Mount Everest Expedition (8,849 m)

Today is set aside for preparation. Your climbing Sherpa goes through your personal equipment piece by piece, checking boots, crampons, harness, down suit and sleeping bag, so that anything missing can be bought or hired in Kathmandu. We complete the climbing permit formalities and attend the official expedition briefing at the Department of Tourism with the liaison officer. The afternoon is for packing your duffel bags for the porters and yaks and making any last purchases.

An early flight takes you to Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, a short and spectacular mountain flight. In the main seasons, Lukla flights often operate from Ramechhap (Manthali), a drive of around four to five hours from Kathmandu, and we will confirm the arrangement nearer the time. After meeting the porters, we follow the Dudh Koshi valley gently downhill past Sherpa villages, prayer walls and farmland to Phakding, a walk of about 3-4 hours.

We continue up the Dudh Koshi, crossing the river several times on suspension bridges, and enter Sagarmatha National Park at Monjo, where permits are checked. After Jorsalle, the trail crosses the high Hillary Suspension Bridge and climbs steeply for the final two hours, with a first glimpse of Everest on a clear day. Namche Bazaar, the trading hub of the Khumbu, is reached after 6-7 hours of walking. Take it slowly: this is the first real height gain of the trip.

Following the principle of climbing high and sleeping low, we hike up to Syangboche and the Everest View Hotel at around 3,880 m for views of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam, returning to Namche for the night. The round trip takes 3-4 hours. In the afternoon you can visit the Sagarmatha National Park visitor centre, browse the shops for last-minute gear or simply rest, drink plenty of fluids and let your body begin adapting to the altitude.

The trail contours high above the Dudh Koshi with fine views of Ama Dablam, Thamserku and Everest, before dropping to the river at Phunki Tenga. A steady climb through rhododendron and pine forest then brings us to Tengboche, home to the largest monastery in the Khumbu. If timing allows, we attend the monks' afternoon prayers and ask for blessings for the expedition, a meaningful moment for the whole team. Walking time is about 5-6 hours.

We descend briefly through forest to Debuche, cross the Imja Khola and climb past the village of Pangboche, where the trees give way to open yak pastures and stone-walled fields. The valley widens beneath the south face of Lhotse and the slender spire of Ama Dablam. Dingboche, a settlement spread across the Imja valley, is reached after 5-6 hours. From here the air is noticeably thinner, so keep the pace easy and stay well hydrated.

A second acclimatisation day is essential before moving higher. In the morning we climb the ridge of Nangkartshang behind the village, gaining several hundred metres for views of Makalu, Lhotse, Island Peak and, on a clear day, Cho Oyu. The hike takes 3-4 hours return. The rest of the day is for resting, reading and drinking plenty. Your climbing Sherpa will also use the time to talk through the plan for the coming weeks at Base Camp.

The trail climbs gently across open slopes above Pheriche to Thukla (Dughla), then makes a steep ascent of the terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier to the Thukla Pass. Here, stone memorials honour climbers and Sherpas who lost their lives on Everest, a sobering and moving place. Beyond the pass, the trail follows the valley to Lobuche, a small cluster of lodges beneath the Lobuche peaks and Nuptse. Expect about 4-5 hours of walking.

We follow the lateral moraine of the Khumbu Glacier to Gorak Shep (5,164 m), the last lodge settlement, in about 2-3 hours. After lunch, the trail continues over rough moraine to Everest Base Camp, where our camp has already been set up by the kitchen team. The walk takes 5-6 hours in total. Settle into your individual tent, meet the Base Camp staff and enjoy your first meal in the heated dining tent. This is home for the next five weeks.

The first days at Base Camp are for rest and preparation. A lama performs the traditional puja ceremony to ask the mountain deities for safe passage, an important ritual for every Sherpa on the team. Your climbing Sherpa runs refresher training on the glacier near camp, covering fixed-rope techniques with jumar and descender, crampon work on steep ice and crossing aluminium ladders. Oxygen masks and regulators are fitted and tested, and gentle hikes around camp continue your acclimatisation.

