Whether it is comfortable or luxurious in terms of paid services, an ascent of Everest by its normal Nepalese route will cost the Himalayan climber between 35,000 and 270,000 euros today. The athlete Kilian Jornet, who knows the place well, has revealed some of his tricks for reducing the cost! Explanations.
If someone knows about how to climb Everest clean, fast – and cheap, that’s Kilian Jornet. Jornet stunned the world by climbing Everest twice in a week in 2017. On that occasion, he chose the Tibetan side, currently closed to non-Chinese expeditions. He then returned to Everest in 2019 and 2021, from the Nepali side.
Jornet is aware of the process of an average Everest expedition, also the expensive premium versions but, as he told Alpine mag, “it can be done for much less,” and shared some tips with us.
Kilian Jornet alone on the South Col of Everest, during his alpine style attempt in the fall of 2019 ©Coll. Kilian Jornet
spending part of the expedition in lodges below Base Camp
To begin with, being as fast and efficient as Kilian Jornet helps. But even for the average human being, austerity and some added effort will have an immediate effort in the final budget. The key is to shorten the expedition as much as possible, but also spending part of the expedition in lodges below Base Camp (Kilian used those in Gorak Shep and Pheriche).
Of course, Jornet spared the money others invest