Training for Everest: My 12-Month Plan

By Blake Penson, Experienced mountaineer · Everest summiteer · Seven Summits climber · 20 years in the mountains · Industry expert
Last updated: 20 October 2026

Short answer: Train for Everest for at least 12 months: four to six sessions a week of long uphill carries, aerobic base work and strength training, building to 6–8 hour days with 15–20 kg. Fitness matters, but altitude experience on 6,000–8,000 m peaks matters more. Training peaks cost US$8,000–US$30,000 in the year before, typically US$15,000 (the same figure I use in my Everest cost breakdown); with coaching and gear, US$8,800–US$43,000. ^[1][2]

Short answer, in my words

People who fail on Everest rarely fail for lack of gym fitness. They fail because they haven't been high enough before, or because they're slow and tired by summit day. Training is about building a big aerobic engine, legs that can carry loads for weeks, and the experience to move efficiently at altitude.

Here's the 12-month plan I give clients, with the training peaks and what they cost.

Who is this for?

Climbers planning Everest in the next 12–24 months.

The full cost breakdown: training for Everest

This is the budget I'd sketch out for a client. The operator fee is the biggest line; everything else is yours. Where I've used my own range, it's labelled “Blake estimate”. Extras add US$800 at the low end, US$3,600 typically and US$13,000 at the high end, for an all-in total of US$8,800–US$43,000.

How I read those columns: low is someone who already owns their kit, books early and flies on a sale fare; high is a first-timer buying everything new with a buffer for delays. Most people I advise land near the typical column.

Training peaks with published prices

These are the prices each operator publishes on its own website, per person, checked on 20 October 2026, sorted from cheapest to most expensive. It's a list, not a ranking, and inclusions differ, so read the small print before comparing numbers. Operators that only quote on enquiry are left out because I can't verify them.

The spread is normal: local operators have lower overheads, while Western-led teams add an international guide, smaller groups and more support. I'd shortlist two or three teams across the range, then decide on leadership, ratios and reviews rather than price alone.

The 12-month plan

Training peaks

The best training for Everest is climbing. A 6,000 m peak, Aconcagua or Denali, and an 8,000 m peak like Manaslu, ideally in the 12–24 months before. Published prices are in the table below; I budget US$8,000–30,000 for training peaks in the year before Everest.

Strength, mobility and recovery

• Two strength sessions a week: squats, step-ups, deadlifts, core.
• Mobility work for hips and ankles.
• Sleep and recovery as seriously as training.
• Practise with your boots, pack and crampons.

Altitude, health and insurance

Before any high-altitude trip I'd see a doctor who understands altitude, and read the UIAA Medical Commission's advice ^[1] and the CDC's guidance on altitude illness ^[8]. On Everest the main risks are acute mountain sickness and, if you go up too fast, high-altitude cerebral or pulmonary oedema. Make sure your insurance explicitly covers trekking or climbing at your maximum altitude and includes helicopter evacuation; a Global Rescue annual medical membership was US$385 in 2026, with its high-altitude package adding US$495 ^[9][10].

Hidden costs that catch people

These are the costs I see people forget most often.

• Training peaks. The biggest training cost.
• Injury. Physio and lost training time.
• Gear. Training boots and packs wear out.
• Time. 8–15 hours a week.

How to save money without cutting safety

• Train locally on stairs and hills; you don't need a fancy gym.
• Use one training peak to test all your Everest gear.
• Book early: many operators publish early-booking prices or fill their cheapest departures first.
• Buy or rent quality secondhand gear, but never skimp on boots, gloves or a sleeping bag rated for the conditions.
• Pay deposits by credit card and buy cancellation cover the day you pay.
• Compare inclusions line by line; a cheaper headline price with more exclusions often ends up dearer.
• Never save money on guide ratio, insurance or acclimatisation days.

Questions I would ask any operator before paying a deposit

1. Who leads my team, and how many times have they summited this peak?
2. What is the guide-to-client ratio on summit day?
3. What exactly is included, and what is excluded, in writing?
4. What is the turnaround policy and who enforces it?
5. What is the evacuation plan, and what insurance do you require?
6. What are the deposit, refund and postponement terms?
7. How do you handle weather days and delays?
8. Can I speak to two clients from last season?

Where prices are heading for 2027

Training-peak prices are rising 3–5% a year.

My booking timeline

1. 12 months out: shortlist two or three operators, read verified reviews and ask the questions above.
2. 9–12 months out: pay the deposit by credit card and buy cancellation cover the same day.
3. 6–9 months out: start structured training and book changeable international flights.
4. 3–6 months out: buy or rent gear, test it on a training trip, and confirm insurance covers your maximum altitude and evacuation.
5. 1–3 months out: pay the balance, confirm permits and inclusions in writing, and taper training.
6. Departure: carry cash for tips and fees, and copies of your insurance and permits.

Other sources I checked for this page: The Himalayan Database – expedition and ascent records ^[11]; Nepal Department of Tourism – mountaineering royalty schedule (effective 1 Sep 2025) ^[12]; Kathmandu Post – new Everest permit fee and climbing rules take effect (2 Sep 2025) ^[13]; Alan Arnette – Himalayan season coverage and cost analysis ^[14].

My verdict

Give yourself 12 months, build a big aerobic base, carry loads uphill, and climb at least one 7,000–8,000 m peak first. That's the training that gets people up and down Everest.

Want verified client reviews before you book? See ExpedReview: what to climb before Everest · ExpedReview: Everest cost and review data.

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