Big news coming in from Kathmandu today: our Upper Mountain Sirdar, “Little” Tendi Sherpa, shared, “I am very pleased to share that our team has officially received the first permit of the season for climbing Mount Everest from the Department of Tourism in Kathmandu.”

Tendi, an IFMGA-certified guide with 18 Everest summits from both the North and South sides, oversees the logistics of every CTSS Himalayan expedition and is the most in-demand guide on our roster.

For us, this first permit of the season means the Himalayas are open, and we are ready to get our climbers to the top of the world.

Also in Kathmandu, our 2nd Rugged Luxury EBC trekking team gathered for gear checks and a briefing with their guide, “Big” Tendi Sherpa, a 4x Everest summiteer and mountain instructor who has helped train an entire generation of Nepali mountain guides. They are now headed to Lukla to begin their trek.

Photos courtesy of Big Tendi Sherpa

On the trail, our 1st trekking team spent the weekend in Namche Bazaar acclimatizing. It was a snowy day in town on Saturday, so the team explored town, visiting the small Sherpa museum and stopping for lunch at Sherpa Barista. On Sunday, they trekked to Deboche (12,533 ft / 3,820 m) with Ama Dablam dominating the skyline throughout. Monday brought a rest day and a visit to Tengboche Monastery, the most celebrated monastery in the Khumbu, where the team received blessings from the Tibetan Buddhist monks for the journey ahead.

Photos courtesy of Tomi Ceppi