When it comes to actually executing an expedition such as Everest, the question of where to begin certainly looms large.
When it comes to the level of excitement Everest generates, it is clearly not just another mountain, but the most exhilarating project
one can imagine planning. Piecing together the Everest Freestyle
Expedition budget has been a thrilling experience...believe it or not!
Everest does present a major challenge where the budget is concerned. The Nepalese and Chinese governments have been quick to apply the laws of supply and demand where the 'big E' is concerned, and the expense associated with climbing it has become immense as a result. Consequently, the considerable budget required to mount an Everest expedition makes it unlike any other mountain...where funds are concerned.
At the end of
the day though,
emotions set
aside, Everest
is just a big
lump of snow,
ice and rock
almost like any
other. To climb
it requires that
certain
resources be put
in place:
transport to the
mountain, food,
clothing,
shelter and gear
must all be
carefully
thought through.
Everest, by
virtue of its
extreme
altitude,
requires some
additional and
specialized
equipment. When
planning for
success, we have
ordered the very
best : in oxygen
gear, high
altitude boots
and down suits.
There are many
agencies for
hire in
Kathmandu to
assist with
logistics, base
camp
infrastructure
and with
official
documentation
requirements
such as permits,
visas, and staff
insurance.
Choosing a good
agency is a
matter of
experience and
taste. We have
chosen the very
best agency
with, in our
opinion, the
very best
Sherpas, to
handle all of
the logistics
for our
expedition.
The preparations for our Everest expedition have been underway
since January
2005, and will amount to a
many months of
continuous
planning by the time we depart for the mountain.
Base Camp and Related
Our logistics
agency will
provide us with
base camp staff,
including cooks,
kitchen boys and
yak drivers.
Also included in
the logistics
agency's
fee is all of
the food the
team will eat at
Base Camp and
Advanced Base
Camp for the
60-day duration
of the
expedition.
The agency will also provide the expedition with considerable
'tentage',
including dining
and kitchen
tents at Base
Camp and
Advanced Base
Camp. The
agency's fee also includes payment to the Chinese Mountaineering Association, our peak permit for Everest, Tibetan visas,
Nepalese visas, payment to our Liaison Officer, official interpreter, and the use of Land Cruisers from our entry point into Tibet at Zhangmu,
to Everest Base
Camp and
return...through
both Nepal (for
the summit
climbers) and
Tibet (for the
support team).
Communications
Communications are an absolutely vital part of any modern Everest expedition. In our case, we must be extremely well connected, in order to report on the progress of our expedition to our sponsors, our supporters, and family and friends.
Group and Personal Gear: The 2 Big Lists
A well-planned gear list is essential to the success of a climbing expedition. At the end of the day, we are going to Tibet to climb, and specialized equipment is required to achieve success. We are of the philosophy that all team members, including Sherpas, must have access to the same gear. Once on the mountain, we must have every possible piece of gear possibly contemplated, as a quick run to the local mountain shop will be impossible at that point.
Travel and Associated
Mount Everest is not only the world's highest mountain, but it also happens to be located on the opposite side of the planet from
North America. Our budget reflects the complex task of journeying so far from home with such a major goal to achieve.
The Everest Freestyle Expedition is a ongoing
project
and part of the
Secret Spot
Seven Summits
project .
Spanning
the expedition(s)
over many years provides
many benefits
for our sponsors
and us.
This
schedule will
allow us to
thoroughly test
all of our
equipment at
altitude and
ensure that our
video
conferencing and
live web
broadcasting
efforts are
brought to their
full potential.
Thusly, our
primary mission
goals can be
attained and we
can continually
foster long-term
relationships
with our
sponsors and
long-term
promotion of
their products.
2007
Trek to South Side Base Camp
Dates:
May 2007
– June 2007
Our team departed from LAX at the end of May
2007 for a trek
to the South
Side Base Camp
in Nepal.
It took
approximately
ten days to
reach Base Camp from Kathmandu,
Nepal...due to
the
acclimatization
process. Once
there, we tested
all of our
equipment as
well as
fine-tuned our
web broadcasts
and video
conferences. During this time, we also captured a large amount of
video and still
photography to
further promote
our Expedition
with the media
and our
sponsors.
It is our intent that each one of our sponsors
truly gains
recognition from
this Expedition.
In order for us
to make that
happen, we need
to be well
supported and
have all our
equipment and
lines of
communication
functioning
properly. This
can only be
confirmed by
rigorous testing
and the
diligence we
pride ourselves
in having.
2008 Everest Traverse Expedition
...has been
postponed due to
the 'Olympic
Torch Parade'!
We are going to
watch the
'Olympic Torch
Parade' from the
base camp of one
of the World's
other Seven
Summits...via
satellite modem!
Visit our the
SecretSpotEverest
Blog
to get details
of our revised
plans!
2009 Everest Traverse Expedition
Dates:
March – June 2009
(exact dates to
be determined)
The push to the summit of Everest and the traverse
of this
massif...by
ascending on the
Tibetan (north)
Side and
descending on
the Nepalese
(south) Side…this will be the culmination of all our collective efforts and dreams. With Phill’s demonstration of the benefits of the advances in medical science and the pioneering of live and interactive podcasts from one of the most remote locations on earth- it is our hope that the success of the 2009 Summit Traverse Expedition will inspire others to follow their own dreams and strive to achieve them.
The detailed timeline for the 2009 Everest Traverse
Expedition is as
follows:
Day 1 Depart from
home to Kathmandu, Nepal
Day 3 Arrive
Kathmandu
Day 4-6 Preparations
Kathmandu
Day 7 Drive to Zhangmu, Tibet.
Day 8 Drive to Nyalam, Tibet (3,700m)
Day 9 Drive to Tingri, Tibet (4,300m)
Day 10-11 Acclimatization, Tingri
Day 12 Drive to Everest Base Camp (BC) (5,200m)
Day 13-14 Rest/Acclimatization in BC
Day 15 Hike to interim camp en route to Advanced Base Camp (ABC)
Day 16 Hike to ABC (6,400m)
Day 17-18 Rest/Acclimatize/Organize in ABC
Day 19 Climb to Camp 1 (North Col 7,000m) and return to
ABC
Day 20-21 Rest/Acclimatize/Organize in ABC
Day 22 Climb to Camp 1
Day 23-24 Attempt to reach Camp 2 (7,800m)
Day 25 Return to ABC
Day 26 Return to BC
Day 27-30 Rest in BC
Day 31-32 Climb back to ABC
Day 33 Climb to Camp 1
Day 34 Climb to Camp 2
Day 35 Attempt to reach Camp 3 (8,300m)
Day 36 Return to ABC
Day 37 Return to BC
Day 38-41 Rest in BC
Day 42 Climb to ABC
Day 43 Rest in ABC, prepare for first summit attempt
Day 44 Climb to Camp 1
Day 45 Climb to Camp 2
Day 46 Climb to Camp 3
Day 47 First summit attempt (8,848m)
Day 48 First summit attempt
Day 49 Return to Camp 1
Day 50 Return to ABC
Day 51-60 Further summit attempts, conditions allowing
Day 61
Descend from
summit down
the into
Nepal
Day 62-63 Descend down through South Side camps with Sherpa ‘Receiving Team’ to Everest South Side Base Camp
Day 64-75 Begin trek down to Gorak Shep for the celebration…and on to Lhukla to catch the plane back to Kathmandu!
