Everest, Tibet

For details of our Everest South Col-South East Ridge Expedition in Nepal click here

Altitude Junkies offer one of the most cost-effective full-service expeditions on Everest on the Tibetan side of the mountain.

Our expedition is limited to seven climbers and one expedition leader with a 1:1 Sherpa to climber ratio. Some of the other operators have as many as thirty climbers on one expedition and we feel a smaller team makes for a more intimate and satisfying experience for a climber on Everest. The single leader and expedition manager offers similar expertise as a fully guided climb with a 4:1 climber to guide ratio but allows climbers more flexibility traveling in smaller groups lower on the mountain.

Leadership
Himalayan veteran guide Phil Crampton who has summitted Everest from both the Nepal and Tibet sides of the mountain will once again lead the 2012 expedition and this will be his ninth Everest expedition.

In addition to an experienced leader the team’s head climbing Sherpa Sirdar will be Dorje Sherpa who was the Sherpa responsible for carrying the IMAX camera from the South Col to the Summit for the hugely successful IMAX Everest film from the 1996 spring season. Dorje has vast experience being a Sirdar on Everest and will be directing our climbing Sherpas who have all summitted Everest before, some multiple times and their knowledge of the mountain is unrivaled.

The Drive to Base Camp
Our expedition will meet in the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu where we will stay in the beautiful boutique Courtyard Hotel located in a quiet area of the tourist district of Thamel. After a few days in Kathmandu processing our Tibet group visas and obtaining our climbing permits we drive to the Nepal Tibet border at Kodari where we enter Tibet. We pass through the immigration formalities once in Kodari and then a second time in Zhangmu before officially entering Tibet.

Once the immigration formalities have been completed, which sometimes can be lengthy, we start the drive towards base camp. We spend two nights each in the towns of Nyalam and Tingri for cautious acclimatization before arriving on the final day at Old Chinese Base Camp.

Base Camp
Our base camp is as luxurious, if not more so than some of the other more expensive operators and the food prepared by our highly experienced cooks is considered some of the best available in the Himalayas.

Each climber is provided with a personal Mountain Hardwear 3-person tent at base camp, which is insulated with a foam floor covering and complimented with an extra thick foam mattress. Every tent has on demand lighting provided by solar electricity

For group occasions we provide Mountain Hardwear Space Station domes each for dining, communications and another as our recreation dome. The dining dome has large padded chairs and is spacious, carpeted, heated and lit by solar electricity. Our communication dome has the same facilities as our dining dome but with the addition of multiple laptop computers and satellite internet modems and satellite phones. Our recreation dome has low seating, a movie screen, library and wet bar.

We provide a carpeted, heated and solar-lit toilet and shower tent with flushable toilets, stainless steel wash sinks and hot water on demand propane heated showers. We make it a policy at Altitude Junkies to remove all human waste from camp one and all base camps respectively and have porters carry our toilet drums to a lower village where it can be disposed of properly.

Advanced Base Camp
We keep an advanced base camp established at an elevation of 6,400-meters with a full-time kitchen crew throughout the duration of the expedition. This is essential as even though we spend very little time there, our Sherpas spend many evenings here while they stock and supply the higher camps. It is not quite as luxurious as our base camp but will have a solar lit and heated smaller Mountain Hardwear dome with tables and stools for dining and a toilet tent.

The Kitchen
The head and assistant cooks have all been trained by western chefs in food preparation and strict hygiene standards and produce a varied and nutritious western menu throughout the expedition. They prepare three delicious hot meals a day as well as preparing an amazing array of appetizers for our customary early evening cocktail hour during rest days at base camp. We use local fresh produce and meats and these are complimented by a huge selection of imported foods and snacks. Our cooks are especially proud of our propane ovens they use to bake us all sorts of treats.

Climb Strategy
We follow a cautious acclimatization schedule at base camp spending several nights before taking our first trip up the East Rongbuk Valley and walk on the East Rongbuk Glacier towards advanced base camp. We plan only to trek up to advanced base camp a maximum of two times and this includes the summit push. The walk from base camp to interim camp takes around 4-8 hours.

Our schedule usually sees us walk to interim base camp where we spend two evenings and then continue to advanced base camp. We rest at advanced base camp for several days before tagging camp one and returning to advanced base camp. The walk from interim base camp to advanced base camp takes around 4-8 hours where the camp sits at the foot of the North Col.

After more acclimatization days at advanced base camp and the progress of the fixed ropes being placed towards camp two, we climb to camp one where we spend the evening and then in the following days we climb towards camp two reaching an elevation of roughly 7,500-meters before returning to the North Col. We spend a second evening at the North Col before returning to advanced base camp.

