- Itinerary
- Dates and Costs
- Gear List
- Why Madison Mountaineering?
Day 1: Arrive Kathmandu. We pick you up at the airport and go to the iconic Yak & Yeti hotel where we do an equipment check, then see some of the famous sights in Kathmandu such as Buddhist and Hindu temples, then we have a team dinner before heading off to bed.
Day 2: Helicopter flight to Namche Bazaar. We depart the Yak & Yeti hotel early and fly into the Khumbu valley to the village of Namche Bazaar, where we stay in the lovely Panorama lodge. We tour the ‘capital of the Khumbu’ village and have a restful night at 10,500 ft.
Day 3: Acclimatization hike above Namche. We hike to the Everest View Hotel and have tea overlooking the iconic peaks of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Ama Dablam. We return to our lodge and spend the night.
Day 4: Trek to Debuche. We trek through the beautiful Khumbu valley to the Tengboche monastery, then descend into the rhododendron forest to our lodge for the night.
Day 5: Trek to Pheriche. We continue trekking up the Khumbu valley with magnificent views of Ama Dablam. We stop in Pangboche for a blessing by the ‘high lama’ of the Buddhist monastery, then continue onward to the Edelweiss lodge for the night.
Day 6: Acclimatization hike above Pheriche. We hike up a nearby ridge to gain a spectacular view of many famous Himalayan peaks such as Makalu, Cho Oyu, Cholatse, and Ama Dablam. We return to Pheriche and visit the Himalayan Rescue Association medical post for a talk on altitude issues with the human body. We have a restful night in our lodge.
Day 7: Trek to Lobuche. We trek upwards and visit the Everest memorials, taking in this heavy yet important legacy to climbers that have perished on the mountain. We continue to the village of Lobuche where we stay for the night. We visit the ‘world’s highest bakery’ for coffee and pastries before dinner.
Day 8: Arrive in Everest base camp! We trek past the village of Gorak Shep, then hike up nearby Kala Pattar (18,250) for a magnificent view of Mount Everest, then continue to base camp. We arrive in base camp and have a hot meal, then tour the camp and move into our personal tents for the duration of our stay. We do an ice climbing info session and prepare for our first day out climbing!
Days 9-12: Climb on! After a hearty breakfast we head out onto the Khumbu ice pinnacles! Our staff has already set up a course with several routes we can climb and practice our techniques on. Tim Emmett instructs climbers as we gradually tackle more difficult ice routes and pinnacles during the program. In addition to ice climbing on top rope & lead climbing, we discuss and practice fixed line ascension, tyrolean traverses, zip-lining, and free soloing, all from one of Ice Climbing’s pioneering and top climbers in the world. Each day climbers are provided with 3 hot meals in Madison Mountaineering’s luxury base camp, and climbers have access to the camp’s hot showers, leisure tent, WiFi, and laundry service.
Day 13: Climbers depart Everest base camp by helicopter and fly to Kathmandu. This helicopter flight is truly one of the most spectacular helicopter flights in the world, as we first have a scenic tour of Everest base camp and the surrounding peaks, then descend around and have birds-eye views of the peaks that we came to know from our trek in such as Ama Dablam and Cholatse. We have a celebratory team dinner in Kathmandu then sleep in the Yak & Yeti hotel in preparation for our departure from Nepal.
Day 14: We head to the airport to board our flights for home.
Mount Everest Ice Climbing Adventure
- March 27 - April 9, 2024
Deposit: USD 2,500
Costs Include:
- Accommodations at the Yak & Yeti hotel for one night before and one night after travel into the Khumbu
- Airport pick up upon arrival
- Welcome dinner in Kathmandu
- All in-country flights
- All lodging while in the Khumbu
- All meals while in the Khumbu
- Permits and Park entrance fees
- Guide, Sherpa guides, Nepali staff to carry loads, etc.
Costs Do Not Include:
- Personal items (see Equipment list)
- Bank wire transfer fees, if applicable
- Meals in Kathmandu
- Alcoholic beverages
- Bottled or canned beverages
- Specialty coffee or espresso drinks
- Option to upgrade to single room
- Trip cancelation insurance or the required medical evacuation insurance
- Any costs as the result of an early departure from the program
Cancellation/Refund Policy
- There are no refunds for the deposit or balance payments for this expedition. This includes but is not limited to, expeditions that conclude without reaching or making progress towards expedition objective(s) (for example, the summit) due to route conditions, weather, insufficient manpower, or any other factor outside the control of Madison Mountaineering.
- Expedition leader has the final say on the expedition conclusion and will make all best efforts towards reaching expedition objective(s) within our margin of safety.
- Participants that choose to leave an active expedition for any reason are not entitled to any refunds
- Madison Mountaineering, LLC highly recommends trip cancellation insurance for all expeditions
- Due to the nature and heavy costs of government and operator permits, Madison Mountaineering must adhere to a stringent refund policy
- Deposit due with registration materials
- All balances are due 120 days prior to departure date unless otherwise specified
- Participants whose balances are not received by the 120-day deadline as stated above, risk forfeiture of their funds and their place on the expedition
Note: Madison Mountaineering, LLC reserves the right to waive any fees. As we offer personalized service, we will attempt to accommodate changes and cancellations when necessary, waiving certain fees when feasible. Deposits paid by participants acknowledge the above cancellation terms.
