Mount Everest Planning Package (29,035 Ft/8,850 M) Climber Information
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Mount Everest Planning Package (29,035 ft/8,850 m) Climber Information Keep in Touch Alpine Ascents highly recommends the services of Charles As a member of our Everest team we encourage you to contact us Mulvehill at Scan East West Travel (800) 727-2157 or (206) 623-2157 with any questions as our intent is to provide personal attention to or [email protected] when making flight arrangements. your preparation needs. While this document will answer many of your questions, we enjoy hearing about your specific interests and Getting to Kathmandu, Nepal look forward to making the pre-trip planning an exciting part of the journey. Please take the time to read this document in For those arriving early or departing after the scheduled itinerary, full. Alpine Ascents practices Leave No Trace Principles we are happy to make hotel and airport transfer arrangements. on all expeditions Please contact our office in advance of your departure if you would like us to make additional reservations for you. Alpine Ascents Seattle: (206) 378-1927 We are happy to accommodate all flights. Please email a copy of your flight itinerary to our offices. We will review your itinerary to Paperwork ensure you will arrive on time. Please return the following paperwork within 14 days for Arrival: We will pick you up at the airport. Please look for an documents that can be self completed and 90 days for all others. Alpine Ascents sign upon leaving the terminal. It is very rare that This information assists us in procuring permits and making final we miss a pick up. If you have waited more then 45 minutes for hotel reservations. a pick up please proceed directly to the Yak and Yeti hotel (see hotels and lodging). You can also contact our local representative ⎕ Application ⎕ Flight Itinerary ⎕ Passport Copy Jiban Ghimire on his mobile at: 977-985-103-5161, email: ⎕ Risk Release Form ⎕ Medical Release Form [email protected] ⎕ Two Passport Photos ⎕ Bio Data Form Upon arrival at the airport in KTM, be aware of people trying to “help” you with your luggage cart and then demanding large tips. Travel Arrangements Better to decline their services, roll your own luggage cart outside to the pick-up area and then follow the directions of the Alpine Flights Ascents representative, who you need not tip. You must arrive in Kathmandu on March 31. Your departure Missed Flights: If you miss your flight, please leave a message date should be transferable as the actual return to Kathmandu is for Gordon Janow, Director of Programs at: (206) 419-0097 (texting difficult to predict with lengthy expeditions. Once the expedition is ok) or email [email protected]. Please inform us of is completed, we will assist in changing your flight bookings. your new arrival information as soon as possible. Flight reservations for your expedition should be made as soon as possible. Alpine Ascents International • 109 W Mercer St. • Seattle, WA • p: (206) 378-1927 • f: (206) 378-1937 • e: [email protected] • www.alpineascents.com Climber Information 1 Visas & Passports The easiest way to obtain a Nepal visa is in the Kathmandu airport. Upon arrival in the KTM airport fill out the necessary forms and proceed to the visa line. We will obtain a trekking permit for you in KTM. • Current visa cost is $125.00 and is subject to change. • Please obtain a 90 day visa. • You will need 2 passport photos which can also be easily obtained at the airport. Please be advised that you must have a valid passport that does not expire for at least 6 months from date of entry and that has extra pages for most countries. Please see any specific entry requirements in this document; but note you are responsible to determine entry requirements for your passport/nationality. Alpine Ascents is happy to work closely with all climbers to determine visa/entry requirements. US citizens can consult US State department website a travel.state.gov/travel/travel_1744.html Lodging When exploring the political climate of Nepal, note the specific In Kathmandu region of travel. Our trek and climb take place in and around the Everest region, known as the Khumbu. Hotel Yak & Yeti P.O. Box. 1016, Durbar Marg, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: 977-1-4248999, 240520 Fax: 977-1-4227781/4227782 Emergency Contact www.yakandyeti.com The best way for family or friends to contact you in an emergency Please note that Single Room Supplement is for Kathmandu only is through the Seattle office: (206) 378-1927. For emergencies after as we cannot pre book single rooms in the Khumbu. business hours, you may contact our Director of Programs, Gordon Janow at home: (206) 419-0097. (texting is ok) Health Requirements In Nepal, you can