Want To Climb Mt. Everest? Here's How Long On Average It'll Take You

For many adventurers, challenging themselves is part of the allure of spending time outdoors. Of course, there is practically no bigger challenge than climbing Mt. Everest. Reaching over 29,000 feet, the summit of Everest is the highest point above sea level on Earth. However, achieving this feat takes a good amount of money, training, and time. The time spent climbing Everest is around two months — yet it is much more than that. It takes time for planning and preparation, acclimation, reaching base camp, and, finally, attempting the summit. 

Explorers have attempted to climb to this point for more than 100 years. It took three decades and many failed expeditions before Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first to do so in 1953. Since then, there have been close to 12,000 successful summits by more than 6,600 different people. While they come from different countries, each successful climb had a few things in common. Chief among those commonalities was they had the ability, willingness, and dedication to put in the time it takes to be successful in their pursuit of this challenge.

The initial time investment comes with the planning stage. The process of planning such an adventure can be anywhere between a couple of months, all the way to a full year, if you're really being conservative. During this time, it is necessary to get all documents, book flights and outfitters, obtain permits, and arrange transportation. That time is also needed to train so that you can be in peak physical and mental conditions for your expedition. After all, Mt. Everest is the world's most treacherous mountain to climb, so arriving in anything less than the very best condition would be a huge mistake. This can not only lead to a failed attempt, but can also be a major safety issue while mountaineering.

Once you reach the base of Mt. Everest, the next block of time begins. While it usually takes around 60 days for a complete ascent, that time will be broken into several different chunks. Upon landing in Nepal, you can expect a couple of days of gear prep and travel, during which time your body begins acclimating to altitude. From that point, you can expect a series of hikes, which will ultimately lead you to the base camp for the operation.

According to The Manual, once you arrive at base camp, you can expect that to be your home for the next four or five weeks, depending on conditions. While your body has begun acclimating during the hike to base camp, which can take close to a dozen days, there will be a much more intense altitude acclimation process occurring during your time at base camp. Also during this time, expect a number of hikes to summit smaller peaks, as well as set up additional camps that will be used on the summit assault. 

While the time spent at base camp may seem excessive, it is absolutely necessary in order to get your body used to physical exertion with reduced oxygen levels. This process takes time and cannot be rushed. To aid with this process, some aspiring climbers incorporate the use of masks, such as the Sparthos High Altitude Mask, into their workout routine before embarking on their Mt. Everest climbing adventure. Because the altitude acclimation process is difficult on the body, there will also be rest days scheduled during your time at base camp.

After spending many months planning and training, along with another couple of months traveling and acclimating at base camp, your time has finally come to attempt to summit Mt. Everest. However, climbing to the top of a peak at such a dramatic altitude is an extreme outdoor adventure and takes time to accomplish safely. So, although the natural inclination at this point in your journey is to rush to the top, there is a time-consuming process even to the final steps of this undertaking.

Once summit assault teams are organized, it is mostly a matter of looking for the right weather and conditions to attempt summiting Mt. Everest. Given the right conditions, the teams will begin making their way to the camps which have been set above base camp. The summit attempts will be launched from these smaller camps higher up the mountain once their right window of opportunity presents itself. 

If conditions hold throughout a final summit attempt, the time from Camp III to the summit averages three to five hours. However, the weather at the top of Everest can be fickle. If conditions deteriorate, the summit attempt can last much longer or may even need to be aborted. Under good conditions, the time it takes to hike to the camps above base camp, attempt to summit, and descend takes about a week. From that point, it is simply a matter of spending the time necessary to rest, recover, and travel back home.