EVEREST EXPEDITION - BY THE SOUTH COL ROUTE
A fully inclusive KTM to KTM Everest expedition including all accommodation, all meals, a superb 3 week trekking and acclimatisation itinerary, individual Base Camp tents, excellent Base Camp services, all logistics and supplies on the hill, a plentiful supply of oxygen, Western Leader and 1:1 Climbing Sherpa.
Have a look at the full list of inclusions
With over 50 expeditions under his belt, including 7 on Everest and 16 on Ama Dablam, you can rest assured you are in experienced hands. Tim Mosedale has summited Everest 6 times including making successful ascents from both the North and South sides of the mountain as well as making a double summit in one season in 2013. Have a look at the feedback to find out why you should consider coming along on one of the best Everest expeditions with Tim. It’s a lot of money to end up on the wrong side of the mountain or with the wrong group, or worse still, without enough oxygen.
For only US$45,500
(On the South side)
Compare south vs north
A chance to join an Everest expedition on the South Col route at incredible value. This is a fully inclusive, fully supported Everest expedition with ample Climbing Sherpas to ensure suitable ratios on the mountain. Also included is a plentiful supply of oxygen and a 1:1 Climbing Sherpa ratio – in particular you will have Climbing Sherpa assistance from Camp 2 to C3 and from C3 to The South Col and then a very strict 1:1 ratio all the way to the summit and back to Base Camp. And just because it’s cheaper than elsewhere doesn’t mean that corners have been cut or safety compromised. Indeed, with more inclusions than other expeditions, arguably this is far far better value for money. Read on ….
A fully supported, fully inclusive, expedition.
Tim and the Climbing Sherpas will be operating on the hill throughout the duration of the trip. The Climbing Sherpas will be very busy getting camps established and stocked with all the necessary food, gas, supplies as well as stocking the higher camps with oxygen – it is later in the trip that they will then be assigned to their guiding duties. The Climbing Sherpas get directly involved on a 1:1 basis from Camp 2 onwards where they will carry your sleeping bag to C3 and then continue with you to The South Col the next day. They will then accompany you all the way to the summit of Everest and back. They will then escort you down to C2 and continue with you all the way to Everest Base Camp the next day. During the summit phase it is also not unusual for another spare Climbing Sherpa to deliver a set of spare oxygen bottles to The Balcony to cover unforeseen circumstances (better to have it and not need it …). This is undoubtedly a very good, safe and slick operation with a very good ratio of very high quality experienced Climbing Sherpas for the summit bid. Indeed the Climbing Sherpas are some of the strongest on the hill and have a very respectable number of Everest ascents ranging from 4 or 5 summits to double figures. Our Base Camp and mountain services will be provided by Kame Nuru Sherpa who I have worked with for 13 years now. He runs a tight ship, has an excellent cook crew, some of the best Climbing Sherpas on the hill and they have a very high success rate of getting clients to the top (over 85% success rate and usually more). And this is the percentage from the whole team, not skewed figures by stating the percentage from, say, The South Col, which sometimes is quoted. Tim will be spending time with the group for the duration of the trip, from the 3 week trek in where we go over 2 high passes and ascend an acclimatisation peak, as well as time at Everest Base Camp and guiding high on the mountain (see the acclimatisation schedule for more information).
All group members will be fully trained in the appropriate techniques required to negotiate any fixed ropes using jumars, belay devices and prussiks for going up and down the mountain and we will also spend time looking at how to negotiate up, down and across ladders. All members will also be made aware of how to use the oxygen systems and we will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of various flow rates and protocols. We will be using SummitOxygen masks – which are state of the art and the best you can get. We also have the latest in regulators, which far exceed the quality of the traditional Poisk ones, and can flow at up to 6 litres / min. Very few teams have this facility which is a real potential life saver.