The summit push will see us make our second trek up the east Rongbuk Glacier to advanced base camp where we will spend two or three evenings waiting for a favorable weather report. We then climb to camp one, two and three respectively before leaving for the summit from the high camp late in the evening.

All climbers and Sherpas will be using supplementary oxygen from camp two and return to camp two.

The Route
The climbing begins by following the trail out of advanced base camp leading to the gear depot. Some teams leave their heavy mountaineering boots; crampons and axes at this area. We then walk over the flat section of the glacier to approach the foot of the north col. Fixed ropes will be in place and we climb slopes up to 45-degrees before reaching the halfway point up the col. The first aluminum ladder crossing a crevasse is short and the route continues culminating with a short steep slope just before the second longer ladder crossing a deep crevasse before arriving in camp. The climb from advanced base camp to camp one takes between 4-8 hours.

Camp one sits on the North Col between the Everest North Ridge and Changtse. The route continues along the North Ridge using the fixed rope and the terrain switches from the snow ridge to easy mixed terrain at 7,500m (24,600ft) where we continue to our camp two. This is one of the longest days on the mountain and takes between 5-10 hours.

Camp two is located on the North Ridge and the tents are erected on platforms constructed from loose rocks. This campsite is very exposed and receives strong winds. Most climbers, if not already, decide to use their supplementary oxygen from here onwards. The route continues up the ridge before traversing diagonally right across the North Face and then takes a more direct route into camp three. The climb from camp two to camp three takes between 3-6 hours.

Summit day will start early and the route heads on moderate terrain with one technical rock section to pass before arriving on the Northwest Ridge. The ridge is narrow and is followed passing the first step, the crux of the climb, the second step with its two ladders in place and the third step before climbing the summit pyramid and then traversing a rocky section to the snow capped summit. The climb from camp three to the summit takes between 7-11 hours with 3-5 hours for the descent to camp three.

High Altitude Camps
Mountain Hardwear 3-person tents will be used at high camps and these will be occupied by two persons up to the high camp where we usually place three persons per tent for warmth. All food, stoves and cooking gas will be in place and members are only required to carry their personal gear during the expedition.

Health
All climbing members, climbing Sherpas and kitchen staff have access to medial oxygen, portable altitude chambers and comprehensive medical chests at both base and advanced base camps. The higher camps also have medical kits and we also ask that all climbers carry individual micro high altitude medical kits at all times above base camp as the Sherpas and leader does.

Communications
For constant communication we have all climbing members, climbing Sherpas and guides have their own personal two-way radio at all times on the mountain. We also have base station radios at both base and advanced base camp and have these active at all times when members and Sherpas are on the mountain.

Our satellite phones and satellite internet modems are available for our team members to use at base camp at actual cost price as we feel charging an outrageous amount to phone or email family is unfair during such a long expedition.

Weather Forecasts
To ensure the safety of all our climbers we subscribe to a professional weather forecast service for the duration of the season and have access to this information at all the respective base and high camps and receive constant updates during our summit push.

Altitude Junkies does not allow any solo climbing above base camp on any of our expeditions.

Photo credits: Phil Crampton - The North Face of Everest from Old Chinese Base Camp. Camp Two at 7,800 meters and ascending the Second Step with the summit pyramid in the background.

The expedition cost includes:
· Individual accommodation in Kathmandu as itinerary
· Shared accommodation in Tibet as itinerary
· All transportation and meals in Tibet as itinerary
· Yaks for personal gear to advanced base camp and return
· All meals at base, interim and advanced base camp
· Group Nepal climbing Sherpas
· Group Nepal cooks at base, interim and advanced base camp
· Expedition permit, peak fee and conservation fees
· Base camp, interim, advanced base camp and high camp tents
· Group climbing equipment, stoves and fuel
· Supplementary climbing oxygen (6 bottles), mask and regulator
· Two-way radios
· Medical kits, portable altitude chamber and medical oxygen
· High altitude freeze-dried meals
· Climbing Sherpa summit bonus and carry bonus
· Satellite phone and satellite internet use at cost price
The expedition cost does not include:
· Airfare to and from Nepal
· Meals and drinks in Kathmandu
· Alcoholic beverages
· Nepal visa and visa extension costs
· Tibet group visa cost
· Evacuation costs, medical and rescue insurance
· Personal climbing clothing and equipment
· Staff gratuities
· Personal Puja contribution

Contact us: info@altitudejunkies.com