28 Feb 2021 Prakash Devkota
Everest is one of the harshest mountains with plenty of difficulties while climbing. Here are some of the Everest climbing challenges that trekkers will have to tackle to reach the summit.
Climbing Everest may sound impressive with glistening glaciers, rock cliffs, and seracs, but the trek is challenging in the flesh. The mountain is indeed one of the deleterious snow peaks, dealing with altitude, climate, and many more.
It competes with K2 and Kanchenjunga for the most savage mountains due to a series of factors. Everest’s unique topography with rock buttress, steep ice walls, and moraine makes it tough to helm.
Stretching miles-long from the base camp, Everest is barely flattened with glaciers and sheer ice sheets. Trekkers will have to be extremely careful of swelling ice flows, snow slides, rockfalls.
Straddling the border of Nepal and Tibet, Everest is heinous with the arduous climb. Its trail fools climbers and plays hard to get to the crest. The glacial valleys and steep ascent onto the ridge are quite wild and tedious.
As the world’s tallest mountain, Everest brings out the best and worst of mountaineers. Climbers’ fervent to rise to the top has to go against the death zone, the area above 8,000 meters where the oxygen level is absurdly low.
Reaching the summit is strenuous, with deep crevasse, icefalls, and avalanches that mountaineers can catch anytime. They’ll also have to deal with the rolling glacial valley basin and snow slopes to reach the top of Everest.
Its inclining steep trails are prone to rockfalls and snow slides, making it tough for hikers to ascend. The unpredictable weather creates obvious threats while the avalanches and jet streams completely put off the hike.
Where is Mt. Everest located? When is the best time to climb it?
The world’s highest peak, Mt Everest, lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-ranges of the Himalayas. It sits right on the border of northeast Nepal and Tibet at the acme of the mountain range. Leaving aside the expedition from Lukla, the trail stretches 20.5 km from the base camp, which is awfully tough.
Mountaineers will have to come across four camps, passing Lhotse’s face and soaring over Hillary’s step to the summit ridge. The trails above western cwm are toxic with potential icefall, extreme altitude, and windstorms.
Since its courses are prolonged and vicious, trekkers often wait for spring to ascend the mountain. Relative to other times of the year, spring has better weather, making it easier for climbers to scale the mountain.
Most mountaineers stride along the course to the top of Everest amid May, although its preparation starts beforehand. They spend days and months on the trail, preparing to confront the altitude. They even train, wearing the backpacks on and walking to and from Camp III.
Since spring falls way before Monsoon, the trails aren’t slippery at the time and perfect for wandering. They will spend a lot of time in the camp trying to adjust to the temperature and avoid unwanted sickness.
Everest Climbing Challenges
Climbing Mt. Everest is always going to be a challenge, be it for professionals or beginners. The journey of 12 miles from the camp to the summit is exciting but hard at the same time. Ascending up to 8,849 meters, Everest is one of the harshest mountains with plenty of difficulties while climbing. Here are some of the Everest climbing challenges that trekkers will have to tackle to reach the summit.
1. Weather
The weather in Everest is vicious and dynamic, often causing a fuss to mountaineers. The weather is terrible at the acme, creating an inhospitable atmosphere. Climbers are to expect the unexpected weather change, which usually puts a halt to the excursion.
Due to its extreme altitude, the mountain often resists snowstorms and wind gusts. This is not a good thing for climbers who’re already pressed up against altitude sickness and cold. The low precipitation drenches the moisture in the air and stirs up a tropical cyclone.
It’s as cold as arctic at the top, with the temperature dropping up to -36 Degree Celsius. It lowers even more in winter, causing hypoxemia and frostbite. It is why trekkers are often cautioned about Everest’s dire weather and temperature in the cold season.
2. Atmospheric Pressure
Standing at 29,032 ft. above sea level, Mt. Everest is fatal with low oxygen in the air. The summit hardly has one-third of atmospheric pressure as that of sea level, inducing shortness of breath and muscle pain.
The odds of turbulent weather, cyclones, and storm clouds are high under the circumstances. Most climbers often retreat the trek due to adverse effects of low pressure in the body, including blurred vision, dizziness, and fatigue.
With the increasing altitude, the effect of barometric pressure becomes even more intense.
Cold winter days are fiercest, causing extreme damage to hikers like constricting the blood vessels and cardiac issues.
3. Khumbu Icefall
Khumbu Icefall is just one of the many Everest climbing challenges that mountaineers have to prevail to get to Everest. The glacier is not just arduous to scramble, but it also possesses the risk of breaking and bursting.
Since it cracks without any warning, the glacier is intricate to climb. Mountaineers can’t afford to make even a single mistake while ascending the icefall; otherwise, it will cost them their life. Therefore, hikers should place the ladder firmly and securely.
Lying at an altitude of 5,486 meters, Khumbu Glacier elevates 3 to 4 feet from the mountain’s base. The ice sheet melts faster on the blazing hot day and is likely to crack open, so mountaineers are recommended to scramble the trail at dawn.
