Trip Facts

• Destination: Nepal
• Himalayan Range: Mahalangur
• Arrival/Departure From Nepal
• Activities: Mountaineering Climbing and Skiing expedition
• Highest Elevation: 8,516 m
• Prominence: 610 m
• Technical Experience: Advance Skills/5E
• Highest Elevation: 8,516m /27,940.ft
• Co-Ordinates : Latitude: 27°57'45 Longitude: 86°56'03
• Accommodation: 5***** Hotel / Local Tea House /Tented Accommodation
• Expedition Duration: “35 to 40 Days” Can be more or less as per the scheduled itinerary.
• Best Time: Spring and Autumn
• Group Size: 02 up to 10
• Climbing Ratio: 1+1 (1 Member 1 Climbing Sherpa Guide)

Mt. Lhotse's "South Peak" at (8,516 m / 27,940 feet) Climbing includes several key points:

• Camp Location: The summit camp is typically set on the South Col, which is a high pass between Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Everest. It's a crucial point for climbers attempting both peaks.
• Altitude: The South Col sits at approximately 7,906 meters (25,938 feet), which serves as the final camp before the summit push to Lhotse's South Peak.
• Climbing Route: From the South Col, climbers ascend the steep and technical Lhotse Face, navigating through snow and ice to reach the summit.
• Challenges: Climbers face extreme altitude, harsh weather conditions, and technical climbing challenges, including negotiating the Lhotse Couloir and the final summit pyramid.
• Expedition Duration: A typical expedition to Lhotse's South Peak can take several weeks, including acclimatization periods at lower camps before attempting the final ascent.
• Equipment and Supplies: At the South Col camp, climbers typically have tents, oxygen supplies, food, and other essential equipment stored. This camp serves as a crucial base for the summit attempt and is often shared with expeditions attempting Mt. Everest.
• Weather Conditions: Weather at this altitude can be extremely harsh and unpredictable, with high winds, low temperatures, and the potential for sudden storms. Climbers must be prepared for these conditions and have contingency plans in place.
• Logistics: Expeditions to Lhotse South Peak often share logistics and camps with Everest expeditions due to their proximity and the shared route up to the South Col.
• Safety Considerations: Due to the extreme altitude and challenging conditions, climbers must be well-prepared with proper equipment, experience, and support from experienced guides and Sherpas.

Trip Highlights

• Lhotse 8516m: The Fourth Highest Peak in the world
• Facts of the Skiing Face: One of the steepest faces in the world: Rises 3.2 km in only 2.25 km of horizontal distance “A striking peak with a tremendous south face”.
• Climbing Summits Faces: Lhotse Main (8,516 meters), Lhotse Shar (8,383 meters), and Lhotse East (8,413 meters)
• Summit Lhotse (8516m), the World's Fourth Highest Peak: Experience the thrill of climbing one of the most iconic and challenging peaks in the Himalayas, located just south of Everest.
• Combine High-Altitude Climbing with Ski Descent: Be part of an elite group of mountaineers who not only summit Lhotse but also ski down from one of the highest points on Earth, making this a unique expedition in the mountaineering world.
• Cross the Khumbu Icefall: Navigate through the Khumbu Icefall, one of the most dangerous and exciting sections of the climb, using expert mountaineering techniques and teamwork.
• Advanced Base Camp at Lhotse Face: Establish and operate from an Advanced Base Camp (ABC) on the Lhotse Face, with stunning views of the South Col, Everest, and surrounding peaks.
• Cultural Immersion in the Khumbu Region: Experience the rich culture and hospitality of the Sherpa people, including visits to monasteries and traditional villages en route to the base camp.
• Spectacular Himalayan Views: Enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of some of the highest peaks in the world, including Everest, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, and Makalu, both from the summit and throughout the expedition.
• Professional Guiding and Support: Benefit from the expertise of world-class mountain guides, experienced in high-altitude skiing and climbing, along with a strong Sherpa support team.
• Comprehensive Acclimatization Plan: Follow a carefully designed acclimatization schedule, including rotations to higher camps and rest days, to maximize your chances of a successful summit and safe ski descent.
• High-Tech Equipment and Logistics: Utilize the latest in high-altitude mountaineering and skiing gear, with well-coordinated logistics ensuring smooth transitions between climbing and skiing phases.
• Personal Achievement and Legacy: Conquer Lhotse with a ski descent, creating a lifelong memory and personal achievement that stands out in the history of high-altitude mountaineering.
• First Climbed: Mount Lhotse was first climbed on May 18, 1956, by Fritz Luchsinger and Ernst Reiss from Switzerland.

