Year in and year out, Alan Arnette always provides the best possible coverage of the Everest climbing season, constantly keep us up to date on the weather conditions on the mountain, where teams are located at any given time and what their current objectives are. If you’re an Everest junkie, there is no better source for getting your fix.
The 2013 Everest season is still several months off, but in his annual tradition, Alan has posted his yearly review of the current costs of climbing the mountain. As you probably know, an expedition to the tallest peak on the planet is not an inexpensive proposition and like everything else, the costs continue to rise. If you’re thinking of climbing Everest in the near future, or you’re simply curious as to how much things cost, you’ll definitely want to check out the story.
As usual, the article provides an itemized analysis of the costs of a climbing expedition. Alan notes that there was a time when climbing on the Tibetan side was considerably cheaper, but increases in the costs for permits have gone up. Add in the fact that the Tibetan borders have been routinely closed over the past few years, and you introduce an element of instability when planning a climb from that side of the mountain. Alan also takes a look at the options for organizing a climb, including a fully guided climb, a logistically support effort or a fully independent expedition. Each has their positives and negatives, with things to consider on both sides of the ledger.
Obviously there are a lot of things to consider when planning such a long and large scale climb, but Alan does a great job of providing options and explaining all of the expenses. He also provides prices for some of the professionally guided teams that are the mainstays on the mountain, with costs ranging from $35,000 to $85,000 depending on a variety of variables.
If you’re looking forward to the new Everest season ahead, this is a great place to get started.
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Thanks Kraig for the mention. Of note, The CTMA has announced that Everest, Cho Oyu and Shishapangma are "open" for 2013. Lets hope it stays that way.