Our teams are fully acclimatized and ready for their summit bids over the next few weeks. We expect the rope-fixing team, who have done a great job, to fix ropes to the summit tonight, with the season’s first summits coming close behind. We will let the first wave clear, and our teams will make their move. All eyes are on the forecast.

The climbers’ priority is to bank as much sleep, rest, and good food as they can to recharge their batteries. Mentally, the team is in great spirits, with a healthy dose of anticipation and full focus.

As we continue to share more on the route to Everest, below are two videos that will take us up to Lhotse Face to South Col (ropes were just fixed there over the weekend) and then all the way to the summit.

One again, a huge THANK YOU to our entire 2025 CTSS Everest and Lhotse guide team. Simply put, this is the most experienced guide team ever on Mt Everest. Period. And likely the biggest! Within this team, there are too many 8000m and Everest summits to count. Being the best of the best means their dedication, hard work, client care, generosity, and humility are absolutely on point. It’s an honor to work with such an incredible team of mountain professionals.

Big news coming in from the upper mountain today! Ropes have been fixed to the South Col, which means our teams have started moving oxygen up the mountain to be ready for summit bids. Traditionally, Everest sees the most summits in mid-May, and we are fast approaching that timeline. We will keep you posted as climbers, guides, and our teams make plans for their summit climbs.

We have one private climber, Andrea G, along with guide Robert, who is finishing their rotation. They will drop back to Everest Base Camp tomorrow.

We got a peek at life above Base Camp from Sam and Emma Schwerin, who completed their second rotation with their guides Tendi Sherpa and Fred Alldredge. This team spent one night at Camp 1 and three nights at Camp 2, where they did an acclimatization hike to 22,228 feet and had plenty of time to play Uno!

Here’s the latest from the Khumbu:

Word came in from our Western Guided team, and they are now back at Everest Base Camp enjoying a much-needed rest after a successful second rotation. The following private climbers also arrived back at Base Camp today, including Jocelyn C. and guide Ashish, Terry S. and guide Dawa, Eva S. and guide Pega, as well as John W and guide Don.

To the right, you’ll see a quick video update from Tendi Sherpa (Little Tendi), who oversees all of our Everest Base Camp and upper mountain logistics. As Tendi shares, many of our climbers are now eyeing their summit bids as we wait for an ideal weather window.

40-day Speed Climber Alyssa and guide Phunjo hit their goal and tagged Camp 3 today. They are now back at Camp 2 and plan to return to Everest Base Camp tomorrow.

We have a few other private climbers still pushing forward with their first or second rotations, including Kevin S and guide Jangbu along with our Lhotse climber Adravan F. Today, they reached a new high point of 7,100 meters. They will stay at Camp 2 tonight before returning to Everest Base Camp tomorrow.

The Bouka family is doing well at Camp 2 and will return to Base Camp tomorrow to conclude their first rotation.

Below, you will find an overview of the route our teams are taking to the summit of Everest. All teams and climbers will complete multiple rotations on the upper mountain before making their final summit bid.

All is quiet from Everest this evening which means all of our teams have tucked in for the night. We received word that the Bouka family has successfully made it to Camp 2.

In addition, Camp 3 will soon be in rotation. The Ice Doctors and Sherpa have fixed the lines which means our team will now start carrying and caching oxygen to use on the upper reaches of the mountain.

Curious about the use of oxygen on Everest? Here is a little more background how we approach and allocate oxygen. In general, we run an oxygen flow of 3L/min or more while climbing, and 1L/min sleeping. This equates to about 8 bottles per climber, which means a lot of oxygen has to move up the mountain! We are proud to use hyper-efficient and state-of-the-art oxygen masks which help all of our climbers and Sherpa make the most of each oxygen bottle while on the mountain. If you want to learn a little more about the science of acclimatization and available oxygen at high altitudes, our Understanding Acclimatization page is a great place to start!

All of our climbers and teams are above Base Camp in the thick of their acclimatization rotations. Remember, no news is good news from your climbers. We will continue to keep our blog updated as we hear more from our team.

Private climbers Michael K. with guide Dorjee, Eva S. with guide Papshe, and Varun R. with guide Thunang are all at Camp 2 for their second night. Sam and Emma Schwerin, Adam S., John W., Jocelyn C., Robert A., and our Camp 3 climber Doug C, are joining them tonight.

