Whenever I discuss the logistics and time requirements for a climbing an expedition to Everest, the one thing that stuns people who don't follow the mountaineering scene is just how much it costs. It is not uncommon for even experienced mountaineers to get a bit of "sticker shock" when pricing an Everest climb, particularly as the costs only continue to go up. Thankfully, our friend Alan Arnette does a great job of keeping tabs of those price increases and makes an annual blog post breaking down just where all of that money goes. A few days back, Alan posted the numbers for the spring 2020 season ahead, once again answering the age old question of " how much does it cost to climb Everest? "
As has been the case for the past few years, the average cost of an Everest expedition is going up once again in 2020. Alan says that climbers will pay around $30,000 on the low end, and can pay as much as $160,000 on the high end. The average person will pay around $45,000. Part of the surge in pricing comes from the fact that China has recently raised the price of the permit to climb the mountain from the North Side, going from $9950 to a whopping $15,800. Nepal is also mulling over the idea of requiring expeditions to have a minimum price of $35,000 as well, although that hasn't been officially instituted yet.
Of particular interest in Alan's post is the breakdown of the costs, explaining exactly where all of the money goes. For instance, he estimated about $500-$10,125 of the price is for travel and is highly dependent on where you live and how much you spend on airfare. Another $11,000-$29,500 goes into permits and insurance prices, while supplies and gear will set you back anywhere from $800-$29,450 depending on what equipment you already have and still need. Obviously these price ranges are extremely wide, but Arnette goes into more detail to help readers understand how he got to those numbers and exactly why there is such a big range.
True to his usual level of meticulous detail, Alan also takes a look back at the previous year to examine trends and variable, while later wrapping things up with a detailed spreadsheet that really breaks everything down into a variety of categories. In terms of what happened in 2019 having an impact on 2020, Arnette reminds us that it was a volatile year on the mountain, with massive overcrowding on the South Side, long lines near the summit, and a number of deaths that probably could have been avoided. All of that hangs over the 2020 season with a dark shadow. A similar outcome for next spring could potentially be disastrous.
To get the full scoop on the price of climbing Everest check out the article here.
