This classic Mt. Everest guided climb is season after season our most popular option.
It is well suited to climbers who would like the higher service level “Western-style” guidance and are competent, confident, and team-orientated climbers. This option is often reported as the most fun & enjoyable climb because of the camaraderie and sense of community with their fellow climbers, and year in and year out, it achieves fantastic summit success.
The Western Guided Team is guided by a Senior, world-class mountain guide. A consummate professional who is genuine, caring, inspiring, strong, technically solid, and cool-headed. They will have previous 8000m climbing experience and a time-tested, impressive resume.
To complement your team climb, you will also be assigned an additional Personal Sherpa above Camp 2 on the summit bid, increasing your safety and opportunity for success.
Itinerary
March 30 - Day 1 - ArriveArrive and be met at the airport by the CTSS team, who will take you to our 5-star hotel in Kathmandu. Today is a pure arrival day, so you can fly in at any time and then rest, relax, and recover from the jetlag. Tomorrow is our first day of formal activities.
March 31 - Day 2 - Team Expedition Briefing & Gear ChecksWe meet for breakfast before doing our expedition briefing and gear checks. Spend the afternoon exploring Kathmandu, picking up any last-minute items, and packing and preparing to fly into the Khumbu Valley
April 1 - Day 3 - Fly to the KhumbuWe fly into the Khumbu Valley, into the famous Lukla airstrip to begin our trek. Today, we trek leisurely down to Phakding. Overnight in teahouse
April 2 - Day 4 - Trek to Namche BazaarOn our first full day on the Everest Base Camp trail, we tackle Namche Hill up to the Sherpa Capital of Namche Bazaar. Overnight in teahouse
April 3 - Day 5 - Rest/Acclimatize NamcheWe explore Namche and take a short acclimatization hike to allow our bodies to adjust to the increasingly rarefied air. Overnight in teahouse
April 4 - Day 6 - Trek to TengbocheToday, we move up to Tengboche, the site of the famous Tengboche Monastery. Overnight in teahouse
April 5 - Day 7 - Rest/Acclimatize TengbocheToday, we rest and acclimatize. We visit Tengboche Monastery for a traditional Buddhist blessing for safe passage to the summit of Everest. Overnight in teahouse
April 6 - Day 8 - Trek to PhericheWe rise above the vegetation level as we climb higher into the Himalayas. Today, we trek to the outpost of Pheriche. Overnight in teahouse
April 7 - Day 9 - Rest/Acclimatize in PhericheWe take an acclimatization hike high above the village, boasting spectacular views of the Ama Dablam and the Himalayas. In the afternoon, we visit the medical outpost of the HRA (Himalayan Rescue Association) for an educational and informative talk on acclimatization and altitude illness. Overnight in teahouse
April 8 - Day 10 - Trek to Lobuche Base CampWe deviate off the beaten path to the base of Lobuche East Peak, our first objective of the expedition. Lobuche will serve as one of our acclimatization rotations as well as afford us the opportunity to climb another Himalayan gem. Overnight in a tented camp.
April 9 - Day 11 - Acclimatization & Skills LobucheThis morning, we take an acclimatization hike up to Lobuche High Camp, tagging camp, before descending back to Lobuche Base Camp. This afternoon, we refresh our climbing skills and shake out any cobwebs. Overnight in a tented camp.
April 10 - Day 12 - Move to Lobuche High CampWe move up to Lobuche High Camp, enjoying spectacular views of the surrounding peaks and settling in for our summit climb in the days ahead. Overnight tented camp.
April 11 - Day 13 - Acclimatize & Skills Lobuche High CampToday we practice our climbing skills above High Camp as a refresher and acclimatization exercise. We spend the afternoon packing before getting an early dinner and early to bed ahead of our alpine start to the summit tomorrow. Overnight tented camp.
April 12 - Day 14 - Summit Lobuche and Descend to Lobuche Base CampWe rise in the very early hours for our alpine start, climbing through the night into the dawn to stand on top of Lobuche at or just after sunrise. From the top, we enjoy spectacular views over Everest and Lhotse and picture ourselves on the summit of Everest in the weeks to come. After photos, we drop back down to High Camp, pack up, and continue our descent to Lobuche Base Camp. Overnight tented camp.
April 13 - Day 15 - Trek to Everest Base CampWaving farewell to Lobuche, we enjoy the full-day trek into Everest Base Camp today. Arriving at the luxury CTSS camp that will be our home away from home is an exciting event. Explore the famed Big House (huge geodesic dome complete with cafe, ping pong table, lounges, etc.) and settle into your tent.
