Everest - 8850m

Altitude Junkies will be returning to Everest in the spring of 2011 offering what is considered, one of the most cost-effective full-service expeditions on the mountain.

Our Everest expedition is limited to seven climbers and one expedition leader with a 1:1 Sherpa to climber ratio. Some of the other operators have as many as thirty climbers on one expedition and we feel a smaller team makes for a more intimate and satisfying experience for a climber on Everest. The single leader and guide offers the same expertise as a fully guided climb with a 4:1 climber to guide ratio but allows climbers more flexibility traveling in smaller groups lower on the mountain.

Leadership
Everest veteran guide Phil Crampton who has summitted Everest from both the Nepal and Tibet sides of the mountain will once again lead the 2011 expedition and this will be his eighth Everest expedition.

In addition to an experienced leader the team’s head climbing Sherpa Sirdar will be Dorje Sherpa who was the Sherpa responsible for carrying the IMAX camera from the South Col to the Summit for the hugely successful IMAX Everest film from the 1996 spring season. Dorje has vast experience being a Sirdar on Everest and will be directing our climbing Sherpas who have all summitted Everest before, some multiple times and their knowledge of the mountain is unrivaled.

The Trek
Our expedition will meet in the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu where we will stay in the beautiful boutique Courtyard Hotel located in a quiet area of the tourist district of Thamel. After a few days in Kathmandu we fly to the gateway of the Khumbu, Lukla, to start our nine-day trek to Everest Base Camp.

After landing and our porters’ loads have been finalized, we trek for 2-3 hours to Phakding for the evening. The following day we continue our trek to the capital of the Khumbu, Namche Bazaar, where we spend two evenings for cautious acclimatization. Our trek will continue and we spend the night in the villages of Thyangboche, Dingboche, Loboche and Gorak Shep before arriving at Everest Base Camp.

During the trek our kitchen staff will supervise the food preparation of all our meals in the teahouses and we only spend evenings in the finest lodges available.

Base Camp
Our base camp is as luxurious, if not more so than some of the other more expensive operators and the food prepared by our highly experienced cooks is considered some of the best available in the Himalayas.

Each climber is provided with a personal Mountain Hardwear 3-person tent at base camp, which is insulated with a foam floor covering and complimented with an extra thick foam mattress.

For group occasions we provide a Mountain Hardwear dome both for dining and another as our recreation dome. The dining dome has large padded chairs and is spacious, carpeted, heated and lit by solar electricity. Our recreation dome has the same facilities as our dining dome but with the addition of computers and satellite internet modems, satellite phones, a wet bar and library with comfortable seating.

We provide a carpeted, heated and solar-lit toilet and shower tent with flushable toilets, stainless steel wash sinks and hot water on demand propane heated showers. We make it a policy at Altitude Junkies to remove all human waste from camp two and base camp respectively and have porters carry our toilet drums to a lower village where it can be disposed of properly.

Advanced Base Camp
We keep an advanced base camp established at camp two with a full-time kitchen crew throughout the duration of the expedition. This is essential as even though we spend very little time there, our Sherpas spend many evenings here while they stock and supply the higher camps. It is not quite as luxurious as our base camp but will have a solar lit and heated smaller Mountain Hardwear dome with tables and stools for dining and a toilet tent.

The Kitchen
The head and assistant cooks have all been trained by western chefs in food preparation and strict hygiene standards and produce a varied and nutritious western menu throughout the expedition. They prepare three delicious hot meals a day as well as preparing an amazing array of appetizers for our customary early evening cocktail hour during rest days at base camp. We use local fresh produce and meats and these are complimented by a huge selection of imported foods and snacks. Our cooks are especially proud of our propane ovens they use to bake us all sorts of treats.

Climb Strategy
We follow a cautious acclimatization schedule at base camp spending several nights before taking our first trip into the Khumbu Icefall. We plan only to climb up through the icefall a maximum of three times and this includes the summit push. To further our acclimatization process during bad weather and extended periods of inactivity at base camp we use the local surrounding peaks to trek high and stay well exercised.

Our schedule usually sees us make our first climb from base camp for around one hour up into the lower sections of the icefall to roughly where the first ladders are located and then return to base camp. This builds up our confidence with the icefall terrain and to test any new crampons and boots a climber may have. We then rest for a few days and make the climb from base camp to camp one. This is the first time proper through the icefall and we then sleep at camp one for the evening before descending early morning to base camp.

After more acclimatization and the progress of the fixed ropes being placed to camp three, we climb to camp one and then onto advanced base camp. We spend a few days at advanced base camp before climbing to camp three, spending the evening if conditions allow. We then spend another few days at advanced base camp before descending to base camp.

The summit push will see us make our third and last climb up through the icefall and climb to camp one, possibly skipping camp one and climbing directly to advanced base camp where we will spend two or three evenings. We then climb to camp three and four respectively before leaving for the summit from the South Col late in the evening.

