Enthralling Mt Everest expedition

•  HB Thapa

Ascending the summit of Mt Everest is globally popular as one of the top benchmark of mountaineering achievement. The craze for scaling the world’s highest peak (8,848 meters) is so high that every year this mountain lures around 10,000 summiteers to attempt it despite encountering various obstacles on the way.

There are two ways to climb Mt Everest. One is from the southern side of Nepal and the other is from the northern side of Tibet. The climbing route from Nepal was opened after China closed its climbing route to Everest in 1950 in the aftermath of the Chinese cultural revolution under Mao’s leadership.

So, the Khumbu region of Nepal started welcoming tourists and mountaineers from across the globe as this Khumbu valley is the only way to approach the Everest from the southern side of Nepal.

The Mt Everest climbing route from Nepal side became all the more popular after the highest peak was vanquished for the first time in 1953 by Nepal’s Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary. Both first climbers of Mt Everest had taken the route upwards via the South Col.

Needless to say, climbing Mt Everest (Sagarmatha) is not only a tough job but also an opportunity to risk for the most adventurous journey despite various unpredictable hurdles that await you on the way.

Climbing Mt Everest is unlike climbing other peaks of smaller heights. You need to go through a rigorous training and acclimatization process and come out to be fit enough to proceed further.

The difficulties and hurdles that you might have to face may include cold weather, numbness of feet and hands, altitude sickness, waterfalls, frozen icefalls, sleep deficiency, ear problem, hunger, eyes’ swelling and blindness, avalanches, problem in breathing, body temperature decrease, slippery pathway, rocks strolling over oneself, ice-flood, windy day and unpredictable weather conditions.

Mt Everest expedition can offer a gorgeous view of other beautiful mountains like Machhapuchre, Gauri Shanker, Lhotse, Nuptse, glaciers, icefall, lakes, hot springs and waterfalls, exotica flora and fauna, besides observing the ancient cultures of Sherpa community on the way.

What is mesmerizing is that Mt Everest including the whole Himalayan range of Nepal falls in the category of younger mountain ranges as compared with American and European Andes, Alps and Rockies.

Everyone on this planet wistfully dreams to be on the top of the Mt Everest. But it is not everybody’s cup of tea as it needs a lot of stamina and fit physical health to venture to summit this highest mountain in the world.

Even if you have a dream to summit this peak, you must have climbed a few of the other higher mountains above 7000 and then a few of 8000 meters before you could attempt Everest peak.

How to get to Everest top?

Your adventurous expedition to Everest begins after you take a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla and being your trek via Phakding-Namche Bazaar-Tyangboche-Pheriche-Lobuche and Everest Base Camp. The return journey begins from base camp-Dingboche-Namche bazaar -Lukla and Kathmandu.

The route from Tibet includes Kathmandu via Pangla school-listi-Bagam-Maneguldung-Lake Bhairav kunda-Geyul-Kharka-Dongbuk kharka-Zom Zom-Tahshitang-Larcha bridge-zhangmu-Nyalam-Thingri-Everest base camp-Everest summit-base camp -Nyalam -Kathmandu.

Duration of the expedition

The Everest expedition takes almost 60days (two months) from the day you begin your journey to Everest base camp in Nepal.

Best season

The best seasons to climb Everest are spring, autumn, and monsoon.

Cost

The expedition to Mt Everest from the north side of Tibet costs USD 40,000 and the cost of the expedition from the south side of Nepal costs USD 48,000.

Group

The expedition group for Mt Everest should be a smaller one and can be around 13 to 15 persons.

Since we do not operate any tour or expeditions, you may log in to websites of any private travel agencies whose itineraries you may intend to use for your future expeditions.