Independent climbers hoping to summit Nepal’s 8,000m peaks without supplementary oxygen or Sherpa support can relax. They’re still allowed to try. Outfitters have confirmed to ExplorersWeb that new measures that will make a Sherpa guide compulsory for everyone will not kick in before September at the earliest.
Everest fee hike also delayed
Nepal announced last year that permit fees on Everest will increase by 36%, from $11,000 to $15,000. This was plenty of time for local stakeholders to adapt. However, two months ago, the government announced that the new fees were just a part of a larger set of measures. These included banning solo climbers, meaning those who decline the assistance of a Sherpa.
The news came as a shock to climbers all over the world. Several had already planned and paid for only base camp logistics on Everest and other 8,000m peaks. From there, they would proceed on their own. This style was the norm two decades ago, but now it is increasingly less common. Alpinists searching for solitude and self-sufficiency avoid the 8,000’ers and turn to unclimbed routes on smaller, lonelier mountains.
David Goettler during a no-oxygen, no-Sherpa Everest climb. Photo: David Goettler/Instagram
Authorities label these self-sufficient climbers on the normal route as “solo” climbers. They benefit from the fixed ropes and broken trails but otherwise climb on their own and bring all they need up and down the mountain themselves. In nearly every case, these climbers don’t use supplementary oxygen.
Everest, Makalu, Annapurna
Examples include several climbers currently on Annapurna, Vasilliy Pivtsov’s group on Makalu, and most noticeably, the Everest speed climbers Tyler Andrews of the U.S. and Karl Egloff of Ecuador.
Vadim Druelle of France will attempt Annapurna in one single push on his own. He told ExplorersWeb that he was not even aware of any pending regulation about solo climbers and has no intention of changing the approach he has previously employed on Kangchenjunga, Nanga Parbat, and elsewhere. Druelle climbs at his own pace, carrying his own gear, and usually sets off for the summit several hours after the big groups. He deliberately climbs through the night in order to avoid crowds.
Vadim Druelle with his little tent on Nanga Parbat, which he climbed in 15 hours, 15 minutes. Photo: Vadim Druelle/Instagram
Vassiliy Pivtsov of Kazakhstan and his two partners are also comfortable with climbing Makalu without Sherpa support beyond Base Camp.
Tyler Andrews, attempting a Fastest Known Time on Everest, will have his regular partner Chris Fisher roped up with him in the Khumbu Icefall. Otherwise, he will proceed at his own brisk pace. He aims to summit Everest in under 20 hours.
“We have made sure that everything in our climb is completely legal and according to the rules,” Andrews said. “We have been assured everything is okay.”
Tyler Andrews on Ama Dablam last fall. Photo: Chris Fisher
Assistance beyond oxygen
No-O2 climbing is allowed in Nepal, but the need for a supporting guide spoils climbing a peak by one’s own means. Beyond no supplementary oxygen, this means not climbing with a guide who does use O2 and who may carry an emergency oxygen bottle in case a client needs it.
As explained in a previous story, a climber going without bottled gas but with a Sherpa by his side tackles a significantly toned-down challenge. Sherpas look after their clients in several ways, from carrying everything to preparing food, unpacking the sleeping bag, adjusting crampons, and even emptying the client’s pee bottle.
Most outfitters support banning unassisted climbers, especially those totally on their own.
“Solo climbers are the ones who most likely face accidents at high altitudes,” Lakpa Sherpa of 8K Expeditions told ExplorersWeb recently. “Many lack proper planning, and often, solo climbers have to wait for the rope-fixing team [to finish its work], which can create tension and lead to dangerous situations.”
Other outfitters do not permit no-O2 climbers on their team unless they agree to have a Sherpa with an emergency bottle of oxygen accompany them.
On the other hand, some outfitters are happy to provide base camp-only logistics, especially to entire teams, such as the Kazakhs on Makalu.
Unclear questions
The regulations raised many still-unanswered questions: What happens if the independent climber is a professional mountain guide? What if a Sherpa decides to climb an 8,000m peak on his own? Will the measures affect those attempting climbs off the normal route, like the South Face of Cho Oyu, or those who come in the off-season, such as Jost Kobusch on Everest?
The new regulations state that climbers must have at least one Sherpa guide per two climbers, a low rate considering that those who really want Sherpa help on an 8,000’er will actually demand a 1:1 rate, that is, a personal Sherpa. Certain clients, especially on Everest, may even have two Sherpas tending to them.
Pasang Gomba Sherpa leads a sick climber down from Everest’s South Col. Photo: Jamie McGuinness/Project Himalaya
The measures have now been deferred a few months and will only come into force in September. The test peak will be Manaslu, where 99 percent of climbers are Sherpa-supported clients. There may be self-supported teams on other peaks, such as Dhaulagiri, but it is too early to say. Nowadays, few attempt the other 8,000m peaks in Nepal in autumn, including Everest.
Spring has always been the busiest season in the Himalaya, so next spring will be the first real test of these regulations. For now, independent climbers are welcome.
