A special feature in the Beijing Evening News
Gear for climbing Everest typically includes high-altitude boots, safety ropes, carabiners, ice axes, crampons, moisture-wicking clothing, warm clothing, tents, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads. A basic set costs at least 50,000 to 60,000 RMB, and as technical skills improve, the cost of gear can be limitless. You can also purchase a full set of ice and snow technical gear and special equipment such as GPS, satellite phones, and oxygen cylinders.
Everest enthusiasts live by the motto “Climbing Everest is oxygen plus luck.” It’s reported that a single bottle of oxygen, including the cost of high-altitude transport, can go up to 500 USD. And a climber usually needs to prepare at least four bottles of oxygen.
In addition to survival gear, this is also the ultimate testing ground for various communication devices. Above an altitude of 5,200 meters, all climbers can only rely on maritime satellite phones or high-altitude walkie-talkies for communication. Maritime satellite phone charges are 13.5 USD per minute, while internet access via BGAN is billed at 7.8 USD per megabyte.
In 1960, when China first climbed Everest, the government allocated several million USD in foreign exchange in one go. The climbing team used this fund to purchase climbing supplies in Switzerland and France, spending nearly 350,000 USD, and that was just the foreign exchange portion. The cost of climbing Everest in 1960 was roughly equivalent to the entire budget of the First National Games in 1959.
In 1988, during the China-Japan-Nepal joint traverse climb, just the supplies and equipment at the north side base camp filled over 900 boxes and required 46 trucks, costing about 20 million RMB.
In 2003, since all members of the Chinese climbing team were amateur enthusiasts, the support lineup organized by the Chinese Mountaineering Association for this climb was unprecedented in Chinese mountaineering history. It also marked the first time Sherpas were hired as chefs for the high-altitude camps. The team’s budget was around 1.8 to 2.2 million RMB. This included about 450,000 to 750,000 RMB for food, not including the cost of over a hundred thousand USD for oxygen and hiring Sherpas.
Among these teams, there is a specialized mountaineering organization at the foot of Everest—Russell Team—that provides logistical support for various climbing associations attempting Everest. However, their fees are also high. The charge for Chinese teams is about 330,000 RMB, which is considered a “discounted price,” as fees for Japanese and European or American climbers reach 500,000 RMB.
Mr. Ye Xiao from a Beijing-based mountaineering club told reporters that in recent years, climbing Everest requires paying the local mountaineering association around 300,000 RMB in climbing fees. The southern side of Mount Everest is within Nepal, and choosing to summit from the Nepalese side is also an option. In addition to normal equipment costs, summiting from Nepal also involves vaccinations, passport processing, transportation of supplies to and from the base camp, medical support, waste disposal, and more. All these add up to roughly 400,000 RMB or more.
The Nepalese government enforces a permit system for climbing Everest and other peaks above 3,000 meters. The Everest climbing permit costs at least 10,000 USD (for groups of 8–12 people) and up to 25,000 USD (for individuals). The Nepalese government earns considerable revenue from this alone—just this season, it brought in nearly 3 million USD. Compared to Tibet (the northern slope of Everest), the Everest climbing industry in Nepal is more mature. There are thousands of Sherpa guides working here. This year, there were over 1,000 slots available on the southern slope, while the northern slope had fewer than 200, as China maintains stricter control.
Let’s do the math: starting with the must-pay items—climbing permit, liaison officer, visa, entrance fee, icefall route management, fixed ropes, waste disposal, travel, and insurance. Even if split among six climbers, each person still needs at least 13,000 USD. Equipment, food, tents, and other shared costs come to at least 25,000 USD per person, not including oxygen or Sherpa guide fees. For a seven-person team, the cost per person is around 35,000 USD.
Additionally, the cost for one Sherpa guide and two cooks ranges between 55,000 and 85,000 USD. The above are just the basic expenses for climbing Everest; personalized and miscellaneous costs are not yet included.
A Chronology of Human Everest Climbs
● In the spring of 1971, the “International Everest Expedition Team,” jointly formed by mountaineers from eleven European and Asian countries including the UK, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and India, attempted the summit along the southwest ridge of the southern slope under the leadership of Swiss mountaineer Ernst Reiss. Due to inconsistent pacing and major internal disagreements, the expedition failed after Indian climber Hukku died in an avalanche.
● In the autumn of 1973, the Japanese Everest Expedition Team (led by Captain Shōtarō Mizuno) entered Everest in August of that year. Their original plan was to summit via the southern face route attempted unsuccessfully by the Japanese team in 1970. They had improved equipment in advance, such as oxygen systems suitable for altitudes above 8,000 meters, but still couldn’t overcome the massive rock wall above 8,000 meters. As a result, they switched to the traditional southeast ridge via South Col route. Two climbers, Imanishi Hisashi and Kato Yasuo, reached the summit on October 26. This marked the first successful autumn ascent in Everest history.
● In the autumn of 1974, the French Everest Expedition Team, led by Chamonix Mayor Jean D’Aillon, consisted of ten French nationals and employed 390 Nepalese porters and guides. They chose the 1963 U.S. team’s southwest ridge route. One of the expedition’s primary goals was to study human physiological changes at high altitudes, so they developed remote ECG devices for each climber to systematically monitor ECG readings throughout the climb. However, a major avalanche occurring between 6,400 and 6,900 meters on the night of September 19 killed the team leader and five Nepalese porters, causing the expedition to fail.
