CHOLATSE (6440M)

Technical Ridge Climbing, 1:1 Sherpa Ratio & Full Base Camp Support.

Expedition Overview

Altitude Junkies (P) Ltd. offer one of the most cost-effective full-service expeditions to Cholatse in the Khumbu region of the Nepalese Himalaya.

We don’t advertise an expedition price and then ask for additional payments at the conclusion of the expedition such as Sherpa summit bonus and kitchen staff gratuities as some of the other operators do. The price you pay the Junkies is the final price.

This expedition is offered with a 1:1 Sherpa to climber ratio. There is no western leader from Altitude Junkies Inc. present on the expedition.

The single leader/expedition manager offers similar expertise as a fully guided climb with a 4:1 climber to guide ratio. Having a 1:2 climbing Sherpa to climber ratio allows a more flexible schedule to travel with the climbing Sherpa during acclimatization rotations.

Cholaste is comparable in technical difficulty to Ama Dablam, but there are less teams present. Unlike the Dablam, Cholatse is climbed prominently on snow and ice with a small section of rock lower down on the route.

Leadership

Himalayan veteran expedition organizer Phil Crampton who has reached the summit of Cholatse several times and has multiple summits on 7,000 and 8,000-meter peaks in Nepal, Pakistan and Tibet will lead the 2025 expedition and this will be his eightieth plus Himalayan expedition.

In addition to an experienced leader, the teams head climbing Sherpa Sirdar will be Pasang Nima Sherpa. Pasang has vast experience being a Sirdar on Everest, Lhotse, Annapurna, Makalu, Manaslu, Kanchenjunga and Cholatse and will be directing our climbing Sherpas who have all summitted 8,000-meter peaks before, some multiple times, and their knowledge of the mountains of Nepal is unrivaled.

Helicopters

We utilize helicopters from Kathmandu flying directly to Namche Bazar. The Lukla fixed-wing flights are very weather dependent and we believe helicopters are a safer option. Namche Bazar is a good elevation to start the trek to base camp from. At the conclusion of the expedition we will take helicopter flights directly from base camp back to Kathmandu.

The Trek to Base Camp

After arriving at Namche by helicopter we will start the two day trek to base camp. Each evening we will stay in the best teahouse lodges on route and our kitchen staff will supervise all food preparation in the lodge kitchens. We will take cautious acclimatization rest days at Namche Bazar.After arriving at Namche by helicopter we will start the two day trek to base camp. Each evening we will stay in the best teahouse lodges on route and our kitchen staff will supervise all food preparation in the lodge kitchens. We will take cautious acclimatization rest days at Namche Bazar.

Base Camp

Our base camp is as luxurious, if not more so than some of the other more expensive operators in the Khumbu and the food prepared by our highly experienced cooks is considered some of the best available in the Himalayas.
Each climber is provided with a personal Black Diamond 3-person tent at base camp, which is insulated with a foam floor covering and complimented with an extra thick foam mattress.
We provide a carpeted, heated and solar-lit dining tent. We make it a policy at Altitude Junkies to remove all human waste from base camp and have porters carry our toilet drums to a lower village where it can be disposed of properly.

Climb Strategy

Cholatse is a technical peak and the expedition will place fixed ropes where necessary for the safety of all the climbers and staff. We have allocated 14 days at base camp and above to allow ample time for rope fixing as well as contingency days in case we experience bad weather.
We follow a cautious acclimatization schedule at base camp spending several nights in residence before taking our first trip onto the mountain.
The route will see us navigate a small icefall that leads lead us to a possible small rock section, depending on snow coverage, that will have fixed rope in place. This will then lead us up a long snow and ice arete staying on the Southwest Ridge in its entire length to the summit. We will utilize only one camp on the mountain, camp one at 5,700 meters.

The Route

High Altitude Camps

3-person tents will be used at high camps and these will be occupied by two persons. All high altitude food, stoves and cooking gas will be in place and members are only required to carry their own personal gear during the expedition.

Expedition Itinerary

Expedition Gear

Insurance

Climbers are required to have evacuation and medical insurance and we recommend using Global Rescue

Cost Includes

· Single accommodation with breakfast in Kathmandu as itinerary
· All transportation in Nepal as itinerary
· Porters for 30kg personal gear to base camp and return
· All meals at base camp
· Group Nepal climbing Sherpas
· Group Nepal cooks at base camp
· Expedition permit, peak fee and conservation fees
· Liaison Officer expenses
· Garbage Deposit
· Base camp and high camp tents
· Group climbing equipment, stoves and fuel
· Two-way radios
· Medical kits, portable altitude chamber and medical oxygen
· High altitude freeze-dried meals
· Climbing Sherpa summit bonus and carry bonus
· Kitchen Sherpa staff gratuities
· Kathmandu to Namche Bazar round trip helicopter flight
· Satellite phone use at cost price

Cost Exclude

· Airfare to and from Nepal
· Meals and drinks in Kathmandu
· Alcoholic beverages in Kathmandu
· Bottled beverages, showers and snack food on trek
· Nepal visa costs
· Evacuation costs, medical and rescue insurance
· Personal climbing clothing and equipment
· Personal Puja contribution

Altitude Junkies (P) Ltd. does not allow any solo climbing above base camp on any of our expeditions.