How Long Does It Take to Climb Mount Everest?
A traditional Mount Everest expedition takes 60 to 75 days, about two to two and a half months from arrival to the trip home. Most of that time goes to acclimatizing to the altitude, not climbing. Alpenglow’s Rapid Ascent™ Everest expedition takes 36 days, and the Everest Lightning Ascent 15 days, because climbers pre-acclimatize at home before they travel.
Key facts
- Traditional expedition: 60 to 75 days, with several acclimatization rotations up and down the mountain.
- Rapid Ascent™ (North Side): 36 days, after weeks of supervised sleeping in a hypoxic tent at home.
- Lightning Ascent: 15 days door to door, with one continuous climb to the summit and no rotations.
- The summit push: about five days from Advanced Base Camp on the North Side, including a summit day of 12 to 14 hours.
- Why it takes so long: the body needs weeks to adapt to thin air. Everest’s summit is 29,032 ft (8,849 m), and the high camps sit above 21,000 ft (6,400 m).
- Weather: the summit push waits for a calm window, usually in May, so itineraries keep about a week of spare days.
- Hiking to Everest: the Everest Base Camp Trek takes 14 days, with no technical climbing.
- The journey before the expedition: most climbers spend several years on the Road to Everest, building up from a mountaineering course to Ecuador’s volcanoes, Aconcagua and an 8,000-meter peak.
Why it takes so long: a guide’s story from Everest
Zeb Blais wrote this first-hand account from Everest Base Camp during Alpenglow’s 2017 Rapid Ascent™ expedition.
My heart pounded in my chest, overpowering the music blaring through my headphones. I was skipping between large granite boulders, ascending a ridge line 3,000′ above Everest Base Camp. I wasn’t scared. I wasn’t moving fast. At sea level, my heart wouldn’t have bothered itself to increase more than a few beats per minute. At 6,000 meters (20,000′) on my first high hike above camp, it was a different story. I could feel the thin air slowing me down and taxing my body.
If moving at 6,000 meters is this difficult, how can I expect to ascend Mount Everest’s 8,848 meters?
By scrambling up to 6,000 meters, I was forcing my body to adapt to the environmental stresses it will encounter in the days to come on this expedition. Moving up in altitude begins a physiological process called acclimatization that helps the human body adapt to the lack of oxygen at high elevation. The process is not fully understood, and most acclimatization schedules are based on decades of trial and error of climbing at extreme altitudes.
Acclimatization is in your genes
It is generally accepted that acclimatization is based primarily on genetic makeup. This means that everyone acclimatizes at different rates based on their genes. When we subject our bodies to altitude for prolonged periods of time, we “switch on” certain genes to stimulate the production of more red blood cells. This increase in red blood cells allows climbers to transport oxygen much more efficiently in hypoxic environments like extreme altitudes.
Climb high, sleep low
We force this process by doing rotations at altitude, climbing high and sleeping low. Climbing high stresses the body and causes it to start the acclimatization process, but it takes a toll on the body. Without the oxygen it normally has at lower elevations, the body is much slower to recover. This means that climbers must take care to get proper rest and make sure they are recovering fully. Sleeping low in a relatively oxygen rich environment is essential for this recovery to happen. If a climber pushes too high too fast or too hard, it can lead to severe altitude sickness such as High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) or High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE).
The higher the peak, the longer it takes
The higher the peak, the more efficient our bodies must be at using oxygen, so the more we must acclimatize. The highest mountains in the world are over 8,000 meters (26,247′) and the air is so thin (low in pressure), it takes weeks for our bodies to even be able to survive at the altitudes where we camp.
Everyone has a slightly different philosophy to acclimatization. Some believe that more time up high is better to expose their body to more time at altitude. Others believe that this taxes the body too much and that it is more important to spend time low to rest and recover. A lot of this has to do with the climber’s personal physiology and they must listen to their body and remain flexible with their acclimatization schedule to ensure that they are adjusting and not wearing themselves out. Guide services choose acclimatization schedules that work for the vast majority of people, so they are typically more conservative and slower.
