Why Climbers Are Walking From the Ocean to Everest This Spring

Most people who climb Everest fly into Kathmandu, hop a small plane to Lukla, and trek about ten days to Base Camp. But this spring, a growing number of climbers are taking a wildly different approach. They’re starting thousands of kilometers away, at the edge of the ocean, and making their way to the summit using nothing but their own legs and lungs. The Everest sea to summit trend is picking up real momentum in 2026, and the stories behind it are as wild as the mountain itself.

  • In 1990, Tim Macartney-Snape became the first person to walk and climb from sea level to the top of Mount Everest, setting the stage for today’s revival.
  • This spring, at least two international sea-to-summit expeditions will attempt the same feat from different starting points in India.
  • A third Sherpa team hopes to complete the concept in reverse, by summiting and then walking past Base Camp all the way to the Bay of Bengal.

Where This All Started

The idea of climbing all 8,849 meters of Everest from sea level traces back to one Australian’s bold ambition. In 1990, Tim Macartney-Snape left from Ganga Sagar on the Bay of Bengal and walked roughly 1,200 kilometers across India and into Nepal. On May 11 of that year, he stood on top of Everest for the second time in his career, but this ascent meant something different. He’d covered every single vertical meter under his own power, becoming the first person to complete a true sea-to-summit climb.

That three-month, 700-mile trek even inspired a gear company. Macartney-Snape and friend Roland Tyson founded the outdoor brand Sea to Summit based on lessons learned during the expedition. For decades after, almost nobody tried to repeat the feat. Then, in 2013, South Korean mountaineer Kim Chang-ho added his own spin. He departed from Sagar Island in India, kayaked up the Ganges, cycled through northern India, and walked to Base Camp before summiting without Sherpa support or supplementary oxygen. He finished the entire journey in 67 days, a record that still stands today.

The 2026 Contenders

This spring’s sea-to-summit push features two very different athletes with two very different game plans.

Madalin Cristea, a Romanian now living in the U.K., is working toward climbing all Seven Summits from sea level. His broader project, called “Traintosummit,” already has some serious mileage behind it. Cristea kicked things off in 2024 by climbing Aconcagua after a 200-kilometer trek from the Chilean coast. A few months later, he crossed Tanzania on foot from the Indian Ocean and reached the summit of Kilimanjaro. Both times, he returned to the sea under his own power after the climb.

Now it’s Everest’s turn. Cristea set off from Digha, West Bengal, on March 4 and is currently walking unsupported across India, covering 30 to 45 kilometers per day. Once he reaches the Khumbu region of Nepal, he’ll acclimatize on Lobuche East before aiming for the summit window in late May.

Then there’s Oliver Foran, an Australian taking the speed approach. Foran wants to complete the entire self-powered trip in 60 days, which would shatter Kim Chang-ho’s 67-day benchmark. His plan calls for covering the first 1,150 kilometers by bicycle through India and Nepal in 29 days, gaining 9,000 vertical meters along the way. He admits this is the part that worries him most, given the unknowns and his limited cycling experience. After the bike leg, he’ll trek 150 kilometers and climb Mera Peak for acclimatization before heading to Base Camp. Foran climbed Island Peak in 2024 and Ama Dablam last year, but Everest will be his first time above 8,000 meters.

Why the Ocean Start Matters

Technology, logistics, and the sheer number of summiters have changed the character of an Everest expedition. With helicopters shuttling climbers in and out and commercial guided trips dominating the mountain, athletes are looking for ways to bring genuine adventure back into the equation. The sea-to-summit model flips the whole concept on its head. Rather than treating Base Camp as the starting line, these climbers treat the summit as the finish of a much longer race that begins at the ocean.

Last year, the concept got a big boost when British climber Mitch Hutchcraft completed a fully self-powered trip from his home in Dover, covering roughly 12,800 kilometers to reach Everest’s summit. That’s about the distance from New York to Tokyo, all without a motor. Gelje Sherpa of AGA Adventures, who supported Hutchcraft on that climb, is now backing Foran’s 2026 bid.

And then there’s the reversal angle. A third Sherpa team plans to summit first and then walk past Base Camp all the way to the Bay of Bengal. It’s a creative twist that adds even more energy to the 2026 season.

Why This Spring Season Could Redefine Everest Ambitions

With over 15,000 people climbing above Nepal’s Base Camp since the year 2000, Everest has grown into something very different from what it was a generation ago. The sea-to-summit movement is a direct response to that shift. It puts the adventure back into the approach, making the journey as demanding and memorable as standing on top of the world.

Whether Cristea finishes his unsupported walk across India or Foran breaks the 67-day speed record on two wheels, both athletes are reminding us that climbing Everest can still be an incredibly personal, self-driven experience. Keep an eye on these two as the spring 2026 season kicks into gear.