Starting before dawn, when the ice is coldest and most stable, you climb through the Khumbu Icefall on the route fixed by the Icefall Doctors, crossing crevasses on ladders, to reach Camp I at about 6,050 m. After a night or two there, you move up the Western Cwm to Camp II, also called Advanced Base Camp, at about 6,400 m, where our cook team provides hot meals. You spend several nights at Camp II, with short acclimatisation walks, before descending to Base Camp.

After the first rotation, the body needs time to recover and absorb the acclimatisation gained higher up. These days are spent eating well, sleeping, washing and resting at Base Camp. Some climbers choose to walk down to Pheriche or Dingboche for a couple of nights in thicker air, which can speed recovery, and your team leader will advise on this. Meanwhile, the Sherpa team carries loads and helps to stock the higher camps with tents, fuel and food.

The second rotation pushes higher. After moving back through the icefall to Camp II, you climb the steep blue ice of the Lhotse Face on fixed ropes to Camp III at about 7,100 m, where you spend a night, or touch the camp before descending, depending on how well you are acclimatising. This rotation is the key test of readiness for the summit. You then return through the Western Cwm and the icefall to Base Camp for a well-earned rest.

Back at Base Camp, the focus turns to recovery and to the forecasts. We receive daily weather reports and watch for the jet stream to lift off the summit, which usually brings a window of calmer days in the second half of May. Meanwhile, the Sherpa team completes the stocking of Camp IV on the South Col with tents, oxygen and food. You rest, eat well and prepare your summit kit so that you are ready to move at short notice.

When the window opens, you climb from Base Camp to Camp II, then up the Lhotse Face to Camp III, using supplementary oxygen from here. Next day, you cross the Yellow Band and the Geneva Spur to Camp IV on the South Col at about 7,950 m. Late that night you set out via the Balcony, the South Summit and the Hillary Step, reaching the top in the early morning before descending to the South Col or Camp II. Spare days cover weather delays.

Once the whole team is safely down from the mountain, we dismantle Base Camp and pack out all waste and equipment in line with Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee rules. Porters and yaks carry the expedition gear down the valley. In the afternoon we walk down the Khumbu Glacier past Gorak Shep to Lobuche, about 4-5 hours, where the thicker air and a lodge bed feel like real luxury. It is a good moment to reflect on the expedition with your teammates.

The descent continues past the memorials at Thukla and down through Pheriche to Pangboche, one of the oldest Sherpa villages in the Khumbu, with a monastery said to be among the oldest in the region. The walk takes 5-6 hours, and with every step down you will feel stronger as the oxygen levels rise. Juniper scrub and rhododendron reappear around Pangboche, a welcome sign of life after weeks of ice and rock.

We pass Tengboche Monastery once more and descend through forest to the Dudh Koshi at Phunki Tenga, then climb gently along the contouring trail back to Namche Bazaar. The walk takes about 5-6 hours. Namche offers bakeries, hot showers and well-stocked shops, and many climbers enjoy their first proper celebration here. It is also a chance to thank the porters and yak herders who have supported the expedition from the start.

The final day on the trail descends steeply from Namche to the Hillary Suspension Bridge and follows the Dudh Koshi back through Monjo, Phakding and the villages of the lower valley, before a last short climb to Lukla. Allow 6-7 hours. In the evening we share a farewell meal with the trekking crew, many of whom live in the Khumbu, and confirm the flight arrangements for the following morning.

Weather permitting, we take an early flight from Lukla back to Kathmandu, or to Ramechhap followed by the drive to the city, and transfer to your hotel. Mountain flights are sometimes delayed by cloud, which is why we keep a spare day at the end of the itinerary. The afternoon is free to rest, enjoy a long hot shower and catch up with family and friends after weeks in the mountains.

This free day acts as a buffer for any delay to the Lukla flight. If all has gone to plan, you can explore Kathmandu's heritage sites such as Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath or the Boudhanath Stupa, or shop for souvenirs. Expedition members attend the debriefing at the Department of Tourism, after which summit certificates are issued to successful climbers. In the evening the whole team gathers for a farewell dinner to celebrate the expedition.

After breakfast, there is time for last-minute packing before a Nima Adventure representative transfers you to Tribhuvan International Airport for your flight home, usually about three hours before departure. If you would like to extend your stay with a wildlife safari in Chitwan, a few relaxing days in Pokhara or a tour in Bhutan or Tibet, our Kathmandu office will be happy to arrange it.