Supplemental oxygen
In addition to these lengthy acclimatization schedules, commercial 8,000 meter expeditions use supplemental oxygen to help climbers reach the summit. This allows climbers to have less acclimatization, to move faster and stay warmer on summit day. Usually everyone on a commercially guided trip, including guides, Sherpa and clients, uses supplemental oxygen (“Os”) during the summit push. Depending on the company, climbers and guides will start using Os as low as 7,000 meters. Usually climbers use oxygen 24 hours a day while on their 4-day summit push above ABC. They sleep on a low flow rate and climb on a higher flow rate, typically .5-1L per min and 2-4L per min, respectively.
Sherpa and Tibetans are genetically adapted to altitude. Their bodies have evolved over generations to process oxygen more efficiently and they typically climb on a much lower flow rate to allow them to carry fewer oxygen tanks during the summit push. This also means they have to stock the camps with fewer bottles before the summit push.
60 to 75 days on a traditional expedition
Typically, teams spend between 60 to 75 days on a Mount Everest summit expedition. This is the total length of the expedition and includes weeks of acclimatization rotations. On the south side of Everest, teams usually fly into the Khumbu at 9,500′ and make their way to Everest Base Camp at 17,300′ over the course of two weeks.
Does Rapid Ascent™ work?
Alpenglow Expeditions guides Mount Everest in an unconventional way. Our total expedition length is 45 days, using what we call Rapid Ascent. (That was in 2017; today our Rapid Ascent™ Everest expedition takes 36 days.) With this style, climbers “pre-acclimatize” at home by spending 8 hours a day in a hypoxic environment for weeks in advance of the trip to stimulate a physiological response to simulated altitude. Usually our clients and guides achieve this by sleeping in a “Hypoxico” tent. This doesn’t allow climbers to go straight up the mountain, but it does cut weeks of acclimatization off the trip by allowing team members to arrive directly at 17,200′ Base Camp instead of trekking for weeks to feel comfortable living at that altitude.
Does Rapid Ascent work? So far, in our experience, the answer is yes. Critics argue that it doesn’t work or that it changes the nature of the expedition, but we have found that it does work. Climbers who use the “Hypoxico” system as intended, with the assistance of our doctor, are able to arrive at Base Camp and feel similar to someone who acclimatized by slowly trekking in. I’ve had three successful Rapid Ascent expeditions: Aconcagua 2016, Everest 2016 and Cho Oyu 2016.
And yes, Rapid Ascent does change the nature of the expedition. It removes the trekking portion of the expedition, which has pros and cons. Many climbers feel that trekking in the Khumbu is an inextricable part of the experience. That’s valid. I admit that I love trekking in the Khumbu. It’s a beautiful way to experience Sherpa culture and explore some of the most amazing peaks of the Himalaya and it means that you don’t have to sleep in a hypoxic tent. But 75 days is a long time to spend at elevation and away from home (especially in the peak of ski mountaineering season). Last year, conducting a shorter expedition helped keep our team strong and motivated on Everest and Cho Oyu. Less time at altitude and less exposure to germs from trekkers and other climbers helps avoid sickness. We had no viral sicknesses on either of those expeditions, which is huge for summit success.
Personally, I love being able to be at home, spend time with friends and tackle ski mountaineering objectives I would otherwise be hard pressed to attempt. Last year I was able to ski the Ford-Stettner Route on the Grand Teton and this year I skied the Giant Steps Couloir on Mount Williamson while most Everest climbers were trekking in the Khumbu. Can’t complain about that!
The bottom line is acclimatization is hard to understand and, therefore, hard to perfect. Most guides and serious climbers are constantly tweaking acclimatization schedules and discussing the advantages and disadvantages of their strategy. Knowing what’s best means learning how to listen to your body and takes years of experience and experimentation.