At Camp 1, the Bouka family is settling in for their second night after a rest and acclimatization day alongside Speed Ascenders Anna K. and Ilknur C. Tomorrow, they will move to Camp 2.

Kevin S, with guide Jangbu, and Andrea G., with Guide Robert, made excellent time to Camp 1, moving smoothly through the Khumbu Icefall. They are settled in for the night.

A fresh dusting of snow came and went, and now there are starry skies in the Western CWM with a clear weather forecast over the next few days.

At Everest Base Camp, Chef Emma and her team are enjoying a much-deserved break until the climbers return.

We are impressed with everyone’s morale and strength. All climbers and teams are doing great!  

Below, we link two videos from our YouTube channel. First is a breakdown of the route through the Khumbu Icefall (Stage 2), followed by the route from the Western CWM to the Lhotse Face (Stage 3). The Western CWM is just above Camp 1. A huge part of a climber’s preparation for a climb like Everest is visualization, so we do not doubt that many on Everest right now have watched these videos. If you’re at home, we hope this gives you a glimpse into the sights and sounds our teams are experiencing. 

Our teams are on the move! Today, the Western Guided team and many of our private climbers arrived safely at Camp 1 for their second rotation. This ascent was efficient and smooth, precisely what we love to hear from the Khumbu Icefall.

Most of these climbers and teams will pause and spend tonight and tomorrow night acclimatizing at Camp 1 before continuing higher.

Tonight, two more private climbers, Kevin S., with guide Jangbu, and Andrea G., with guide Robert, will join the others at Camp 1 to begin their rotations.

Our Lhotse climbers and Speed Ascenders are preparing and readying at Everest Base camp and will make their move up the mountain in the next few days.

Before climbers started on their first and second rotations, we had a special visit at Everest Base Camp from Mitchell Hutchcraft, who, like many of our climbers, has eyes set on summiting Everest this season. But Mitch’s path to Everest has been anything but typical. Since departing Dover, UK, Mitch took a 34-kilometer swim across the English Channel. After that, he peddled over 10,000 kilometers from the coast of France to the coast of India. For his third phase, Mitch set out on foot, running 900 kilometers from sea level in India to Kathmandu, Nepal. For his final leg, Mitch trekked to Everest Base Camp from Kathmandu and will continue climbing all the way to the summit of Mount Everest. INCREDIBLE.

As CTSS’s owner Mike Hamill shared, “He’s already on day 227. Unreal. Best of luck with the rest of your climb; we’ll have a beer waiting for you when you get down to celebrate your achievement.”

Below is a photo of Mitch and Mitch, two absolute legends!

We have a few private climbers at Camp 1, including Eva S. with guide Papshe, Michael K. with guide Dorgee, and Varun R. with guide Thunang. As part of their first rotation, they will look to tag Camp 2 tomorrow.

Due to wind and snow, the Western Guided team, along with many private climbers, took another rest day at Everest Base Camp. They spent the day in the Big House, enjoying hot cappuccinos and playing the world’s highest game of bingo. They will head up early tomorrow for their rotations.

Here are a few photos from the CTSS archives, showcasing our famous Big House. Photos courtesy of Guy Williment. 

In the afternoon, the sun resurfaced and cast its warmth down on Base Camp. Everyone enjoyed an early dinner in preparation for tomorrow’s rotation. The team also enjoyed a final Puja ceremony held on an auspicious day. We’re thankful that all of our teams, including our 30-Day and 40-Day Speed Ascenders, as well as Ardavan F., our Lhotse climber, had the opportunity to take part in such a special Tibetan Buddhist tradition and blessing.

Our final team of Everest Base Camp trekkers has arrived back in Kathmandu after a quick flight from Lukla. Tonight they will celebrate their successes with a team farewell dinner. Massive congratulations to all our trekkers who made their way to Everest Base Camp this season.

Between Big Tendi, Little Tendi, and CTSS’s owner, Mike Hamill, this trio has over 55  Everest expeditions under their belts, plus nearly 100x 8000m peaks. They work diligently to leverage this experience for the success of the team, and we feel incredibly lucky to have not only their experience as leaders but also the collective experience of all of our guides and staff.