Climb Mount Everest Tibet North Ridge, Chomolangma, Sagarmatha, Chomolungma, Mt. Everest. Working with the Chinese Mountaineering Association (CMA), the Tibetan Mountaineering Association (TMA, CTMA), the Xinjiang Mountaineering Association (XMA, CXMA), the Kashgar Mountai

Often spelled: "Chomolangma", "Sagarmatha", "Qomolungma", "Chomolungma", "Qomolongma", "Chomolongma", "Qomolangma".

Full Service Cost: $19950, Ł11450, €16850; Basic Climb Cost: $6950, Ł3950, €5850.

We just returned from Everest, where 9 of our members and 16 sherpas reached the summit in total safety. News Available on News Button.

The Tibetan side of Everest from the Lamna-La Pass. Our route follows the left-hand skyline ridge. (Photo: DL Mazur)

Leader: Daniel Mazur, climber-leader-organizer of Everest, K2, and 12 "eight-thousand-metre-peaks".

* Our “full-service” expedition (Cost: $19950, Ł11450, €16850) includes:

Basecamp kitchen, cooks, meals, dining, and sleeping tents: $3450, Ł1950, €2950.

Advanced basecamp kitchen, cooks, meals, dining, and sleeping tents: $3450, Ł1950, €2950.

High altitude leaders, sherpas, tents, equipment, walkie-talkies, food, stoves, fuel, etcetera: $6950, Ł3950, €5850.

One of the best sources of knowledge about the Tibet route on Everest may be the video tape know in Britain as "Lost on Mt. Everest the Search for Mallory and Irvine", and in the US as: "Nova: Lost on Everest". It has educational video footage documenting the entire route and features of the mountain we shall be climbing, a real plot, authentic historical content (unusual for climbing films), and if you don't mind the accents, you might find it of use. Look for it on your local Amazon Books or other bookshop website.

Leadership: During this full-service expedition, you will benefit from the leadership provided by Daniel Mazur, climber-leader-organizer of Everest, K2, and 12 "eight-thousand-metre-peaks". He is a relaxed, friendly and well organized person, and a highly-skilled professional with 25 years experience in getting people to the summit and back down with the highest attention to safety. For more about Dan, please "click" on the Leadership link above.

Organization: Your expedition is organized by Jon Christian Otto, fluent Chinese speaker, Tibet and China expert with ten years experience in Chinese Himalayan climbing. Jon is an excellent communicator, an international diplomat, extremely well organized, with superb attention to each and every detail. For more about Jon, please "click" on the Leadership link above.

Sherpas and Equipment Transport: Our expedition includes transport of all of your equipment from Kathmandu to advanced basecamp, and returned to Kathmandu. While climbing on the mountain, we DO NOT ask our full-service members to carry heavy group equipment (although it is an option if you really want to), such as tents, rope, fuel, food, etcetera. We employ climbing sherpas, and high-altitude porters, to carry group equipment and supplies. For a minimal expense, we can also provide personal sherpas, and climbing-guides, to individual members who wish to have their own private sherpa or personal climbing-guide.

Training: Upon arrival in advanced basecamp, ALL full-service and basic-climb members are required to participate in one to two days of training in the areas of climbing techniques, glacier travel, rope fixing, ascending, descending, safety techniques, rappels (abseils), belaying, medical equipment and procedures, communications equipment, camping techniques and high-altitude cooking. For the expert and beginner alike, it is important to review these techniques in order to enhance skills, ensure safety-awareness, and work together as a team.

Safety: BOTH full-service and basic expeditions are allowed access to our extensive medical supplies, first-aid kits, medical oxygen, and a gamow bag in case of emergency. Thank you for being a well-prepared and safe team member!

Communications: During our expedition, we regularly update several websites, such as EverestNews.com with the progress of our expedition and our team members. In this way, your loved ones and friends, colleagues, and sponsors can stay tuned to how you are progressing on your way up to and back down from the summit. Our expedition is equipped with one "walkie-talkie" radio for each member, and a satellite telephone for international voice telephone calls and emails. Members wishing to use the telephone will contribute $4 per minute of use. Not only is the phone convenient for making voice telephone calls, it is normally very easy to send and receive small emails at the rate of 1 KB (one small email) per minute.