● In the spring of 1975, the Japanese Women’s Everest Expedition Team (led by Kyoko Kuwano), consisting of fifteen Japanese women, accompanied by a male Japanese journalist, established their base camp at 5,350 meters on the southern slope on March 16. Deputy leader Junko Tabei (36 years old), along with her Sherpa guide Ang Tshering (27 years old), reached the summit on May 16 at noon via the traditional southern route, staying for 25 minutes.
The Japanese women’s team faced significant challenges. From Japan to the base camp, they lost a large amount of equipment and food. On the night of May 3, a major avalanche struck their camp at 6,450 meters, burying seven female climbers and twenty-three Sherpa guides. The entire camp was engulfed, creating a highly dangerous situation. All were rescued in time, and Junko Tabei, who was buried by the avalanche, later said, “I’ll never climb again!” after reaching the summit.
● In 1975, the Chinese Everest Expedition Team (Party Secretary Wang Fuzhou, Captain Shi Zhanchun) comprised 434 members from seven ethnic groups: Han, Tibetan, Hui, Mongolian, Korean, Tu, and Evenki. This included 179 athletes, 36 of whom were women, and 255 support staff in fields such as scientific research, meteorology, communications, journalism, medical care, transportation, cooking, and logistics.
The team entered the mountain in early March and withdrew in early June. After multiple marches (the first three for acclimatization, the last two for summit attempts), at 2:30 PM Beijing Time on May 27, 1975, female climber Pan Duo and eight male climbers—Sonam Norbu, Luo Ze, Hou Shengfu, Sangzhu, Dapengcuo, Gonggarbasang, Tenzing Dorje, and Abuchin—successfully summited Everest’s northern slope, following the 1960 first ascent by Wang Fuzhou, Gongbu, and Qu Yinhua.
This mass summit, along with the significant scientific achievements, was unprecedented in world mountaineering history. Since then, more and more Chinese have reached Everest’s summit. China’s progress and strength have gradually made Chinese mountaineers one of the leading forces in global Everest climbing.
● In both spring and autumn of 1975, three separate expeditions successfully summited Everest via different routes—an unprecedented feat in Everest climbing history.
● In 1988, mountaineers from China, Japan, and Nepal joined forces to challenge Everest, meeting at the summit from both the north and south sides. Three Chinese climbers successfully traversed the peak, one reached the summit, and Nima Dorje set a world record by spending 99 minutes at the summit without supplemental oxygen.
● In 1990, climbers from China, the Soviet Union, and the United States gathered on Everest in the name of peace, showcasing the world’s desire for harmony. Seven Tibetan Chinese climbers reached the summit during this expedition.
● In 1993, six mountaineers from both sides of the Taiwan Strait summited Everest together for the first time, marking a historic moment. Wu Jinxiong became the first Taiwanese to reach the summit.
● In 1996 and 1997, China collaborated with Slovakia and Pakistan on joint climbs. Four Tibetan climbers summited, including Tsering Dorje, China’s first university student to climb Everest, and Daqimi and Kaicun, who summited twice.
● On May 27, 1999, ten Tibetan climbers from the Tibet Mountaineering Team summited Everest together and collected the sacred flame for the Sixth National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities at the 8,848.13-meter summit. This remarkable feat, full of wisdom and imagination, symbolized 1.2 billion Chinese people confidently stepping into the new century. Guishuang became the world’s first woman to summit Everest twice from the north, while Ren Na and Ji Ji became China’s first married couple to summit together.
● The history of Chinese Everest climbs isn’t limited to professionals. Many amateurs have also taken on the challenge. In 2000, Yan Genghua, a brave man from Heilongjiang and China’s first civilian solo Everest challenger, summited on May 21 but tragically died on his descent.
● In 2002, another brave climber, Wang Tianhan, finally succeeded in soloing Mount Everest.
● In 2003, the China–South Korea Joint Mountaineering Team and 14 Chinese members of the 2003 China Everest Expedition successfully reached the summit of Mount Everest on May 21 and 22 respectively. They were Xiao Qimi, Purbu Zhoega (female), Cangmula (female), Nima Tsering, Liang Qun (female), Chen Junchi, Awang, Purbu Dunzhu, Tashi Tsering, Wangdui, Jiala, Luo Shen, Wang Shi, and Liu Jian.
● As of May 2003, over the past 43 years, Chinese mountaineers have reached the "Roof of the World" 14 times, with a total of 61 ascents by individuals leaving their footprints at the summit. Meanwhile, among the many climbers who attempted Everest, several brave souls have rested forever in Everest’s snowy expanse, while others were left with lifelong disabilities. The history of Chinese mountaineering on Everest is a moving and heroic saga of perseverance and continuous triumph.
● On May 8, 2008, the torch of the 29th Summer Olympic Games—named “Xiangyun” (Sacred Cloud)—was carried to the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest (8,844.43 m above sea level), by Chinese athletes. It became the highest-altitude torch relay site in the history of the Olympic Torch Relay.