The other life saver is that everyone will be issued an individual set of ultra high altitude medication, know what it is for and, most importantly, know how to use it. We will discuss the pros and cons of how to administer medication, and everyone will be well versed in how to draw up and administer an injection. When you bear in mind that these drugs are life savers, and that they are given to allow recovery down the mountain rather than to progress further, it is vitally important that this subject matter be taken seriously. There have been several cases in the last few years where, if an injection had been available and had been given correctly, lives would undoubtedly have been saved. There is no point having only one set of drugs amongst the group as the person with the medication may not be readily available. And there is more to giving an injection that you might assume – for instance, if you stab someone through their jacket you may plug the hole with a feather. You will know not only what medication we have, and what it is for and when to use it, but you will also be shown how to draw up and give an injection. It could be an absolute life saver.
We are only one of a few teams to adopt this approach. Personally I think it’s highly irresponsible to be on the mountain without not only the knowledge but also the ability to do something about it as well. And because we all have a mini set of ultra high altitude medication then we aren’t faced with the situation that once the only set has gone then it’s all gone.
Briefings will be held every day at Everest Base Camp to update everyone about progress on the mountain, find out about people’s health and to ensure that the appropriate stores and equipment are at the relevant places on the mountain.
For a comprehensive list of what is included (pretty much everything you can probably think of and more) please look at the appropriate pages.
At US$45,500 on the Everest South Col route, this one of the best value Everest Expeditions around.
So why is it cheaper compared to some of the prices you may have seen?
Well as you are probably already aware I don’t have an office, administrative staff, networked computers, a company car or a brochure and so my overheads are much lower.
But please rest assured that I am extremely professional about what I do and I endeavour to provide as good a service, if not better, as many of the other expedition companies.
If you require a testimonial from clients from previous expeditions please have a look at their feedback or if you want to speak to them directly please contact me and I will put you in touch.
So who is it for? I am trying to recruit people who I think have the right approach and demeanor and have the kind of drive, motivation and ambition to achieve a summit attempt on Everest. That is then tempered with trying to recruit a team of people who all have the right characteristics and personalities to form a strong, safe and dynamic team. If you would like to join them I’m afraid that it won’t be as simple a just signing a cheque. I will need to have a comprehensive mountaineering cv from you, I will definitely need to chat to you and preferrably we will meet as well. I’ll make it as comfortable and as fun as possible for the team at Everest Base Camp – it’s a harsh and arduous environment and it’s tough enough already without having people who don’t get along so well. More so the higher we go. I suppose that it would be fair for me to say that I am trying to give you the opportunity to come along on the mountain in a similar style to how I did it ina bunch of mates on a BIG mountain rather than a group of disparate clients. This certainly worked for the teams in 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2017 and we had a great trip each time with excellent success rates. (I was also there in 2014 and 2015 as well but sadly we came away empty handed due to circumstance well beyond our control). As you may be aware I try and make sure that my trips are fun and safe as well as being comfortable and relaxed when having down time – having said that it is a very serious business and we aren’t there on a jolly. But at least when we are having some down time let’s make sure that it is enjoyable. When on the hill you won’t drink enough, eat enough or sleep enough so it’s very important that we enjoy Base Camp and the extra luxuries that are provided. I will encourage people to carry less on Everest than I usually do on my Ama Dablam trips. Ama Dablam is a much lower and shorter expedition and I try and give people a sense of ownership of the trip. I think if you do a bit of humping and dumping there is a greater reward and sense of achievement at the end. On Everest, however, there will be less for you to carry because of the sheer size of the mountain, the elevations that you will be operating at and the longevity of the trip. You will still have ownership of the trip in other ways, I just don’t want to jeopardise your health and well being by making it any harder than it already is. Please remember, though, just because you apply doesn’t mean that you will be accepted.
