Paperwork
Please take the time to read the entire Logistics section in full. If you have questions, feel free to call or email the Alpine Ascents office.
Make sure you submit the following paperwork to Alpine Ascents as soon as possible after registering for your climb.
⎕ Passport copy
⎕ Two passport photos
⎕ Flight itinerary
⎕ Risk Release Form
⎕ Medical Release Form
⎕ Bio Data Form
⎕ Trip Evacuation Insurance Confirmation (required)
⎕ Proof of Vaccination
⎕ Please see COVID-19 requirements for additional paperwork to enter to Nepal
Trip Insurance & Evacuation Coverage
We highly recommend trip insurance as there are many unforeseen circumstances that can occur leading up to a trip. Evacuation coverage, however, is required for this trip. Evacuation insurance is not ‘insurance,’ as one must usually contact the insurance company prior to evacuation, and the insurance agency will make payment to directly to those conducting the evacuation.
Please click the link below for more information. Note: you can also get trip cancellation insurance through this provider.
Getting There
Note that trip dates include travel time from your home country. A day-to-day itinerary can be found with your confirmation letter. Flight reservations for your expedition should be made as soon as possible.
Flying to Kathmandu, Nepal
This climb begins and ends in the Kathmandu, Nepal. For those arriving early or departing after the scheduled itinerary, we are happy to make hotel and airport transfer arrangements.
Upon Arrival: We will pick you up at the airport. Please look for an Alpine Ascents sign upon leaving the terminal. You may encounter individuals approaching to assist you with your luggage. We recommend declining their services and walking out to the pick-up area where you will find an Alpine Ascents representative, who you need not tip.
If you have issues at the airport, you can contact our local representative Jiban Ghimire on his mobile at: 977-985-103-5161, email: [email protected]
Flight Information
Your departure date should be changeable as the actual return to Kathmandu is difficult to predict with lengthy expeditions.
Alpine Ascents uses the services of Charles Mulvehill email: charles.[email protected]. He is very familiar with our international programs and offers competitive prices. We recommend using our travel agent as he can best facilitate changes.
Missed Flights: Your guide will reach out prior to your trip with a local contact number. If you miss your flight, please contact this number. A secondary contact is our Director of Programs, Gordon Janow, at (206) 419-0097 (texting is ok).
Lodging in Kathmandu
The scheduled hotel for this expedition is the historic Yak & Yeti. Alpine Ascents will make the initial hotel reservations. Climbers will be paired in rooms unless a single room is requested. Single Room Supplements are only available in Kathmandu; we cannot pre book private rooms in the Khumbu.
Hotel Yak & Yeti
P.O. Box. 1016, Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: 977-1-4248999, 240520
Website: yakandyeti.com
Getting a Visa
For those who can, we recommend getting a visa from the Embassy before the trip.
Currently each climber needs a copy of their climbing/trekking permit and hotel reservation to obtain a visa (whether getting an e-visa, visa on arrival, or obtained via the Embassy). Alpine Ascents will supply a copy of this permit and hotel confirmation with further instructions.
For those who will obtain a visa upon arrival at the airport, you will need to have 2 passport photos ready. It is recommended that you expedite the visa process by arriving at the airport with forms already completed using the online visa application process: http://online.nepalimmigration.gov.np/tourist-visa
Online Visa Instructions:
Only complete 15 days or less before departure
Select 90 day visa
Hotel: Yak and Yeti
Street number:1016
Street: Durbar Marg
Municipality: KTM
Ward: 1
District: 3
“Local address” is the same as hotel address
Please be advised that you must have a valid US passport that does not expire for at least 6 months from date of entry for most countries and have blank pages available in your passport.
Gear List
Please refer to your Gear List:
You are required to bring every item on this list as described, so be as precise as possible when packing. We are happy to work closely with you on finding the proper gear.
If you plan to rent gear, your rental form must be submitted at least a month prior to expedition start date. Gear is also available for online purchase at the Alpine Ascents Equipment Store where climbers on an Alpine Ascents expedition will receive a discount. Please call our office or e-mail [email protected] with any questions.
Other Resources
Below are articles written by veteran Alpine Ascents guides that you may find helpful in preparing and packing for your expedition.
Medications & Prescriptions for Mountain Climbing
Not on the Gear List, but in our Backpacks
Packing Tips
People generally take too much “stuff” rather than too little. Study each item before you pack it. Eliminate redundant items, extra changes of clothing, and excessive “nice to have” luxuries. You will benefit from traveling light because of the costs of excess baggage and because of the frequent loading and unloading of bags. Remember to review your airline’s weight limits and pack accordingly. Traveling light may be your key to summit success. Take everything on the required equipment list and little else.
Organizing Gear
For an expedition of this scale, luggage can feel complicated. Please read through the following guide for smooth and efficient travel.
You need four different types of luggage for this trip:
- Expedition Backpack – 55-60 liter pack for carrying gear while climbing above basecamp.
- Large Duffel Bags – 2-3 of the biggest, burliest duffels available. Think 150-liters in size.
- Trekking Pack – 30-40 liter pack for carrying gear while trekking to basecamp.
- Small Duffel – useful as a carry-on when traveling to Nepal, and for storing belongings at the hotel that you are not taking into the mountains.
Stage 1 – Travel to Nepal
Pack everything (except for a few items mentioned below) into your large duffels and check it in with your airline. We recommend packing your empty expedition pack inside one of these duffels.
Pack your small duffel or small trekking pack as your carry-on, and remember any usual comfort items for international air travel. Staying relaxed prior to your expedition will contribute to your success on the climb!
