Elevation: 8,850m or 29,035 ft
Duration: 8-10 weeks
Continent: Asia
Season: Nepalese Spring (March – June)
Meets in: Kathmandu, Nepal
Route: South Side (Nepal)
Difficulty: Advanced, 8000m +
Elevation Gain: 3532m (11,560ft) + trekking approach 2737m (8980ft)
First Ascent: Tenzing Norgay & Sir Edmund Hillary
Special Considerations:
- On this expedition you will be climbing in the ‘death zone’. Beginning with an imaginary line at 8,000m the oxygen in the atmosphere is so sparse that the human body cannot stay for prolonged periods of time. Climbing on oxygen on Everest is standard practice and lightweight, state of the art systems are provided for all of our members.
Route Choice
Which route you chose is important. Both sides of the mountain have pros and cons. CTSS favours the South Side of Everest (from Nepal) for these reasons:
- The South Side has better opportunity for infrastructure which means better facilities, more assurances and rescue capability including helicopter access
- The HRA (Himalayan Rescue Association) at base camp is a medical clinic manned with speciality trained doctors 24/7
- In the event of a rescue; we can get helicopter access up to Camp 2, meaning definitive care is within a few hours vs days on the North Side
- The South Side has a steeper approach which allows you to drop back to lower altitudes more quickly and efficiently, meaning a better quality of rest and recuperation between rotations
- The South Side is a milder environment vs the drier, dustier, windier North Side
- The border to Tibet has been closed to climbers multiple times, on very short notice over the last 10 years, and as such we have greater confidence in reliably accessing the mountain from the South Side.
