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ACTIVITY

Mountaineering

From trekking peaks to 8,000 m expeditions

Nepal's climbing runs from NMA trekking peaks such as Mera and Island Peak, which need crampons and fixed rope but no expedition, to eight of the world's fourteen 8,000 m giants climbed over 30 to 64 days with fixed camps and Sherpa teams.

8 of 148,000m peaks
1,310+Peaks above 6,000m
Apr & OctPrime seasons
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Mountaineering
MOUNTAINEERING TRIPS

All Mountaineering trips

23 climbs in three altitude bands, from first NMA trekking peaks to full 8,000 m expeditions.

Start here

6,000 m & trekking peaks

NMA trekking peaks climbed with crampons and fixed rope. The base camp training day covers every technique you need.

The next step

7,000 m peaks

Quieter mountains with full expedition structure. Most climbers use one as the proving ground before an 8,000 m attempt.

The high Himalaya

8,000 m expeditions

Nepal's eight-thousanders. Fixed camps, acclimatisation rotations, and supplementary oxygen on the highest.

About this activity

Expedition Climbing in Nepal

An expedition peak is any mountain licensed by Nepal's Department of Tourism rather than under the NMA trekking-peak system, and in practice that means 6,500 m and up. Eight of the fourteen summits above 8,000 m are in Nepal or on its borders: Everest (8,848.86 m), Kanchenjunga (8,586 m), Lhotse (8,516 m), Makalu (8,485 m), Cho Oyu (8,188 m), Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), Manaslu (8,163 m) and Annapurna I (8,091 m). These are not scaled-up treks. They are 30 to 64-day commitments with fixed camps, rotations for acclimatisation, and on the highest peaks, supplementary oxygen.

Annapurna I and Cho Oyu sit at opposite ends of the risk scale, and the averages hide that. Annapurna I carries the worst summit-to-fatality ratio of any 8,000 m peak, driven by avalanche exposure on its faces, while Cho Oyu is generally treated as the most approachable of them and is the usual first 8,000er. Everest's south side has been climbed by thousands since 1953, which has made the logistics routine without making the mountain safe. The Khumbu Icefall is still the objective hazard nobody has solved, and the Sherpa climbers who fix and maintain the route through it are exposed to it far more often than clients are.

What should you climb before an 8,000er? A sensible progression exists and skipping it is how people get hurt. Ama Dablam (6,812 m) is the classic technical apprenticeship, a steep and exposed rock and ice route that teaches fixed-line work at altitude. Mera and Island Peak come before that again; see the peak climbing page. From Ama Dablam, Lhotse and Everest are the next step, and both share the same route as far as Camp 3.

8 of the 14Eight peaks above 8,000 m stand in Nepal or on its borders, from Everest at 8,848.86 m to Annapurna I at 8,091 m.
30 to 64 daysExpedition length. Most of it is acclimatisation rotations, not summit pushes.
DoT permit, not NMAExpedition peaks are licensed by the Department of Tourism. Everest carries by far the highest royalty.
Progression mattersTrekking peak, then Ama Dablam, then an 8,000er. Skipping steps is the common failure.
Mountaineering
Climbing levels

Find your level

  • TREKKING PEAKS

    Trekking Peaks

    Under 6,500 m, no technical experience required

    Perfect for fit trekkers ready to take their first summit. These peaks involve glacier crossings and fixed-rope sections but require no prior mountaineering experience.

    • Island Peak (6
    • 189m)
    • Mera Peak (6
    • 476m)
    • Lobuche East (6
    • 119m)
    5,500m – 6,500m
  • TECHNICAL

    Technical Climbing

    6,500 to 7,000 m, alpine experience needed

    For experienced climbers with alpine skills. These peaks demand rope work, ice axe use, crampon technique, and the ability to navigate crevassed glaciers in high winds.

    • Ama Dablam (6
    • 812m)
    • Pisang Peak (6
    • 091m)
    • Chulu Far East (6
    • 059m)
    6,500m – 7,000m
  • ★ HIGH ALTITUDE

    High-Altitude Expeditions

    Above 7,000 m, expert climbers only

    The ultimate mountaineering challenge. Multi-week expeditions requiring prior 7,000m+ summit experience, full acclimatisation rotations, supplemental oxygen and a skilled support team.

    • Everest (8
    • 849m)
    • Manaslu (8
    • 163m)
    • Cho Oyu (8
    • 188m)
    7,000m – 8,849m
Featured peaks

Nepal's most sought-after summits

#NameAltitudeRegionLevelPermit
01
Mt. Everest
Khumbu
8,849mKhumbuExpedition$11,000
02
Manaslu
Gorkha
8,163mGorkhaExpedition$3,000
03
Cho Oyu
Mahalangur
8,188mMahalangurExpedition$1,800
04
Ama Dablam
Khumbu
6,812mKhumbuTechnical$400
05
Mera Peak
Hinku Valley
6,476mHinku ValleyTrekking Peak$250
06
Island Peak
Khumbu
6,189mKhumbuTrekking Peak$250
07
Lobuche East
Khumbu
6,119mKhumbuTrekking Peak$250
08
Pisang Peak
Annapurna
6,091mAnnapurnaTechnical$250
Preparation

Skills & gear checklist

Required skills

  • Physical Fitness

    Ability to trek 6–8 hours per day at altitude for 2+ weeks. Strong cardiovascular endurance essential.

