Unquestionably the most well-liked trekking location in Nepal, Everest Base Camp is also ranked among the world’s top 5 hiking routes. This area is known as “Sagarmatha National Parl” and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
At an altitude of 8848.86 meters, Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. It is located in the Everest/Khumbu Region and is the most popular tourist destination in the entire Himalayas. The trail stretches from Tibet to Nepal, India, Bhutan, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, covering a distance of about 2400 km.
This 15-day Everest Base Camp journey begins in Lukla, a little village with the only airfield to the entire Everest region, and ends in Lukla where you can catch a flight to Kathmandu. The trek lasts for two weeks.
The whole Everest Base Camp Trek, which originally took three weeks to complete via Jiri, the only entry point into the Everest region, was cut down to nine days thanks to this airfield, also known as Tenzing-Hillary Airport or Lukla Airport.
Currently, the Lukla airport is the most convenient means to transport food and building supplies to the entire Everest region. This usually occurs early in the morning before aircraft visibility is obstructed.
The trail begins at an elevation of 2840 meters, or 9318 feet, in Lukla. From there, it climbs steeply uphill and descends slightly before arriving at the foot of Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world at 8848.86 meters.
Although it seems simple to get to Everest Base Camp (10-Day) from Lukla, it actually takes 8 days to get there, plus an additional 2 nights for acclimatization, and 3 days to return to Lukla. The total distance traveled is about 130 kilometers.
However, trekkers go to Phakding (2610m) on the first day after arriving at Lukla (2840m). This is a nearly 230-meter downhill trail with ups and downs, making the short 4- to 5-hour journey via Sherpa hamlet, dense forest, agriculture, rivers, etc., for the first night’s stay.
The very next day, ascend through a dense forest and cross a snow-melted river on a suspension bridge to reach Namche Bazaar’s lower end. This is the Sagarmatha National Conservation Area’s entry point, where you may get a permit to access the Everest region.
Next, drive toward Namche Bazaar (3446 meters), which serves as the regional administrative and commercial hub for all of Khumbu. This small town has all the amenities one could need—banks, ATMs, bars, hospitals, stores, bakeries, etc. You may acclimate and tour the town and nearby villages with the first glimpse of Mt. Everest and the surrounding Himalayas by staying for two nights.
One well-liked location for the initial acclimatization phase is Namche Bazaar. Your body needs an extra night in Namche to acclimate to the upcoming days, so spend it climbing up into the neighboring hills and then descending back into Namche rather than meandering about the town. Go to the Everest View Hotel (3880M) to do this.
Afterwards, you will reach Tengboche (3867M) for an overnight stay after making various ascents and descents through pine forest and seeing Tengboche monastery, one of the most well-known monasteries in the entire Khumbu/Everest region.
The following day, the route will head towards Dingboche (4410m). It will pass through the naked Himalayas, providing a far-reaching and profound view of the surrounding area. If you’re lucky, you might spot some Himalayan eagles and wild animals. Another location for acclimatization is Dingboche, from where you can extend your day hike into the surrounding hills.
The oxygen content decreases relative to lower elevations since you are already at a higher height. Hike uphill and beyond the Mani walls before arriving at Lobuche, which is located at an elevation of 4910 meters (16109 feet). It’s going to be a difficult climb, and for some, the next stretch may be fatal. Therefore, you must slow down and make frequent pauses in order to reduce danger factors.
It will just take a short trip from Lobuche to Gorakshep, but it will take three hours, making it the longest day of the journey. After unpacking at the Gorakshep tea house, set out for the highly anticipated destination of Everest Base Camp Trek 12 Day . Travel time between Gorakshep and Gorakshep will be four to five hours.
Because of its high altitude, protected area, and religious significance to the local Sherpa people, Everest Base Camp (16-Day) is a day tour from Gorakshep (5140m/16864ft), the last overnight camp for any trekkers heading towards Mt. Everest. It is legally forbidden to operate any hotels, lodges, or tea houses at the Everest Base Camp. Thus, you have to head downhill in the direction of Gorakshep.
Before it gets too dark for the program in the morning, explore the base of the world’s highest mountain and take some photos and films before heading down towards Gorakshep.
Hikers can reach the Everest base camp in a maximum of 2.5 hours if they arrive in Gorakshep by noon and carry as little weight in their backpacks as feasible.
There will be several tented camps set up during the expedition season, which is primarily in the fall and spring, for climbers to supply food and other necessities for their team.