Base Layers
- Synthetic Short Underwear (2-3 pair): non-cotton style underwear
- Heavyweight Long Underwear (1 pair)
- Short Sleeve Synthetic Shirt (1-2)
Mid Layer
- Soft Shell Jacket: to be worn over other layers
- Soft Shell Pants: very breathable and water repellant
- Lightweight Nylon Pants (1-2 pair)
Waterproof/Rain Layers
- Hard Shell Jacket with hood: waterproof and breathable shell jacket
- Hard Shell Pants: waterproof and breathable shell pants
Insulation Layers
- Insulated Jacket: PrimaLoft or Down
- Heavyweight Insulated Down Jacket with hood
- Insulated Pants
Headwear
- Warm Hat: synthetic or wool hat (ski hat)
- Balaclava: to protect your neck and face in high winds
- Baseball Cap or other sun hat: to shade your face/neck from the sun on a hot day
- Bandana or Buff: to protect your neck/face from the sun
Eyewear
- Glacier Glasses: full protection with side covers or wrap around
- Ski Goggles (optional): to be worn in the event of high winds
Gloves
- Lightweight Synthetic Base Layer Gloves: for wearing on a hot day
- Soft Shell Gloves: to wear for moderate cold/wind
- Waterproof Shell Glove with Insulated Liner (2 pair): for ice climbing
- Expedition Mitts: large enough to fit a liner glove inside
Footwear
- Liner Socks (3 pairs)
- Wool or Synthetic Socks (3 pairs)
- Ice Climbing boots
- Hiking Boots/Shoes: comfortable boots or shoes for the trek to base camp
- Gaiters (optional)
- Booties (optional)
Sleeping Equipment
- Sleeping Bag: rated to at least -20°F
- Self-inflating Sleeping Pad: full length is preferred
- Closed-cell Foam Pad: to be used in conjunction with the inflating pad for warmth and comfort when sleeping
- Earplugs
Ice Climbing Gear
- Ice Climbing Backpack: approximately 35L
- Compression Stuff Sacks: for reducing the volume of the sleeping bag, down parka, etc., in your pack/duffels
- Trash Compactor Bags: to line backpack and stuff sacks as well as for separating gear
- Backpack Rain Cover (optional)
- Trekking Backpack: to carry on the trek to base camp. Simple and light.
- Trekking Poles with Snow Baskets: adjustable poles
- Ice Axes (2): technical ice climbing tools (less than 60cm)
- Crampons: ice climbing crampons
- Climbing Helmet: must be able to fit over your warm hat
- Ascender: 1 right or left-hand ascender
- Accessory Cord: 30 feet (9m) of 6mm accessory cord
- Alpine Climbing Harness: mountaineering harness, with adjustable leg loops. Not a rock-climbing “sport” harness
- Carabineers: 2 regular and 4 locking
- Belay/Rappel device
- Headlamp: with 2 extra sets of new batteries
Travel Items
- Large Duffel Bags with Locks (2): for transporting gear
- Carry-on Backpack: can use trekking backpack, approximately 18” x 16” x 10” (46cm x 41cm x 26cm)
- Travel Clothes: for days in cities and towns
- Lightweight journal, sketchbook, pencils, pen
- U.S. cash: for currency exchange to purchase SIM cards or merchandise in cities and villages
Additional Food Items
- Snack Food: bring a few days’ supply of your favorite climbing snack food such as bars, gels, nuts, beef jerky, etc.
variety of salty and sweet is good
Other Equipment
- Cup: plastic 16 oz. minimum cup or mug
- Bowl: large plastic bowl for eating dinner or breakfast
- Spoon: plastic spoon (Lexan)
- Water Bottles (2): wide mouth bottles with 1-liter capacity
- Water Bottle Parkas (2): fully insulated with zip opening
- Water Treatment (optional): UV-based or tablets
- Thermos: 1 liter
- Hand and Toe Warmers
- Sunscreen: SPF 50 or better
- Lip Screen (2 sticks): SPF 30 or better
- Toiletry Bag: include toilet paper and hand sanitizer
- Pee bottle: 1-liter minimum bottle for convenience at night
- Female Urination Device (FUD)
- Knife or Multi-tool
- Small Personal First-aid Kit: include athletic tape, band-aids, Ibuprofen, blister care, cough drops, etc.
- Medications and Prescriptions: bring antibiotics (Azithromycin, etc.), and altitude medicine such as Diamox and dexamethasone
- Handkerchiefs/Bandanas (optional)
Optional Electronics
- Country-appropriate power plug adapters and power transformers
- Adventure Sports Watch: such as Garmin fēnix 6
- GPS/Personal Satellite Communicator: such as Garmin inReach Mini
- Personal Power System: such as Goal Zero Nomad 28 Plus Solar Panel and Sherpa 100AC Power Bank
- Digital Entertainment: movies, tv shows, music, books loaded on to smartphone, iPad, Kindle
- Camera: bring extra batteries, charger, and memory cards
- Portable Travel Humidifier: battery powered
Madison Mountaineering is recognized for well thought out strategy in leading high altitude climbing expeditions, as well as high-quality service throughout. We have two decades of experience in the planning and coordination of mountaineering expeditions, our reputation is excellent. We strive to make each expedition the best possible experience for our climbers and focus on our 3 primary goals of success in reaching the summit, returning safely, and having fun! Safety is always our number one priority.
Our guides are some of the best and most experienced in the industry, having a strong grasp of technical climbing, expedition, and high altitude experience, along with strong interpersonal skills. Our teams are small and equipped with the best support available to ensure the highest chance of success. We are renowned for our comfortable base camps, high-quality food, first-rate communications, and medical support services, all of which are overseen by a professional member of our team.
Most of our climbers have either climbed with us before, been referred by a friend who has climbed with us, or met one of our teams while attempting another peak and decided to join us for their next expedition. We work hard to facilitate safe, successful, and enjoyable expeditions for all of our climbers. Our track record and past climber testimonials prove we are highly competent experts in our field and love what we do!
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