Mount Everest climbing expedition

– 8850 meters, South East route from Nepal

We are very proud as the first Swedish outfitter, to offer climbing expeditions to Mount Everest. We will climb the South East route, which is from Nepal. There are a lot of discussions from what side you should climb Everest. Which one is the safest, the most convenient etc. What are the advantages respectively disadvantages. The most successful route when it comes to summits is South East from Nepal, which was used by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay when they as the first people in the world summited Mount Everest 1953.

Advantages from this side is that you don’t have to spend that much time above 8000 meters which is very tough on your body. Highest camp, South Col camp 4, is around 8000 meters and the day we are going for a summit try we are climbing from camp 4 to the sumit and back to camp 4 and preferably all the way down to camp 2 during the same day. The hardest and most dangerous part from the South side is the Khumbu icefall which is directly above Base camp. This dangerous place is full of seracs, icetowers and giant crevasses which are on a constant move. This makes the route changing every year as icetowers collapsing and crevasses opening up. You must have a good pace through the icefall to minimize the time you spending here.

Climbers chosing the North route from Tibet doesn’t have to deal with the icefall but has as the most dangerous part second step. A 30 meter high rock where the hardest part as aluminium ladder to make this part easier.
You will also spend at least one night at 8400 meters, which is tough on your body and also extremely cold.
Price wise it is cheaper to climb the North route from Tibet as the permits are cheaper in Tibet and expeditions can use jeeps and trucks to transport all the gear all the way to Base camp instead of using porters, which is the case from South side.
Despite this we feel it is safer and that you have a better chance to summit Everest from the South side.
Also, for spring 2009, Tibet will celibrate a 50 year anniversery, so it might be closed again from the North route.
South route is devided in to four sections after Base camp.

Khumbu Icefall

This giant ice labyrinth includes giant ice towers, seracs and huge crevasses is a place that you have to give a lot of respect. Every year new ice is compressed from Western Cvm down to the icefall to crash with the old ice. This makes the icefall in transformation all the time and every year a new route must be found through this dangerous passage. It is crusual to have a high pace through the icefall to minimize time spent here. The icedoctors are building a new route every year, using aluminium ladders and ropes. We will start the days we are climbing through the icefall very early in the morning, because the cold holds the ice in place in a much better way then later on the day. Just above the icefall you will find camp 1 at 6065 meters.

Western Cvm

This place looks like a big hall with giant mountains surrounding you. You will have the West face of Everest on one side and the North face of Nuptse on the other. You will see enormous crevasses which we will pass with ladders or if possible walking around to be able to climb higher. Before you reach camp 2 at 6500 meters you will face a final obsticle between you and the camp. A vertical icewall around 30 meters high before you can take a rest and drink and eat. The camp is situated just ahead of the foot the the South East wall of Everest. Western Cvm is also called the valley of silence because of the giant faces surrounding you gives a wind shelter and it can be really hot during the day.

Lhotse face

You start off early from camp 2 and are climbing the last part of the Western Cvm before you hit the giant Lhotse face. Sometimes with snow on, sometimes with just granite hard blue ice. It can be very windy hear and you will have snow blowing around you as you carefully climbing up to camp 3. You reach camp 3 at 7470 meters and you will have a magnificant feeling what it is like to be really high up on a mountain. The platforms for our tents which our Sherpas is helping us with is just big enough to cover the tents. You will have fantastic views over the Himalayas and down to valley of Western Cvm. You will from now on climb in the death zone. It is so high so our bodies is slowly breaking down.
You will sleep one night in camp 3 and will use supplementary oxygen to be able to sleep better and will after that climb back down to Base camp to enrich your body with fresh thick air. A lot of climbers chose to trek all the way down to Dingboche or at least Lobuche to give the body a chance to recover in a better way.

Next time you will hit camp 3 you are on your summit bid on Mount Everest.
When we climb further after camp 3 and continue up on the steep Lhotse face and will turn left to climb Yellow band, which is a rock of limestone and marble.
You will after Yellow band climb up to Geneva Spur, which has it’s name after a Swiss expedition from 1952. You will have a challenging scramble and mix climbing here. You are getting very close to camp 4 at 7920 meters, which looks like a big football field.

South Col and the way to the summit

You will try to eat and drink as much as possible in camp 4 to be able to refill your energy level ahead of your summit bid. The summit day starts off before midnight as it will be a long climbing day before you are back down to camp 4 again.

You will reach the Balcony at 8400 meters, this is a small platform where you can take a rest and get something to drink and have an energybar. We will also change to a new tube of oxygen. The sun has most likely rised now and you will have the most fantastic views over the Himalayas.
You continue up on the ridge and will see some rocks, forcing you out to the side of the rocks often on your east side sometimes in waist deep snow. It can be a big avalange danger here. After thisyou will reach the South summit at 8750 meters.
From the South summit you will follow the sharp South West ridge. You will face very exposed climbing here and on your left side the wall is 2500 meters on the South West face and on your right side the wall is 3000 meters and go all the way down to Kangshung. So you must have totally control of your feet.

After this traverse you will see the last obsticle between you and the summit, The Hillary Step, a 12 meter vertical rock. After the step you continue on a narrow ridge with the drops we talked about before….and ahead of you a few steps away, Top of the world. The summit of Mount Everest at 8850 meters above sea level. You will decide a time with your climbing guide as a turnaround time for heading back to camp 4. This time is never ever negotiable. First of all because you have a long way back to camp 4 with dangerous climbing and the weather in the afternoon often closing in fast.
We will use fixed ropes all the way to the summit. Walkie- talkie will be used of all team members to be able to have full communication above Base camp.
Supplementary oxigen will be used from camp 3.

Dates 2012:

March 28 - June 3, 68 days.

From 369.000 kr