Approaching the South Summit on Mt EverestSo… Experience at moderate altitude is preferred but not necessarily essential – it is appreciated that not everyone has the time to build up a huge mountaineering CV. The main prerequisites required for an Everest expedition are :-
- It is essential that you are absolutely competent in the use of crampons and ice axe before you come on the trip
- You are an independent climber and mountaineer in your own right and can make safe and learned decisions about the skills required for certain situations (for instance, you know when and how to abseil; you don’t need telling that it is getting dark and that it would be a good idea to get your headtorch on; you generally remember to apply suncream before it is required; you appreciate that water is more important than food and food more important than sleep when you first arrive at a camp – more on these and other issues to follow during discussions on the trek in)
- You will turn around – even if you are only 30 minutes from the summit of Everest – if the decision is made for you
- I’ll just repeat that one. You will turn around – even if you are only 30 minutes from the summit of Everest – if the decision is made for you
Apart from that I am looking to appeal to those of you out there who want to climb the highest that there is. It’s a special achievement. It won’t make you a special person but it’s an achievement that will live with you for the rest of your life.
Typical trekking and acclimatisation itinerary
Obviously there will be a degree of flexibility to allow for changes to the weather, individual acclimatisation, illness etc but the rough itinerary for the duration of our expedition is as follows:- Day 1 (Sunday 25th MarchArrive Kathmandu (KTM). You will be met at the airport and transferred to a 4* Hotel on the outskirts of Thamel. We will then pop in to town for our first group meal (meals in Kathmandu at the start of the trek are included in the cost of the trip). Day 2 – Sightseeing trip in the morning (transport, guide and all entrance fees are included). Meet for lunch. Sort gear / final preparations for the expedition in the afternoon.
Day 3 – (Tues 27th March 2018) Early morning flight to Lukla (2,800m). This is the flight of a lifetime. After our early morning departure we’ll arrive in Lukla and transfer to our lodge for breakfast. After sorting the gear in to loads we start trekking. We follow the easy trail, stopping for lunch along the way (again all meals en route are included in the price) and gradually descend in to the valley bottom. We use teahouse accommodation for the trek in and our first stop is at Phak Ding (2,650m), or better, a little further to Monjo. Around 4 to 5 hours of easy trekking. Day 4 – After breakfast we start on the trail along the side of the Dudh Kosi (Milk River) which originates from the Khumbu Glacier some 30 miles away. We cross the river 4 times on the route today on some quite exciting (but very well constructed) suspension bridges. We enter the National Park at Monjo and then make our way gradually up the zig zags to Namche Bazaar (3,450m). In Namche Bazaar we convene at the Everest Bakery for Coffee and Chocolate Doughnuts and then continue along the trail to stay with my good friends Tashi and Lakpa at Kyanjuma. All in all about 4 and a half to 6 hours of walking. (Interesting point to note … Tashi & Lakpa visited the UK in January 2014 for an audience with HRH The Prince of Wales. Lakpa was one of the Sherpas when Prince Charles visited Nepal in the 80s and was invited for an audience with His Royal Highness at Clarence House). Day 5 – A rest day. But when we say rest day it merely means that we will stay at the same teahouse – in the meantime we will go up an exciting ‘hidden staircase’, an amazing construction, and follow the trail to the Mong La (3,950m) where we will have lunch. We’ll then descend back down to Kyanjuma in time for afternoon tea. At some stage today we’ll also visit Tashi’s amazing prayer room. Day 6 – Today we transfer to Thame. We go up to Kyanjuma and see the amazing Mani walls (the longest mani walls in The Khumbu) and then crest a col and drop down to Syangboche where we stop for elevenses. We then follow a great trail through a beautiful, wooded valley, to Thamo, where we stop for lunch before continuing to Thame (3,800m). Around 6 to 8 hours of easy walking.
Day 7 – Another rest day. But again, it doesn’t mean that we rest. Today we go to the most amazing monastery, set in the hillside a short walk above Thame. There are some fantastic painted mani stones along the way and we visit the monastery for a puja. Day 8 – (Sunday 1st April 2018) A lovely walk up the quiet Thame valley to the village of Marylung (4,150m). A short day (around 3 hours of walking). Day 9 – Another acclimatisation day where we trek up to around 5,000m before dropping back down to stay for another night at Marylung. Day 10 – Another reasonably short day where we trek to Lungde (4,350m). Day 11 – Today we cross the first of the high passes – The Renjo La. It is an easily accessible pass with a great staircase – but it is at 5,345m and the altitude will make it slow going. The views when you get there are well worth the effort involved. After admiring the scene we drop down to Gokyo (4,750m) for afternoon tea.
