The expedition will meet in Kathmandu in early April where we will obtain the final expedition permit. The team will then fly to the mountain village of Lukla from which we will commence our trek towards Everest basecamp.

En route, the team will make an ascent of Mt Lobuche East, a peak of just over 6000 metres in altitude. We will spend a minimum of 2 nights at a high camp on the mountain to assist our acclimatisation. Once acclimatised, we will finish the trek to basecamp on the Nepal (south) side of the mountain.

Basecamp is located at 5300 metres. The team will spend several days there resting and acclimatising to that altitude. We will also use this time to check our equipment and practice our ropework and team climbing skills on the Khumbu glacier prior to moving onto the mountain.

When the team’s skills are honed and we are feeling well acclimatised, will we move onto the mountain to commence a gradual and carefully programmed ascent utilising high altitude expedition clothing and technical climbing equipment that includes ropes, crampons, ice axes, harnesses and helmets.

Four camps will be used on the mountain above basecamp, at altitudes of approximately:

Camp 1 – 6100 metres, Camp 2 – 6500 metres, Camp 3 – 7300 metres, Camp 4 – 7900 metres

Our ascent to these camps will follow a flexible but safety oriented schedule. Typically, expeditions complete their acclimatisation on the mountain by the end of the first week of May, after which we rest and prepare for the final ascent while awaiting the weather window that usually arrives by mid May. Once that window arrives and the team is at peak fitness, a summit attempt will be launched. This is likely to take 5 to 6 days from basecamp and another one or two days to descend from the top.

Following our ascent, we’ll pack our personal belongings and trek back to Lukla over three days, from where we fly back to Kathmandu and conclude the expedition.

LEADERSHIP

Andrew Lock is one of the most accomplished Himalayan veterans and expedition leaders on Earth. He is the only person in the entire British Commonwealth to have climbed all fourteen of the world’s 8000 metre peaks. In 2000 he became the first Australian to lead a commercial expedition to the summit of Mt Everest and in 2004 he filmed the first high definition documentary on climbing Everest – “Ultimate Survival: Everest” – for Discovery Channel. He has led over 100 commercial expeditions and treks to the world’s mountains from the Himalaya to Antarctica.

Climbing Sherpas and Support Staff

Supporting Andrew will be a strong team of highly experienced English speaking Sherpas with numerous summits of Mt Everest and many other 8000 metre peaks between them. They are among the most experienced and well regarded in the Himalaya.

Safety and equality are paramount on Andrew’s expeditions. All Sherpas and support staff receive clothing and equipment allowances for the expedition and use the highest quality clothing and equipment available, to the same standard that Andrew and our clients use.