How Meteorologists Find the Mount Everest Summit Window
The Mount Everest summit is only accessible for a few days a year. Meteorologists play a vital role in every Mount Everest expedition, searching for the 'Summit Window'.
Climbing is only possible when the Jet Stream—a high-altitude wind—moves away from the peak. Without this shift, the Mount Everest summit is a hurricane zone.
In May, there is a brief period of calm before the summer rains. This is when the majority of Mount Everest summit successes occur. Timing this is the hardest part of an expedition.
Sherpas often use traditional signs, like the shape of the summit plume, to predict weather. This local wisdom often matches high-tech satellite data on Everest trekking trips.
You don't conquer the Mount Everest summit; you wait for its permission. Patience is the most valuable trait of any Mount Everest expedition leader.
