Overview of Everest Base Camp Trek
One of the finest trekking trips in the entire world, Everest Base Camp Trek is a daring hiking trail in the Everest Himalayan territory of Nepal. With an altitude ranging from Lukla (2860 m) to Kalapathar (5555m), the Everest Base Camp trek is classified as a difficult and strenuous journey.
The Mount Everest base camp trek trail is located in the Sagarmatha National Park enlisted in the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. This amazing hiking trip to the base camp of the world’s tallest mountain peak is a must-include vacation trip on any adventure seeker’s bucket list.
A 30-minute flight to the world’s most thrilling high altitude Tenzing Hillary Airstrip of Lukla offers an amazing view of the towering snowclad mountain peaks of Nepal before reaching the trailhead.
Mount Everest Base Camp trek trail offers scenic views of a number of the world’s most beautiful mountain peaks like Mt. Everest (8848m), Lhotse, Lhotse Shar, Makalu, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Kantega, and various lesser peaks. With diverse geographical attributes, Sagarmatha National Park comprises glaciers, glacial lakes, snow-fed rivers, diverse plant life, and wildlife.
The lower parts of the Solukhumbu are dotted with Rhododendrons, pine, birch, and juniper. Some major fauna species in the Sagarmatha National Park include Snow Leopard, Red Panda, Blue Sheep (Himalayan Thar), Jharal, Himalayan Pika, Tibetan Snowcock, Impeyan Monal, and many others.
Culturally, the Everest Base Camp trek trips offer travelers a chance to witness the high-altitude way of living of the Sherpa ethnic people. The communes in the Everest Himalayan region are a mixture of conventional and modern lifestyles. Monasteries like Tengboche and Pangboche are still preserving the Himalayan Buddhist culture alive.
The people of the region are known for their warm hospitality and welcoming nature. Apart from that, Stupas, Chhortens, Mani walls, Prayer wheels, prayer flags, and traditional houses are common rendezvous while hiking the Everest Base Camp route.
Accommodations are mostly lodges and teahouses based, whereas the foods and other commodities are transported using Helicopters, Yaks, and Porters from the lower region.
Everest base camp trek, a fascinating hiking escapade to the world’s highest elevated Mt.Everest region, is renowned all over the world for its tranquil beauty. This adventure holiday destination in the Himalayas attracts high numbers of trekkers and adventure seekers during the high tourist season.
Everest Base Camp (EBC) is also the base camp for summiting the world’s 4th highest mountain Mt. Lhotse where the path leads to South Col.Mt.Everest stands on the border of Nepal and China, where the southern side plus summit belongs to Nepal, while the North Face to China.
The height of Mt. Everest has recently been revised and gained slightly taller at 8,848.86 meters or 29,031.69 feet. The new elevation was declared and agreed upon by China and Nepal at a virtual ceremony. Reaching the southern side of Mt. Everest in Nepal is prominent amidst trekking, mountaineering, and alpine adventure seekers.
The alpine regions of Everest Solukhumbu from the Nepalese side present a better picturesque panorama, with the facilities of accommodation with nice and warm lodges and teahouses around scenic Solukhumbu in Everest base camp trek proffer a wide range of facilities, besides its pristine landscapes.
Hamlets and settlements inhabited by Sherpa indigenous people all the way to Gorakshep, on the path to Everest base camp. Travelers can rejoice and relax sojourn at warm, comfortable lodges with the cultural vibes of the Sherpa commune, the highlander demographics of the Everest region.
The villages during the hiking routes are festooned with splendid Buddhist shrines and prayer symbols, enhancing the journey to make it interesting. Visiting lovely attractions, including stupas, Chhortens, and monasteries enhanced with conventional Buddhist religious artifacts.
Everest Base Camp Trek provides tourists with an opportunity to explore a wide range of attractions comprising the grand mountain vistas of the world’s highest Mahalangur mountain range of the Himalayas and indigenous Sherpa society. Enjoy an attractive hike to Everest base camp overlooking stupendous scenery similar to the alpine topography of snow, ice, moraines, and glaciers.
An uphill climb for a couple of hours to the summit of rocky Kalapathar Hill at 5,555 m high provides a mind-boggling close-up view of Mt. Everest, Mt. Pumori, and other neighboring snow mountains. Normally, Kalapathar is a renowned sunset viewpoint; however, the sunrise view is as mesmerizing.
After the completion of this wonderful holiday trekking adventure, the journey retraces back to Namche and finally to Lukla.
Essential Information - Everest Base Camp Trek
Everest Base Camp trekking Route:
Commencing after a sensational mountain flight from the domestic terminal in Kathmandu to Tenzing Hillary Airstrip at Lukla (2,860 m), an amusing Sherpa hill town also known as the entrance to the Everest region. The Everest Base Camp trekking trip explores other adventure destinations in the Solukhumbu region.
