Lobuche East is an ideal entry point to Himalayan climbing and a phenomenally scenic ascent.
We understand that one of the greatest challenges in Himalayan climbing is finding the right expedition company to support you. There are countless options available with a wide variance in price points. At times this can feel overwhelming and hard to navigate what the differences are between the different operators, given they are all climbing the same mountains!?
We encourage you to do your homework whenever you are mountaineering so you feel 100% confident in your choice of expedition company.
You need to be supported in terms of safety and benefit from the best logistics, which will in turn enable you to focus on your climb/s.
Look for quality and experience in your guides and leadership, assess a company’s reputation and their ‘care factor’.
The mountains aren’t somewhere you want to feel like just another traveller.
Safety & Success
Your safety and success are the top priorities, in that order.
An expedition company should invest heavily and plan extensively for your safety. Look for safeguards and redundancies and feel free to ask lots of questions about your operators safety policies.
For instance; there are nuances to Himalayan climbing like rope fixing. Many cheaper operators will take shortcuts and rely on other expeditions to fix the mountain, or risk your safety by using past season’s ropes rather than investing to patiently fixing their own lines with high quality rope that you can rely on with confidence. These processes are time consuming and labour heavy and therefore expensive and way cheaper operators cut their costs but at the expense of your safety.
Leadership
Your guides, leaders and Sherpa team will be seasoned experts with proven track records. Their strategy will be patient, conservative and well planned which will give you the best opportunity for success. Remember that the mountain is always there so your safety must come first.
Skills Clinic & Training
Although Lobuche is an intermediate level peak and you need to be fit and strong you shouldn’t feel intimidated if your technical skills are a little rusty or need development.
Your chosen operator should run comprehensive training clinics before the climb to teach you all the techniques you will use on the climb ahead (fixed line ascension, cramponing etc) as well as some of the often overlooked, more intrinsic climbing skills like the rest step, pressure breathing and pacing.
Make sure they spend dedicated time on training to refresh or get you up to speed so you feel confident and safe.
Marginal Gains - The small things add up!
Have you heard of the “Marginal Gains” philosophy?
The idea is that by capitalising on every little hidden advantage, 1% here, 1% there, gains quickly compound into a huge overall improvement.
CTSS prides itself on this kind of innovation across all of our expeditions. We optimize both the big details like guide staff, schedules etc, all the way through to the tiny comfort details. For instance we employ our own chef to come up to with us to High Camp on Lobuche to serve us hearty, nutritious food which is delicious vs. eating dehydrated or basic camp meals because we know well fed climbers are happy, healthy climbers with more energy on summit day. It’s also why we invest in the nicest teahouses in the Khumbu Valley on your trek legs and the nicest tents on the mountains. People may dismiss these little luxuries as ‘soft’ but in fact we invest in them because they are highly strategic.
Opportunity to be part of an Everest Expedition
Does an operator give you the opportunity to be part of a wider Everest expedition taking advantage of the incredible logistics, guidance and set up that comes along with that?
If you have a fascination with Everest, or maybe it, or another 8,000m peak, is on your horizon in the future this is an unparalleled way to get first hand experience and understanding of what goes into that style of trip and the inner workings, nuances and tips that will set you up for success now and in the future. It’s also a great opportunity to get familiar with similar terrain and climbing styles that you will experience on Everest and throughout the Himalaya. Being part of the CTSS Lobuche expedition is like being on a mini Everest expedition!
Does an operator have strong values?
This is sometimes a little harder to identify as it’s more a feeling than a sales pitch, but you should get a feel for a company through their little interactions, their care factor, their attention to detail, their corporate social responsibility, their response to you.
Mountaineering can be high risk and stressful so pick an operator who has strong core values and a team mentality that aligns with yours so that when things get challenging you can rely on open lines of communication, knowing they will do what they can to support you and keep you safe.
It is this team cohesiveness that flows through to each individual climber and helps them stand on top.
