Everest 2025: Climb Everest in a Week using xenon gas – update 2
Some foreign guides and a few Nepali guides offer fast Everest climbs, lasting two to four weeks instead of the traditional six to eight weeks. This is an increasingly popular option, and a new twist promises to reduce this to just one week, from home to home.. #Everest2025
2024/25 Winter Himalaya Climbs Update 3: About Over
Three of the four 8000ers—Everest, Manaslu and Annapurna—are over, showing the difficulty of climbing these high peaks in winter. Only one met its goal. Two climbers on Makalu remain, but winds are stalling their progress.
How Much Does it Cost to Climb Everest? – 2025 Edition
This post goes in-depth on your options and risks and provides an overview of the financial aspects of climbing Everest from either Nepal or Tibet. As we get closer to Everest 2025, I’ve updated my annual post, “How Much Does It Cost to Climb Mount Everest?” As I’ve said for years, the short answer is a car. Most people pay between $40,000 and $60,000, and some will pay as much as $200,000! Operators now compete either on price or luxuries and technologies. #everest2025
2024/25 Winter Himalaya Climbs Update 2: Jost Successful
The winter season is underway for four of the 8000ers: Everest, Makalu, Manaslu and Annapurna. High winds are stalling two, and two are effectively over. One has met their their goal.
2024/25 Winter Himalaya Climbs Update 1
The winter season has begun for three of the 8000ers: Everest, Manaslu and Annapurna. Each is unique in style, and professional climbers are at the helm.
2024/25 Winter Himalaya Climbs: Everest, Manalsu, Annapurna
The winter season has begun for three of the 8000ers: Everest, Manaslu and Annapurna. Each is unique in style, and professional climbers are at the helm.
Comparing the Routes of Everest – 2025 edition
This another BIg Picture post before my annual coverage of Everest 2025. The season is still a few months away, and I’ll be posting several updates before the season officially begins in early April:
– Everest by the Numbers: 2025 Edition – A deep dive into Everest statistics as compiled by the Himalayan Database (posted December 16, 2024)
– Comparing the Routes of Everest: 2025 Edition – A detailed look at Everest’s commercial, standard and non-standard routes. (posted December 19, 2024)
– How Much Does it Cost to Climb Everest: 2025 Edition – My annual review of what it costs to climb Everest, solo, unsupported and guided.
– Everest 2025: Welcome to Everest 2025 Coverage – an introduction to the Everest 2025 Spring season.
2025 will be my 25th season of all things Everest: 19 times providing coverage, another four seasons of climbing on Everest, and two years attempting Lhotse.
This is an updated post of my annual “Comparing the Routes of Everest ” blog post. For 98% of all Everest climbers, the choice of routes is the Northeast (Tibet) and Southeast (Nepal) Ridges. For today’s commercial clients, all other routes are too dangerous, complicated, and not commercially guided. This post will examine the various routes and explore the most popular commercial through 2024.
Why do I do this? Well, one word: Alzheimer’s. I lost my mom, Ida, and four aunts to this disease, which changed my life forever. You can read more at this link. I hope you enjoy my coverage and donate to any of my selected non-profit partners or your preference as a tangible thank you. Of course, I never benefit financially from your donations. Just click on the button, which is always at the top right sidebar. #everest2025
Everest by the Numbers: 2025 Edition
Welcome to Everest 2025. The season is still a few months away, and I’ll be posting several Everest 2025 big-picture updates before the season officially begin in early April:
– Everest by the Numbers: 2025 Edition – A deep dive into Everest statistics as compiled by the Himalayan Database
– Comparing the Routes of Everest: 2025 Edition – A detailed look at Everest’s routes, commercial, standard and non-standard.
– How Much Does it Cost to Climb Everest: 2025 Edition – My annual review of what it costs to climb Everest, solo, unsupported and guided.
– Everest 2025: Welcome to Everest 2025 Coverage – an introduction to the Everest 2025 Spring season.
2025 will be my 25th season of all things Everest: 19 times providing coverage, another four seasons of climbing on Everest, and two years attempting Lhotse.
I’ve updated my annual “Everest by the Numbers” blog post. I looked at summit and death rates, the use of oxygen and its impact on summits and deaths, and disturbing trends like the increasing support for climb. I hope this is useful for everyone.
Why do I do this? Well, one word: Alzheimer’s. I lost my mom, Ida, and four aunts to this disease, which changed my life forever. You can read more at this link. I hope you enjoy my coverage and donate to any of my selected non-profit partners or your preference as a tangible thank you. Of course, I never benefit financially from your donations. Just click on this button, which is always at the top right sidebar. #everest2025
PSA: Looking for climbers who have attempted mountains above 6,000 meters
As a public service announcement, I’m sending this invitation to participate in research for climbers who have attempted mountains above 6,000 m.
Podcast Series: 7 Summits Episode 10–Everest with Adrian Ballinger & Mike Hamill Interview
Welcome to my limited series on climbing the Seven Summits. For eight weeks, I’ll drop a new episode discussing one of the 7 Summits in detail. Today is Episode 10, Everest with special guests Adrian Ballinger, founder of Alpenglow and Mike Hamill, founder of Climbing the Seven Summits. #7summits
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in Asia and the world, at 29,031.69 feet or 8848.86 meters, making it the highest of the Seven Summits. With seemingly unlimited attraction, climbing Chomolungma has dramatically changed over the decades.
Stradling the border of China (Tibet) and Nepal, it grows by about 0.0063-0.021 inches or 0.16 to 0.53 millimeters annually due to the northward movement of the Indian tectonic plate and a “rebound” effect caused by merging rivers. Everest is so high that it juts into the jetstream, atmospheric winds that typically travel west to east at speeds ranging from 80 to 140 miles per hour but can accelerate up to 275 miles per hour.
Through January 2024, there have been 12,015 summits (5,907 members and 6,108 hired). In other words, more support climbers, primarily Sherpas, have summited than foreigners. Yet more foreigners, 200, have died on Everest than support climbers, 117.
It has become an economic powerhouse, attracting millions into the Nepal economy, an estimated 10% of GDP, through flights, hotels, taxis, restaurants, teahouses, yak herders and massive, dominating guiding enterprises. In 2024, 80% of the Everest summits were on Nepali-owned guide company teams, compared to 20% a decade earlier. However, with that dominance comes a downside: an all-time record 18 climbers died on Everest in 2022. Twenty-six people have died in the last two years climbing Everest; of that total, 23 were clients of Nepali operators. That’s 88% of the total for the two years.
In this last 7 Summits Podcast, I briefly overview the peak and then delve into several topics with guests Adrian Ballinger, founder of Alpenglow and Mike Hamill, founder of Climbing the Seven Summits.
All Episodes
Introduction
Mt. Kosciuszko, Australia – 7,310/2228m
Mt. Blanc, France/Italy – 15,771’/4807m
Vinson, Antarctica – 16,067/4897m
Carstensz Pyramid (Puncak Jaya), New Guinea – 16,023/4884m
Elbrus, Russia – 18,513/5642m
Kilimanjaro, Africa – 19,340/5896m
Denali, Alaska – 20,320/6194m
Aconcagua, Argentina – 22,902/6960m
Everest, Nepal/Tibet – 29,035/8850m