4. Crevasse
Just as it’s expected, Mt. Everest comes with plenty of crevasses, with most of them alone on the Khumbu Icefall. It’s one of the biggest obstacles that restrains hikers from reaching the top. The glaciers are technically challenging and require a tremendous amount of skill, or else the cleft will chomp them down.
Crevasse on the way to Everest is thin and steep, while some are hidden, which often tricks climbers. It is the reason all mountaineers climbing up to the summit are trained to retrieve crevasse. Using the technique, they can rescue themself and be back on the trail to the mountain.
Hence, If the climbers want to reach Everest’s summit, they have to get past these crevasses. Most mountaineers often hire Sherpa to place the ladder and rope to defeat the ice’s deep cracks. Trekkers will need crampons to walk on these glaciers, or else they’ll just not get the right grip.
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5. Traffic Jam
Everest is meant to be uninhabited for the world’s tallest mountain with a hostile environment, but not anymore. These days, the mountain seems to witness a traffic jam that takes ample time to clear out.
More than hundreds of climbers are lined up on Everest’s trail for hours on the trekking season’s peak, which is fatal, especially with the low pressure. Being stranded on the trail becomes even more grievous during lousy weather.
Trek in autumn means crowded trails with hikers striding to Everest Base Camp followed by the summit. Mountaineers are often caught in a traffic jam in the death zone, putting their life at risk. In recent years, the trails of Mt. Everest have been swarmed by climbers, with the Nepalese Government issuing a substantial number of trek permits.
During trekking season, the trails are cram full of hikers trying to get their feet on the world’s highest mountain. With the growing number of trekkers ascending the summit, Everest’s trails often suffer from traffic jams. This ultimately risks the life of many hikers, mostly after Camp IV.
6. Altitude Sickness
Altitude sickness is the prime reason for trekkers to dread ascending Mt. Everest. It spares no chance to agitate hikers and impels them to quit the trek as much as possible. They have an alarming result on the body, which, if degenerated, will be lethal.
The effect of high altitude can be noticed before Everest Base Camp, but it usually becomes a medical emergency after climbing over. The higher trekkers go, the harder it becomes to breathe, following acute mountain sickness.
This is exactly why most mountaineers climb Everest with supplemental oxygen, as it helps them stand the harsh conditions. Acute Mountain sickness occurs due to reduced air pressure and low oxygen level in the summit.
If the trekkers keep ascending the trail without proper rest, they might suffer from high altitude pulmonary edema and cerebral edema. Hence, mountaineers must take preventive measures before climbing the mountain. They need to spend enough time on acclimatization to avoid the dreadful effects.
7. Unfathomable Trails
Unlike bygone days, mountaineers are quite aware of the Mt. Everest trails now and what challenges it carries. They know what to expect from the world’s highest mountain and the things that should be avoided.
Regardless of the details known, Everest’s trails often trick mountaineers and make it tough to navigate, especially during winter. The unpredictable weather with snow blizzards and avalanches impede the expedition and sometimes even put off.
The trails are not just endless but brutal, with a chasm and glacial ice that needs good technical skills to beat. These snow-covered paths are extremely slippery and difficult to steer through.
Climbers spend most of their time on the trail by trudging back and forth from Camp I to Camp III as advance training to climb the summit. They even get assisted by the pro guides and mountaineers who have successfully ascended the summit.
Apart from the fact that most of its sections are steep, Everest’s tracks also have sheer glaciers, ice cliffs, and seracs to overcome. The sharp ridge and crevasse are intriguingly challenging, and need to be careful while walking over.
8. Summit Fever
Climbers trudging to the Everest summit are generally impatient and want to get it done as soon as possible. In the course to reach the top, they often make bad decisions that can cost them a lot.
It’s one of the significant Everest expedition challenges, particularly for beginners who in delight act impractical. They mustn’t rush and go easy on the trail to avoid any kind of unfortunate incidents.
Summit Fever is intoxicating and shouldn’t be boosted, especially when climbing a brutal mountain like Everest. The increasing altitude with the lower oxygen level can risk mountaineers’ lives, so they need to be sensible and do the right thing.
How to Overcome Everest Climbing Challenges?
Everest Climbing is easily the most grueling mountain of all, with immense challenges, endless trails, and deceitful weather. It involves lots of trek difficulties that hikers have to defeat to reach the crest.
With the mountain acting as a traitor most often, climbers will have to surmount many difficulties to reach the crest. From the climbing apparatus to training and food, they’ll have to take care of all the things while on the expedition.
The expedition takes more than a month of preparation and training with climbers going for hardcore fitness regimen and diet. They’ll have to carry needed apparatus, including warm clothes, food, and water to resist the cold.
