moment. The climb is tricky all the way down to the Balcony ' the final ridge before the wall back down to camp 4 and the South Col. Even the wall after the Balcony is dangerous if unroped. You will encounter a couple of bodies of deceased climbers here. In 1998, the last part of the wall towards C4 was not fixed and 8 people took pretty bad falls. Luckily enough, all climbers survived that time. We climb this part roped to each other if the fixed ropes aren't there. If the weather turns bad, the fixed ropes might get buried or you won't be able to see them. Make memory maps on you climb up for this situation. Bring a compass.
A blue ice bulge will mark the last obstacle back to camp. There are some crevasses there, usually recognizable as streaks of white snow. Avoid them.
Finally, you will stumble back down onto the flat, rocky South Col. And take the last exhausted steps towards your tent, throwing yourself into it. And now ' after almost 30 hours of strenuous climb, terror and doubts ' you'll fall into the deepest and happiest sleep of your life.
Exceeded only by your awakening in the morning; the suns rays softly warming you, as you slowly come to a wonderful, triumphant realization; that you actually, really, really made it.
You are an Everest summiteer!
(Climbing time: 4-8 hours).
Our team will meet in Kathmandu, arriving no later than April 16th.
Kathmandu is a bustling, energetic and exciting city with many amazing sights to see and things to do. But most of all, we love to go gear-shopping! Kathmandu has a good selection of local and international mountaineering equipment and clothing in its stores. We always find something that we can't do without. After spending a day doing last minute shopping and ensuring bags are properly packed, we start our journey to basecamp.
The Basecamp on the south side of Everest is reached over an eight-day leisurely trek through villages of the Sherpas. We’ll begin by taking a 40 minute flight to Lukla. In pre-expedition times people had to walk from Kathmandu, since there were no motorable roads or airports beyond the capital. The expedition supplies are carried from Lukla to base camp by yaks and zokyos (yak hybrids) and by porters).
On the way we will stop at Pangboche Village, which is one of the oldest villages of the Khumbu valley. Next morning we will visit the monastery, which also houses the Yeti’s Skull, and request a special blessing from the highly regarded local lama (monk), Lama Geshi, who normally does puja for all expeditions above this ancient village, to solicit the local deities’ blessing for a peaceful and safe expedition for all members. We accept good wishes in the form of a khata (a scarf with the eight lucky signs displayed by Buddhist during all religious and farewell ceremonies) from the lama and continue our walk up to Basecamp.
A final ceremony will be celebrated for all expedition members and equipment that we will take with us on the mountain. Once the puja is performed the Sherpas will begin their work of transporting the equipment, high altitude food and other supplies to the higher camps, leaving us to make a training climb on surrounding peaks for acclimatization. After a week acclimatizing we will begin our climb to Camp I, II, and III and following the normal procedure the members take the route up to Camp II at least two times and up to Camp III at least one time.
The climb from Basecamp begins early in the morning to avoid the possible hazard of seracs in the Khumbu Icefall, the most difficult section. From Camp I, climbers cross a broad flat glacial valley, famously known as the Western Cwm, and reach Camp II (ABC) at the foot of the Lhotse face, a warm place to camp. Camp III is halfway up the Lhotse face, precariously and spectacularly perched and is reached by fixed rope. Camp IV (the South Col) is 500 metres above Camp III and up, over and across the Yellow Band and Geneva Spur. The South Col is the last camp before the summit. The summit push is made from here, with 10 to 12 hours of climbing in the night, aiming to reach the summit at around 7 a.m. Each climber who has made it to Camp IV will have a maximum stay of three days at this altitude, depending on supplemental oxygen supplies and physical and weather conditions, to prepare for and complete the summit push.
Welcome to Himalayan country of Nepal. Upon your arrival at the Tribhuvan intl. airport our representative welcomes you and assists to transfer in your hotel in Kathmandu. After time to get refreshed, evening you'll meet and transfer for welcome dinner.
After breakfast, we will meet to check your clothing and trekking equipment (sleeping bag, down jacket and trekking boots). This evening will be spent in Kathmandu.
