The approached to its south side climbing route is via the Khumbu region of Nepal leading up to the Khumbu Glacier, which extends down to Lobuche (4900m). The approach trek starts with the flight to Lukla and the trek via Namche Bazaar (3440m), Tengaboche (36600m), Pheriche (4270m), Lobuche (4910m), GorakShep (5140m) to Everest South Base Camp (5364m). It takes typically 8 days to reach the ABC from Kathmandu.

South route is technically a trekking route with a little objective danger once past the Khumbu icefall apart of few crevasses and seracs bridged by ladders, couple short ice cliffs around camp 3 and rock sections protected with fixed lines. There is an obvious danger of high altitude sickness complications and changeable, unpredictable mountain weather.

The Khumbu Icefall is a steep glacier with obvious implication of large crevasses and treacherous unstable seracs making navigation complicated and riddled with high objective danger of falling ice. This is the most dangerous part of the climb. At the beginning of the climbing period, Climbing Sherpas set the route through the icefall installing ladders across crevasses and along vertical seracs ice walls for efficient and easy climbing. These arrangements make climb of the Khumbu ice fall possible, efficient and relatively safe especially early morning before the sunrise, when the ice structure is well frozen. Khumbu ice fall is very dangerous in the afternoon due to its western aspect.

Camp 1 (6065m) is located on the top of Khumbu ice fall; it is a desolate and exposed place mainly used as rest and transition location on the way to camp 2 (6750m). The glacier between camp 1 and 2 flattens but there are still large crevasses close to camp 1, which are also fixed with ladders.

Camp 2 is located on a lateral moraine at the bottom of West Ridge. It is a very safe and sheltered location with tremendous views on Lhotse. All companies set-up their main climbing camp for the duration of climbing period with tents for individual climbers, the kitchen and dining tents. Camp 2 is main acclimatization camp and the base for camp 3 acclimatization climb and the final summit attempt.

Camp 3 (7100m) is located on small ledge on the Lhotse wall. One has to cross the glacier to the right side before 40deg600m climb on the compact snow field. The route is safe with couple of short less than 3m high ice cliffs, which Climbing Sherpas set up with fixed ropes.

Camp 4 (7920m) located at South Col is the last camp; it is easily accessible by majority of climbers without supplementary oxygen. There are two rock sections to navigate before camp 4: Yellow Bands interlayer marble, Phyllis and semi schist rocks and Geneva Spur, an anvil shaped rib of black rocks; they are again set-up with fixed ropes.

Summit section is the southwest ridge leading to the south summit, steep mostly snowy ridge with some rock sections at the Balconies, a convenient resting platform. The entire route is protected with fixed ropes, which is crucial for safety of all climbers, who are all affected by altitude with low energy and impaired judgments due to oxygen deprivation in the brain and muscle tissue.

From the south summit there is knife edge ridge section with dangerous overhanging cornices; the most exposed section of the climb between 3050m Kangshung face and southwest face and Hillary step at the end, a series of imposing rock steps often bypassed on deep the snow and a serious avalanche dange

We offer high quality and safety Full Board service for our customers and Basecamp service for independent climbers for Everest and Lhotse spring climbing seasons. Our standard departure is on 1 April and after recommended 9 days hike to the Basecamp through beautiful Khumbu villages, we maintain Basecamp services for 43 days for all climbers. Our full board clients will also enjoy camp 2 service and we assign a personal Sherpa Climbing Guide to every full board climber and provide 4 bottles of POISK Oxygen and Top Out masks and regulators as well as all high camp and camping equipment.

Full Board Service
Snowy Horizon Treks & Expedition offers Full Board Service for our entire standard set of flagship Mountaineering Expeditions to Everest/Lhotse, Shishapangma and Chu Oyu as well as all other 8000m peaks. Our Full Board service means that we will provide a Trekking service, an in-Basecamp service plus High camp service executed by your Sherpa Climbing Guide.  All our Full Board clients will have a personal Sherpa Climbing guide exclusively dedicated to the client for the duration of the climb.

The role of the Sherpa Climbing Guide is to:

1. Work with our Sherpa Guides Team to establish and secure climbing route in collaboration with other climbing teams participating on the route;

2. Establish all high camps with camping equipment, provisions and oxygen; prepare high altitude food for his client;

3. Assist his client on the route and ensure client safety and wellbeing on the route through guiding and negotiating the route access priorities at pace and schedule determined by clients’ physical condition and preferred pace;

4. Provide tactical high altitude strategy for acclimatisation sequence, monitor client in high camps for any adverse high altitude signs and symptoms and to provide sound support and advise on climbing schedule;

5. Ensure total commitment to the client in case of emergency with clients’ safety and wellbeing as overriding priority.

As part of High camp service for Full Board Service clients we will provide all equipment necessary to fix the route, all camping equipment, fuel and food for high camps as well as oxygen provision, including Top Out mask and regulator and POISK oxygen  in quantities specified in your climbing itinerary.
For Nepal side Everest climb we will establish semi-permanent camp 2 with service tent and toilet facilities exclusively availableto our Full Board service clients.

Basecamp Service
Snowy Horizon Treks & Expedition offers limited spaces for high quality Basecamp service for independent climbers for Everest/Lhotse, Shishapangma and Chu Oyu as well as all other 8000m peaks. Our Basecamp service means Trekking service and in-Basecamp service only. For customers using our Basecamp service only we do not provide any support above the Basecamp. Our Basecamp service doesn’t include icefall charges or route fixing fee. As Basecamp service only customer you may be asked by Basecamp Authorities to cover these charges. The Basecamp service is the facility offered to experienced and independent climbers, who intend to execute the route in unsupported mode.
Our Trekking service available to all our customers will cover food and accommodation on the trek as per itinerary, all itinerary transportation including itinerary airfare, park entry fee, TIMS card, climbing permit, guide and porter service with baggage allowance specified in your itinerary.
Our in-Basecamp service available to all our customers will cover personal tent in the basecamp, use of our basecamp facilities including, 24 hours access to the mess tent, toilets, battery chargers and access to basecamp communication equipment and first aid.
While in Basecamp we will provide 3 meals per day for both Full Board and Basecamp service clients and unrestricted access to cold and hot drinks and hot water for drinking as well as laundry and personal hygiene.

Technically Everest expedition is possible on either side of monsoon change when the monsoon direction changes and it opens for very few days a climbing window, where wind speed drops and it makes possible to summit. As most of 8000m peaks are climbable in both seasons we strongly discourage autumn attempt on Everest.

If you however decide to attempt Everest in autumn; be that due to lower permit fee or any other reason you should schedule you flight to Lukla at the end of August and aim for the summit around the end of October. Unlike in spring when the temperature on the summit increases for the climbing day; in autumn conditions deteriorate when summit time approaches. Temperatures drop and wind direction changes bringing cold winter winds making the climb risky and hard.

Spring is the right time for the Everest attempt and our standard departure is on April 1.