  • Crampon & Ice Axe Use

    Confident use of crampons on steep ice and self-arrest technique with an ice axe.

  • Fixed Rope Technique

    Ascending and descending fixed ropes using jumar ascenders and figure-eight descenders.

  • Altitude Acclimatisation

    Prior experience at 5,000m+ strongly recommended. Ability to recognise AMS symptoms in yourself and teammates.

  • Rope Management

    Basic knots, anchor building, and rappelling for technical routes above 6,500m.

Essential gear

  • Double Plastic Mountaineering BootsEssential
  • 12-Point CramponsEssential
  • Ice Axe (70cm)Essential
  • Down Suit (–30°C rated)8,000m peaks
  • Jumar Ascenders (pair)Essential
  • Supplemental Oxygen & Mask8,000m peaks
  • Helmet & HarnessEssential
  • Sleeping Bag (–40°C rated)Essential
  • Altitude Tent (high camp)Expedition
  • Satellite CommunicatorRecommended
Planning

Best season & permits

When to go

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Prime Good Not recommended
Spring (Apr–May) is the primary Everest summit window because the jet stream lifts off the summit. Autumn (Oct–Nov) is preferred for peaks below 8,000 m, when skies are clearer and routes less crowded.

Permits

  • Everest Permit (Spring)
    Issued by the Nepal Department of Tourism, per person
    $11,000
  • 8,000m Peak Permits
    Manaslu, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri, Kanchenjunga
    $1,800–$5,000
  • Technical Peaks (6,500–7,000m)
    Ama Dablam, Pisang Peak, Chulu Far East
    $400–$600
  • Trekking Peaks (under 6,500m)
    Island Peak, Mera Peak, Lobuche East, Pokalde
    $250
Good to know

Mountaineering questions, answered

What is a trekking peak in Nepal?
A peak the Nepal Mountaineering Association licenses under a simplified, cheaper permit than an expedition peak. There are 33 of them, roughly between 5,600 and 6,500 m. The name causes real confusion: they all require crampons, an ice axe and fixed-rope technique. The permit is simplified, the climbing is not.
What is the difference between peak climbing and mountaineering?
Scale, permit and commitment. Peak climbing uses an NMA permit on a 5,600 to 6,500 m summit over 16 to 19 days with a small crew. Mountaineering here means an expedition peak, licensed by the Department of Tourism, typically above 6,500 m and often above 8,000 m, running 30 to 60-plus days with fixed camps, supplementary oxygen on the big ones, and a far higher cost and risk.
Is Island Peak or Mera Peak easier?
Mera, despite being 287 m higher. Mera Peak (6,476 m) is a long snow slope with a short summit ridge, so the challenge is altitude and stamina. Island Peak (6,189 m) has a crevassed glacier crossing and a headwall of about 100 m at up to 45 degrees, climbed on fixed rope with a jumar. If you have never used crampons, start with Mera.
Do I need climbing experience to climb a trekking peak?
Not for Mera Peak. A fit trekker who has been to 5,000 m before can climb it after the base-camp training day, which covers crampons, ice axe arrest, jumar and abseil. Island Peak and Lobuche East go better if you have used crampons on real ground first. What matters far more than technical skill is altitude experience, because these summits are all above 5,800 m.
What experience do I need to climb an 8,000 m peak?
A real progression, and any operator who tells you otherwise is selling you something dangerous. The usual path is a 6,000 m trekking peak such as Mera or Island Peak, then a technical 6,800 m peak such as Ama Dablam to learn fixed-line work and exposure, then a more forgiving 8,000er such as Cho Oyu or Manaslu before Everest. You need to be competent and self-sufficient on fixed rope in crampons at altitude, in bad weather, while tired.
How long does an Everest expedition take?
Around 60 to 64 days door to door. Very little of that is climbing. The time goes on the trek to Base Camp, then weeks of acclimatisation rotations up to Camps 1, 2 and 3 and back down, then waiting at Base Camp for a settled summit window, which usually opens in the second half of May. The summit push itself is about five days.
Do you need supplementary oxygen above 8,000 m?
Not physiologically for everyone, but practically yes on commercial expeditions, and every reputable operator plans on it. Above roughly 8,000 m the body deteriorates faster than it can recover, which is why the zone has its name. Climbing without oxygen has been done since Messner and Habeler on Everest in 1978, but it is an elite undertaking with a materially higher death rate, not an upgrade option.
Is Ama Dablam harder than Everest?
Technically, yes; overall, no. Ama Dablam (6,812 m) is a steeper, more sustained and more exposed climb, and the moves are harder than anything on Everest's south col route. Everest is harder in every other respect: 2,000 m higher, two months instead of three weeks, the Khumbu Icefall, and the death zone. Ama Dablam is the apprenticeship precisely because it teaches technique without the altitude.
Which 8,000 m peak is the most dangerous?
Among the Nepali eight, Annapurna I has the worst record: the highest ratio of deaths to summits of any 8,000 m peak, because its approach faces are heavily avalanche-exposed and there is no way to route around that. Kanchenjunga and Dhaulagiri are also serious. Cho Oyu is generally considered the most approachable and is the standard first 8,000er.
When is the climbing season in Nepal?
Spring, roughly April to May, is the main season for Everest, Lhotse and Annapurna, with summit windows usually opening in the second half of May. Autumn, late September to early November, suits Manaslu, Ama Dablam and Cho Oyu. Winter ascents are the province of a small number of specialists. The monsoon closes everything.