1. Altitude Acclimatization
Altitude sickness is the prime challenge for climbers of Mt. Everest. It’s what intimidates trekkers and compels them to give careful thought before taking further steps. Acute mountain sickness in Everest usually results from low air pressure and rapid temperature changes.
As the trail escalates up to 8,849 meters, the air’s molecular oxygen reduces, making it difficult for climbers to reach the acme. It has them struggle form shortness of breath and hypoxemia. But, if the effects are extreme, they might even suffer from high altitude pulmonary edema and cerebral edema.
Hence, most trekkers use supplemental oxygen after the death zone to withstand the low atmospheric pressure. To reduce the risk, they even avoid doing strenuous activities and acclimatize to the weather as much as possible.
As the mountaineers are prone to acute mountain sickness on Everest, they must take enough time to ease off. After the initial symptoms of acute mountain sickness like dizziness, insomnia, and nausea, they are advised to slow down.
Instead of ascending the trail straight off, hikers should take tiny steps after each camp. They must avoid climbing more than 500 meters a day after taking preventive measures.
In case the symptoms are extreme, it’s better to relax at the camp and get the immediate help of a physician.
2. Food and Accommodation
Climbers may come across many local tea houses and lodges before base camp, but the settlements are far out after going above. As a result, trekkers will have to count on the mountaineering tents to brave Everest’s frosty weather.
An insulated sleeping bag with synthetic fill is the right choice for climbers to keep warm prevent Everest Climbing challenges. Mountaineers ascending Everest usually prefer having a 4-season tent as they are more durable and fabricated to stand high winds and
Apart from the dwelling, they also need to keep an eye on their diet and maintain a healthy food habit. Continuous trekking burns the calories of climbers and drenches the energy to walk the trails. Therefore, mountaineers have to be extra cautious of their eating plan and ensure that they are getting enough nutrition.
They’ll have to carry plenty of snacks and bars to maintain the calorie in the body. To boost the energy levels, they’ll have to eat high-fiber vegetables, refined starches, and high-carbohydrate food with enough water.
3. Climate
Weather and Temperature in Everest are unpredictable, with snowstorms and jet streams often obstructing the way of climbers. Trekkers will really never know what to expect of the mountain, despite a great start.
The hurricane-force wind is just one of many Everest climbing challenges that mountaineers have to tackle while climbing the steepest inlines. As the climate often tends to change at higher elevations, mountaineers have to be more careful while going high.
They need to keep track of the weather forecast and ensure that the climate is suitable to climb the mountain. Mountaineers will have to make sure that they don’t run into snow slides and sheer glaciers. Conventionally, it’s better to avoid scrambling Everest in winter as the temperature is below -37 Degree Celsius.
4. Training
Training is the most crucial part of climbing Everest. Without it, mountaineers won’t even be able to make it to the base camp, let alone the Everest summit. Thus, they’ll have to follow personalized fitness regimens to improve flexibility and physical stamina.
Trekkers scrambling Mt. Everest must be in a good shape to stand the steep trails and air pressure. Basic fitness training in advance has to be good enough to start the preparation but after that, the workout has to be stepped up.
Exercise like cardio, weight lifting, push-ups, and squats helps in muscle-strengthening and endurance power. Hiking short and long-drawn trails before ascending the snow peak is often proved to help overcome Everest Climbing Challenges.
5. Trekking Essentials
Climbing Everest is a strenuous task and requires days and months of travail and preparations. Leaving aside the physical training, they’ll have to carry the necessary equipment for the hike. Apparatus like trekking poles, crampons, and ice axe is a must while ascending Everest.
Fixed rope and ladder will help the climber build anchor and get their way to the summit safely. In addition to that, they’ll have to pack a bunch of warm clothes including, fleece jackets, synthetic gloves, mountaineering boots to escape frostbites.
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Prakash Devkota
Managing Director and Team Leader
Mr. Prakash Chandra Devkota is an established name in the Tourism Sector in Nepal. He is a focused individual gifted with a brilliant mind. He is also hugely dedicated to social work. Born in the Gorkha district, a beautiful hilly region of Nepal, he first entered the tourism industry as a guide in 1997. He has gained extensive experience in almost all the trekking and climbing routes like Mera, Island, Lobuche and, Ama Dablam, etc.
He registered Nepal Guides Treks & Expedition in 2009 AD. Due to his passion for adventure and efforts to provide quality personalized service to his clients, he has established himself as a successful tourism entrepreneur. He has dedicated most of his time working diligently to elevate the tourism industry and collected more than 15 years of experience in organizing trekking and expeditions in Nepal, Bhutan, and India. He believes in the power of the tourism industry and the employment opportunities that can be created through it. He constantly looks for innovative ways to run the company.
Mr. Devkota has always been an avid practitioner of eco-friendly tourism and has always promoted environmental conservation throughout his career. He motivates his staff to embrace eco-friendly tourism through responsible tourism practices. He believes promoting eco-tourism will preserve natural resources and positively impact the environment.
