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It has become an extremely expensive ordeal to try to climb Everest...you need equipment, and guides, and permits from the govt, and food, and on and on....its really mind blowing to realize that cost that climbers must pay to climb Everest...

For Andy, he just went out on his own, without a sherpa or a guide, tho he did meet up with other people who he joined, and some of them had their own sherpas....but Andy, did it mostly on his own, just following his map, and compass and making his way along the route...and stopping at the various checkpoints, and lodges, etc, along the way...

Hes so glad that he did it, but it really was an awful ordeal, one, which I dont think he wants to repeat, tho who knows, with him...

from my reading it sounds awful
Tibet is under control of china
so they were forced to stay at the chinese hotel enroute
he said it was so frigid if water dripped it formed stalactites
the bed was cot like in prison cell
the room looked like prison cell
only one hairy blanket
and it was all filthy
food was inedible
and they were charged $60/night

they had no choice about staying at the hotel
they werent allowed to camp out instead
they had to stay there, it was part of government rules
(and the government owned the hotel)