Group Equipment: We provide a plethora of well-used, top-quality, and time-tested equipment, group gear, and supplies, including: rope, ice, rock, and snow anchor protection; basecamp, advanced basecamp and altitude tents; cookers, fuel, high-altitude food, walkie-talkie radios, bamboo marker wands, etcetera. We now provide an individual tent for each member in basecamp, so you do not have to share. Please see the above EQUIPMENT link, to study what we bring for your use and safety.

Cooks and Food: On the road we eat in the local restaurants as available. In basecamp and advanced basecamp our skillful and hard working cooks prepare three hot meals each day with a very healthy diet of fresh vegetables, cheeses, eggs, and fresh as well as tinned fruits, meats and fish (all meats and fish are prepared separately out of respect for the vegetarians in our midst). They supply you with unlimited hot-drinks, the key to successful acclimatization. We have large weather-proof kitchens and dining tents, with comfortable chairs and tables. On the mountain, above advanced basecamp, we provide you with abundant and nutritious locally available quick-cooking food, so that you may prepare at least three meals and lots of hot drinks each day, in our specially designed high-altitude stoves using our butane-propane expedition mix fuel.

Personal Equipment: Plastic Double climbing boots are required, (Millet "One-Sport" boots are available in Kathmandu at a low price of approximately $400. Please let us know if you need a pair) as are good quality leather walking boots. You will need to bring your own personal equipment, including rucksack, iceaxe, crampons, harness, helmet, plastic mountaineering boots, good quality leather boots, down/duvet jacket, wind/waterproof clothing, sleeping bag/mat, etcetera. You will need to bring your own daily snacks ( a wide selection of snacks are readily available in Kathmandu). In addition, we ask you to bring 6 of your favorite high-altitude freeze-dried dinners for yourself. Please see the above EQUIPMENT link, to study what is needed.

Oxygen: WE ONLY USE OFFICIALLY LICENSED OXYGEN, AND FULLY GUARANTEE EACH BOTTLE, MASK, AND REGULATOR. Although some climbers wish to try it without, most members will prefer to have oxygen available. Regarding oxygen, the cost is up to you. Some people want 1 bottle, others want 12. We suggest you bring five and we 100% guarantee and certify our bottles and oxygen systems, and test them thoroughly with the mask/hose/regulator set-up. We have our own oxygen analysis instrumentation, and we are able to certify that the contents are 100% oxygen. Additionally, we are able to certify the volume of contents in the bottle. We feel that our bottles/masks/hoses/regulators are 100 percent guaranteed and reliable. We now offer the new light-weight Summit Oxygen system. In a few weeks, we will have all information available. Please check back soon. We have a buy back policy. We will buy back any unused bottles, and the mask/hose/regulator (in good condition) for 70 percent of what you paid! Here is the cost:

A. High-altitude climbing oxygen set (mask, regulator, and 5 large Russian bottles, guaranteed to be in perfect working order and function perfectly together): We have a 70% "buy-back" policy on masks, regulators, and unused oxygen bottles in good condition. $2450, Ł1590, €2350

B. Mask + Hoses (guaranteed to be in perfect working order and match the bottles and regulator perfectly): We have a 70% buy-back policy on masks and hoses in good condition. $175, Ł110, €165.

C. Regulator for high-altitude oxygen bottle (guaranteed to be in perfect working order and match the bottle and mask and hoses perfectly): We have a 70% buy-back policy on regulators in good condition. $350, Ł225, €335.

D. One large Russian Oxygen bottle for high-altitude climbing (guaranteed to be in perfect working order and match the regulator and mask and hoses perfectly): We have a 70% discount buy-back policy on unused oxygen bottles. $450, Ł290, €435.

Team Member Experience: Our leader, Daniel Mazur, and our team-climbing-sherpas, are there to ensure (for our full-service members) you make it up to the summit and down safely. However, this is not a guided expedition (although you could hire your own personal guide, sherpas, etcetera), and team members are expected to be able to care for themselves in a winter-camping and climbing environment. Obviously, when climbing the highest mountain in the world, there are hazards present, and members must have experience in roped rock and ice climbing techniques (to protect from falling down the mountain or into crevasses), and have winter-condition climbing experience in the greater ranges of the world. It is also required that all members will have an awareness of altitude sickness, frostbite, and the recognition of their symptoms, prevention, and treatment. Once traveling above advanced basecamp, all members must be prepared to be roped to another team member at all times. Neither solo climbing, nor descending, are allowed above advanced basecamp. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, members need to join with a spirit of friendship, teamwork and cooperation, and be ready to work with the group and be a good "team-player".

