Trip Facts

• Location: Nepal’s Himalaya
• Transportation: Tourist Bus / Private vehicle as per group size
• Activities / Expeditions duration: Exciting flight with scenic trek and climb / 34 nights & 35 days Lukla-Lukla
• Total Trip: 40 nights & 41 days. Kathmandu to Kathmandu
• Accommodation / Meal Plan: Hotel/Tented camp/ Guest House / Full Board in trekking /Bed & breakfast in Kathmandu
• Climbing Grade / Highest access: Full fledge Mountaineering adventure / 8,848m / 29,029ft
• Location / Coordinates: Nepal/Tibet border / 27°59'17'' N / 86°55'31'' E 
• Himalayan sights: Lhotse, Makalu, Ama Dablam, Cho-Oyu
• Guide:  Highly experienced several times Everest Summiter climbing guide with Assistance Sherpa, Cook with all Kitchen / Camping crew.
• Cost: As per arrangement (Up to Base Camp Service / Up to Summit)
• Best Monthas / Season for Expedition: Spring  (April, May) October – November
• Route: South Col (Technical Climb) with ice, rock & steep snow climbing
• Departure Dates / Group size: Upon request / 2 and above
• Climbing Ratio: 1+1 (1 Member 1 Climbing Sherpa Guide)

1921 The British Mount Everest reconnaissance expedition set off to explore how it might be possible to get to the vicinity of Mount Everest, to reconnoiter possible routes for ascending the mountain, and – if possible – make the first ascent of the highest mountain in the world.

1922 The British Mount Everest expedition was the first mountaineering expedition with the express aim of making the first ascent of Mount Everest 8,848m. This was also the first expedition that attempted to climb Everest using bottled oxygen. The expedition would attempt to climb Everest from the northern side out of Tibet.

1924 The British Mount Everest expedition was—after the 1922 British Mount Everest expedition—the second expedition with the goal of achieving the first ascent of Mount Everest.

1933 The British Mount Everest expedition was, after the reconnaissance expedition of 1921, and 1922 and 1924 expeditions, the fourth British expedition to Mount Everest and the third with the intention of making the first ascent.

1953 The British Mount Everest expedition was the ninth mountaineering expedition to attempt the first ascent of Mount Everest at 8,848.86m, and the first confirmed to have succeeded when Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary reached the summit on Friday, 29 May 1953

1975 The British Mount Everest Southwest Face expedition was the first to successfully climb Mount Everest by ascending one of its faces. In the post-monsoon season, Chris Bonington led the expedition which used rock climbing techniques to put fixed ropes up the face from the Western Cwm to just below the South Summit.

2007 The Altitude Everest expedition, led by the American climber Conrad Anker, arrived at Base Camp below the north face of Everest in May 2007 and retraced the last journey of British climber George Mallory.

Geography

• Everest is 29,035 feet or 8848 meters high and It is over 60 million years old.
• The summit is the border of Nepal to the south and China or Tibet on the north
• Everest was formed by the movement of the Indian tectonic plate pushing up and against the Asian plate
• Everest grows by about a quarter of an inch (0.25") every year
• It consists of different types of shale, limestone, and marble
• The rocky summit is covered with deep snow all year long

Weather

• The Jet Stream sits on top of Everest almost all year long
• The wind can blow over 220 mph
• The temperature can be -80 to -90F
• In mid-May each year, the jet stream moves north causing the winds to calm and temperatures to warm enough for people to try to summit. This is called the 'summit window'. There is a similar period each fall in November.
• It can also be very hot with temperatures over 100F in the Western Cwm, an area climbers go through to reach the summit.

History

• Everest is called Chomolungma by the Tibetan people. It means mother goddess of the universe
• It was first identified for the Western world by a British survey team led by Sir George Everest in 1841
• Everest was named Sagarmatha by the Nepal Government. It means goddess of the sky
• Everest was first named Peak 15 and measured at 29,002 feet in 1856
• In 1865, it was named Mount Everest, after Sir George Everest
• In 1955, the height was adjusted to 29,028 feet, and is still used by Nepal
• China uses 29,015 feet as the official height today
• Using GPS technology, the summit was measured at 29,035 feet or 8850 meters in 1999
• Nepal started to remeasure Everest in 2019 due to the 2015 earthquake and will be finished by 2020

