Tuesday, March 19, 2024
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A Complete Guide To Everest Base Camp Trek

Everest Base Camp Trek

Trek to Everest Base Camp is heavenly beautiful and it is also called a trekker’s paradise. This trek takes you to the Khumbu valley located in the snow-capped Himalayas which displays the real-life and the Himalayan culture of Sherpas and Tibetan Buddhists. Every year,  A thousand adventure trekking enthusiasts visit this magical land of Everest.

Everest Base Camp Trek as EBC has become one of the most sought-out trekking destinations in the world due to its magical mountains, and unique cultural variations. The mesmerizing view of the majestic mountains with the wonderful trekking facilities including the basic to high-class star hotels, and warm hospitable, and friendly local people are the extraordinary part of the journey itself.

During the EBC trek, you will not only have an amazing hiking experience and mountain vistas but you will also have an excursion time to see the species of wildlife into the natural world heritage site of  Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park.

Likewise, every corner of the places where you stay on a trek offers a charming close-up magnificent view of the tallest mountain in the world including such as Mt. Everest,  Mt. Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Pumori, Ama-Dablam, Makalu, and many other snow-capped mountains around.

The highest point of the trek is Kalapthar located at an altitude of 5545 m, as EBC is located at a high altitude of 5364 m above the sea level, to complete trekking takes 8 days to two weeks. This trek is a piece of cake for those of you if you have been hiking before, meaning this trek can be done by any beginners from the age of 8 years to 85 years with a good level of physical fitness level.

If you are setting up for amazing hiking towards Everest base camp then there are many things to consider before you go on trekking to Everest base camp, we have however sorted some of the ultimate guides for this trekking trip that might be worthwhile tips for you all, 

Highlights of the Everest Base Camp trek

  •         Dramatic mountain flight to Lukla with the 360-degree views of the Himalayan ranges
  •         Trek to the Base Camp (5364m) of Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain in the world.
  •         Enjoy the mesmeric view of Khumbu glacier- the deepest glacier in the world.
  •         Explore a unique Sherpa culture and lifestyle of the Khumbu region by visiting various herp settlements along the way
  •         Visit the ancients Buddhist monasteries and museum
  •         A scenic walk through the wonderful rhododendron and pine forests of the Khumbu region.
  •         Cross several suspension bridges and gorgeous waterfalls

Best time to do Everest Base Camp Trek

Trekking in the Everest region is not always perfect since Everest Base Camp lies in the mountainous part of Nepal where the weather can be changed anytime and it’s certainly unpredictable. However, the altitude that you gain while trekking in Everest base camp is quite considerable. To start your trek, you need to take a short flight to Lukla from the capital of Kathmandu, for this flight, the weather is not as always favorable, this is the reason to choose the perfect time to choose the best time to go on a trip to Everest base camp where you can take a flight easily without any trouble and enjoy the crystal clears sceneries of the Himalayas thoroughly.     

Thus, the weather is one of the most important factors of the journey, therefore, choosing the best weather can make your trip remarkable,   

Nepal has 4 major seasons including summer, Autumn, Spring, and Winter. Among them, Spring and Autumn are relatively the best seasons of the year for trekking in Nepal including Everest, Annapurna, and other regions.

Autumn

Trekking in the Autumn season is the best with moderate temperature offers crystal clear views and a suitable climate for trekking, autumn falls in the months of September, October, and November. The weather is perfect and relatively low chances of rainfall also a low chance of canceling the internal flight to and from Lukla (the flight to and from Lukla get often cancel or delay due to the weather issues in the other seasons), An Autumn is the peak season for trekking and mountaineering in Nepal especially for the Everest, Langtang and Annapurna Trek. The temperature however at night can drop down to low but not extreme levels.

Spring

Spring is secondly the best and peak season for trekking and mountaineering in Nepal where thousands of adventure enthusiasts visit Nepal for the purpose of trekking and mountaineering to experience something a special moment of a lifetime, This season falls in the month of March, April, and May. The vegetation in Nepal including Everest National Park becomes lush during this season and the views of rhododendron and pine forests in the Everest region are awesome, you can have a great view almost every day, the temperature is stable and mild one can adjust it very easily, there is no doubt, trekking in Everest region at this time of the year is the best to enjoy the views and blooming flowers that welcome you everywhere in the Himalaya region of Nepal, the days are usually sunny and appropriate for hiking.