Fitness and Health: To participate in this expedition you must be a very fit and active winter-walker-climber in good health. Prior to joining our group, please see your doctor and obtain the necessary permission and advice, as well as medications for travel in extremes of altitude, and also for exotic locales. Note: You can purchase all necessary medicines inexpensively with no doctor's prescription in Kathmandu. Make sure you have physically trained yourself very thoroughly before joining this climb of the highest mountain in the world. We look forward to climbing together with you!

Introduction: Climb Everest (8,848 Metres)

Everest is perhaps the most coveted mountain in the world. The north (Tibetan) side is the least expensive way to climb it, and the dates we have chosen feature the best weather of the year. Our proposed schedule allows for two possible summit attempts and two full descents to the Chinese basecamp at 5200 metres. Our style of climbing is cautious and careful, with excellent leadership, organization, Sherpa climbers, cooks and waiters, tasty food, the best equipment, two full kitchens and basecamp plus advanced basecamp, 6 camps on the mountain, 1000s of metres of fxed line, hundreds of rock ice and snow anchors, top-quality high altitude tents and high altitude stoves, expedition mix gas, and full safety equipment: medical oxygen, gamow bag, and extensive medical kit.

This expedition to Everest maximizes many years of accumulated wisdom of the high Himalaya, a strong record of reaching the top of 8,000ers: Everest, K2, Kangchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho-Oyu, Shishapangma, and many other 8,000 metre summits, in addition to more than 25 Himalayan expeditions, in all safety, along with an intimate knowledge of the Tibetan and Chinese officials who regulate the permit system. This is our 12th expedition to Tibet since 1986, and we know all of the bureaucratic officials, liason officers, yak drivers, and hoteliers/restaurateurs personally.

Detailed Description

The trip begins in the ancient and colorful city of Kathmandu (you could also start in Beijing). You stay in a comfortable, simple, clean, hot-water hotel, at minimal cost (single rooms at: $15, Ł9.50, €14) (double rooms at $20, Ł13, €19) and sample some of the very reasonably-priced tasty Nepalese, Tibetan and Western-Style cuisine, available at the hundreds of local restaurants. During your free days in Kathmandu, while your Chinese visa is being processed, you shall finalize arrangements, purchase and hire the bits of equipment you might be missing at the hundreds of mountain-climbing and trekking equipment shops in the neighborhood (with low prices, as well), and take time out for trinket hunting, with suggested visits to explore the 17^th century splendors of the Monkey Temple, the Durbar Square and old Kings Palace, as well as the ancient cities of Patan, and Bakhtapur. We also have several member and training sessions during these days, where our leaders spend time with you reviewing climbing techniques and equipment, going over medical and safety procedures, etcetera. If you are concerned about the altitude and have purchased Diamox (acetylzolamide), which is inexpensively available with no doctor's prescription in Kathmandu, this might be the time to begin taking it.

After the finalization of your Chinese visa on Wednesday, very early on Thursday morning we set out in a bus for the 4 hour drive to the last Nepal town of Kodari at 1,770 meters. We clear Nepalese customs and immigration, then hire local porters and vehicles to carry your bags across the Bota Kosi River on the Friendship Bridge, to Zhangmu, the gateway town in Tibet. Upon entering Tibet, the clocks immediately go forward by 2 Ľ hours. Our secondary government liason officer will meet us in Zhangmu. After clearing Tibetan customs and immigration, a Chinese bus takes us up the windy road through the rolling hills to Nyalam town at 3,750 meters, and a basic "hotel". The smaller towns in Tibet are generally simple and rustic places, and this one is no exception. The topography here is quite interesting in that we are perched in the transitional zone where the Tibetan plateau rams into the Himalaya, then drops into the forested valleys and jungles of Nepal, and finally out into the Gangetic plain of the Terai and India. We stay over one extra night in Nyalam, to help adjust to the altitude, and during our "rest-day" in Nyalam, we take advantage of the interesting surroundings to walk to the top of local hills and savor the first glimpses of the Himalayan Giants.