Summits - updated December 2018

Early Attempts and Summits

• The first attempt was in 1921 by a British expedition from the north (Tibet) side
• The first summit was on May 29, 1953, by Sir Edmund Hillary (New Zealand) and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa (Nepal). They climbed from the south side on a British expedition led by Colonel John Hunt.
• The first north side summit was on May 25, 1960, by Nawang Gombu (Tibetan) and Chinese climbers Chu Yin-Hau and Wang Fu-zhou
• The youngest person to summit was American Jordan Romero, age 13 years 11 months, on May 23, 2010, from the north side.
• The oldest person to summit was Japanese Miura Yiuchiro, age 80 on May 23, 2013
• The first climbers to summit Everest without bottled oxygen were Italian Reinhold Messner with Peter Habler in 1978
• Reinhold Messner is the only person to have truly summited Everest solo and without supplemental oxygen. He did it in 1980 from the Tibet side via the Great Couloir

Male Summits/Female Summits

• The youngest male to the summit was American Jordan Romero, age 13 years 10 months, on May 23, 2010, from the north side.
• The Youngest female to summit was American Lucy Westlake, age 18 years 10 months, on May 12, 2022, from the South side organized by Xtreme Climbers Treks & Expedition.
• The oldest male to the summit was Japanese Miura Yiuchiro, age 80 on May 23, 2013
• Kami Rita (Topke) Sherpa (Thami) holds the record for most summits (male or female) with 22, the most recent one in 2018 by Kami Rita.
• Apa Sherpa (Thami Og), and Phurba Tashi Sherpa (Khumjung) are next with 21 summits each. Both are now retired.
• American Dave Hahn has the most non-Sherpa summits with 15, the most recent in 2013

• The first woman to summit Everest was Junko Tabei of Japan in 1975
• The oldest woman to summit was Japanese Tamae Watanabe, age 73, in 2012 from the north
• The youngest woman to summit was Indian Malavath Poorna, 13 years 11 months on May 25, 2014, from the north side
• 548 women have summited through January 2019
• Nepali, Lakpa Sherpani holds the women's summit record with eight (1 South, 7 north)

Summit Statistics

• There have been 9,159 summits of Everest through December 2018, on all routes by 5,294 different people.
• 1,211 people, mostly Sherpa, have summited multiple times
• The Nepal side is more popular with 5,888 summits compared to 3,271 summits from the Tibet side
• 211 climbers summited without supplemental oxygen through January 2019, about 2.3%
• 34 climbers have traversed from one side to the other.
• 582 climbers have summited from both Nepal and Tibet
• 107 climbers have summited more than once in a single season

Trivia

• Babu Chiri Sherpa spent the night on the summit in 1999
• Kami Rita Sherpa holds the record for most summits with 22, the most recent one in 2018
• Over 33,000 feet of fixed rope is used each year to set the South Col route
• You have to be at least 16 to climb Everest from the south side and 18 from the north
• Climbers burn over 10,000 calories each day, double that on the summit climb
• Climbers will lose 10 to 20 lbs during the expedition

Trip Highlights

• Adventure and climb on top of the world's highest Mt. Everest a daring feat.
• Explore the traditional and typical Himalayan life of the Sherpa people, the highlanders of Everest.
• An awesome challenge and adventure within thin air and high altitude routes of ice and snow.
• A complete adventure of a lifetime experience on Number Peak with superb panorama.
• Alpine green forest to windswept rugged mountains to remorseless fields of ice and glaciers.
• Trekking within scenic Sagarmatha National Park around world high heritage sites.

Mt. Everest South Face Base Camp and Climbing Camp Details: Climbing the south face of Mt. Everest (8,848.86m / 29,031.7ft), also known as the South Col route, is one of the most challenging and renowned routes in the world. Here are the details of the camps typically used on this expedition:

Base Camp (5,364m / 17,598ft):

• Location: Khumbu Glacier.
• Purpose: Main logistical hub, preparation, and acclimatization point.
• Facilities: Sleeping tents, dining tents, communication equipment, medical services, and kitchen facilities.
• Activities: Initial acclimatization, equipment checks, training sessions, and rest.

Camp I (6,065m / 19,900ft):

• Location: Top of the Khumbu Icefall, in the Western Cwm.
• Purpose: First major acclimatization point after Base Camp.
• Access: Climbing through the Khumbu Icefall using ladders and fixed ropes.
• Activities: Rest, acclimatization, and preparation for the next leg.