Day 12 – (Thursday 5th April 2018) A rest day. For those who fancy an early start there is the opportunity to see the sunrise from the summit of Gokyo Ri. Or if you prefer you can go in the late afternoon for the sunset views where you get to experience the alpenglow on Everest. Whichever you choose you’ll need a warm jacket, hat, gloves, headtorch and camera. Or you can take a mooch around the lake if you fancy an easy option which still affords some spectacular views. Day 13 – We descend the Gokyo valley on the East side – a rarely trodden route. The terrain is spectacular and there are hardly any trekkers who take this trail descending to the quiet village of Phortse. Day 14 – Another day when we will see very few trekkers. This time we are taking the high level route to Pangboche. Great trekking and awesome views especially as we approach Pangboche and have Ama Dablam in the windscreen. Day 15 – A pleasant day of trekking initially along the main Khumbu trail but after an hour or so we veer off to Dingboche. Dingboche is an amazing village nestled at the bottom of the Imja valley with great views of Island Peak (Imja Tse) at the head of the valley and Ama Dablam opposite the village. Day 16 – A rest day. And today, if you so desire, you can actually have a rest day. Day 17 – (Tuesday 10th April) We transfer up a side valley to a great grassy campsite next to a huge boulder at Dingogma. This is a great campsite with great views. Day 18 – Today we gradually gain height to the best campsite in The Khumbu – just below The Kongma La (5,535m). At 5,450m this lakeside campsite has the most amazing views of Ama Dablam, Chamalang, Baruntse, and Makalu (the 5th highest mountain in the world).
Day 19 – An ascent of Pokalde (5,800m) – a non-technical trekking peak. The top is accessed by a short scramble but the remainder is easy trekking although it will feel harder than it is due to the rarefied atmosphere. We spend a second night at The Kongma La camp. This is optional and you can stay at The Kongma La camp if so desired. Day 20 – We trek up and over the pass and descend to Lobuche village. Day 21 – (Saturday 14th April) We now follow the main Everest trail to Gorak Shep – the highest village in The Khumbu situated at 5,250m. From here we continue to Everest Base Camp where we will move in to our encampment where we will be based for the next 4 or 5 weeks.
Day 22 – Rest day. Plenty of time to unpack and get ourselves orientated to our new home.
Day 23 – Puja. The Base Camp puja is all a part of the expedition experience but it is also a very important blessing – in particular for the Climbing Sherpas. Depending on the auspicious dates in the calendar this may be on another day but there is plenty of flexibility to allow for any changes.
Day 24 – A reconnaissance day in to the lower stretches of The Khumbu Icefall. Partly this is to acquaint ourselves with the lower section of the route but importantly it is to have an introduction to some of the skills you will need to be moving safely through The Khumbu Icefall and on up to Camp 1.
Day 25 – Another rest day and a day to be packing our gear to get ready for …
Day 26 – (Thursday 19th April) We move straight through The Khumbu Icefall and establish ourselves at Camp 1 (around 6,000m).
Day 27 – Depending on how people feel we may spend a second night at C1 or we may move to C2 at 6,400m (and indeed the group can quite safely split according to how they are acclimatising).
Day 28 – Transfer to C2 or a second night at C2 if already there.
Day 29 – Descend to EBC. Rest for the remainder of the day. Have a shower, plenty of drinks and lots of snacks.
Day 30 – Rest day.
Day 31 – An early morning start to transfer directly to C2.
Day 32 – Rest day at C2 where we are catered for by our Camp 2 cook crew. Day 33 – An acclimatisation day where we ascend to Camp 3 (7,100m) where we loiter for a few hours before descending back to C2. Day 34 – Return to EBC.