Kathmandu –Manthali Lukla - Phakding (2,652m/8,700ft): 3- 4 hours trek (Trekking times only) Early morning drive to Manthali take pack breakfast from hotel, we will be escorted to the domestic terminal of (Ramechhap) Manthali Airport for an early morning flight to Lukla (2,800m/9,186ft), a gateway destination from where our trek begins. After an adventurous 30 minute flight above the breathtaking green and white mountains, we reach the Tenzing-Hillary Airport at Lukla. This is one of the most beautiful air routes in the world culminating in a dramatic landing on a hillside surrounded by high mountains peaks. Upon arrival at Lukla, we meet our other crew members and after some packing and arrangements, we start our trek through the prosperous village of Lukla until we reach Phakding. To assist in acclimatization, we only have a short hike today. However, if interested in additional activities we can take a side trip to a nearby monastery. Overnight at Phakding. Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (B,L,D)
Walking through a beautiful pine forest, the track leads us along the Dudh Koshi River through many suspension bridges, one of which is the famous Hillary Suspension Bridge. First, we catch wonderful prospect of the glistening Mt. Thamserku (6618 m). Through the settlement of Benkar, Chumoa, Monjo, we come to the check post and entrance to Everest National Park. We pass through the last village of Jorsale before reaching Namche Bazaar. The trail climbs through the forests and bridges until we reach the confluence of the Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers. After a final steep ascent of about two hours we get first sight of Mt. Everest peering over the Lhotse-Nuptse ridge. Upon this juncture, we stop at Chautara to admire the view. We still need to hike about 1.5 hours to reach Namche Bazaar, a gateway to Mt. Everest and main trading centre of this region. We stay overnight in Namche Bazaar.(B,L,D)
This is the first of the two days set aside for "acclimatization". Health experts recommend us to stay active and moving during the rest day too instead of being idle. We either spend the day taking a day's hike to Thame or visiting Khunde or relaxing and exploring Namche Bazaar itself. Namche Bazzar is the main centre of the Everest (Khumbu) region and has government offices, ATMs, Internet cafes, shops, restaurants, a bakery and a colorful market each Friday evening and Saturday. If we trek a few hundred vertical feet during the day, it will help us to properly acclimatize. Our guides take us to the Tourist Visitor Center near the headquarter of the Sagarmatha National Park where we can observe an assortment of things related to the first Everest Ascenders, Sherpa culture and learn about the various plant and animal life of the Everest region. (B,L,D)
Upon breakfast in Namche, we set out towards Tengboche, enjoying superb view of Mt. Everest, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Ama Dablam and close up view of Thamserku. Our trek follows more or less smooth trail with few ups and downs which will not bother us as the magnificent view of the Himalayas keeps our company all through the journey. Along the way, we can spot wildlife musk deer, a herd of Himalayan Thar and multicolored pheasants. The trail goes gradually down up to Kayangjuma. The path eventually reaches Sansa, which is the major trail junction to Gokyo valley and Everest Base Camp. The track then follows through the pine forests and after we cross the prayer flags festooned bridge over the Dudh Koshi River, we reach Phunki Thenga, a small settlement with a couple of teahouses and a small army post amidst the alpine woods. After having a relaxed lunch at Phunki Thenga, we gear up for a slightly tougher climb through the pine forests before we reach Tengboche. Tengboche is a great place for close up views of Mt Ama Dablam, Mt Nuptse, and Mt Everest, and it has the biggest Buddhist Monastery of the Khumbu region. We pay our visit to the monastery the same day at around 3 pm to witness the ceremony in the principal and popular monastery of Everest region. Overnight stay at a lodge at Tengboche. (B,L,D)
Upon breakfast in Namche, we set out towards Tengboche, enjoying superb view of Mt. Everest, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Ama Dablam and close up view of Thamserku. Our trek follows more or less smooth trail with few ups and downs which will not bother us as the magnificent view of the Himalayas keeps our company all through the journey. Along the way, we can spot wildlife musk deer, a herd of Himalayan Thar and multicolored pheasants. The trail goes gradually down up to Kayangjuma. The path eventually reaches Sansa, which is the major trail junction to Gokyo valley and Everest Base Camp. The track then follows through the pine forests and after we cross the prayer flags festooned bridge over the Dudh Koshi River, we reach Phunki Thenga, a small settlement with a couple of teahouses and a small army post amidst the alpine woods. After having a relaxed lunch at Phunki Thenga, we gear up for a slightly tougher climb through the pine forests before we reach Tengboche. Tengboche is a great place for close up views of Mt Ama Dablam, Mt Nuptse, and Mt Everest, and it has the biggest Buddhist Monastery of the Khumbu region. We pay our visit to the monastery the same day at around 3 pm to witness the ceremony in the principal and popular monastery of Everest region. Overnight stay at a lodge at Tengboche. (B,L,D)
We start the day with a climb to Duglha through the Khumbu Khola valley. The walk along the arid terrace is rewarding with awesome views of mountains on all sides. As we come to a yak herder's place called Dusa, the valley begins to narrow and we continue through Phulung Karpo, the camp site of the first successful Everest Expedition in 1953. Above Phulung Karpo is Chola Lake. As we move on, the majestic view of Mt. Pumori (7138 m/ 23418 ft) comes into view. As the trail descends and curves, Mt. Pumori disappears from view and we come across a roaring stream. After crossing a small wooden bridge, we ascend to Duglha. We can see the tip of Mt Nuptse from here as well as Mt Cholatse, Mt Thamserku, and several other magnificent peaks. Overnight at Lobuche . (B,L,D)