All climbers and Sherpas will be using supplementary oxygen from camp three and return to camp three.

The Route
The climbing begins immediately out of base camp as we enter the famous icefall. Speed is of the essence in this section and we climb through the icefall continuously until reaching the safety of the cwm near camp one. The route will have aluminum ladders stretching over the larger crevasses and there will be fixed rope in place, all the way from where the ice blocks start to become intricate until the end of the icefall. The climb from base camp to camp one takes between 4-8 hours.

Camp one sits in the lower half of the Western Cwm surrounded by the West Ridge of Everest and Nuptse on either side. The route continues along the center of the cwm on a moderate glacier where fixed rope and ladders will be in place over the few large crevasses that dissect the trail that continues to camp two. This is one of the shortest days on the mountain and takes between 2-4 hours. Most climbers skip the night at camp one on their second rotation up the cwm and climb directly from base camp to camp two.

Camp two is located on a moraine at the foot of the West Ridge, just short of the Southwest Face. We place our campsite slightly lower than the majority of the other teams as the higher campsite is very exposed and receives strong winds, damaging the tents. Our camp two cook, kitchen and dining tent are in place here for the whole duration of the expedition. The route continues up upper half of the cwm before increasing in steepness as we start to climb the Lhotse Face. We climb an average 45 degree angle slope using fixed ropes before arriving at camp three. The climb from camp two to camp three takes between 3-6 hours.

Camp three is placed in the middle of the campsite that runs from 7,000m (22,965ft) to 7,400m (24,280ft) as we find this area somewhat less exposed to the wind than the upper reaches of this campsite. The tents are placed on ledges that have been cut into the slopes and we are always cautious about our movements around this camp. The route continues up the Lhoste Face using fixed ropes and turns left and we cross the Yellow Band before we continue on snow before arriving at the Geneva Spur. We traverse the Spur and continue to camp four that is located on the South Col at 7,950 meters (26,085ft). The climb from camp three to camp four takes between 6-10 hours.

Summit day will start late evening and the route heads up an easily angled couloir leading to the halfway point of the summit ascent, the balcony. From the balcony we access the Southeast Ridge and continue climbing to the South Summit before tackling the Hillary Step, which lies 40 vertical meters below the summit. The climb from camp four to the summit takes between 8-12 hours with 3-4 hours for the descent to camp four.

High Altitude Camps
Mountain Hardwear 3-person tents will be used at high camps and these will be occupied by two persons up to the South Col where we usually place three persons per tent for warmth. All food, stoves and cooking gas will be in place and members are only required to carry their personal gear during the expedition.

Health
All climbing members, climbing Sherpas and kitchen staff have unlimited access to the consulting doctors present at base camp at the Himalayan Rescue Association Everest Base Camp Clinic. In addition to these consultations we provide medial oxygen, portable altitude chambers and comprehensive medical chests at both base and advanced base camps. The higher camps also have medical kits and we also ask that all climbers carry individual micro high altitude medical kits at all times above base camp as the Sherpas and leader does.

Communications
For constant communication we have all climbing members, climbing Sherpas and guides have their own personal two-way radio at all times on the mountain. We also have base station radios at both base and advanced base camp and have these active at all times when members and Sherpas are on the mountain.

Our satellite phones and satellite internet modems are available for our team members to use at base camp at actual cost price as we feel charging an outrageous amount to phone or email family is unfair during such a long expedition.

Weather Forecasts
To ensure the safety of all our climbers we subscribe to a professional weather forecast service for the duration of the season and have access to this information at all the respective base and high camps and receive constant updates during our summit push.

Altitude Junkies does not allow any solo climbing above base camp on any of our expeditions.

Photo credit: Phil Crampton - Everest from the South Col.

The expedition cost includes:
· Shared accommodation in Kathmandu and on trek as itinerary
· All transportation and meals on trek as itinerary
· Porters for personal gear to base camp and return
· All meals at base and advanced base camp
· Group Nepal climbing Sherpas
· Group Nepal cooks at base and advanced base camp
· Expedition permit, peak fee and conservation fees
· Base camp, advanced base camp and high camp tents
· Group climbing equipment, stoves and fuel
· Supplementary climbing oxygen (5 bottles), mask and regulator
· Two-way radios
· Medical kits, portable altitude chamber and medical oxygen
· High altitude freeze-dried meals
· Climbing Sherpa summit bonus and carry bonus
· Himalayan Rescue Association Base Camp Clinic consultations
· Satellite phone and satellite internet use at cost price
The expedition cost does not include:
· Airfare to and from Nepal
· Meals and drinks in Kathmandu
· Alcoholic beverages
· Nepal visa and visa extension costs
· Kathmandu airport departure tax
· Evacuation costs, medical and rescue insurance
· Personal climbing clothing and equipment
· Staff gratuities
· Personal Puja contribution

Contact us: info@altitudejunkies.com