How much does climbing Everest? Tour Features and Tourist Reviews

Mount Everest - the highest point of our planet. Therefore, many people dream of conquering. Whether a joke: eight thousand eight hundred forty eight meters! From one altitude only, it catches its breath and dazzles in the eyes. After all, oxygen in the air near the summit of Everest is three times less than at sea level. And add to this the risk of avalanches, hurricane winds. The rarefied air is not sufficient protection against solar radiation. The temperature amplitude here is almost like on the Moon: day + 40, and at night -60 degrees. But you have to go up in these hellish conditions. Although in this respect, Mount Everest is not such an impregnable mountain. The usual tourist route to the top does not represent such a difficulty in the technical sense. Therefore, subjugate the "roof of the world" by any healthy person, and not just a climber. The financial issue is another matter. How much does climbing Everest? This is the aspect of the journey to the top of the world and our article will be devoted to this.

The Magic of Everest

The local names of the mountain indicate that the peoples inhabiting its slopes had the deepest respect for this peak and even experienced a holy awe. In Nepal, Everest is called Sagarmatha, and in Tibet - by Jomolungma. These names mean "Mother of the whole world and gods". And to take this peak with a bout is not so easy. Even now, when the ascension business is put on a commercial basis, the answer to the question: "How much does climbing Mount Everest?" Can be fatal: "Human life". Mortality among storming Chomolungma reaches 11%. Every tenth perishes! But people are still striving for the highest peak of the world. Why? As George Mallory (another Everest sacrifice in 1924) said, because it exists. Man is so arranged - he was born to set records. And it will not stop the unbearable climatic conditions, the danger of frostbite and the accompanying rise in hypoxia. After all, the more difficulties, the more valuable the victory.

History of the conquest of Everest

This happened on May 29, 1953. New Zealand citizen Edmund Hillary and the Sherpa accompanying him, Tenzing Norgay, climbed the "Roof of the World". Both breathed "English air" - so local, chuckling, nicknamed the oxygen bottles, which were brought to Nepal for the first time by British mountaineers. Twenty-seven years later, their record was beaten by the Austrian Reinhold Messner. He conquered Mount Everest alone and also breathed the rarefied air of the highlands. And when the easiest route was discovered on the southern side of Jomolungma, and a network of base camps was built, the records became more frequent. Now everything is decided by money, so the question "how much does climbing Everest" is the most important in the whole enterprise. The youngest conquerors are 13-year-old American and Indian. The oldest one is an 80-year-old Japanese. There were times when people with disabilities climbed Mount Everest, on the steep side of the summit, stayed at the peak of the night ... The Buddhist monk, who entered the trance on the "Roof of the World", outdistanced everything and spent thirty-eight hours!

Who is taken on the expedition

As we see, now, when the business of conquering the highest mountain on the planet is put on a commercial basis, everything depends, more likely, on the size of the purse, rather than on the state of health. But do not throw it off. After all, the question of conquering the highest mountain on the planet should be set correctly: not "How much does climbing Everest?", But what is the price of such an opportunity. And the money must be paid in advance - for organizational expenses. Therefore, it makes sense first to test yourself in other mountain hikes. It happens that a person and on three thousand above sea level becomes ill: nausea, sometimes vomiting, intolerable headache. This means that you have a mountain sickness. And there's nothing to be done about it. The only treatment is to go down. Also, there is nothing to poke on the conquest of the eight-thousanders to people with acute heart failure, weak lungs, asthma, hypo- and hypertension.

How much does climbing Everest

The price of such a trip varies depending on various conditions. You can climb the peak of a solo, with or without oxygen cylinders, accompanied by a porter-sherpa or indeed himself, carrying his (rather big!) Luggage on his back. There are group ascents and so-called commercial ascent. In the latter case, the trek turns into an almost fun walk. Low-grown aborigines-Sherpas will do everything for you: they will deliver your luggage, oxygen bottles, tents, prepare food for the top. You will only need to step and take stunning pictures. And in the base camp, at an altitude of 5200 meters, where acclimatization takes place, tourists are welcomed with comfortable bedrooms, a sauna and Wi-Fi. Let's now see how much it costs to climb Everest. The price starts at twelve thousand dollars. And can reach up to forty. But even if you pay such money, you will not get a guarantee that the closest point to the top will be that base camp at 5200 m, or, worse, that you will return alive from this trip.