NOTE: Prioritize your training efforts with the following techniques assuming you are in good health and injury-free;

01. Climbing Conditioning: Uphill climbing with a backpack, walking, and staircase climbing Strength training for lower body and core

03. Cardiovascular Training: Include both aerobic and anaerobic workouts with and without pack-weight

04. Flexibility Training: Include stretches for overall body

• Climbing any mountain especially 8000m above is tough but highly rewarding as well. So, do prepare yourself Psychologically and Physically to withstand all possible hazards that may come across your path during the mountaineering journey.
• The expedition is EXTREMELY Challenging but worth it.  Before the summit push, we will have enough time at the Base Camp where our supremely talented climbing Sherpa guide will train you very well to be in the Himalayas by providing you with all technical know-how and techniques.
• The summit lies at a higher altitude and can cause altitude sickness to anyone attempting the summit push. But proper acclimatization, enough Oxygen which will be carried and reserved at higher camps for emergency use, and support/assistance by our high altitude climbing Sherpa Guide will help you go through to reach the summit of your dream mountain. Above the higher camps, we will always have extra bottles of oxygen in case of emergencies. This is why one must go on an expedition to any of the 7 thousand before heading to any 8000m. This will not only help you gain experience in the high altitude but also familiarize you with all the gears and equipment while handling extremely cold temperatures, gaining great crampon skills on and on the rock, snow, ice, rappelling with a pack on, and using ascenders and jumars on a fixed-line. Along with tolerance at a high altitude, you need strength, endurance, and strong cardiovascular conditioning.

Lhotse South Col Route Camps:

Khumbu Icefall: The most difficult part of climbing Lhotse. It is a steep glacier with obvious implication of large crevasses and treacherous unstable seracs making navigation complicated and riddled with high objective danger of falling ice. The route is not that technically challenging and is essentially a strenuous trekking route with a little objective danger once past the Khumbu icefall. There is an obvious danger of high altitude sickness complications and changeable, unpredictable mountain weather. At the beginning of the climbing period, Icefall Doctors and Xtreme Climbers Climbing Sherpas Guides set the route through the icefall installing ladders across crevasses and along vertical serac ice walls for efficient and easy climbing. These arrangements make climbing of the Khumbu icefall possible, efficient, and relatively safe especially early morning before sunrise, when the ice structure is well frozen. Khumbu icefall is very dangerous in the afternoon due to its western aspect.

Base Camp: (5,200m/17,060ft.): Located on a moving glacier at 5,200 meters above sea level surrounded by Pumori, Lola, and Nuptse where you will spend up to 40-45 days. Conditions in the base camp will remain consistent during the climbing period and will consist of shifting and moving tents and platforms as the ice moves and melts.

Camp 1: (5900m/19,357ft.): Technical and the most difficult section of a south side climb since it crosses the Khumbu Icefall. During the climbing period, we attempt to spend only 2 nights at Camp 1 for acclimation. The Icefall is 2,000 feet of moving ice with deep crevasses, towering ice seracs, and avalanches off Everest's west shoulder. Our plan calls for us to move up and down directly from camp 2 for safety once you have proper acclimation.

Camp 2: (6400m/20,998 ft.): Camp 2,  Located in a lateral moraine at the bottom of West Ridge Safe and sheltered with tremendous views of Lhotse. This is the station where we will spend most time after base camp. All the companies set up their main climbing camp for the duration of the climbing period here with tents for individual climbers along with necessary kitchen and dining tents. Camp 2 is the main acclimatization camp and the base for camp 3 acclimatization climbing and the final summit attempt.

Camp III: (7100m/23,294 ft.): The effects of high altitude and not yet using supplemental oxygen almost all climbers are feeling difficulty climbing the Lhotse Face to camp 3. Lhotse Face is steep and hard Ice, but the route is fixed with rope and the angles can range from 35 to 45 degrees. It is a long climbing distance to Camp 3 which is required for acclimatization prior to a summit bid. You will spend 2 nights at Camp III for acclimatization and the summit push.

Camp IV: (79000m/25,918ft.): Camp 4 is the last camp, it is easily accessible by a majority of climbers without supplementary oxygen. A flat area covered with loose rock and surrounded by Lhotse on the South. There are two rock sections to navigate before camp 4, The rocky sections called “The Yellow Band” a layer of marble, phyllite, and semi-ship rock, and the “Geneva Spur”, an anvil-shaped rib of black rock. Both of these areas are set up with fixed ropes.

Summit: (8516m/27, 940ft.): The climbing Sherpa guide will set fixed ropes up the wall of ice. The last section of the climb from Camp 3 to Camp 4 takes 12-15 hours to navigate. There the Lhotse face rises at 40-45 degrees with the occasional 80-degree bulge. Climbers (Sherpa Climbing Guide/Foreigners) Both need to establish a good rhythm of foot placement and pull themselves up the ropes using their Jumars. Two rocky sections called “The Yellow Band” and “The Geneva Spur” interrupt the icy ascent on the upper part of the face, before reaching the central summit. The route to the true summit is a moderate snow slope and while tired, adrenaline keeps most climbers moving at this point.