Camp 1: Located at approximately 6,000 meters above sea level, Camp 1 serves as the initial acclimatization point for climbers. It provides a crucial transition from Base Camp to higher altitudes, allowing climbers to adjust to the thinner air and harsher conditions.

Camp II (6,400m / 21,000ft):

• Location: Western Cwm, at the base of the Lhotse Face.
• Purpose: Advanced base for further acclimatization and staging for higher camps.
• Access: Trekking across the relatively flat and hot Western Cwm.
• Activities: Acclimatization hikes, rest, and preparation for the ascent of the Lhotse Face.

Camp 2: Situated around 6,500 meters, Camp 2 marks a significant milestone in the ascent of Everest. Here, climbers encounter more challenging terrain and weather conditions, requiring advanced mountaineering skills and equipment.

Camp III (7,162m / 23,500ft):

• Location: Halfway up the Lhotse Face.
• Purpose: Acclimatization and staging point for reaching the South Col.
• Access: Climbing the steep and icy Lhotse Face using fixed ropes.
• Activities: Rest, limited acclimatization due to high altitude, and preparation for the final push to Camp IV.

Camp 3: Positioned at an altitude of approximately 7,200 meters, Camp 3 serves as a crucial staging point for the final push to the summit. Climbers must navigate steep slopes and negotiate the notorious Khumbu Icefall to reach this camp.

Camp IV (7,950m / 26,085ft):

• Location: South Col, the col between Everest and Lhotse.
• Purpose: Final staging camp for the summit push.
• Access: Climbing through the Yellow Band and the Geneva Spur using fixed ropes.
• Activities: Brief rest, high-altitude acclimatization, oxygen use, and final summit preparations.

Camp 4 (South Col): Located at approximately 7,900 meters, Camp 4, also known as the South Col, is the highest camp on the Everest South Route. From here, climbers embark on the grueling final ascent to the summit, facing extreme altitude and perilous conditions.

Navigating these challenges demands exceptional physical conditioning, mental resilience, and mountaineering skills. Summit success depends on factors such as weather conditions, team dynamics, and individual health and performance, making each ascent a unique and formidable endeavor.

Beyond Camp 4 (South Col), the Everest Expedition enters the most challenging phase of the climb, culminating in the summit attempt. Key details of this segment include:

The Death Zone: Above 8,000 meters (the death zone), climbers face extreme altitude conditions where oxygen levels are critically low, increasing the risk of altitude sickness, hypothermia, and cerebral or pulmonary edema. This zone poses the most significant physiological challenge to climbers.

The Hillary Step: Named after Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to reach the summit of Everest along with Tenzing Norgay in 1953, the Hillary Step is a steep rock face located just below the summit. Climbers must negotiate this technical section, often using fixed ropes and ladders, before reaching the summit ridge.

Summit Ridge: The final stretch to the summit involves traversing the narrow and exposed summit ridge, which offers breathtaking views but requires steady nerves and precise footwork. Climbers must contend with strong winds, extreme cold, and fatigue as they make their way toward the highest point on Earth.

Summit (8,848.86m / 29,031.7ft):

• Final Ascent: From Camp IV to the summit.
• Route: Climb through the Balcony, South Summit, Hillary Step, and finally the summit ridge.
• Summit Time: Early morning departure to avoid afternoon weather changes.
• Descent: Return to Camp IV or lower camps after summiting.

Summit Push: The summit push typically begins in the early hours of the morning to maximize daylight and minimize exposure to afternoon storms. Climbers ascend steadily, conserving energy and oxygen reserves for the final push to the top. Summit day is the culmination of months of preparation and perseverance, marking the pinnacle of the Everest Expedition.

These camps represent pivotal stages in the Everest climbing expedition, each demanding careful planning, technical expertise, and physical endurance from climbers and their support teams.

General Notes:

• Acclimatization: Proper acclimatization at each camp is crucial to avoid altitude sickness and ensure success.
• Safety: Fixed ropes, supplemental oxygen, and strict adherence to safety protocols are essential.
• Duration: Duration at each camp varies based on weather, acclimatization needs, and team progress.
• Challenges: The south face route presents significant challenges including the Khumbu Icefall, Lhotse Face, and the extreme altitude of the South Col and summit areas.

Climbing the south face of Mt. Everest is a demanding expedition that requires extensive preparation, experience, and physical and mental fortitude. It remains one of the ultimate mountaineering challenges in the world.