Is Your Operator Safe? 7 Things to Ask Before You Sign Up for Everest Evaluating Your Expedition Company: Going Beyond Instagram Photos

You want to climb Everest.

You're amped up. You've trained, saved, and fantasised. Your feed is full of summit selfies, fluttering prayer flags, and slow-motion reels of ecstatic climbers on the Hillary Step. Your next major choice? Finding the right expedition company.

But the point is—Everest is not an Instagram story with filters. It’s a kill-or-be-killed situation. And not everybody who runs is the same.

Yes, the shiny videos and glowing reviews read well, but it is behind the branding that the truth is. Your operator is your safety net at 8,000+ meters. So, before signing on that large cheque and booking those flights to Kathmandu, ask yourself these 7 questions—because your life is on the line.

1. What is Your Guide-to-Client Ratio?

A 1:4 rate may seem efficient, but on the Death Zone, numbers don't matter—attention and rescue capability do. Request a designated guide. Budget operators overload clients with minimal guiding assistance, using a high ration of Sherpas with no proper back-up. You may need individualised attention to survive.

2. Are Guides Certified and Experienced at High Altitude?

An old hand understands how to read the fluctuating weather, recognise early altitude sickness, and 

make intelligent, ego-less judgments. Hire UIAGM/IFMGA-certified guides or at least leaders with several Everest ascents and an instinct for when to head back down. Don’t be their learning curve.

3. What is Your Evacuation Plan and Insurance Policy?

If someone develops HAPE (high altitude pulmonary oedema), what’s the plan? Do they have an established evacuation protocol, reliable satellite communication, and ties with helicopter rescue services? Ask your operator what kind of insurance they require—and more importantly, do they check if every client has it?

Also, don’t forget to ask whether they help facilitate insurance, or just expect you to sort it out on your own. Having comprehensive, high-altitude coverage is non-negotiable. That’s where ASC 360 comes in.

ASC 360 offers specialised insurance tailored for Everest expeditions. This isn’t your average travel policy—it includes emergency helicopter evacuation, expert rescue coordination, and medical support for altitude-related illnesses or injuries above Base Camp.

And this isn’t just theoretical coverage. ASC 360 has a ground team that works directly with rescue networks, so when things go south at 8,000 meters, the response is swift and organised. It’s not just about climbing smart—it’s about climbing with peace of mind, knowing there’s a real plan in place if things go wrong. Because in the Death Zone, every second matters.

4. Do You Offer Pre-Acclimatisation or Only Base Camp Days?

Some operators push their clients to Base Camp and onward immediately. Good expeditions acclimatise carefully and slowly. Check to see whether they have pre-acclimatisation treks on their itinerary (such as Lobuche or Island Peak) or altitude tents. It indicates they are thinking about your well-being, not only about summit selfies.

5. How Do You Screen Clients?

Strange question? Not necessarily so. A good operator is not accepting just anyone with a credit card. They are evaluating your experience, physical condition, and mental preparedness. If they never question your previous climbs or history, that is a red flag. You are not booking a tour of the sights—you are booking a survival experience of the extreme kind.

 There is a new rule now in place with the Nepal Government making it mandatory that a climber should have climbed a 7000 mt peak in Nepal before signing up for Mt Everest.  

6. What is Your Oxygen Policy?

At 8,000 meters, supplemental oxygen is a lifesaver—but not everyone provides enough. Some cheap operators take shortcuts by restricting flow rates or double-bottling clients and Sherpas. Press them on how many bottles they provide per person, their strategy on flow, and do they have a back-up source of oxygen?

7. May I Speak with Past Clients—Uncensored?

If an operator is hesitant to put you in touch with someone who has gone on their expedition, that is telling itself. Interviewing past clients provides a window into the experience: how the team handled crises, the food, the safety culture, and whether they would go again.

Look, climbing Everest isn't about pursuing dreams—though that's what they sell to you—status symbol imaging and glossy branding notwithstanding. The mountain has no concern for how many followers their operator has.

So take a while. Pose hard questions. Be that someone who's pedantic, detail-driven, and maybe even a bother—because the correct expedition mate not only gets you up there—they get you back home.

And that is the actual summit, isn't it?