How long each kind of Everest expedition takes
| Approach | Typical length | How climbers acclimatize |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional expedition | 60 to 75 days | Rotations between Base Camp and higher camps on the mountain |
| Alpenglow Rapid Ascent™ | 36 days | Weeks in a hypoxic tent at home, then one acclimatization rotation on the mountain |
| Alpenglow Lightning Ascent | 15 days | Pre-acclimatized at home, then one continuous push to the summit |
Lengths are typical itineraries. See each expedition page for current dates and details.
How Everest compares with other climbs
| Expedition | Typical length | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Ecuador Climbing School | 9 days, plus an optional 7-day extension | Learn the skills on your first high-altitude volcanoes |
| Kilimanjaro | 9-day climb, plus an optional 3-day extension | Africa’s highest peak, with no technical climbing |
| Everest Base Camp Trek | 14 days | Trek to the foot of Everest |
| Aconcagua Rapid Ascent™ | 14 days | The highest mountain in the Americas, a first 7,000-meter peak |
| Cho Oyu Rapid Ascent™ | 29 days | An 8,000-meter peak, the usual last step before Everest |
| Everest Rapid Ascent™ | 36 days | The summit of the world |
Most Everest climbers have done several of these first. The Road to Everest, below, shows the order.
Everest is a journey. Here’s where it starts
The expedition itself takes weeks. The road to it takes years: about three to four on the fast end, and often more than five. Only a small team climbs Everest with Alpenglow each season, and nearly every one of them started with one approachable trip.
You don’t need to be planning Everest to take the first step. Our Road to Everest lays out the progression in five stages, and the first ones are trips you could take this year:
- The basics: snow and glacier travel on a course like Intro to Mountaineering.
- A first high-altitude peak: the Ecuador Climbing School or another of our intro expeditions.
- A 7,000-meter peak: such as Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas.
- An 8,000-meter peak: such as Cho Oyu.
- Everest.
Want to see the mountain first? The Everest Base Camp Trek walks to its foot with no technical climbing, and our other treks are a great way to find out how you do at altitude.
How the time on an Everest expedition is spent
On Alpenglow’s 36-day North Side Rapid Ascent™ itinerary, the time breaks down like this:
- The approach (days 1–5): fly to Lhasa via Chengdu, then drive across the Tibetan Plateau to Base Camp at 17,000 ft (5,182 m), with overnight stops that help the body adjust.
- Acclimatizing at Base Camp (days 6–10): rest days, hikes above camp and fixed-rope practice.
- To Advanced Base Camp (days 11–12): via Interim Camp at 19,000 ft (5,791 m) to 21,300 ft (6,492 m) on the East Rongbuk Glacier.
- Acclimatization rotation (days 13–18): rest and hikes at Advanced Base Camp, then up to the North Col at 23,000 ft (7,010 m) and back down.
- The summit push (about 5 days): the North Col, Camp 2 at 24,750 ft (7,544 m) and Camp 3 at 26,700 ft (8,138 m), then a 12 to 14 hour summit day to 29,032 ft (8,849 m) and back down to the North Col, and on to Advanced Base Camp the next day.
- Waiting for weather (up to a week): spare days, so the push can take an early or a late calm window.
- The descent and the trip home (about 4 days): down to Base Camp, a day’s drive to Shigatse and a flight out.
Compare the routes in our guide to Mount Everest’s climbing routes, and read why we climb from the North Side in the hazards of Everest’s South Side.
How pre-acclimatization shortens an Everest expedition
With Alpenglow’s Rapid Ascent™ approach, climbers spend weeks sleeping in hypoxic tents at home, under supervision, so they arrive already acclimatized. The expedition keeps all the necessary acclimatization and training, but cuts the waiting of a traditional expedition, which brings Everest down to 36 days.
The Lightning Ascent goes further: one trip to Advanced Base Camp and a single continuous push to the summit, with no rotations. Read how we developed it in Everest Lightning Ascent: the fastest way to climb Everest.
Your first steps on the Road to Everest
Ecuador Climbing School
Aconcagua Rapid Ascent™
Everest Base Camp Trek
