The State of Everest in 2015

With the 2015 spring climbing season in the Himalaya still there months off, there remains a lot of uncertainty surrounding Everest. Following the unprecedented shutdown of the mountain last spring – when an avalanche claimed the lives of 16 Sherpas – politics have played a significant role in governing the future of climbing on the world's tallest peak. This year, commercial teams will return to the mountain, but not without a degree of trepidation as to how the season will unfold.

With this in mind, Alan Arnette has posted another excellent article to his blog that takes a look at the shifting attitudes of climbers and guides heading to Everest this spring. In putting this article together, Alan reached out to some of the top operators on the mountain to gauge their feelings about what to expect in a few months time. Some were very candid in their response, while others spoke off the record. By compiling those responses, Alan is able to give us a glimpse of the season ahead.

I won't spoil the entire article here, as I think it is important that you read it in its entirety. I will point out some of the larger factors that will be impacting the season ahead however. For instance, there still seems to be a lot of uncertainty amongst the guides as to how things will unfold this year. So much so, that the Peak Freaks, one of the top operators on the mountain, have decided to cancel their 2015 and 2016 expeditions to Everest. Others have decided to move to the North Side in Tibet, where they'll be out from under the control of the Nepalese government. These include Alpenglow, who will take 8 clients to the Chinese side of the mountain this spring. It should be noted that Himex had intended to guide an expedition from that side as well, but didn't have any clients elect to climb from the North.

The teams climbing from the South will take a new route through the treacherous Khumbu Icefall this year. This will hopefully eliminate some of the danger and cut down on the amount of time spent in that area. The Sherpas that were killed last spring were passing through the icefall when the avalanche occurred, and the hope is that this new route will be safer all around. The teams are also looking at ways to reduce the number of trips required through the icefall as well, potentially using helicopters to help shuttle gear, although the Nepalese government has been reluctant to allow that in the past.


There is some ongoing debate as to whether or not the North Side is safer than the South. Most of the guides that Alan spoke to didn't feel that was the case, but a few did. The prevailing feeling is that there are fewer deaths on that side of the mountain due to the fewer number of climbers. If more teams had to Tibet to climb, the number of fatalities is likely to go up there as well.

Finally, Alan updates readers about the current situation with the canceled climbing permits from 2014. The Nepalese government had originally said that they would honor them for a period of five years, but the entire team would have to return intact, or climbers would lose their ability to use the permit. They have since backpedaled some on that decision, although the final ruling sits with the Cabinet that oversees the country. They have not made a final decision yet, and are considering charging an additional $1000 to each climber to bring the cost of the permits inline with current pricing. Those changes are keeping some of the mountaineers away at the moment while permit issues get sorted out.

As I said, this is a good article that will give you an indication of the current climate that surrounds Everest expeditions. If you're interested in what is happening there, you'll definitely want to check out the full article.

Alan Arnette Announces Project 8000 for Alzheimers

The New Year always brings new opportunities, and yesterday Alan Arnette used the arrival of 2015 to announce a major new endeavor. In a blog post to his website Alan has announced Project 8000 for Alzheimer's which will be his attempt to climb all of the 8000 meter peaks in an effort to raise funds and awareness to combat that debilitating disease.

As you may recall, in the summer of 2014 Alan made the journey to Pakistan to climb K2, the most difficult mountain in the world. He was successful in that attempt, but it took just about every ounce of skill and strength he had at his disposal to reach the top. After completing that incredibly difficult expedition, he began to think about what he had learned on the mountain, and what he wanted to do next. After some time at home, and a bit of reflection, he decided that he wanted to climb all of the 8000 meter peaks, of which he already has three on his resume.

In addition to K2 (8611 m/28,251 ft), Alan has also summited Everest (8848 m/29,029 ft) and Manaslu (8163 m/26,781 ft). That leaves Kangchenjunga (8586 m/28,169 ft), Lhotse (8516 m/27,940 ft), Makalu (8485 m/27,838 ft), Cho Oyu (8201 m/26,906 ft), Dhaulagiri (8167 m/26,795 ft), Nanga Parbat (8126 m/26,660 ft), Annapurna (8091 m/26,545 ft), Gasherbrum I (8080 m/26,444 ft), Broad Peak (8051 m/26,414 ft), Gasherbrum II (8035 m/26,362 ft), and Shishapangma (8027 m/26,335 ft) left to be climbed.