April 14th/15th/16th - Day 16/17/18 - Rest & Training at EBCWe settle into our Everest Base Camp home and start our training in earnest. During our training sessions, we will practice ladder crossings in our crampons, fixed line climbing, rappelling, efficiency techniques, taking care of ourselves up high, oxygen use and troubleshooting, etc.
April 17 - Day 19 - Pack & Prepare for 1st RotationWe pack, prepare and brief with our guides about our first rotation and our first climb through the Khumbu Icefall. We get an early night ahead of our alpine start tomorrow
April 18 - Day 20 - Climb to Camp 1We climb through the icefall to Camp 1. It's a monumental, humbling experience moving through the icefall for the first time. Overnight Camp 1
April 19 - Day 21 - Climb to tag Camp 2, return to Camp 1We take an acclimatization climb up to Camp 2 for lunch, moving through the Western CWM before returning to Camp 1 for our second night up high. Overnight Camp 1
April 20 - Day 22 - Complete 1st Rotation - Return to Base CampWe descend back through the icefall to Base Camp, where we will rest and allow our bodies to reset and catch up to our new acclimatization high point.
April 21/22/23 - Day 23/24/25 Rest & Recover. Prepare for Rotation 2We spend the next few days resting at EBC, recovering our strength, training, and preparing for our second rotation.
April 24 - Day 26 - Begin 2nd RotationAnother alpine start, and we climb more efficiently and quicker through the icefall our second time. We climb to Camp 1 and overnight there.
April 25 - Day 27 - Move to Camp 2Today, we climb and move to Camp 2. Well-established Camp 2 becomes our staging ground for the upper reaches of the mountain. Overnight Camp 2
April 26 -Day 28 - Tag the Base of the Lhotse FaceToday, we acclimatize by climbing above Camp 2 up to the bottom of the Lhotse Face before returning to Camp 2 for another night.
April 27 - Day 29 - Climb the Lhotse Face to Tag Camp 3We climb the Lhotse Face for the first time, up to Camp 3 for lunch. The views are insane, and the scale of the mountain is so moving. We retreat back to Camp 2 for our last night on this rotation.
April 28 - Day 30 - Complete our 2nd Rotation, return to Base CampWe climb from Camp 2 back to Base Camp to enjoy some well-earned rest! Good food and sleep are on the agenda as our bodies prepare for the summit push ahead. We don't rush our schedule but take our time to work around the weather, our bodies, and the best climbing conditions on the peak.
April 29/30 - Day 31/32. Rest & RecoverWe allow our bodies to rest and recover. Acclimatization happens at rest, so this is a critical part of our climb
May 1st/2nd - Day 33/34. Training & Preparation for our Summit BidWe do oxygen clinics, plan, pack, and plan again. We pour over the weather and plan our summit bid to maximize the best window.
May timeframe - Summit Everest!Our summit bid could take place any time, but most typically, the best weather occurs during mid-May.
On Day 1 of our Summit Bid - We climb to Camp 1
On Day 2 of our Summit Bid - We climb to Camp 2
On Day 3 of our Summit Bid - We climb to Camp 3 and sleep on oxygen
On Day 4 of our Summit Bid - We climb on oxygen to the South Col for a few hours of sleep before we climb to the Summit!
On Day 5 of our Summit Bid - We summit Mount Everest and descend back to the South Col
On Day 6 of our summit rotation - We descend to Camp 2
On Day 7 of our summit rotation - We return joyously to Base Camp.
Mid - End of MayUpon returning to Base Camp from the summit, we rest, recover, and begin to pack up and begin our homeward journey after the experience of a lifetime
Wave Goodbye to Base CampWe farewell our home for the last 6 weeks or so and either elect to helicopter all the way back to Kathmandu or begin our trek down the valley.
Day 1 of our trek down the valley, we reach Pheriche
Day 2 of our trek down the valley, we reach Namche
Day 3 of our trek down the valley, we reach Lukla
Day 4 we fly from Lukla back to Kathmandu
1st JuneWe farewell each other and fly back home. We advise climbers to book a flexible return airfare for the 1st of June, knowing they can move it up if they summit earlier-to mid-May. However, the 1st of June gives us plenty of contingency to use in the schedule if we need it to work around the best weather/conditions to favor our safety and success.