How much does it cost to climb mount everest?

[Kevin Rooney]

Apparently this is a popular question ...

 

[hikerfast]

I remember reading 'into thin air' and it said in 1996 the price was from 60,000 to 10000, depending on who you went with. Of course, it could cost your life too. I don't know if the price has changed or if they are still doing all those guided trips. The two most dependable guys were both killed along with about 10 clients, if I remember right

 

[RoySwkr]

Note that he is talking "south side" costs, apparently from Tibet/China there is more of a "Wild West" atmosphere and you can get by with much less. A few years back, a guy who was climbing solo unguided got into trouble and people who walked by him were castigated in the press - you get what you pay for, guy!

 

[DougPaul]

Note that he is talking "south side" costs, apparently from Tibet/China there is more of a "Wild West" atmosphere and you can get by with much less. A few years back, a guy who was climbing solo unguided got into trouble and people who walked by him were castigated in the press - you get what you pay for, guy!

You can get into trouble from either side. Rescue high up is at best very difficult (likely impossible) and puts the rescuers at risk.

It appears that some did attempt to help David Sharp and found him to be beyond help. It would have been suicide to attempt to rescue him. (Past thread: http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?12736-Hillary-rips-climbers-who-left-dying-man)

He is not the first (and will not be the last) dying person to be abandoned high on Everest--it is a very dangerous place where there is essentially no backup.

Doug

 

[Brambor]

Don't support the costs.

It is a mountain for fools.

 

[hikerbrian]

Wow, $45k per person as a starting point and up to $100k per person if you want "ammenities" (numbers from the article). Jeez. Who has that kind of money? Lots of people apparently, but wow. If I had that kind of time and money on my hands, a trip up Everest is not how I'd spend it. But, to each his own...

 

[Brambor]

So true. If it floats your boat then be it but the amount of trash left at various camps along the way for each expedition is perplexing.

If you need a guide to drag you up that mountain then did you really achieve it?

It is not even the most challenging mountain from the big peaks.

If this is really where you'd like to play then work your way towards the peaks by earning your place as a paid guide one day

These are just my rambling opinions. Pay no attention. ;-) I have no credentials to back it up. lol.

Wow, $45k per person as a starting point and up to $100k per person if you want "ammenities" (numbers from the article). Jeez. Who has that kind of money? Lots of people apparently, but wow. If I had that kind of time and money on my hands, a trip up Everest is not how I'd spend it. But, to each his own...

 

[MichaelJ]

Wow, $45k per person as a starting point and up to $100k per person if you want "ammenities" (numbers from the article). Jeez. Who has that kind of money? Lots of people apparently, but wow.

Many are sponsored by, for example, gear manufacturers. Test out the gear, make sure the name is visible in the photos you send from camps and from the summit, and they give a wad of cash towards your expenses. Especially if you're a well-established name in mountaineering.

 

[sierra]

It is a mountain for fools.

Everest is the tallest peak, it is worth climbing for sure. Just because it is attempted by alot of fools dont blame the mountain. Using your criteria, one could say "The franconia ridge is for fools now".

 

[Brambor]

I thought that my statement blamed the fools and not the mountain. Well English is my second language after all so it figures. Sorry about that.

 

[sierra]

I thought that my statement blamed the fools and not the mountain. Well English is my second language after all so it figures. Sorry about that.

No its all good, I just think the mountain gets a bad rap from all the fools that attempt it. English might be my second language too and I grew up here, lol.

 

[hikerbrian]

Many are sponsored by, for example, gear manufacturers.

I guess I'm thinking that's a pretty small percentage of the folks who attempt to climb Everest. Maybe 5%? Surely the vast majority of people who make an attempt are not sponsored?

 

[RoySwkr]

I guess I'm thinking that's a pretty small percentage of the folks who attempt to climb Everest. Maybe 5%? Surely the vast majority of people who make an attempt are not sponsored?

Well, the guides make up over 5% and they're not just sponsored but paid for their time

It's not just gear mfrs that sponsor expeditions, I once sent $5 to sponsor a K2 expedition for which I received a postcard from base camp - they didn't make the summit. And expeditions with a particular focus often get sponsors from local businesses. Rick Wilcox made a movie and no doubt it's helped his business. You don't even have to reach the summit - Beck Weathers is a motivational speaker based on not getting there :-(
http://www.kepplerspeakers.com/speakers/?speaker=Beck+Weathers

 

[PamW]

You don't even have to reach the summit - Beck Weathers is a motivational speaker based on not getting there :-(
http://www.kepplerspeakers.com/speakers/?speaker=Beck+Weathers

Based on being left for dead by his team-mates not once, but twice, and rising Lazurus-like to find help. Quite an example of sheer determination and true grit, IMHO.

 

[Totoket]

per russell birce's web site us dollars is $58615

http://www.himalayanexperience.com/everest-south-side

 

[JacobH]

Slight thread drift but it seems to be going that direction anyway (with the mention of Beck Weathers etc):

Everest IMAX is currently playing on Netflix instant (Also Touching the Void and some other mountaineering/mountain documentaries). Great stuff!

 

[hikerbrian]

Well, the guides make up over 5% and they're not just sponsored but paid for their time

It's not just gear mfrs that sponsor expeditions, I once sent $5 to sponsor a K2 expedition for which I received a postcard from base camp - they didn't make the summit. And expeditions with a particular focus often get sponsors from local businesses. Rick Wilcox made a movie and no doubt it's helped his business. You don't even have to reach the summit - Beck Weathers is a motivational speaker based on not getting there :-(
http://www.kepplerspeakers.com/speakers/?speaker=Beck+Weathers

Not all guides are sponsored (there's a difference between sponsorship and employment).

Rick Wilcox summited more than 20 years ago and times have changed. And as far as I know, even Rick was not sponsored. According to a recent interview, his group (unguided) paid $12k/person just to be on the mountain.

Beck Weathers was not sponsored. And I certainly would not be willing to go through what he went through in order to make a career as a motivational speaker.

No doubt many climbers get some money in creative ways. But I think it's far from easy to get your ticket to Everest paid in full. The number of climbers in the world who have substantial sponsorships (from TNF, Acr'Teryx, etc.) is small. And many of them are not going to Everest.

 

[TCD]

Two things have changed that have run up the prices. First, some years ago (around 1995?) the Government of Nepal greatly increased peak fees for the "expeditionary" (higher) peaks. Second the popularizing of an attainable "list" (in this case, the "seven summits") increased traffic. (Everest was always on a list, "all 14 8000m peaks", but VERY few people aspire to that list. The seven summits list is MUCH easier.

People are willing to drop $ on this, if it's important enough to them. Most ordinary folks could drum up these $ if they REALLY wanted to: quit your job, sell your house and cash in some of your retirement, go climb Everest, and then plan on working ten years longer when you get back. For moderately wealthy people (let's say $2M in the bank), it's not really a big deal to drop 60K if you really want to climb the thing.

(But you can get the "Himalayan experience" for a lot less if you stick to trekking, or to climbing the lower "trekking peaks" which have much lower fees.)

 

[freighttrain48]

Well, the guides make up over 5% and they're not just sponsored but paid for their time

It's not just gear mfrs that sponsor expeditions, I once sent $5 to sponsor a K2 expedition for which I received a postcard from base camp - they didn't make the summit. And expeditions with a particular focus often get sponsors from local businesses. Rick Wilcox made a movie and no doubt it's helped his business. You don't even have to reach the summit - Beck Weathers is a motivational speaker based on not getting there :-(
http://www.kepplerspeakers.com/speakers/?speaker=Beck+Weathers

Rick has also done well over the years with his public speaking fees