What makes climbing a mountain so expensive?

May 18, 2019

Climbing a mountain is a once in a life time experience for many people not only because of the fitness required but also the cost. If any of us were to go then we would select a trekking / climbing company who would do all the costings for us and we would save away for years to cover the ‘package deal’. But what are the costs behind those packages? What is it that you are paying for?

By unravelling some of the costs you will be able to see where the costs lie for Project Possible and equally why every single pound counts – quite literally!

There are many treks to basecamps which will get you within the atmosphere and the awe of the worlds highest mountains, especially Mount Everest. These treks guide you through valleys and along tracks that wind higher into the thinner air at the foot of these monoliths of nature. There are some costs that you simply cannot ‘skimp’ on. The best equipment is vital when you are in extreme conditions and then you find that your ropes are buried under a half metre layer of snow overnight. Tents used as a camp on the route become a refuge at 7,500m. Have you ever tried to put up a tent in 75 mph winds?… with gloves thick enough to protect your hands but not as nimble as bare fingers to sort out the ropes and the carabiners that you have to fix to the rock face?

This is not about one man going up the mountain. Nims has a team with him, many are friends who have climbed with him on many occasions. All of them in their own rights will be breaking new boundaries and challenging their own personal records. Some have even broken other world records!

To climb Mount Everest can cost £25,000 – £30,000 for an individual, which includes a summit fee of over £8,500. In his blog, ‘How much does it cost to climb Mount Everest’, Alan Arnette explains the fees in detail which highlight the costs facing Nims and Project Possible. Not least of which is when you read further into the article and see how much the summit fees are expected tor see in 2020.

All the way along and in preparation for this phenomenal challenge Nims and the team have been saving costs or seeking sponsorship. There has been an incredible response which has seen Phase 1 nearly complete but the costs for the remainder of the challenge are still to be met.

Nimsdai Purja MBE

High Altitude Expedition Leader

So why leave now before the whole project is funded? Why not wait a year?

There are many reasons for doing it now. Here are the 2 main ones: Nims is at the peak of his fitness. Having only recently left the Special Boat Service Nims is as fit as he could be to take on this challenge.

It is not only the physical element but those who know Nims will know that once he has made up his mind ot achieve something then he is ‘on it’.

Secondly, if he waits another year then the costs are likely to go up considerably as he has to get visas, permits and flights. Read again Alan Arnette’s blog linked earlier and you will see the proposed rises in permit costs from China.

Above all – why not now?

Some may say foolhardy, other say ‘carpe diem’ (seize the day). For Nims this is not just about breaking world records or proving his unique physiology it is also about raising awareness of his home country and the veterans of the units with which he has served.

By completing this challenge Nims will be raising awareness of ChoraChori, a charity started by Philip Holmes to save children from slavery and rescue them from prison in Nepal. Nims will raise awareness and funds as their latest Ambassador and be an exemplar to young children who think that life may have given up on them.

£5 will buy a much needed carabiner, £1.32 will buy a metre of rope – 5000m was needed to climb Kanchenjunga which is £2,500, one ice screw is £44, an ice hammer and tool is £300…it all starts to mount up when you then multiply it by 14. Our Partners on this journey have been incredibly generous and supportive. Their contributions have made this part of the journey possible, and for that Project Possible is eternally grateful.

The funding is not about one man’s desire to be in the history books, he is there already, it is about showing people that you CAN do what you want to do, you need to go out there and grab it with both hands and believe, believe, BELIEVE! Believe in your dreams, believe in your skills, believe in your desire to reach your own highest of mountains and above all believe in yourself. The power of the mind can overcome so much; in so many ways you can create limitations through your own thoughts. Project Possible is made up of people in Nepal and the UK who share the same values of belief in following your dreams.

Don’t let the demons take over your dreams; make your dreams stronger y taking small steps each day.

Watch the film of Nims fixing lines on Annapurna; each step requires a full rotation of his leg to lift his feet high above the snow to take a ‘tiny step forward’ but it is a step FORWARD. Project Possible will continue to take those tiny steps forward in the belief that the tiny steps will become a huge leap and that once the 14 mountains have been climbed Nims can show the children of ChoraChori that all things are possible when you focus on your end goal whilst taking tiny steps toward it on your journey.