HIGHLIGHTS OF EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK

HIGHLIGHTS OF EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK 

Everest Base Camp trek has been the most popular trekking destination among the world. The trek takes you to the heart of Khumbu region and the base camp of the world’s highest summit mt.Everest. Along with the mesmerizing view of the world’s highest summit, this trek has much more to offer which makes this trek popular among the trekkers around the world. Here are some of the highlights of the trek.

• ? A short scenic flight to Lukla from Kathmandu which offers breathtaking views.
• ? Hospitable and most friendly Sherpa people.
• ? Exploring Sherpa culture and visiting different monasteries of the region.
• ? Trekking through beautiful forests blanketed rhododendron and pine trees and the trials offering wonderful views.
• ? Visit Sagarmatha National Park, one of the UNESCO world heritage site. 
• ? Mesmerizing view of Khumbu glacier 
• ? Explore beautiful Namche Bazaar.
• 1. Weather Of Everest 

Everest has four seasons they are summer, spring, autumn and winter. The weather of this region is unpredictable. The temperature decreases as you gain altitude and there may be variations in weather of different places along the trek. You will gain a lot of altitude in this trek as the altitude of Kathmandu is 1400 meters while that of Everest Base Camp is 5380 meters and preparation before the trek is a must. 

SUMMER

During summer (June, July and August) the minimum temperature along the highest point of the trek is around 0°c and it is one of the most favorable seasons to trek to EBC but as the monsoon coincides with summer in Nepal you must carry appropriate gears for a pleasant experience. 

Winter

During winter (December, January and February) the EBC region receives minimum amount of rainfall and heavy snowfall. This season offers most scenic views of the snowcapped mountains. The temperature decreases to -20°c and most of the trekking routes are closed because of heavy snowfall this is why winter trekking to EBC is not very popular. 

Autumn 

Autumn (September, October and November) is one of the most favorable seasons to trek to EBC. During this season there is relatively very less chances of rainfall and the temperature is mild and moderate. This temperature offers you warm day and cold night with pleasant trekking temperatures. 

Spring 

During spring (March, April and May) the Everest region looks extremely beautiful with different colors. The Sagarmatha National parks blooms with lush vegetation and the views of rhododendron and pine forest is remarkable. This season is best for nature lovers and photographers. You will have a colorful trekking during spring as everything, mountains, glaciers, villages, forests etc brings out the best color. 

2. Altitude of EBC trek.

The maximum altitude you will gain during your Everest Base Camp Trek is more than 5000meters and during the trek you will be staying at several places of different altitude. There is chance of having altitude sickness if you do not acclimatize properly. So, at some stops you will have to stay at least one day to prevent from altitude sickness and help the body to adopt the oxygen content in the air. Some of the places to stay for acclimatization are Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Dingboche and Gorakshep. The altitude of different places of the Everest region is given below.

Places

Altitude

Lukla

2800 m

Namche Bazaar

3438 m

Khumjung

379 m

Tengboche

3860 m

GorakShep

5164 m

Everest Base Camp

5364 m

Kala Pathar

5545 m

Gokyo

4750 m

Island Peak

6189 m

3. Difficulty of EBC Trek

Everest Base Camp is regarded as the most strenuous trekking destinations in Nepal. Although, no prior trekking experience is required for this trek but one needs to be physically fit. The difficulty of this trek is also determined by the several factors such as the season of trekking, type of trekker, availability of tea houses, and days for acclimatization in the itinerary. For Everest Base Camp trek person needs to be fit to walk for 5-7 hours a day in an unfamiliar terrain. 

The trekkers must have appropriate trekking gears prior to the season. As you will be gaining a lot of altitude and the content of oxygen in air becomes lower as you gain altitude, you need to schedule proper acclimatization day to make your body adopt the lower oxygen content in the air. Taking all these factors into considerations, Everest Base Camp is moderate in terms of difficulty. 

4. Travel Insurance for EBC Trek.

 You must have a copy of your travel insurance to be brought with you. Your travel insurance should cover trekking activity up to 6000m and should bear the cost of evacuation which can cost up to $5000.The company shall have no responsibility for your personal loss such as accidents, flight cancelation, theft, loss of baggage and other personal effects. So, make sure that your travel insurance covers all your personal loss because in case of emergency evacuation charge must be paid in cash unless an insurance company claims to pay the cost on your behalf. If you are climbing one of the trekking peaks then your policy need to cover ‘climbing’ as an activity. 