From Lobuche, our trek continues following the rocky moraine path with good views of glacial ponds and icebergs down below the Khumbu Glacier. After ascending the last of the rocky moraine dunes, we will trek a short downhill to arrive at Gorakshep for our overnight stay. Gorakshep is a flat field below Kala Patthar 5545m and is the last stop with comfy teahouses. Meals: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Today we will accomplish an early morning hike to Kala Patthar at 5,545 meters for enjoying the magnificent and up-close sunrise view over Mt Everest 8848 meters, Mt Lhotse 8516 meters, Mt Makalu 8481 meters, Mt Cho Oyu 8201 meters and other surrounding peaks. After spending quality time at Kala Patthar we will retrace our steps back to Gorakshep. After having lunch at Gorakshep, we will follow the trail that heads north-east to reach Everest Base Camp. Our Sherpa crew will set up the base camp once we reach our campsite. We will spend several days here at the base camp for acclimatization. In the meantime, our crew will do all the necessary preparations required for the climb. Meals: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Proper acclimatization is a must for assuring a successful ascent of the highest mountain in the world - summit at 8,848 meters above sea level. Thus, in order to avoid mental and physical altitude sickness, we will spend a few days at the base camp doing small acclimatization hikes around the region. In fact, we will spend our time in the base of the world's towering mountains. Our health conditions will be checked on a daily basis and spend most of our time doing physical fitness activities to stay healthy. Meals: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Arrival Departure Airport transfers
Kathmandu on BB – Twin Sharing Room
Flight : KTM - Lukla - KTM with domestic Airport Tax
Expedition Cargo: KTM-Lukla-KTM
Expedition Permit, IceFall Route, Everest National Park TIMS Permit,
Stool Shipment Transfer, Garbage Deposit Fees
Food 3 meals a day in Trekking Base Camp for member Staffs
1 Government Liaison officer and 1 Base Camp Manager
1 High Altitude Climbing Sherpa (Everest Summiter) per member
1 Camp II Cook/1 Base Camp Cook and Base Camp Kitchen Helpers
15 porters per member going up to Base Camp & back from Base Camp
All Nepali staffs Insurance / wages and equipment allowance
Above mentioned porter to carry members bags and food equipments
Food Lodge from Lukla to Base Camp Lodge Trek as per program
All necessary Cooking gears
Generator with Fuel / Solar Pannel/ for light battery charge at Base Camp
High Altitude tent for members Sherpa
All necessary Climbing route equipments
Any other expenses which are not mentioned in the Price Includes section.
Personal insurance Medical/Emergency rescue cost (If require)
Departure Tax/Personal equipment
Nepal entry visa fee, you can get a Nepal visa upon arrival at the Airport.
Summit Bonus for climbing guide and tips for crew
Almost all climbers use Italian OneSport shoes today. The One Sport company has been aquired by Millet - boots still looks the same but the brand tag is different.
Get them oversized (1-2 sizes). This is not your average weekend climbing trip and you need something where your toes have space to move freely, or you'll get frostbite by rush delivery.
HotTronics make great heating pads and wires that can be used in your boots on your summit attempt. Michael Strynoe rebuilt the battery packs to give more power at a lower weight using AA Lithium batteries.
Camp makes the ultralight titanium crampons. They are light, but considered not durable. We took our chances with them and they never broke on us.
Bring spares and carry one spare at the summit attempt. Secure them to the boots with steel wire if they keep falling of. There are however many brands of crampons around. Choose your favorites, remember only that ice climbing crampons differ from glacier crampons.
You will need multi-layer clothing for climbing between BC and C3. The temperature changes dramatically when the clouds obscure the sun.
One or two layers of lightweight Gore-Tex over fleece will work well, since the layers will be easy to shed or add. Carry a lightweight down jacket at all times. Use a cap to protect your head in the sun. Wear water-resistant gloves in the icefall and a good pair of down mittens higher up. Carry a spare mitten on your summit attempt.
Use a heavy down suit for the summit. We wear it already from C2 on the summit attempt in order to save weight. If you choose to do that, move early in the morning or you'll boil.
We have used down suites from both Mountain Hardware and North Face and they all worked equally well. Check that the hood will work together with the oxygen mask, covering your face properly. If possible, bring a spare down suit for cold nights in BC. Bring plenty of lightweight socks to change.
Use a heat-exchanging, wired face mask for protection against Khumbu- cough. Use the mask already from Gorak Shep. You'll get used to it and be protected right from the start. You should find the mask in stores for cross-country skiing. If you don't, check the gear link list on this web site. The Finnish manufacturer is listed there.
North Face makes a great no-nonsense harness. Remove the stuff that you don't need. Tie about half a meter of line with a carabiner for the fixed ropes. Forget screw carabiners, you want them big and simple at Everest. Make a knot halfway up the rope and hook up a jumar with another carabiner. Secure the jumar in the front to your backpack straps or at chest level when not in use, this being the easiest way to get hold of it. Use a repelling device or just a carabiner if you know the technique.
Arrangements may be cancelled at any time but the cancellation should be communicated to us in writing. Since cancellation incurs administrative costs, we will retain any deposit paid and in addition will apply cancellation charges as follows.
Period before departure within which written cancellation is received, and sum of cancellation charge shown as a percentage of the package price:
Bus,Jeep,Plane
Everest
Hard
60 Days
Adevnture
Hotel/Trekking guest houses/Tent
2 - 15 People
May
8848meters