{"id":25602,"date":"2017-03-12T01:17:36","date_gmt":"2017-03-12T08:17:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/?p=25602"},"modified":"2017-03-12T01:17:36","modified_gmt":"2017-03-12T08:17:36","slug":"everest-2017-long-climb-everest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alanarnette.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/12\/everest-2017-long-climb-everest\/","title":{"rendered":"Everest 2017: Why Does it Take so Long to Climb Everest?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Climbers are beginning to pack their duffle bags in preparation to leave for Kathmandu. But\u00a0its early March and most people summit around May 19th<\/sup>, so whats the hurry? Good question. Let’s take a look at how long it takes to get to the top of the world.<\/p>\n

The new shiny penny in the world of climbing the big mountains are so-called “speed ascents”. Known by other adjectives, let’s just call them fast or speedy but not to be confused with what Uli Steck does, which is real speed climbing. Anyway, this is where climbers hope to cut the time required to summit an 8000 meter peak by a third or even a half.<\/p>\n

Pre-Acclimatization: Real or Marketing for Everest Climbers?<\/h3>\n

There are huge mixed feelings about this as you will read when I post my interview with perhaps the most qualified Everest expedition leader out there, Russell Brice. In a recent Bloomberg<\/a> (a business oriented publication) article about mountain guide and owner of Alpenglow<\/a>,\u00a0Adrian Ballinger’s use of this marketing tool, his competitors made these comments:<\/p>\n

\u201cComplete bloody hogwash,\u201d\u00a0says Simon Lowe, managing director of Jagged Globe<\/a>, the British mountaineering company founded in 1987, and one of rapid-ascent climbing\u2019s most vocal critics.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s snake oil.\u201d Russell Brice,\u00a0the 64-year-old New Zealander\u00a0who runs Himalaya Expeditions<\/a>, agrees, flatly discounting the tents\u2019 safety. Guy Cotter, who runs Adventure Consultants<\/a>, warned that the tents, which mimic the oxygen concentration at altitude instead of the change in air pressure, can interfere with sleep in the final weeks of training, when it\u2019s most important.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Ballinger was mentioned\u00a0in the article defending his approach:<\/p>\n

Ballinger remains convinced that the tent works based\u00a0on a trove of evidence that he has gathered on himself. He does his own blood work during training, and he has seen a spike in red blood cells for all 15 expeditions that he\u2019s used Hypoxico.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And the CEO\u00a0of Hypoxico<\/a>, Brian Oestrike (and a friend) made this perplexing statement regarding the science of using the in-home altitude tents:<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have to acclimatize, either at true altitude or in some simulated way, and we help with that,\u201d Oestrike said. \u201cJust because the science isn\u2019t there yet, doesn\u2019t mean it doesn\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

By the way I did a deep look at the use of altitude tents and asked the well respected Dr. Peter Hackett<\/a> on his views plus interviewed Brian Oestrike. You can read it at this link<\/a><\/p>\n

To be clear, I have had many climbers who used these tents say their blood chemistry did react and they felt better upon arriving at base camp. So with this battle, either real or marketing in play, let’s move on.<\/p>\n

With the caveat that every guide service will have their own schedule, techniques and habits, what I will describe is a broad generalization based on my six climbs on Everest and Lhotse (not all summits), two climbs in Tibet plus 15 years of following the Everest season on both sides.<\/p>\n

OK, with that, most guides will advise their members to book 2 months 60 days, home to home, for an Everest attempt. The Himalayan Database shows that most expeditions spend about 40 days on average after<\/strong>\u00a0they reach base camp in their attempt.<\/p>\n

So, let’s break it down. There are six\u00a0major components to climbing Everest:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Travel to Kathmandu or Lhasa<\/li>\n
  2. Travel to Base Camp<\/li>\n
  3. Acclimatization Rotations<\/li>\n
  4. Summit Attempt<\/li>\n
  5. Travel back to Kathmandu<\/li>\n
  6. Travel home<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    OK, here we go.<\/p>\n