We are then in a position of waiting for the weather until we get a suitable window forecast. If the weather is looking poor for an extended period we may drop down to Dingboche (4,400m) or Pangboche (3,800m) to chill and relax. Alternatively if the forecast is looking promising and we don’t want to be lower down the valley when we ought to be under starter’s orders we may stay at EBC. Either which way it is time to chill, relax, drink plenty and eat all the snacks we can in readiness for the off. In which case: Day 1 – Transfer to C2 Day 2 – Rest day C2 Day 3 – Transfer to C3 Day 4 – Transfer to South Col (arrive late morning / early afternoon) Day 5 – Summit early morning, return to South Col, rest and descend to C2 Day 6 – Return to EBC (early start to get through Khumbu Icefall) or descend to C2 if stayed at S Col the night before
Obviously we don’t know when the weather will clear and people have summited from as early as 6th May (unusually early) through to the beginning of June (unusually late) with typical windows opening around 15th / 16th , 22nd / 23rd and 25th / 26th May. Not only are we at the mercy of the weather but we also need to make sure that all the logistics are in place and that folk are suitably well acclimatised. The trek out can be anything from a leisurely 4 day stroll to a mad 2 day dash depending on how eager people are to get home and availability of flights. This is where Iswari, our agent, is very good and we have even flown out of Namche Bazaar for only US$350 per person rather than descending to wait in the queue at Lukla. Once in Kathmandu Iswari and co will busy themselves looking in to bringing flights forward and we will enjoy the crazy sights and sounds of Kathmandu not to mention a few hearty meals and a milk shake. Or a beer. This is a really good trekking and acclimatisation itinerary that not only gets us off the beaten track but also means that we arrive at Base Camp fit, healthy, really well acclimatised, trained up and ready to go. We make a very smooth transition from fun trekking mode to fun, but serious, expedition mode and as a result of the 3 week trek we can spend less time in the Khumbu Icefall.
As a client, I went to Everest with Tim in 2014, using Tim's basecamp services. Tim's expedition was superbly organised, and I highly recommend his setup.
I felt the need to write my review of my successful Everest Expedition in 2011 after reading a couple if very poor reviews, painting Tim Mosedale in colours I simply do not recognise. I have been climbing with Tim for many years, starting with Ama Dablam, moving onto ChoOyu, and culminating in summiting Everest with him in 2011. I have always found him an inspiring motivator, an unsurpassed logistician and an extremely trustworthy guide, to the extent that, had Tim not contacted me to ask if I were interested in climbing Everest as his first guided group on that mountain, I probably would never have attempted the climb, since large groups of non-mountaineers with a bucket list didn’t appeal. I put this down to his professionalism and expertise, and I trust him completely. He runs his expedition on different terms to many others, in that he will only take small groups of experienced mountaineers who are unlikely to be a liability to themselves or others on the mountain. His staff are all experienced professionals with many seasons under their belts. His basecamps are well-served, comfortable and fun. Team members are included in decision making, and have a certain autonomy, or as much is as allowed by the flexibility of himself and his team, which leads to a great camaraderie which seemed to be missing from some of the larger commercial groups. If you don’t have the right experience, need to be babied up the mountain, or expect everything to go like clockwork on a fixed itinerary in a way that almost never happens in this kind if environment, Tim may not be the leader for you, but if you have mountain experience, are personally resourceful and want to take ownership of your climb, whilst given all the logistical and emergency backup you might need by a team of very capable professionals (Tim can’t personally be everywhere at once), then I wouldn’t hesitate to join Tim for a very different experience to the Everest Tours that are taking over the mountain.
