Everest Expeditions

Known as the top of the earth, Mount Everest is the most powerful mountain peak of the Himalayas, also the highest mountain in the world, and it is rightfully the ultimate pilgrimage place for mountaineers and explorers around the world! Climbing Mount Everest is definitely a daunting task that requires meticulous planning and preparations. Even if the various routes towards Mount Everest’s summit have already been clearly delineated and campsites have already straddled these routes, the ascent to its summit still remains treacherous and arduous, still, achieving the top of Mt.Everest is still the aspirations for many adventures due to the famous quote from Mallory "Because it is there”.

The expedition to Mount Everest’s summit involves a grueling 28-km route across awesome valleys, gorges, and slopes. There are basically two primary base camps as starting points for this journey, namely, those of the Tibet Everest Base Camp and the Nepal Everest Base Camp. Tibet’s Everest Base Camp, situated at an altitude of 17,056 ft (5,200m) is the northern jumping board, while Nepal's Everest Base Camp, situated at an altitude of 17,597ft (5364m) is the southern springboard.

These two base camps serve as the material supply centers for climbers. Moreover, these base camps also serve as the primary headquarters for teams of climbers wherein all starting activities are primarily planned and coordinated. Along this 28-km trek, however, are Advanced Base Camps (ABC) and campsites for both mountaineering teams and researchers.

Conquering Mount Everest via Northern Ridge Route

Although many climbers prefer the southern base camp and route in Nepal as their jump-off point, the northern route of Tibet, however, is not less exciting and not bereft of awesome views and challenges. In fact, the ascent along the northern ridge is made more exciting by its unique and impressive geographical features that provide greater and more exhilarating challenges to climbers. Hence, if you are desirous of greater challenges, you better choose the northern ridge route.

The north ridge route starts at the base camp in Tibet. Climbers must trek up to the Rongbuk Glacier wherein, at its foot, they can set up their Base Camp at an altitude of 16,990 ft (5180 m). From this base camp, climbers then must slowly ascend to the base of Changtse which is situated at around 20,000 ft (6,100 m). From there on, they could reach the Advanced Base Camp located at North Col at around 21,300 ft (6,100 m). From North Col, there are intermediate camps at altitudes 7028 m, 7500 m, and 7900 m. Moreover, there is the frontline camp which is aptly called “Commando Camp” at 8,300 m. From the Commando Camp, the summit of Mount Everest (at around 8848.86m) is almost nearly accessible.

Highlights and Challenges When Scaling via the Northern Route

The Tibet Everest Base Camp located near the Rongbuk Monastery, which can accommodate thousands of tourists and climbers at the same time, and you can access it by bus and vehicles from Shigatse. Teahouses and accommodations posts line the fringes of the campsite. Moreover, mobile signals and transmissions are made available by the Chinese government at this site to provide coverage for almost this entire base camp.

The Acclimatization Challenge

The changing altitude along the ascent to Mount Everest sometimes poses acclimatization problems to many trekkers and climbers. The good thing, however, is that the intermediate camps that straddle the route generally serve as “acclimatization zones” for adapting the climber’s body to the changing altitude and air pressure along the ascent. The distance from the base camp to the advanced base camp would also allow you better and quick adaptation to the changing altitude and air pressure along the ascent. The Advanced Base Camp is located right below the eastern side of North Col. This camp could still be reached by yak caravans, although this is the farthest that these caravans can go. The ABC is surely invaluable as a logistic supply center for organized climbing.

Necessary Training before Attempting to Scale Mount Everest

Climbing Mount Everest requires hefty preparations on your part. These preparations necessitate beforehand training and conditioning your mind, emotion, and body. Prior to climbing the great Everest, you should engage in training programs that include swimming, cycling, running, and other conditioning exercises that are geared towards building greater stamina for high elevation trekking.

You would also need a thorough orientation on the intricacies of the climbing process of Mount Everest. Weather, for example, plays a critical role in the success and failure of your adventurous expedition. Hence, you should be properly oriented about the ideal days to start your trek. Generally, April to May and September to October would be one of the finest times to begin your trek.

Guided by Sherpa

At the foot of Mount Everest, there is a special ethnic "Sherpa". They have been regarded as innate mountain climbers by the world since they can walk freely walk on the mountain without wearing any professional protective gear, so Each mountaineering team will hire a Sherpa guide when they set off. The guide will climb ahead to set up ropes along the way to ensure the safety of the mountaineer. In addition to being guided by a professional Sherpa guide, every climber also needs to buy accident insurance. In the event of an accident, a helicopter or camp rescue team will come to assist.

Cost

Hiring a guide and buying insurance is a huge expense, and you also need to prepare all the necessary trekking gears, and these trekking gears usually include mountaineering ropes, oxygen tanks, trekking jackets, trekking boots, hiking poles, sunglasses, gloves, headgears, headlight and battery, sleeping bags, thermal flask, medicine, and moisture pad. And, You must bring enough food. Once set off, everyone's life is in their own hands, and few people will use their own food to save others, and there is no time to return to the camp to get food and equipment. Fortunately, during the process of reaching the summit, there're campsites along the way for everyone to rest and add equipment, which will also cost a lot of money. According to the calculations by the professional staff, the total cost would be at least 60,000 USD, and the price is still rising.

Securing the Necessary Permits

According to the related rules, climbing Mt.Everest, you should have achieved the related certificate for conquering independent peaks over 8,000 meters before and apply for your related permit from State Sports General Administration 3 months in advance. To make it simple, you can entrust a mountaineering company to get all the permits for you.

There are only a few mountaineering companies with Professional Mountaineering Qualifications and Services can arrange Mount Everest Expedition. The services provided by these companies usually include providing mountain guides, trekking gears and facilities, all supplies, a clear-cut itinerary and other related services, and how to launch rescue operations at high altitudes. Lastly, if you really intend to trek and scale Mount Everest via the northern ridge route and Tibet Everest Base Camp, you would basically need to choose a right company that could provide you with the above mentioned necessary services.