reach Jiban Ghimire, our local agent, at 977-985- 103-5161 or email [email protected]. There are currently no health requirements for entering the country of Nepal. Travelers should consider inoculations such as 1) Update polio and tetanus; 2) Hepatitis A; 3) Malaria prophylactics Weather Reports (not prevalent in Everest region). Climbers should bring a personal medical kit which can include prescription drugs and Diamox for Alpine Ascents purchases highly specialized weather reports that altitude. We encourage you to review the latest health information assist with climbing summit bid decisions. on the Center for Disease Control’s website: wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/nepal.htm Communication Everest communications have improved greatly in the last few Political Climate years with the availability of inexpensive and reliable cell phone service, partial 3G data connections, and wireless internet at We encourage you to visit your home country’s governmental Base Camp. For their communications needs, most climbers travel website. The State Department (USA) travel warnings for bring a small laptop and/or tablet/pad, smart phone. Additional Nepal can be found at: information will be forwarded. travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_980.html Alpine Ascents International • 109 W Mercer St. • Seattle, WA • p: (206) 378-1927 • f: (206) 378-1937 • e: [email protected] • www.alpineascents.com Climber Information 2 These gear lists are updated regularly, but some brands and models do change. You are required to bring every item on the list. We are happy to work closely with you on finding the proper gear. Expenses With regards to personal expenses, please note that American dollars are the preferred method of payment. Cash or cash in conjunction with a small amount of travelers checks is usually the best option. Credit Cards are fine at bigger hotels. Smaller places 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. Money: Most climbers bring $3,000–$4,000 US dollars. It is best to Medical Tent change money at the Yak & Yeti hotel or an authorized exchange house in Kathmandu (we will arrange). Changing money at the Your lead guides on Everest are extremely well-versed in high airport is not recommended. We will organize this with our guide altitude medicine and will assist in monitoring the health of each staff. climber. For the past few years, a high altitude medical clinic was established at Base Camp and climbers will have access to this clinic. Alpine Ascents generally assists in offsetting the fee for this Tipping clinic but climbers may be asked to pay for medical treatment and drugs on a case-by-case basis. We will send tipping guidelines prior to departure. Food & Water Sherpa Staff We are all aware of the potential monotony of expedition food Alpine Ascents employs some of the most respected Sherpa and Alpine Ascents makes every effort to have expedition food as guides, cooks, porters, climbers and assistants as part of our enjoyable as possible. We usually ship over one ton of food from Everest team. Our current Sherpa team roster will be posted on the US and spend days food shopping in Kathmandu. Climbers the web site, shortly after our arrival at base camp. Please see the will often have the option of eating local food while on the trek. Everest page of our web site for bios on some of our Sherpa staff: We provide boiled water in the morning and the evenings and a good variety of hot drinks throughout the trek to Base Camp. Trek to Base Camp & Itinerary Some prefer to supplement this with bottled water which runs from $1- $3/bottle along the trekking route. We prefer that the En route to Everest base camp, you will trek through the famed number of bottles purchased during the expedition be kept to a Khumbu region of Nepal. Most of the Sherpas who will work as minimum. guides, porters, cooks and staff members are from these villages. The trek generally takes 10 days (often adjusted for acclimatization of team members). We take the time to explore cultural elements, Gear such as monasteries and village life. Your confirmation package includes a link to your gear list and Each season, a number of trekkers join us on the walk to Everest a suggested brand list. We certainly understand that you have base camp. For more information on the trek, please see the personal preferences and have tested gear and gear systems in Everest Trek page of our web site at: the field, but encourage you to contact us with any significant variations from the gear list. Please review your annotated gear list https://www.alpineascents.com/treks/everest-base-camp-trek/ carefully and contact us if any questions. https://www.alpineascents.com/climbs/mount-everest/gear-list/ Alpine Ascents International • 109 W Mercer St.