I successfully climbed Everest via the South Col in 2016 with Tim. The expedition was exactly what I was looking for, with it being a small team led by a highly experienced mountaineer in Tim, supported by some of the best, tried and tested logistics on the mountain. I wanted to experience Everest in a way that I could use my previously gained extensive mountaineering knowledge and experience to the full and to feel as independent as possible whilst knowing that I had the support and benefit of decades of experience on the mountain, because I knew I would probably only ever have one chance to achieve my dreams of summiting Everest and I wanted it to be a positive, memorable experience whilst being as safe as climbing an 8000 metre mountain can possibly be. I met with Tim more than once before the trip, in the Lake District and I soon knew that this was someone I could trust and would enjoy spending time with on the expedition. I am a good judge of character and I have continued to climb, and also work, with Tim in more recent years and I find his company to be great fun and also confidence inspiring. See my reviews on the Ama Dablam trips I have shared with Tim for more information. Tim’s website was a great resource before the trip but any questions that I had about the itinerary or equipment were swiftly answered by him in detail, this meant that I arrived in Nepal confident in my choice of gear and how the expedition would unfold and allowed me to really enjoy the scenic trip to Base Camp, which took us away from the crowds and allowed the team to bond and acclimatise, and arrive into Base Camp healthy and feeling motivated to make a start on what, at the point, still seemed like an impossible challenge. The basecamp support was fantastic, with excellent food and no shortage of snacks and familiar goodies for higher up the mountain. The communal tent was always a fun place to be, with regular treats to lift people’s spirits on what was a long and obviously strenuous trip. We were well situated close to the Icefall and whilst we kept ourselves to ourselves, it was clear from who was visiting our basecamp from other major teams, that Tim was very well connected and was sharing and receiving the best information, which allowed the best plans to be made, and adjusted. Knowing that Tim was liaising closely with other “big names” on Everest was reassuring and there was certainly a sense that our team, despite being relatively small, was viewed as one of the main players on the hill. Mountains are dynamic environments and Everest more so than anywhere else, the sheer number of other teams operating, alongside the challenging weather forecasting, added to the separate “rope-fixing” logistics, means that being in the right place at the right time on the mountain is absolutely crucial to getting a shot at the summit. I was able to have two summit attempts extremely close together (within the same week) which was possible due to our own stamina and ability on the mountain but also due to the flexible nature of the trip Tim runs which allows individuals to develop their own itinerary and also for changes to be made at short notice to react to the ever changing environment and to make the most of opportunities as and when they present themselves. Basically if you can make the most of the opportunities, they will be there. I saw on Everest, and have seen since on other mountains, the importance of having good connections and established relationships when things happen that require a rapid and effective response. Tim has long standing trust-based relationships with key people in Kathmandu and in the Khumbu which mean that, for example, if a helicopter is needed for a rescue/evacuation/emergency, it will be there when needed and likely it will be one of the first to arrive. You are in safe hands with Tim and his team and should extra resources be required, they will be readily available. This is not always the case with other operators. I would say that if you are an experienced mountaineer and are looking for the opportunity to achieve your high-altitude goals and ambitions, Tim Mosedale is the guy to go to. You will have a great time from the first meeting in Kathmandu to saying farewell as you travel home at the end of what was hopefully a successful trip and I would have no hesitation in recommending Tim.
