Month: April 2024

It’s a huge day at Everest Base Camp on the Nepal side, aka EBC–the first commercial team has arrived! This is almost a week earlier than in 2023. It will be their home until late May unless they are on acclimatization rotation and, of course, the summit bid. The majority of Everest summits occur between May 18th and 23rd. However, the Icefall Docs still have problems in the upper Icefall. Thankfully, most teams are still on their trek, so there’s no problem, yet.

On the Tibet side, Adventure Peaks reports, “It looks like the border might not open until the 17th April, so the team are planning to head to Langtang in order to start acclimatising.”

The Everest Nepal permit tally now has 149 foreigners across 13 teams. Tibet does not report permit updates. #everest2024

It was not unexpected, but the Icefall Doctors hit a snag when fixing the route. They struggled to find safe passage through the upper Icefall for several days. They had expected to reach Camp 1 about now and Camp 2 next week, but it obviously will take longer. Meanwhile, teams are preparing to return to Tibet for the first time in four years. The Everest permit tally is now 130 foreigners across 11 teams. Many more to come. #everest2024

Traffic is picking up on the trail to Everest Base Camp, Nepal, as more teams are flying into Lukla. The weather continues to be good. However, similar to recent years, some fixed-wing flights between Kathmandu and Lukla are now diverted to leave from Ramechhap, a small airstrip 140 km (85 miles) five hours drive from Kathmandu with little or no existing tourist infrastructure. Helicopters still allow you to fly directly to Lukla, albeit at $600 each way compared to $150 for fixed-wing flights. Climbing, the Seven Summit’s Everest team flew an airplane from Kathmandu to Luka and is now in Namache.

The Everest permit tally is now 101 foreigners across eight teams. More to come.
Now, let’s move on to what they are experiencing on the trek. #everest2024

Parallel universes are happening right now on Everest—trekking to base camp, building base camp, and putting in the climbing route. On the Nepal side, many climbers and trekkers are well into their six- to eight-day journey, taking in the sights and changing their lives as they experience the grace and beauty of the Khumbu. Meanwhile, Sherpas are building tent platforms at Everest Base Camp and preparing their team’s base camp for the next few months. But for our Nepal climbers, most of the action is still thousands of feet lower as they trek through the Khumbu. #everest2024

All is good in the Khumbu, according to climbers and trekkers there. Most Everest and Nepal climbing teams start their journey at Lukla, These days, it seems that many climbing teams have taken helicopters to Lukla or Namche. Either flight method results in the start of a life-changing trek in the Khumbu, but you need to get to Lukla first. everest2024