Price: $22,995 USD
Annually; 10th October - 8th November
You will start your trailblazing adventure by meeting in Kathmandu, Nepal. Here we will do thorough gear checks, have team briefings, repack and reorganise our gear for the journey ahead.
Following our time in Kathmandu, we fly domestically as a team to a remote part of Nepal to begin our trek to Base Camp. From the moment you begin the trek, you will be at altitude. It’s essential to take it easy and let your body adjust to the altitude naturally. Altitude isn’t something to be feared; it’s achievable for most people, but it is a process that can’t be rushed. Inexperienced operators and generic expeditions that move too quickly often have disgruntled, unwell people because their bodies are struggling to adjust.
It’s also important to be aware that we will be traveling through more remote regions of Nepal that receive very little, if any, tourism, so expect this to be real adventure travel. That said, you will be awed by the beauty of the landscape and the genuine and friendly Nepali people. You can expect it to be rugged and strenuous at times, but this hard work will pay dividends.
As we acclimatize, we will enjoy spending time absorbing the rich Tibetan culture, passing by countless Tibetan Buddhist stupas and Chortens, and taking in any sightseeing landmarks. We will endeavour to visit a High Lama and receive a traditional blessing for our mountain ahead.
Once at base camp, we will set up our own comfortable home away from home, settle in, plan, and adjust our approach to the peak. We will run through an alpine training and refresher skills clinic while at base camp and go through the various equipment/food caches that we will need for the upper mountain.
We will make a series of forays up the mountain in order to continue our acclimatisation, test our route, and scout for hazards before our summit attempt.
Following your climb, there will be ample time to celebrate while returning down the valley and take in your achievement in this remarkable corner of the world before flying back to Kathmandu and onward home.
Unlike our other expeditions, a solid itinerary isn’t possible for such an unknown and unpredictable climb, and will vary widely as we’ll be setting it as we go! (In any case, we need to keep details as scarce as possible in public forums for obvious reasons.)
We will have a more detailed itinerary for the team in Kathmandu, but you can expect a rough timeline like this:
Rough Itinerary:
- Days 1 - 3: Team Arrives, Gear Checks, Team Briefings
- Days 4 - 12: Journey & Trek to Base Camp
- Days 13 - 15: Acclimatization & Training
- Days 15 - 22: Climbing Rotations & Summit
- Days 23 - 26: Descend and Return to Kathmandu
- Days 26 - 29: Contingency Days
- Day 30: Fly Home
Our expeditions are designed to be fully inclusive, except for some services/items of a personal nature like flights, gear, insurance. Here’s a detailed list so you know what to expect
Included in the First Ascent Expedition:
- Leadership, strategy, and climbing oversight, including full support for a summit attempt
- A climbing Sherpa to assist with carrying personal gear
- Full expedition logistics, weather forecasts, etc
- Climbing permits for an unclimbed peak in Nepal
- Training and skills refresher clinics
- Domestic flights internally to and from the mountain region
- In-country transportation associated with the program itinerary
- Airport transfers
- Lodging in Nepal, including hotels in Kathmandu, teahouses, and mountain camps
- Welcome dinner & meals throughout the expedition
- Access to medical and communications gear
- Mountain camp infrastructure and logistics, including tents
- On mountain meals
Excluded in the First Ascent Expedition:
- International flights to Kathmandu, Nepal
- Airport arrival or departure taxes
- Associated travel expenses including: Visa, Passport,
- Reciprocity Fees, Vaccination Charges, Excess Baggage
- Optional excursions not included in the itinerary or additional days before or after the scheduled program
- Personal climbing equipment, clothing, toiletries, etc
- Personal sundries including but not limited to: non-team meals while in Kathmandu, personal snacks, specialized high altitude climbing food, alcoholic beverages, laundry services, medical expenses, gratuities, 3rd party internet, email or phone charges, bottled water, specialty coffees
- Sherpa tip pool
- Guide tip (customary but optional)
- Costs incurred as a result of events beyond the control of CTSS above and beyond the normal expedition costs
- Required trip insurance policy (for trip cancellation, interruption, rescue & evacuation, medical treatment, repatriation, etc.)
- Unused Contingency Days at the end of your program: CTSS covers one night in the hotel in Kathmandu on your return. If you decide to stay longer in Kathmandu beyond this night, those costs are your responsibility. We highly recommend that, while you should plan to be away from home for the entire duration of the expedition, including contingency days, you book a flexible return airfare so you can move your flight forward if you don’t use all of the contingency days or push it back as you need.