When Everest Mountain becomes available

How much is the climb, we have already considered. But not everything depends on the size of the purse. The highlands are capricious. When squall piercing winds and minus twenty degrees are felt as -80. In order not to later amputate frostbitten limbs, it is worth going down and starting climbing when bad weather blowjob. Therefore, the conquerors of the "Roof of the World" have only two seasons of the year. The first, and the most popular, lasts from early April to the end of May. Later comes the time of strong fogs, which can be fatal even for those who know each pebble on the Sherpas path. The second season - September-October - is less popular due to a slightly shorter daylight. Well, in winter the temperature at the top can reach minus sixty degrees. Hurricane winds reduce the chances of surviving such a night to zero.

Which tour to choose

Proceeding from the laws of simple logic, independent travel should cost a person cheaper than that organized through a travel agency. From the budget, expenses for tour operators and other intermediaries are deleted. However, this logic does not work if you are planning an ascent to Mount Everest. How to get there and how much it will cost - depends on the size of the group. After all, the luggage that you need to take with you on a hike, are things of common use. The costs for large tents, guides, transfer to the camp and back will be shared by the members of the group. An independent tourist will have to buy oxygen cylinders (four per person, but six are better), whereas the group leader simply fills the already used ones. Also, it is virtually impossible for a lone daredevil to hire an experienced conductor-sherpa. At an altitude of more than seven and a half thousand, each breath is given with difficulty. In such conditions, tenting is a feat. Oxygen starvation and low pressure get up with the human mind the most evil jokes. Mountaineers experienced visual and auditory hallucinations. To stay in reality and act adequately, we need support from the group.

How long is the journey

Why such huge sums are voiced by operators when you ask, how much does climbing Everest? Journey to the "Roof of the World" and (if lucky) back lasts about two months. Although the spurt itself to a peak takes only a couple of days. Most of the time - about forty days - tourists spend in the base camp. Do you think this is a waste of money? Then read the dry facts. When the aircraft cabin is depressurized at an altitude of 7,000 meters, the pilot loses consciousness after two minutes. And you in fact should rise on 8848! In the base camp, you will not sit idly by. And how much it costs to ascend Everest (in terms of personal efforts), you will learn already there. The golden rule of mountain adaptation is: "Come high, sleep low." So you are waiting for a number of short trekking. But the conditions in the base camp are good. Tourists are allowed to use one tent per person. VIPs offer saunas, restaurant food and other delights that can only be found at an altitude of 5,200 meters.

Death Zone

Up to seven and a half thousand meters rise for an adapted person is not very difficult. In addition, there is always the opportunity to return. If the price of the question "how much it takes to climb Mount Everest" ranges from 50-60 thousand dollars, and you climb the southern slope, then you can pick up a helicopter. But then the zone of death begins. Then all the tourists - no matter how much they pay - are equal in rights. Rather, they almost equalize. Those who breathe through the oxygen mask and the burden of which the Sherpas bear, remain the winners. But they also experience great difficulties, connected with climbing to a huge height. Every sigh is given with difficulty. The desire to sit down and rest is fraught with the risk of staying here forever. By the way, because of the inaccessibility of the corpses from the death zone are not removed, and they serve as reference points for the subsequent conquerors of Mount Everest. And rejoice at the "Roof of the World" give only twenty minutes: if you do not go down to darkness in the camp, the whole group will die.

What does an ordinary group trip look like?

What is an ascent of Mount Everest for tourists? Prices, features of the tour can vary. But often travelers are given two days to get acquainted with Kathmandu, after which they are taken to Lukla. From there (from a height of 2866 m) trekking begins. However, some tourists go by transport. Overnight stays are in Namche Bazar (3500), Thangboche (3900), Feriche (4250) and Lobuche (4900). In the base camp, tourists spend forty days. Then they go to the finish line and make a halt in the high-altitude camps at 5800, 7000, 7800 and 8300 m. Then they also gradually descend.