    Travel from Home<\/h3>\n

    The flight from home can take up to three calendar days when taking into account time zones and date\u00a0lines. Not much you can do about that! Once in Kathmandu, most teams will take one to three days to finalize details, adjust to the new time zone and get their climbing\u00a0permits. Those climbing from Nepal will fly to Lukla to begin their trek to base camp. Most team climbing from\u00a0the north side will take a flight to Lhasa from Kathmandu.<\/p>\n

    Getting to Base Camp<\/h3>\n

    Crossing into China<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \"Altitude<\/a><\/p>\n

    For those climbing\u00a0on the Tibet side, this short period\u00a0can easily turn into a week or two delay. The Chinese are well known for closing the border without notice and without giving a reason. Climbers are basically stranded until someone in Beijing changes their\u00a0mind.<\/p>\n

    These closures are usually associated with fear of protests by foreigners about Tibet and often match up\u00a0with anniversaries of riots, uprising or previous conflicts. This is the primary reason, I think climbing from the Nepal side reduces\u00a0the risks, with all due respect to those who fear that side for other reasons.<\/p>\n

    The travel to Chinese Base Camp on the Tibet side is fairly standard, especially when leaving from Lhasa. Climbers are driven to base camp by a representative of the Chinese Mountaineering Association (CMA). That usually takes about five days from Lhasa, assuming you can get there. Travel from Kathmandu is iffy as previously discussed but if possible will also take about five days with acclimatization stops along the way.<\/p>\n

    As I opened this article with, the\u00a0“speed” operators will have their members sleep in altitude tents (at an extra cost or bundled into an artificially\u00a0high price) and be acclimatized to 17,000’\/5200m or about the altitude\u00a0of base camp.<\/p>\n

    This eliminates the need to trek to base camp on the south, but on the north, you still have\u00a0to be driven by the CMA to Chinese Base Camp (CBC)\u00a0but would take two days, not the more standard five that allows for acclimatization along the way.<\/p>\n

    Trekking the Khumbu<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Travel to Everest Base Camp (EBC) on the Nepal side is a totally different story. Most people cherish the opportunity to trek the Khumbu on their way to EBC. \u00a0It takes between 7 to 10 days depending on how many acclimatization\u00a0nights you take (more is better). Some people will go via Gokyo using an extra few days to see this beautiful part of Nepal.<\/p>\n

    \"Khumbu\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    But those in a hurry will take helicopters to reach base camp on the Nepal side. Advocates will tell members that\u00a0this will keep them healthy by avoiding the teahouses in the Khumbu.<\/p>\n

    While it is true that almost everyone will get some kind of stomach bug at some point on an Everest climb, I think its best to get it out of the way early rather than at base camp a few days before your summit push. In my experience, 90% of ALL climbers, regardless of how they get to EBC, get sick. This is not a knock on hygiene, it is a fact of life when adjusting to a completely different type of food.<\/p>\n

    But more to the point, I think the trek to EBC is a highlight of any Everest climb\u00a0and an opportunity to support the local economy thru porters, yak\u00a0herders, teahouses and the families who grow and sell food. Plus the scenery is some\u00a0of the best on the planet!<\/p>\n

    OK, in any event, you made it your respective base camp. Congratulations!<\/p>\n

    Acclimatization<\/h3>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    This is the area of great change in the world of climbing. Even if you pre-acclimatize, as Brian said earlier, you have to acclimatize to a higher altitude- full stop. By acclimatizing to 17,000′ , you still\u00a0have another 12,000’\/3600m to go!<\/p>\n

    The common wisdom for those climbing on supplemental oxygen, about 97% of all Everest summiteers historically, is that you need to touch or better yet spend a night at 23,000’\/7,000m. This is Camp 3 on the South and the North Col on the North. If you are not using supplemental oxygen, then the rule of thumb is to reach 8000 meters before your summit attempt.<\/p>\n

    Nepal Side Rotations<\/h3>\n

    In the “old” days ~ pre-2005~ the usual rotation looked like what I show in this animation I created:<\/p>\n