What does a typical Everest expedition look like? Post 1: Overview and Preamble

 The more I researched the typical expedition, the more details I added to this post and ended up breaking the long post into many smaller posts.  I figured if you miss one, you can always go back and read up to the latest.  So relax, grab one of your favorite beverages, and prepare to read a novella.  I will post about a chapter a day to keep you riveted (HA!).  I apologize for the length but I wanted to give everyone adequate detail.  You've been forewarned but I encourage you to read on.  Remember, the goal is to give you an overview of a typical Everest expedition.  Since some expeditions may last up to 60 days (including travel) there are many days to account for throughout the trip.

Preamble

I'm not sure if there is a typical expedition but I will strip away all the non-essential differences between expeditions and provide some perspective on a climb like Everest.  For those of you who really want to know more, I highly recommend you read Ed Viesturs and Dave Roberts' new book "The Mountain: My time on Everest".  Ed and Dave provide a full description of historical climbs along with Ed's climbs on Everest.  The purpose of my post is not to rehash any historical climbs but rather to provide you - my friends, family, colleagues, and readers - a little perspective on what I am trying to prepare for over these years.  I also benefit from this post because I researched every step to ensure I know what is in store for me in the upcoming months.  My expedition details begin with the few days before departing from a home country (USA) to Kathmandu, Nepal and end with the full return home.  You will hear this repeatedly in all my blog posts that the summit is my home; the top of Everest is only half-way through the journey.  So here goes...(stay tuned for the next installment...."Days Before Departure").