VIEW OUR 2008 EXPEDITION IMAGES AND VIDEOS

Dates
March 28 - June 6, 2009
March 27 - June 5, 2010

Included:
• All accommodation in Kathmandu prior to the climb
• All guiding services with Everest-experienced IFMGA Mountain Guides on the mountain at all times
• High altitude Climbing Sherpa support
• 1:1 ratio of Guides and/or Climbing Sherpas to climbing team members above Base Camp
• Expedition cooks (Base Camp and Camp II), Base Camp Staff, Base Camp dining tent and Camp II dining tent
• Expedition Base Camp doctor
• All expedition food - North American and Nepalese
• All Expedition high-altitude tents
• Oxygen and regulators for High Altitude use, 8 bottles per person
• All technical climbing equipment and fixed ropes services
• All accommodation and meals while on approach in Nepal
• All domestic flights and ground transportation as required
• All Porter support to Base Camp
• Peak permit fees, liaison officer and interpreter
• Use of Satellite Phone at all camps (based on cost-per-minute)
  

Not Included:

• Meals during Kathmandu stay
• Personal clothing, footwear and equipment - see Gear List for details
• Medical travel and rescue insurance - Required (*)
• International air tickets
• Visa for Nepal
• Airport departure tax
• Telephone charges
• Alcoholic beverages and items of a purely personal nature
• Any excess baggage fees
• Any fees or charges as a result of delays or changes to the itinerary
• Costs associated with early departure before expedition ends
• Accommodations in Kathmandu after the climb is over
• Gratuities for porters and staff
  
  * Emergency Travel Insurance
  All participants are required to obtain Emergency Travel, Medical and Trip Cancellation insurance. We recommend Ingle International Insurance, for details please visit their site here.
  

Prerequisites
Climbers considering this climb of Mt Everest should be in very good to excellent physical condition; have had previous experience climbing to over 6,000 meters (Aconcagua, Mount Logan, Cho Oyu, Denali, etc); have considerable mountaineering experience, including traveling on glaciers; and, be prepared to commit to traveling and living in a challenging environment for a prolonged period of time.

All team members will be required to have a medical exam and submit a medical form signed by their physician indicating that they are in suitable physical and medical condition for this climb.

If you are interested in joining our team on this climb, please contact our office directly to discuss the climb and the prerequisites with our Guiding staff.

Location
Mount Everest is located on the border between China and Nepal. Our chosen route is wholly within Nepal, and we will approach via the Khumbu Valley in Nepal. Our meeting point will be in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Guiding Staff
Our Everest 2009 Guiding Team will be lead by IFMGA Mountain Guide John Furneaux, along with our highly experienced climbing Sherpas.

A certified IFMGA/ACMG Mountain Guide, John has successfully lead our Everest 2008 Expedition to the Summit of Mount Everest. John has also lead successful expeditions to Mount Elbrus, Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya, and Mount Logan as well as many other peaks in mountain ranges around the world.

In addition, we are partnered with one of the premier logistics and support organizations in Nepal, offering high altitude support and logistics to international teams and expeditions for over 20 years in Nepal and Tibet, including numerous successfully ascents of Everest.

Itinerary
The total length of the Expedition will be 60 days return from Kathmandu. We will fly from Kathmandu to Lukla in Nepal, before trekking into base camp, using the time to acclimatize.

The following itinerary allows enough time for proper acclimatization, extra rest days and opportunities to return to base camp, where you can rest at a lower altitude, eat well and replenish your strength. The weather at this time of year is normally quite good and stable, though as with any mountain of this size you should come prepared for any possible weather.

On the first day of the Expedition you will meet with your Guides and team-mates in Kathmandu (March 25, 2008). We spend a few days in Kathmandu checking over gear and arranging all the final details before departing for the mountain.

From Kathmandu we will fly to the Himalayan town of Lukla, at 2,860 meters (9,000'). Here we start our 10-day trek into Everest Base Camp. The trek in is an excellent trip in itself, passing through the small villages of Namche, Tengboche, Pheriche and Lobuche. This is a critical time of acclimatization so we will be taking our time and enjoying the sights, visiting monasteries and getting to know the local peoples and culture.

Once at Base Camp we will be acclimated and ready for the upper mountain. Our expedition Base Camp will be well established with cook tent and communal eating area, along with satellite phone and internet access via satellite. Solar charging systems are in place to re-charge camera, videos and music player batteries. Base Camp staff will be on hand at all times to ensure that whenever you are in Base Camp you will be well fed, and be able to truly rest and conserve your strength for the upper mountain. Each team member will have their own private tent for sleeping at Base Camp.

Above Everest Base Camp we will establish 4 camps before being positioned for the summit bid. Our IFMGA Guides and High Altitude Sherpas will be part of the climbing teams at all times on the upper mountain, as well as setting up the camps and establishing the lines. Camp I (19,500ft) is located at the top of the Khumbu icefall. Beyond C1 we will travel up the Western Cwm to set up C2 (21,000') at the bottom of the Lhotse face. The climb up the Lohtse Face to gain the south col of Everest is too big to comfortably do in one push for the climbing team, so C3 (23,500') will be established part way up the face. C4 (26,300') at the South Col will be our final camp before the summit push.

We will use C2 as our Advanced base while setting up C3 and C4. After we have established C3 and C4 with all the supplies and tents needed for the eventual summit attempt, the team will descend back to Base Camp in order to rest and re-fuel before the final summit push.

Once everyone has rested at Base Camp and the weather is looking good, we will re-ascend to C2. From there the summit team will head up to sleep at C3, then the next day on to C4.

The following day will be summit day. The summit team will depart early in the morning and plan on summitting before early afternoon. After climbing to the summit, the team will descend toC4 at the South Col. The following day everyone will head down to C2, and then onwards down to Base Camp.

Equipment
The equipment and clothing chosen for a trip of this nature will have a large impact on your chance of success as well as your comfort level. Ensure that you know your equipment, have a chance to test it before the expedition and choose the highest quality gear. Call or email our office to discuss your personal gear options well in advance to make sure you are properly equipped.

Please download a .PDF file of the Mt Everest Expedition Gear List here. You will need Adobe Acrobat reader to open this file.

Logistics
The team will meet in Kathmandu, Nepal on the first day of the expedition (March 28th, 2009 or March 27th, 2010). All team members are responsible for getting to/from Katmandu - once there though, we will take care of all travel and logistical details.

Participants should contact the local Nepalese embassy to enquire about visa requirements for travel in Nepal; or, you can visit the official website of Tourism Nepal here; and, the Nepalese Department of Immigration site has more helpful information as well. Visa's can be obtained on entry at most international entry points into Nepal.