Climbing at 8,000 meters is inherently dangerous and this is not the place to be learning mountaineering and camping skills.

Therefore, the more mountaineering experience that you have, the safer you will be and the more you will enjoy the climbing experience on Everest. Himalayan Experience firmly recommends that you have summited another 8,000m peak before you attempt Everest.

Past experience shows that those who have climbed an 8,000m peak previously are safer and have a much better success rate on Everest than those who have not. Himalayan Experience suggests that you climb a few 4,000m peaks in order to gain the mountaineering proficiency, and then maybe look at a trip to Denali and/or a 6,000m trekking peak where you experience expedition camping, higher altitude and how to deal with the cold. Then Himalayan Experience suggests a trip to Manaslu where you get to climb to 8,000m and experience Himalayan expedition life, working with Sherpas, fixed ropes and oxygen. Then with all of this experience behind you, you will be ready to attempt Everest.

Our sister company Chamonix Experience based in Chamonix, France, www.chamex.com operates Alpine Climbing Courses and Expedition Training Courses. These cover normal basic mountaineering training, and also include camping and the use of fixed ropes. Our other sister company and agent in Kathmandu, Nepal, Mountain Experience, www.mountainexperience.info, operates trekking and trekking peak trips in the Himalayas.