On the road to Tingri, Himalayan Giants in the background. (DL Mazur)

In the morning we continue our bus-ascent into the Tibetan plateau, to the town of Tingri at 4,342 meters. There are superb views of Shishapangma, Cho-Oyu, and Everest as we drive into Tingri. The town itself is a very basic one-street hamlet surrounded by the tents of nomadic Tibetans. About ˝ of all ethnic Tibetans living in Tibet are nomadic or semi-nomadic. Our extremely rustic little hotel has an adequate restaurant, and it will be interesting to see if the high altitude has quelled our appetites for tasty fresh food. There are the ruins of an old fortress on a rise above town, and from here we can see the finest views of Everest, Lhotse, Cho-Oyu, and Shishipangma.

The following morning, after what for many is a relatively sleep-free night, we drive the 70 kilometers to Everest base camp at around 5,200 meters. The drive follows a dirt road along the Rongbuk Valley and has spectacular views of the Himalaya. Chinese base camp is located just near the medieval and active Rongbuk Monastery.

We will spend another day resting, acclimatising, and organizing equipment into Yak loads at Chinese base.

We then spend two days moving up to the "advanced basecamp", which is actually the true basecamp for our climb. At 6,200 meters, this is must be the highest basecamp in the world. It is located on soft sand, not ice, and is suprisingly comfortable, for how high up in the Himalayas you are.

Everest Basecamp.JPG (88543 bytes)

Everest basecamp at 5,200 meters. (Photo: J. Otto)

We will take another rest and acclimatization day, this time going over our equipment, safety procedures, climbing techniques, cooking and camping methods, and working to form ourselves into a more cohesive team.

After resting and completing our training, we will begin our climb of Everest.

Through the following weeks, we will climb up and down the mountain, according to the schedule suggested below, exploring the route, establishing camps, and building our acclimatization and strength levels. We will also descend to the Chinese basecamp several times, in order to rest well. Following the proposed itinerary below should give us the best chance to ascend in safety and maximize our opportunity to reach the summit during the "weather windows" which open in May.

1.	4 April, 2004	(Sunday) Arrive Kathmandu (1,300 meters).
2.	5 April	In Kathmandu - Bring Passport to Chinese Embassy, for Visa. Logistics, training, purchasing, packing, training, visit temples, city tour, shopping. Hotel and meals at members minimal cost.
3.	6 April	In Kathmandu - while visa is being processed, logistics, training purchasing, packing, training, visit temples, city tour, shopping. Hotel.
4.	7 April	In Kathmandu - Pick up passport from Chinese Embassy. Logistics, training, purchasing, packing, training, visit temples, city tour, shopping. Hotel.
5.	8 April	Bus to Tibet; drive to Nyalam (3,750 meters). Hotel and meals at organizer's expense.
6.	9 April	Rest in Nyalam (3,750 meters). Walk around the local hills. Hotel.
7.	10 April	Bus to Tingri (4,342 meters). Hotel.
8.	11 April	Drive to Chinese Basecamp (5200meters). Camp.
9.	12 April	Rest in Chinese base. Organize equipment and supplies. Camp
10.	13 April	Walk with the yaks halfway to advanced base (5,800meters). Camp.
11.	14 April	Walk with the yaks to advanced base at 6200 metres. Camp
12.	15 April	Rest in Advanced base. Extensive training. Organize supplies
13.	16 April	Walk to Camp 1 (6600m). Return to ABC.
14.	17 April	Rest in ABC.
15.	18 April	Walk to Camp 1. Sleep there.
16.	19 April	Explore route to Camp 2 (7000m), return to ABC.
17.	20 April	Rest in ABC.
18.	21 April	Walk to Camp 1. Sleep there.
19.	22 April	Walk to Camp 2, sleep there.
20.	23 April	Explore route to Camp 3 (7400m). Return to ABC.
21.	24 April	Rest in ABC.
22.	25 April	Rest in ABC.
23.	26 April	Walk to Camp 1. Sleep there.
24.	27 April	Walk to Camp 2, sleep there.
25.	28 April	Walk to Camp 3, sleep there.
26.	29 April	Explore route to camp 4 (7800m). Return to ABC.
27.	30 April	Walk back down to Chinese base.
28.	1 May	Rest in Chinese base.
29.	2 May	Rest in Chinese base.
30.	3 May	Walk back up to ABC.
31.	4 May	Walk to Camp 1. Sleep there.
32.	5 May	Walk to Camp 2, sleep there.
33.	6 May	Walk to Camp 3, sleep there.
34.	7 May	Walk to Camp 4, sleep there.
35.	8 May	Explore route to Camp 5 (8200m). Return to Camp 2, sleep there.
36.	9 May	Return to ABC.
37.	10 May	Rest in ABC.
38.	11 May	Rest in ABC.
39.	12 May	Walk to Camp 2, sleep there.
40.	13 May	Walk to Camp 3, sleep there.
41.	14 May	Walk to Camp 4, sleep there.
42.	15 May	Walk to Camp 5, sleep there.
43.	16 May	Explore route to camp 6 (8475m). This would be a possible summit day, in the event of good weather. Descend to Camp 3.
44.	17 May	Descend to ABC.
45.	18 May	Walk back down to Chinese base.
46.	19 May	Rest in Chinese base.
47.	20 May	Rest in Chinese base.
48.	21 May	Rest in Chinese base.
49.	22 May	Walk back up to ABC.
50.	23 May	Walk to Camp 2, sleep there.
51.	24 May	Walk to Camp 4, sleep there.
52.	25 May	Walk to Camp 6, sleep there.
53.	26 May	Summit attempt.
54.	27 May	Summit attempt.
55.	28 May	Summit attempt
56.	29 May	Descend to Camp 3.
57.	30 May	Return to ABC.
58.	31 May	Packing in ABC.
59.	1 June	Yaks transport equipment, supplies and rubbish to Chinese base. Members walk down.
60.	2 June	Packing in Chinese base.
61.	3 June	Drive to Tingri. Hotel and meals at organizers expense.
62.	4 June	Drive to Kathmandu. Hotel and meals at members expense.
63.	5 June	In Kathmandu. Final packing, summit celebration, saying goodbye to new friends.
64.	6 June	(Sunday) Fly home. Thank you for joining our Mount Everest Expedition!

