CTSS Team

The Masters EBC team and our Camp 3 Everest climbers have reached Lobuche Base Camp. Tomorrow, they head up to Lobuche High Camp for an acclimatization hike before pushing on to Gorak Shep and Everest Base Camp proper. Dr. Brenton’s 50+ team continues to move strongly through the upper Khumbu.

Photos courtesy of Dr. Brenton

Also at Lobuche Base Camp, our Rugged Luxury private team is gearing up for their climb on Awi Peak (17,257 ft / 5,260 m). This peak is a hidden gem, away from the crowds, with panoramic views of Everest, Lhotse, and Cho Oyu. Get ready for one of the best views in Khumbu!

Further down the Khubmu, our EBC trekking team has begun the journey home, making it down to Pheriche today and heading toward Namche Bazaar tomorrow.

And finally, our Rugged Luxury Team 3 is on their way home. Safe onward travels to the whole team.

More good news coming in from the Himalayas. Our 1:1 private climbers summited Lobuche East on April 14, with the mountain in excellent condition. A massive congratulations goes out to: 

• Stan C.
• Diego L.
• Diarmuid M.
• Nicole S.
• Cole V.
• Adam S.
• CTSS Guide and Sirdar “Little” Tendi Sherpa
• CTSS Guide Edgar Parra

We have another private climber, Chris L., and guide Dominic, who are at Lobuche High Camp and plan to tag the summit of Lobuche East tomorrow.

The Everest Western Guided Team and the 3 Peaks Team are resting at Everest Base Camp (17,600 ft / 5,364 m) after their Lobuche summits, resting and recharging before the next phase of the expedition gets underway. Our Everest climbers will begin to eye rotation while our 3 Peaks team will make moves over to Pokalde (5,806m).

Also arriving at Everest Base Camp yesterday, our Rugged Luxury private team was welcomed to the glacier with a champagne arrival, and a barista made cappuccinos all before setting into their luxury domes for the next two nights. Tomorrow, they will participate in a beginner-friendly ice-climbing clinic to get a taste of what the summit experience is like.

Still in the valley, our EBC trekking team moved to Gorak Shep today after a spin on Lobuche High Camp yesterday. Tomorrow they plan to climb Kala Patthar before heading to Base Camp for their first day on the glacier. CTSS Guide Ty Sauerbrey shared the following, “Today the group was moving well. We are currently trying to stay healthy and preparing for Kala Patthar tomorrow morning and then on to EBC after!” 

And further down, we have three more teams in the Khumbu, including our Rugged Luxury Team 4 and our Masters EBC team, who are in Deboche (12,687 ft / 3,867 m), in the shadow of Ama Dablam, with the most celebrated monastery in the Khumbu just steps away.

Our final EBC trekking team of the season flew into the Khumbu today and made their first steps on the trail, trekking down to Phakding (8,563 ft / 2,610 m) to begin their journey.

Photos of Everest Base Camp courtesy of “Big” Tendi Sherpa

Big news from Lobuche East. Our Everest Western Guided Team and 3 Peaks Team topped out, with the mountain in great condition and the team moving strongly through an excellent acclimatization climb. A massive congratulations to:

The team will now make their way to Everest Base Camp proper for a few days of well-deserved rest before the next phase of the expedition begins in earnest.

Our 1:1 Everest climbers and their private guides moved up to Lobuche High Camp today, staging their own acclimatization summit climb. This is CTSS doing what it does best, using Lobuche East to prepare climbers for the upper mountain and reduce rotations through the Khumbu Icefall.

Also at Lobuche Base Camp, our private Rugged Luxury team is there for one more evening, enjoying the luxury digs and a little extra acclimatization, with Everest Base Camp on the agenda tomorrow.

The first EBC trekking team of the season arrived at Lobuche Base Camp today, having moved up from Pheriche (14,340 ft / 4,371 m). They are now off the main trail and away from the crowds, entering the exclusive approach to Base Camp that sets the Rugged Luxury program apart from every other EBC trek on the mountain.

CTSS Guide Tomi Ceppi is back in the Khumbu Valley, having entered Sagarmatha National Park with our final Rugged Luxury private team. The group is in Namche Bazaar (11,286 ft / 3,440 m), the thriving Sherpa capital set in its natural amphitheater, taking time to acclimatize before pushing higher.

Dr. Brenton’s Masters (50+) trekking team is feeling strong in Namche Bazaar, having tackled the famous Namche Hill and crossed the Hillary Suspension Bridge today. This team is proving that age is an asset, not a limitation. They will spend two nights in the Sherpa capital before continuing up the valley.

Our final EBC and Gokyo Lakes team of the season arrived in Kathmandu today, completed their team briefing, and is ready to head into the Khumbu. The Gokyo Lakes return route takes trekkers through one of the highest settlements in the world, across the famous Cho La Pass (17,782 ft), and to the stunning Gokyo Lakes before rejoining the main trail at Namche Bazaar.

And back in Kathmandu, the second Rugged Luxury team of the season wrapped their expedition in style with a UNESCO city tour and a degustation dinner to celebrate reaching Everest Base Camp.

Safe onward travels to the whole team.

Photos of Everest Western Guided Team courtesy of Mike Bennett

Photos of Rugged Luxury Team Courtesy of Big Tendi Sherpa

The Everest Western Guided Team and 3 Peaks Team have settled into Base camp on Lobuche East (20,075 ft / 6,119 m). A summit bid update will follow as the team moves to High Camp.

