When it comes to climbing Mount Everest and reaching the peak, there are so many challenges that the climbers need to overcome. These hindrances are situated on different sections of the mountain, continuously trying to stop the climber. One of them that the mountaineer faces towards the beginning of the journey is Khumbu Icefall. It is located at the top of Khumbu Glacier and is considered to be one of the toughest sections that the climbers need to cross during the Everest Expedition process.
Apart from the altitude, which is 5486 m, and the uneven and rough terrain, what makes Khumbu icefall so dangerous is the speed with which it moves. During the climbing process, the climbers need to make their way through the icefall Everest. Now, because of the way the Khumbu Glacier and the Khumbu Icefall move, huge gaps and crevasses open up instantly. If the climber is unaware of it or is not able to think and move fast enough, he could get trapped in one of these. Rescue is a possibility, but so many climbers have lost their lives by getting trapped in this icefall Everest.
Another factor that makes walking through Khumbu Icefall a dangerous thing to do is the Khumbu Icefall Avalance. Boulders of ice, sometimes big or small, roll down the icefall randomly. Khumbu Icefall Avalanche is something that is very common in this area. Getting hit by one of these could seriously injure the climber, or even cause him to die. One can avoid Khumbu Icefall, but the only way to do it is to choose some other route to climb the peak. Khumbu Glacier and Khumbu Icefall are a part of the South Col route. There are numerous other routes that can take you to the top of the mountain.
Bodies On Everest
Despite the fact that it’s a very tricky thing to cross Khumbu icefall, not as many deaths have occurred there. Climbers need to be quite unfortunate to die on the first few steps of the Everest Expedition. Nevertheless, there have been few climbers who perished on their way through Khumbu icefall, and it’s unfortunate. Now, the temperature around Khumbu icefall is quite low and the area is made of ice. So, if a climber lands up dying there, his body remains intact, and doesn’t go through the process of disintegration, which is quite a common process with dead bodies in the lower altitude.
The cold temperature doesn’t let the bacteria and other microorganisms initiate the process of decomposition. Khumbu icefall bodies remain almost in the same state as they were when the climbers were alive. Though, there are chances for the skin on Khumbu icefall bodies to get burned, darkened, melted away, or damaged in some other way due to extreme frostbite, which is a common thing that happens up there.
Mount Everest Climbing Routes
There are two major Mount Everest climbing routes that are used by the climbers. They are South Col, which lies on the South West Face of Mount Everest, and the North East Ridge, which lies on the North East Face of Mount Everest. The former one happens to be in Nepal, and the latter one in Tibet. Now, though the climbers use only these two routes for Everest Expedition, and to be specific, South Col mostly, there are 20 different routes that the climbers can take to reach the peak. However, these routes are considered to be extremely challenging, and sometimes even impossible to climb through.
How long Does It Take To Climb Mount Everest
For a lot of people, Everest expedition simply means climbing to the top of the peak. For them, the expedition starts from the base camp, and ends when the climber has made it back to the base camp after reaching the peak. Straight ascent and descent, and that’s it. They don’t realize that it’s actually a journey where a climber goes through different stages of climbing and experiences numerous things.
To answer the question how long does it take to climb Mount Everest, altogether, it’s a 45 days long journey. However, the core climbing duration lasts only for around 26 days. The rest of the time is spent trekking. Yes, the climber treks all the way from Lukla to Everest Base Camp before the ascent, and the same way back after the descent. He could cover this journey in a helicopter, provided that he has the resources, but trekking is considered a better option as it assists in the acclimatization process.
The rest of time is spent travelling, from Kathmandu to Lukla, and back, in a flight, acclimatizing in different villages in the Khumbu region, sightseeing around the city of Kathmandu, and depending on whether the climber wants to try other things as well, he could add few more days to the 45 days long time period. The 26 days long climbing could vary depending on the weather on the peak. If it’s too harsh, climbers tend to spend longer duration on the peak, waiting for their chance to reach the summit.
Everest Climbing Season
The ideal Everest Climbing Season is between the months of March and June. The season starts at the end of March, and lasts till the end of June. Before March, it’s too cold up there, and therefore, risky to climb on the peak. After June, the rainy season begins, because of which the weather on the top becomes unstable, and therefore, it’s risky to climb during that time as well. Now, there have been climbers who have climbed the peak during other months as well, for instance, between September and October, but that is rare these days. It’s tough to get the permission to climb the peak during other months apart from the ideal Everest Climbing Season mentioned here.
Now, though it is mentioned that the climbers tend to take around 26 days to reach the summit of Mount Everest from the base camp and make it back, the duration could actually vary. Depending on the weather and a lot of other factors, the core climbing period could extend up to 45 days. So, when someone plans to climb, they need to ensure that the climbing duration falls within this 90 to 100 day long window. Sometimes, the weather is so terrible that even this window shrinks to around 60 to 70 days. Not following these restrictions can prove to have fatal consequences.
Mount Everest Climbing Gear
The purpose of Mount Everest Climbing Gear is to make the mountaineering experience simpler and to keep you safe. For instance, the Khumbu Icefall ladders. This equipment doesn’t just make it easier for you to get across crevasses, but they also help you get out if you accidentally happen to get stuck in one of them. Needless to say, you would require some human assistance as well. You should choose your Mount Everest Climbing gear wisely, and buy only the high-quality ones. A lot of climbers have had to face deadly results because of their climbing gear. You don’t want to be next.
Mount Everest Expedition is a magical journey altogether. It doesn’t just challenge you but also takes you to new limits, and not just geographical, but physical and mental limits. Looking at the Mount Everest summit photos one feels that they know Everest and all the challenges that the mountain throws at the climber. The truth is - they are just assumptions. It’s only by climbing Mount Everest can a climber truly feel the agony and pain that precedes the honor and glory. One of such challenges is Khumbu Icefall, and to be blunt about it, it’s a remarkable challenge overall. It doesn’t just test the physicality of the climber but also judges them mentally and emotionally. The only way to know it for real is to climb.
Breeze Adventure is one of the best travel and tour operators in Nepal, especially when it comes to organizing activities related to trekking and expeditions. With years of experience in the field, and a team of trekking and expedition experts working with them, they are able to offer you the most wonderful and exciting journeys. If you’re not quite into challenging activities as such, you could go for one of their lavish luxury tour packages. Their itineraries feature few of the most prominent tourist destinations in countries like Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet. One of the best things about Breeze Adventures is that they focus on client satisfaction. To ensure that, they even allow clients to offer inputs on the designed packages. As per client’s requests and feasibility, they even tend to change the itinerary. Their intention is to make the journey personal and close to their customers’ hearts. If you’re looking for an ideal holiday destination, contact Breeze Adventure for free consultation, and if you’re planning to visit any of these places during your upcoming holidays, make sure to choose them as your travel partner. With them by your side, your vacation is going to be quite an unforgettable experience. That’s certain!