In addition, climbers train for the technical challenge of Everest by spending nearly a week in the Everest Base Camp, where they also acclimate and receive climbing instruction.
Trekkers can reach Everest’s base camp, which is located at an elevation of 5364 meters, even though the peak is an expedition destination.
The following morning, depart from Gorekshep and hike to the highest point of the entire trek, Kalapatthar (5545m/18192ft). This is a breathtaking viewpoint that offers 360° panoramic views of the Himalayas in and around the Khumbu/Everest region as well as a closer look at Mt. Everest than you would get from Everest Base Camp.
The name Kalapatthar, which translates to “black rock,” was formerly the original Everest base camp. It was located at a greater elevation than Everest Base Camp and offered breathtaking views of the entire Himalayas, including Everest.
Proceed downhill until you reach Lobuche, where you can take an alternate route to Pheriche (4252m/13950ft), where you can spend the night. On the second to last day, head into Namche Bazaar, and on the last day, head towards Lukla.
Fly back to Kathmandu or Manthali the very next morning. Due to excessive air traffic, all flights to and from Lukla during the popular trekking seasons of autumn and spring have been rerouted to Manthali airport, which is about a 4-hour drive from Kathmandu.
Everest camp Camp is a hero’s trip with diversity in every way, not just a path leading to the highest camp on Earth. Discovering the unique vegetation, culture, and natural environment of this far-off place on Earth will be an experience of a lifetime.
Words cannot describe the feeling of beginning the trail from lush green vegetation, passing by rivers that have melted from the snow, crossing suspension bridges, and visiting monasteries—of which Tengboche monastery is particularly unique—that lead towards the alpine forest and then towards the bare region of the Himalayas for 360° panoramic views.
The most amazing view on the hike is the locals’ way of life, religion (Tibetan Buddhism), and kind greetings.
Because of its high altitude, the Everest Base Camp trekking trail is undoubtedly difficult, but it can also be made easy with two additional nights spent acclimatizing. The first night is spent at Namche Bazaar, the official Khumbu region headquarters, which is located at an elevation of 3446 meters, and the second is spent in Dingboche, which is located at an elevation of 4419 meters.
During the Everest Base Camp Trek, the two additional nights of acclimatization are crucial for the ascent uphill. Your body adjusts to the Himalayan environment through acclimatization, and the more acclimated you are, the more likely you are to reach Everest Base.
This can assist in lowering the risk factor for various altitude illnesses, also referred to as “altitude sickness,” such as High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), and Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).
Nothing can prevent you from realizing your ambition if you adhere to every step of the process, which mostly relates to your physical and emotional health during the 16-day climb to Everest Base Camp.
When thinking about Everest Base Camp (6-Day), trekkers typically become confused since there are numerous local and international trekking agencies that deal with the journey and they use disparate information that can be found on “Google.”
Although this information is helpful, it might not be appropriate for each person’s physical condition. This is because each person’s body is unique and requires a varied environment to be stimulated.
In light of everything said above and after examining the minute details of hundreds of hikers, we advise that all hikers be both psychologically and physically prepared before reaching Everest Base Camp.
The easiest and best way to complete the entire Everest Base Camp journey is determined by your fitness level and the number of days you have available for the trek, not by your age. Here’s how it works.
Trekkers should at least begin exercising if they want to fulfill their dreams. This can be achieved by engaging in at least an hour of consistent exercise each day, such as cycling, swimming, hiking, walking, jogging, etc. No one will find it easy to hike at a high altitude for six to seven hours every day.
Every hike you do will be a fresh experience for your body, therefore it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve gone to the Everest Base Camp. Exercise is a necessary before embarking on any high-altitude trip in Nepal, including the Everest trek, in order to keep a consistent pace.
Conclusion:
We at Sherpa Expedition and Trekking hope that anyone preparing for an Everest Base Camp Trek would find this material helpful. Our staff has decades of experience trekking to Everest Base Camp with visitors of many nationalities, genders, and ethnicities, therefore all the information above is based on personal experience.
The purpose of this article is, in fact, to give travelers accurate information so they won’t be afraid of the circumstances or the altitude, but will instead become resilient and physically and mentally ready for Everest Base Camp, preventing them from encountering difficulties in the Himalayas or from simply giving up due to physical hardship.
If you’re excited about your goal and want to spend a short time or in a more casual manner exploring Nepal’s Himalayas, get in touch with Sherpa Expedition and Trekking We’ll get to know you and your degree of fitness so we can personalize the journey for you.