Alan has set an ambitious schedule for himself to complete the remaining 11 mountains over a 5 year period that begins this spring. In a few months time, he'll head back to Nepal to attempt Lhotse, the neighbor of Everest. Those two peaks share much of the same route, so it will be familiar ground for Alan, who has a double summit of Shishapangma and Cho Oyu scheduled for the fall. After that, he hopes to methodically knock off each of the remaining mountains in his effort to become just the second American to climb each of these mountains. At the moment, Ed Viesturs is the only other person from the U.S. to accomplish that feat.

Alan's previous attempts to using mountaineering as a vehicle to raise funds to fight Alzheimer's have proven to be very successful. His K2 climb engaged more than 5 million people, and raised $70,000 in just six weeks time. He'll be tapping into that same experience as he moves forward with Project 8000, which will once again raise funds for the Cure Alzheimer's Fund.

In his blog post, Alan also indicates that he is looking for sponsors to join him on this quest. Climbing these mountains will obviously be an expensive endeavor, but it will also bring a lot of awareness to the organizations and brands that partner with Alan on this endeavor. This is a truly great opportunity to not only be a part of a project that is seeking to end an agonizing disease, but also make climbing history. It will certainly be a highly visible platform for anyone who joins the team.

Expect to hear a lot more about Alan's quest to climb these mountains – and conquer Alzheimer's – in the months ahead. As usual, I'll be posting updates on his progress while he is on his expeditions, the first of which will begin this spring. It should be an amazing experience to follow.

The Cost of Climbing Everest: 2015 Edition

Whenever I discuss an expedition to Mt. Everest with someone who doesn't know much about mountaineering, I find that they are always surprised by two things. First, they have no idea that it takes roughly two months to summit the mountain after you factor in travel time to the Himalaya, getting to Base Camp, acclimatizing to the altitude, and waiting for the proper weather window. They are also continually shocked at how much an Everest climb actually costs, as they don't understand all the logistics involved.

To help all of us understand those costs better, each year, our friend Alan Arnette does a detailed analysis of the current going rates for an Everest climb. Yesterday, he posted the 2015 edition of his annual report, and it wasn't good news for prospective climbers. As Alan indicates in his report, costs have gone up substantially for the spring climbing season, and more companies are jumping across the border into Tibet in order to avoid ongoing strife between the Nepali government and the Sherpas in the wake of last year's shutdown on the South Side.

There are several significant factors that are causing the price of an Everest expedition to go up, including a raise in price for the climbing permit. This year, all climbers will be charged a flat-fee of $11,000 to get their name on a permit. In the past, it was usually about $10,000, with the overall price for the permit spread out across multiple climbers. Alan also says that more teams are increasing the amount of life insurance they are carrying for their Sherpa staff as well, going up from $10k to $15k, with the difference being covered by the clients of course. On top of that, Nepal has begun enforcing a 2012 rule that requires all trekkers and climbers to hire a local Sherpa guide for use during their visit. He estimated that will add an additional $4k to the price.

What does all of this mean for climbers wanting to attempt Everest? Alan says that the average price for a climb without western guides is now at $41,700. With western guides, that price rises to $57,000 on the South Side, and $46,000 on the North. In other words, it is a substantial sum of money no matter which side of the mountain you're climbing, and who you are climbing with. Alan is quick to point out that a few high-end guide services on the North Side are also skewing the average to a degree. Alpenglow and Himex have both jumped to the Chinese side of the mountain for 2015, and they charge $79,000 and $64,000 respectively. Without their numbers added into the mix, a North Side climb averages about $37,000.


But the big story isn't just the change in pricing. Alan says that there are major changes afoot in Nepal, as local operators take over the South Side. These companies have been offering good service for years, and now they have also learned the business side of leading expeditions as well. Many of these companies are now undercutting western guide services, and are attracting more and more clients. Alan warns that not all of these companies offer the same experience however, and that it remains a "buyer beware' environment.

This is just the very beginning of the report, as Alan also goes into the cost breakdown of the climb, examining the details of what you actually get for your money. He also looks at the price for planning your own Everest expedition, as well as the options for hiring guides, the size of teams, summit stats, and much more. Basically, this report contains everything you've ever wanted to know about putting together a climb on Everest, and then some.