1.	Leader: Daniel Mazur, climber-leader-organizer of Everest, K2, and 12 "eight-thousand-metre-peaks";
2.	Organizer: Jon Christian Otto, fluent Chinese speaker, Tibet and China Expert, with 10 years Himalayan climbing experience;
3.	Climbing Sherpas for the group;
4.	Transport to basecamp to/from Kathmandu, for you and equipment, including accommodation and meals on the road;
5.	Yak transport of all equipment from the road to and from advanced basecamp;
6.	Three hot meals per day in basecamp and advanced basecamp. Comfortable tables and chairs and dining tent;
7.	Skillful basecamp and advanced basecamp cooks;
8.	All mountain, basecamp and advanced basecamp food;
9.	All permit fees and liaison officers;
10.	Use of group gear and supplies: rope, ice, rock, and snow anchor protection; basecamp and altitude tents; cookers, fuel, high-altitude food, walkie-talkie radios, satellite telephone, etcetera;
11.	Emergency equipment and supplies: medical oxygen, gamow bag, basecamp medical kit, high-altitude medical kits, etcetera;
12.	In addition to our top-quality high-altitude tents, we now provide an individual tent (1 tent per person) in basecamp.

1.	Coordinator: Daniel Mazur, climber-leader-organizer of Everest, K2, and 12 "eight-thousand-metre-peaks";
2.	Organizer: Jon Christian Otto, fluent Chinese speaker, Tibet and China Expert, with 10 years Himalayan climbing experience;
3.	All permit fees and liaison officers;
4.	Transport to basecamp to/from Kathmandu, for your personal equipment only (boots, ice axe, clothing, sleeping bag), including accommodation and meals on the road;
5.	Yak transport of your personal equipment only (boots, ice axe, clothing, sleeping bag), from the road to and from advanced basecamp;
6.	Emergency equipment and supplies: medical oxygen, gamow bag, basecamp medical kit, high-altitude medical kits, etcetera;
7.	Access to team fixed ropes and camps (sites, not tents), coordinated with our own "full-service" climbing team.
8.	Other necessary services and supplies (ie: extra yaks, trek services, basecamp meals, high altitude services and equipment), may be purchased and hired at minimal expense. We offer basic climb "packages" as noted below, or, we can furnish individual items such as tents, stoves, gas, food, etcetera.