Getting to Everest Base Camp

Getting to Everest Base camp is uncomplicated most of the people fly from Kathmandu to Lukla (35 m y by airplane) then start the trek from Lukla to get to Everest Base Camp, it takes about 7 days to get over The Base camp going slowly having some days for acclimatization. There is another option to go for trekking to Everest base camp, if you have a long holiday and willing to spend more days in the mountain then you can go by road as well, it takes 4/5 days to get the Lukla if you are taking a jeep/local bus ride from Kathmandu to Salleri via Jiri. The trek can be extended up to 20-25 days depending on your time schedules. However, the fastest and easiest way to go is by flight but some of the trekkers choose to go by land because the unpredictable weather makes it very difficult to land at the airport successfully. Flights are usually better in the season of spring and Autumn and also winter, winter flight is extremely cold.  Lukla is a doorway to Everest trek from where you will start the trek following the most beautiful land of the Sherpa people such as Namche Bazaar- one of the largest and trade mart places in the Khumbu region, Tangboche, Dingboche, Laboche and finally to the base camp. Remember, Kalapathar is one of the most iconic viewpoints to witness the close-up views of the majestic mountains as well as sunrise over Everest!

Permits Fees & Requirements

Trekking permits are required for trekking to Everest base camp, you need to purchase an Everest national park permit and TIMS (Trekking Information Management System), and you can buy them either in Kathmandu or Lukla. If you are joining a trekking company then it will be part of the trip inclusions, your company will organize it for you.

The National park entry permit costs $30 USD/ person and the TIMS card is only $10/ person. 

The Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary

Everest Base Camp Trek is one of the high altitude treks in Nepal that requires a good level of physical fitness and strong determinations to successfully do the trek. However, you should spend enough time on this trek where you can take some extra days for acclimatization to avoid the possibility of high altitude sickness. Walking slowly, taking proper rest, and feeding well are the perfect medicines for the trek to make it comfortable and pleasant. Here’s a general day to day itinerary of the Everest Base Camp trek. But you can choose to add extra days according to your convenience,

ITINERARY

Day 1:Arrival at Kathmandu and transferred to the Hotel

Day 2:Pre-trip meeting and sightseeing around Kathmandu

Day 3:Kathmandu to Lukla 35 min by air, trek to Phakding

Day 4:Trek from Phakding to Namche Bazaar

Day 5:Acclimatization in Namche Bazar

Day 6:Trek from Namche to Tengboche

Day 7:Trek to Dingboche (4,350m)

Day 8:Acclimatization in Dingboche; 4 and half hours

Day 9:Trek to Lobuche (4,910m)

Day 10:Trek to Everest Base Camp (5,365 meters) and back to Gorak Shep (5,180m)

Day 11:Hike up to Kala Patthar (5,545m) and trek down to Pheriche (4,120m)

Day 12:Trek to Namche (3,440m)

Day 13:Trek to Lukla (2,840m)

Day 14:Morning flight back to Kathmandu; 30 minutes

Travel Insurance

Everest Base camp trek is one of the high altitudes and challenging treks in Nepal, Trekking at higher altitudes can be always a bit risky than our imaginations therefore travel insurance is mandatory for all of us wherever it is, especially for trekking to the Everest Base Camp. It must have covered all the expenses including the helicopter evacuations in case of emergencies from high altitude, injuries, losses or sprain may turn disastrous. Therefore, it is better you get insured and deal with an appropriate and reliable travel insurance policy before going on a trek to EBC.

Being a trekker at high altitudes, you may suffer different natural circumstances such as flight delays or cancellations, high altitudes or other illnesses, losing backpacks, being injured, or any others. For this, you have to get a strong policy by a reliable company that covers up to the height of 6,000 m.

Conclusion

Embark on your trip to Everest Base Camp; it is an amazing high altitude trek that takes you into the foothills of immersing peaks. One can easily be part of this trek with sort of average physically and mentally prepared. Yet, for those who are going on a journey, it is a must for you all to collect obligatory information and pack appropriately for the trek in advance. See our offer for Homestay trek to Ruby valley 

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