If you follow the climate on Everest, much of what is reported here will come as no surprise. Considering the political fallout that came after the South Side was shutdown last spring, the future of expeditions to that side of the mountain remains a bit uncertain. Obviously the mountain is a cash-cow for the government of Nepal, but major disruptions could continue in the future, as disputes with labor still need to be resolved. It is a time of upheaval on Everest, and not all of the past conflicts have been settled just yet.

We still have a little over four months to go before the start of the busy Spring climbing season. It is already shaping up to be another interesting one.

Alan Arnette Posts 2015 Everest Preview

While the fall climbing season in the Himalaya continues to slowly wind down for another year, it is already time to start thinking about the spring climbing season ahead. While the start of that season is still six months away, the prep work and planning is already well underway. With that in mind, Alan Arnette has posted a preview for Everest in 2015, providing readers with valuable insight on how climbing on the world's highest peak will be both different, and the same, next year.

Alan begins his preview first remarking on how the 2014 season unfolded. As I'm sure most of you recall, a massive avalanche on the South Side of the mountain claimed the lives of 19 Sherpas, bring an end to climbing operations on the Nepali side of the mountain. Only a single non-Sherpa climber managed to summit from that side of the mountain this past spring, while on the North Side, about 125 climbers managed to top out. The political fallout from the spring continues to unfold in Nepal, and it will no doubt have long lasting repercussions on the climbing scene there. Exactly what that means for the long-term climbing conditions on Everest remain to be seen, but we already know that the Sherpas are looking for better working conditions, higher compensation, and increased benefits for their families should they die on the mountain. It is clear that the shadow of this past spring season will continue to hang over the mountain in 2015, and for many years to come.

One thing that is changing on Everest next year is the cost of climbing. Alan points out that a number of the larger commercial teams are raising prices – sometimes substantially. For instance, the Peak Freaks have raised their price by 22%, going from $39k to $49k. This is still a relative bargain in terms of Everest climbs, but it is worth noting none the less. RMI made an 11% jump, from $59k to $66k, while Jagged Globe, Altitude Junkies, 7 Summits Club, and IMG all hiked their costs up to a lesser degree as well.


For the most part, the reason for the raising of prices is directly due to an increased cost of doing business in Nepal. As Alan points out, the inflation rate in that country is roughly 9.4%, and that alone will have an impact on a company's bottom line. But, climbing permits have also gone up in price, as has the cost of insurance that most mountaineers get when heading to the mountain. Those factors are all conspiring together to make Everest a more costlier venture then ever before, and the expenses are being passed on to the consumer.

Alan says that the real story however is the rise of cheaper options for climbing the mountain. These are coming in the form of locally-owned guide services that are finding ways to operate on Everest at less expense, most notably by paying workers a cheaper wage. These Nepali-owned and operated companies are offering Everest climbs for $25k-$35k, substantially less than what the foreign-owned companies are charging. A decade ago, 80% of the expeditions on Everest were led by guide companies that operated outside of Nepal. Alan predicts that in five years time, that number will have dropped to just 20%, as Nepali companies take over those operations.

Other interesting nuggets of information to note from Alan's preview is that Himex (aka Himalayan Experience), the large commercial team run by Russell Brice, will return to the North Side of Everest for the first time since 2008. It seems Brice is hedging his bets for 2015, leading teams from both the North and South sides of the mountain. Meanwhile, the Alpenglow team will only operate on the North Side, as owner Adrian Ballinger says that no "credible" operator would continue to risk the icefall on the South Side.

These are just a few of the things that Alan touches on in his Everest 2015 preview. He also discusses the increased dangers of climbing on the South Side, particularly in and around the Khumbu Icefall. He mentions how unpredictable the weather can be, and how politics are continuing to play a role on how the season develops.

Overall, there is a lot to consider, even months before anyone heads to Kathmandu. With all of that said however, Alan also points out that most of the commercial teams are filling up fast, as climbers who were unable to make a true attempt last year are returning in droves, even as new mountaineers plan their expeditions as well. One thing is for certain, things are never dull when it comes to Everest, and I'm sure 2015 will be no different.