Stage 2 – Trip Prep in Kathmandu
It’s nice to have a small selection of town clothes with you, suitable for touring the city, going out to dinner, etc. While in Kathmandu, we complete a thorough gear check and reorganize our luggage. Here’s how we pack:
- Small duffel – anything not coming into the mountains, like your town clothes. You’ll check this in with your hotel and it will be stored until you return.
- Basecamp duffels – the gear you need for climbing the upper mountain but not needed on the trek to basecamp. These 1-2 duffels will be taken straight to basecamp, you will not have access to them while trekking in.
- Trekking duffel– 1 large duffel of the gear you need at night while on the trek to basecamp. This duffel will be carried by yak, you will not have access to it while hiking during the day.
- Trekking pack – the gear you will carry on your back while trekking.
Stage 3 – Climbing the Mountain
Once you arrive at basecamp, you will have access to all your gear except the small duffel of items left at our hotel in Kathmandu. You guides will advise on what gear to pack each day for the rest of the climb.
Expenses
We recommend using a combination of cash and credit cards for purchases, meals in the city, and extra expenses.
Credit cards are accepted at our hotel and in most restaurants. Smaller establishments do often accept credit cards, but charge a fee. We will work with you in Nepal to change money to Nepalese rupees for the trek and climb. Most climbers bring around $2,000 US dollars. It is best to change money at the Yak & Yeti hotel or an authorized exchange house in Kathmandu. Changing money at the airport is not recommended. We will organize this with our guide staff. Local currency can also be obtained at the local ATM.
Tipping
We will send tipping guidelines prior to departure.
Early Departure/Evacuation
If you need to leave the expedition early, you are responsible for all incurred expenses (evacuation fees, transport, extra hotel nights, etc). A comprehensive trip insurance plan is strongly recommended, which can cover these costs in the event that they occur.
On the Mountain
Physiology Of Mountaineering
Dehydration, hypothermia, frostbite, and altitude illness are all important health conditions to be aware of while climbing. Please read our overview of these physical factors:
Food & Water
We are aware of the potential monotony of expedition food and Alpine Ascents makes every effort to make meals a positive part of the climb. Our pre-planned meals use a large shipment of food from the US along with food purchased locally in Kathmandu. We take great care in our meal preparation, understanding the importance staying healthy, fueling effectively, and overall enjoyment. Climbers will often have the option of eating local food while on the trek to basecamp.
Alpine Ascents prepares all water by boiling. Climbers will fill water bottles at all meals. Some prefer to supplement this with bottled water which runs from $1- $3/bottle along the trekking route. We prefer that the number of bottles purchased during the expedition be kept to a minimum.
Sherpa Staff
Alpine Ascents employs some of the most respected Sherpa guides, cooks, porters, climbers, and assistants as part of our Everest team. Our current Sherpa team roster will be posted on the cybercast, shortly after our arrival at base camp. Please see the Everest page of our website for bios on our lead Sherpa staff.
Medical Tent
Your lead guides on Everest are extremely well-versed in high altitude medicine and will assist in monitoring the health of each climber. A high altitude medical clinic is established at Base Camp and climbers will have access to this clinic. Alpine Ascents generally assists in offsetting the fee for this clinic but climbers may be asked to pay for medical treatment and drugs on a case-by-case basis.
Leave No Trace
Alpine Ascents International practices Leave No Trace principles on all expeditions. We believe that given the proper information most people will do all they can to help protect and maintain the environment. Before your climb, please become familiar with Leave No Trace:
7 Principles of Leave No Trace
Updated COVID-19 Protocols
Please note that Covid protocols, both best practices and entry requirements, are changing frequently. While we cannot eliminate the risk of exposure to COVID-19, we do carry out a variety of measures designed to mitigate the risk of illness for climbers and staff. It is important we work together with the same team-oriented perspective we rely on in climbing, and we greatly appreciate your partnership.
Vaccinations
All climbers entering Nepal for our Everest climb must be fully vaccinated. Be prepared to show proof of vaccination on arrival.
Please double check the travel requirements from your selected airline. Some airlines have specific Covid policies, such as having a negative PCR test within a certain timeframe prior to boarding.
Masks
Climbers will be asked to wear proper facemasks in all public places while not on the mountain. This includes while in towns, while being transported and while in hotel premises or during meals.
Testing
All climbers area asked to bring (2) At Home Tests ( first one to be taken at orientation) We will assist with obtaining tests before returning to the US (mandatory) before departing on homeward.
Transportation
Based on recommendations and factors at time of departure we may opt to use multiple vehicles for transport to and from airport and to and from the mountain to maintain better social distancing.
Lodging
Lodging will be in shared rooms and tents unless a single room is requested. Subject to change based on conditions.
Dining on the Mountain
Guides may opt to have outdoor dining and not use a dining tent should circumstances warrant.
Screening
If you experience fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea please immediately contact Alpine Ascents. Anyone experiencing these symptoms within 14 days of their trip date will be asked to reschedule their trip. All climbers may be verbally screened for these symptoms on arrival in Kathmandu.
Mitigation Measures
Hand washing and hand sanitizing facilities are provided throughout the program, We encourage you to regularly clean or sanitize your hands while on this journey, especially after touching your face, sneezing, coughing, using the bathroom, eating, or drinking. Common areas, high-touch surfaces, and restrooms are sanitized regularly.
We are committed to keeping our environment clean for your protection as well as ours.
Ben and his team made possible for us to summit Everest while feeling safe and enjoying the adventure and special thanks to Jangbu and Karma Sherpa, I wouldn’t have been able to push myself to summit Lhotse without their incredible support.