Our Private 1:1 Everest climbers and Camp 3 climber are headed to Lobuche Base Camp today as they continue their acclimatization ahead of their own objectives. Using Lobuche East as an acclimatization peak is a hallmark of how CTSS prepares its Everest climbers, helping them reduce the number of rotations through the Khumbu Icefall before going high.

Our EBC trekking team has had a strong week on the trail. On Tuesday, the group hiked up to the Everest View Hotel for tea before lunch in Namche Bazaar (11,286 ft / 3,440 m) and a free afternoon to explore the Sherpa capital. Wednesday brought a solid trekking day to Tengboche (12,687 ft / 3,867 m), arriving just ahead of a decent snowfall that came in overnight. Thursday was a snowy rest and acclimatizatoin day above the monastery.

As CTSS Expedition Manager Dani Kluberton put it, “Snowy snowball filled acclimatization hike today above Tengboche.”

The team also visited Tengboche Monastery before today’s trek to Pheriche (14,340 ft / 4,371 m), now deep in the high Himalayas with the vegetation line behind them and big terrain ahead.

Photos courtesy of Ty Sauerbrey & Dani Kluberton

The Everest Western Guided Team and 3 Peaks Team took a rest and acclimatization today. The teams took a hike above Pheriche today, topping out around 15,900 ft, with the mountains painted in a fresh skiff of overnight snow. Pumori came into view up the valley, Makalu poked over Baruntse, and Ama Dablam filled the skyline behind them.

Photos courtesy of Mike Bennett

On their heels, our first EBC trekking team spent the day in Namche Bazaar, hiking up to the Everest View Hotel for tea this morning with Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam spread across the horizon. Lunch was at a pizza spot in town, followed by a free afternoon to explore the Sherpa capital. The group is strong and excited to continue up the valley tomorrow.

Photos courtesy of Ty Sauerbrey

On the Rugged Luxury side, three EBC trekking teams are progressing. Our first team of the season has wrapped their adventure and capped it off with a degustation dinner at Dwarika’s and a UNESCO Kathmandu city tour. The second team of the season is at Lobuche Base Camp where they will hike Awi Peak tomorrow before heading to Everest Base Camp on Thursday. And finally, we have a private group who reached Deboche (12,533 ft / 3,820 m) today and are doing great. This village sits just below Tengboche, and both villages sit in the shadow of Ama Dablam, offering some of the most stunning views of this beautiful peak.

Rugged Luxury photos courtesy of Tomi Ceppi, Fred Alldredge, and “Big” Tendi Sherpa

The CTSS season is operating on all fronts, with climbing and trekking teams now spread across the Khumbu.

The Everest Western Guided, 3 Peaks, and Lobuche Teams have been moving in lockstep through the valley. On Saturday, they trekked from Namche Bazaar (11,286 ft / 3,440 m) to Tengboche (12,687 ft / 3,867 m), home to the most celebrated monastery in the Khumbu region. Sunday was a full rest and acclimatization day in Tengboche before today’s trek to Pheriche (14,340 ft / 4,371 m), climbing above the treeline as the forest gives way to the wide, wind-swept valley of the high Himalayas. Pheriche sits in open terrain with views of Ama Dablam, Taboche, and Cholatse, and marks the transition into the remote upper Khumbu.

Photos courtesy of 3 Peaks climber Chad J.

Our Everest Base Camp trekkers flew into Lukla (9,383 ft / 2,860 m) on Sunday and made their way to Phakding (8,563 ft / 2,610 m) for their first night on the mountain. Today, they completed the first major push of the trek, crossing the Hillary Suspension Bridge over the glacial waters of the Dudh Koshi River and ascending Namche Hill into Namche Bazaar (11,286 ft / 3,440 m), the Sherpa capital of the world. A special note on this team: CTSS Expedition Manager Dani Kluberton is trekking with them, bringing firsthand operational knowledge to the trail and, at the same time, bringing firsthand in-the-field knowledge back to the office.

Photos courtesy of Dani Kluberton

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Looking ahead, our Masters EBC trekkers and Masters Lobuche climbers arrive in Kathmandu on Wednesday. Our Masters Mountaineering program is built for climbers and trekkers 50 and up who want to move with intention, not pressure. Your age is an asset, not a limitation.

More updates to follow as all teams push deeper into the Khumbu.

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The CTSS season is building across every program. Climbers, trekkers, and guided teams are now spread throughout the Khumbu at different stages of their expeditions.

The Western Guided and 3 Peaks teams reached Namche Bazaar (11,286 ft / 3,440 m) yesterday and are taking a rest and acclimatization day today, with a hike above town to continue adjusting to the altitude before pushing higher into the Khumbu.

A large second group, including private 1:1 Everest climbers, Everest Camp 3 climbers, and Lobuche climbers alongside accompanying EBC trekkers, flew into Lukla (9,383 ft / 2,860 m) this morning and made their trek down to Phakding (8,563 ft / 2,610 m) to overnight before the push toward Namche tomorrow.

Images below of the crew and CTSS Guide Edgar Parra ready for extreme temperatures! 

On the Rugged Luxury side, three EBC trekking teams are progressing well. Team 1 completed an acclimatization hike to Lobuche High Camp (17,200 to 17,800 ft / 5,250 to 5,450 m) today and heads out to climb Awi Peak (17,257 ft / 5,260 m) this weekend. Team 2 trekked from Tengboche (12,687 ft / 3,867 m) to Pheriche (14,340 ft / 4,371 m) today. Team 3 flew into Lukla and trekked to Phakding to begin their expedition.

More updates to follow as teams continue moving toward Base Camp.