5. Hiring a Guide to EBC. 

It is not compulsory to have a guide but it may not be safe at the higher elevations to travel alone. So, we recommend you to hire a guide and a porter. If you do so, there are less chances of getting lost and you will get to know more about the places as well. The guide will help to rescue you if you fall sick or injured during the trek. If you’ve already trekked to EBC several times before then you may not need a guide but, if it is your first time then it is better and safer to hire a guide. 

6. Finding a Travel Agency for EBC.

Finding the best trekking agency is a tough job if it is your first visit to Nepal. When you decide to go for a trekking it is very important to choose a good trekking agency. The agency you choose to travel with will have a significant role to make your journey the best and memorable one. Nepal is a small country and tourism plays an important role in its economy. There are thousands of trekking agencies in Nepal and if it is your first time then it is very difficult which one to choose for. Choosing the best trekking agency is a very critical decision and trusting anyone could be a matter of risk. The following steps might help you to choose the best trekking agency in Nepal. 

• ? Know what you want and expect from the agency.
• ? Check the legality of the company if it is legally established or not.
• ? Go through client’s reviews and testimonials.
• ? Compare the cost and services.
• ? Know about the experiences of the company. 
• ? Know about the company’s guides and safety standards.
• ? Know about the reputation of the company. 

For more details about how to choose the best trekking agency in Nepal go through our site on How to choose the best trekking agency in Nepal. 

7. Everest Base Camp Trek Route.

Everest Base Camp can be trekked from various routes. Although there is no direct route to Lukla from Kathmandu the only way to be connected is via short flight to Lukla. Another way for Everest Base Camp trek can be done by jeep to Jiri which is longest route to EBC. The classic route to Everest Base Camp is shown below.

Days Itinerary Max. Altitude Distance Covered Trekking Hours

• 1 Arrival in Kathmandu 1400 m ? ?
• 2 Kathmandu sightseeing 1400 m ? ?
• 3 Kathmandu -Lukla -Phakding 2800 m 8 km 3-4 hrs
• 4 Phakding-?Namche Bazaar 3438 m 11 km 5-6 hrs
• 5 Namche Bazaar acclimatization 3438 m ? ?
• 6 Namche Bazaar -?Tengboche 3870 m 10 km 5-6 hrs
• 7 Tengboche-Dingboche 4360 m 9 km 5-6 hrs
• 8 Dingboche -acclimatization 4360 m ? ?
• 9 Dingboche-?Dughla 4600 m 4 km 3-4 hrs
• 10 Dughla-?Lobuche 4940 m 4 km 2-4 hrs
• 11 Lobuche-?GorakShep- EBC -?GorakShep 5364 m 13 km 6-7 hrs
• 12 GorakShep-? Kala Pathar-?Pheriche 5545 m 16 km 7-8 hrs
• 13 Pheriche-?Namche Bazaar 3440 m 20 km 6-7 hrs
• 14 Namche Bazaar- ?Lukla 2860 m 19 km 6-7 hrs
• 15 Lukla-? Kathmandu 2860 m ? ?
• 16 Departure from Kathmandu 1400 m ? ?

There are various other trekking destination and packages via EBC. You can find numbers of trekking packages on our site www.everestbasecamptrektours.com 

8. Deaths in Everest Base Camp 

The deaths in Everest Base Camp are relatively rare. The death rate of trekkers trekking to Everest Base Camp is 0.003 which is very less. As it is the base camp of the world’s tallest summit trekkers may have risk of getting altitude sickness. Most of the deaths are caused by severe altitude sickness and trekking during bad weather conditions. Moreover, Everest Base Camp itself is susceptible to avalanches such as the devastating avalanche of 2015 that claimed the lives of 19 climbers. 

The statistics for deaths of people climbing Mount Everest are readily available while there are no official records for deaths that occur during Base Camp Trek and related routes thus, it is very hard to determine the death rates of people trekking to EBC.

It is better to hire a guide or porter if you are travelling alone for your personal safety and if you are travelling with friends then they might provide you physical and mental support. The most common cause for death during Everest Base Camp is altitude so it is very important to walk slowly and have proper acclimatization.