Deciding to climb Everest isn't something that you do overnight. You climb a lot of hills on the way and see lots of well run and less well run expeditions. Tim runs a small, less commercial climb and while that appealed to me (along with the price tag), on reflection it came with additional risk and lower quality than expected and ultimately we were at the mercy of bad decision making from our leader. Tim is a quirky guy I'm sure he is some climbers cup of tea, I would suggest getting to know him very well in advance so avoid surprises. Even those climbers I have met which like him and are in awe of his achievements accept he is not everyones cup of tea. On the mountain the main reason I will mark this trip down is 2-fold 1) Logistics logistics logistics. Radios which didn't work. Not providing the sherpa cover as promised. Borrowing and listening in on other teams weather and sometimes not having a forecast as a result. 2) Leadership and decision making. I still cant believe what he did on our summit push, and frankly those of us on this trip are often looked at in disbelief by climbers, expedition leaders and lay people alike when we detail what happened. We went for an early summit but aborted before camp 3 as a result of heavy snows and failed rope work higher up. We returned to base camp to wait for the next window and all decided as a team following review of the forecasts that we would take a break down in namche and recuperate. Two of the team walked to Namche, three of team took a helicopter. Just as everyone was settling down in Namche Tim contacted us to say he had spoken to the Ghurka team and changed his mind and thought we should go for summit immediately with them. Weather wasn't perfect but doable and the they would set the ropes themselves and we'd go right behind. We all discussed and decided that given this would be our last shot (as he explained it), we were tired and could use R&R, and there were still no ropes or summits yet in the season, we should stop focusing on being the first up the mountain and just fall in line for a later window. We weren't trying to be heroes. When we told Tim of the decision of the whole team, he said fine but I am going to climb with the Ghurka anyhow and take the assistant guide as he needs to get home early. So off went Tim and we were left with no comms for days. A new window opened which we missed as a result and then finally when Tim came back he suggested we wait despite there being another window. The assistant guide who Tim had brought promptly went home. Finally we did manage (thankfully) to find a window on the last day of the season. Tim suddenly "found out" he couldn't summit a second time without paying a further fee and as a result didn't end up climbing on our final summit push from camp 4 at all. Simply bizarre and certainly not as advertised. We made it so I won't give a 0 or 1 , but the risks were higher on this trip over other (largely more expensive ones to be fair) as far as we could tell - we had been willing to give up some pampering but had been sold on expert risk management. Tim disappearing for 6 critical days as the short weather window opened also gave us all a lot of stress as we started to think our trip was being ruined and we wouldn't get a shot at all. The silver lining is the climbers who went through this crazy experience have bonded and we're all now great friends for life
Tim is an excellent climber. Tim is a nice guy. His logistical company do a pretty good job despite their questionable reputation. The food Tim provides is excellent. The start of the expedition was fantastic. We did an 'off the beaten path' trek to Base Camp which saw some amazing sites and got us to BC nicely acclimatized. At Base Camp, Tim worked his hardest to ensure all climbers were well informed and comfortable. He even spent of a lot of time with me personally helping me through a bad injury which nearly ended my expedition before it started. Above Base Camp things were very different. I spent a few hours climbing with Tim on my first rotation. I didn't really see him on the trail after that. Despite promises of a 1:1 Sherpa Ratio I only had a sherpa with me on my summit day, even he disappeared for an hour after unclipping, slipping and disappearing but that is another story. The higher we got and the more difficult it became for Tim to manage an Everest Team and a Lhotse team, cracks started to appear in his leadership. By the time we were heading for the summit there were a plethora of errors, shortcuts, ridiculous situations, and dangerous events. Here is a summary. Sherpas were too stretched setting up camps to climb with clients. Tim never climbed with clients (or at least myself) We never had radios ourselves, not even on summit days this became dangerous as we were usually alone without guides or sherpas. Tim was trying to manage two teams on two different mountains at the same time which did not go well. Tim borrowed weather reports from other teams and tuned into other team's radio conversations trying to get information on weather. The weather on our summit day was terrible. We descended from the summit in a terrible storm. We were one of two teams summitting that day. Tim did his personal Everest summit before the rest of the team using up his one permit meaning he could not accompany us to the summit despite ensuring he would. Lots of promises at sea level did not come to fruition at 8000m. Tim would have sudden furious outbursts at team members for no apparent reason. Back down in the valley prices for helicopter rides always increased when we needed to return to BC. And much much more more. Overall I cannot recommend Tim Mosedale or Himalayan Guides Nepal for an Everest Climb. I feel my expedition was very dangerous and I am very lucky to have come back down - no thanks to the guides. Like I said, Tim is a nice guy and a good climber but I don't think he should be running expeds on Everest or other 8000m peaks as it is too much for a one man band.
- $48,750
- March, April, May 58 Days
- Mountaineering
- $48,750
- March, April, May 58 Days
- Mountaineering
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