From Lukla, the trekking journey follows the winding stone trail to Phakding. Located at 2,640 m high above sea level, it serves as an overnight halt in several teahouses and lodges for visitors including budget to luxury categories…
After breakfast at Phakding, our day’s hiking starts in the morning, following the bank of Dudh Koshi River, rejoicing a pleasant walk on a comfortable trail until the access gate of Sagarmatha National Park. Break at Jorsalle for lunch and time for rest before continuing the journey.
With crossings at various steel suspended bridges, the hiking journey ascends on a steeper trail within the swaying pine forest before Namche Bazaar, elevated at 3,440 m.
Namche is a popular acclimatization spot, where visitors are obliged to spend a minimum of two nights for the body to adjust to the new environment of the Everest Base Camp Trek. Besides tour around the busy Sherpa market town and side hikes to Khumjung and Everest View Hotel. The museum at Khumjung displays the traditional heritage of the Sherpa commune.
Namche Bazar is a medium-sized Hill station that is a popular marketplace for local people and travelers. Trades of daily commodities to luxury branded trekking and mountaineering equipment are made in this place.
The town is well equipped with food and accommodation services ranging from basic to luxury categories. Several restaurants, pubs, and bars have been increasing in numbers recently, and visiting them are also noteworthy.
After Namche Bazaar, the day’s hiking journey of the Everest Base Camp Trek resumes overlooking the majestic views of Snow Mountains like Kongde, Thamserku, and Kantega. After a lunch stop at Phungitenga hike continues through the lush green forest for a steep ascent of a couple of hours to reach Tengboche, the region’s biggest Buddhist monastery.
Tengboche monastery 3, 867 m, provides panoramic views of Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse, including Ama Dablam, at a close-up extent. Tengboche monastery allows visitors to explore inside the monastery and vivid religious and spiritual rituals carried out by monks.
Visiting Tengboche Monastery is ideally best during the Mani-Rimdu festival, which falls on Oct-Nov according to the Buddhist Lunar calendar. Sunrise view in the Himalayas with an amazing contrast of White Mountain peaks against a green jungle is also the main highlight of Tengboche.
From Tengboche, continue the day’s hike on the bank of the Imja Tse river basin, facing a spectacular view of mount Ama Dablam leads to Pangboche, a colorful Sherpa village with enough lodges for lunch or overnight stay, with farms on the path to Everest base camp.
Hike on an elevated trail along with a windy topography. The Everest Base Camp trekking journey goes to Dingboche, a lovely Himalayan town situated in the beautiful Imja Tse valley.
Elevated at 3,345 m altitude, Dingboche is the best mountain settlement for acclimatization and exploring the pristine landscape underneath the shadow of Ama Dablam. The Mountain View stretches towards Island peak, including Nuptse, Lhotse, and Makalu on the Far East.
The next day of the Everest Base Camp Trek, a side hike to Nagarsyang Peak offers an amazing high-altitude hiking experience with pristine topography.
After enough rest at Dingboche, the journey to Base Camp goes through the alpine meadows to a short ascent to Thugla for lunch. The trail after Thugla is comparatively easier, passing through several memorial stones of the climbers who lost their lives in the Everest Himalayas. Nuptse and Lobuche can be seen on the way to Lobuche, today’s overnight stay situated on the bank of Khumbu Glacier.
After enjoying a delicious breakfast, our journey heads toward Gorakshep at an altitude of 5134m. Today the hike is a gradual ascent on the bank of rocky moraines of Khumbu glacier with boulders on the way. Mountain views of Pumo RI, Thamserku, Nuptse, and Thamserku adorn the journey with excitement.
On reaching Gorakshep for lunch at the last place for accommodation of the Everest Base Camp trek, you will check in your lodge or teahouse overlooking massive Himalayan giants. After lunch, the hike progresses towards our destination of the Everest base camp trek following the Khumbu Glacier, while appreciating the views of Mount Everest and neighboring mountain peaks.
After a wonderful excursion to Everest Base Camp, our hiking journey retraces back to Gorakshep for a pleasant overnight. At dawn, with the help of torchlight, hike up to Kalapathar 5555m, to catch the mesmerizing glimpse of the sun rising from behind the Everest Himalayas.
Although a tiring hike, the trip rewards an incredible panorama of towering snowclad peaks, including views of Mt. Everest in close proximity. After clicking some pictures and having a memorable time at Kalapathar, descend to Gorakshep for breakfast.
After achieving all the main highlights of the Everest Base Camp trekking, the trekking journey retraces back to Lukla via Namche Bazaar, followed by an interesting flight back to Kathmandu.
The Main Highlights of Everest Base Camp Trekking:
- Astonishing mountain views from flight to the remote Tenzing & Hillary airstrip at Lukla with sights of wonderful topography of mountainous regions.
- Throughout the entirety of the Everest Base Camp trekking trip, panoramic mountain vistas guide you into the mountains.
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites enlisted Sagarmatha National Park, with exotic biodiversity, including some rare and endangered species of wildlife.
- Submerge in the immense rural traditional cultural heritage while hiking around villages decorated with vivid Buddhist cultural monuments.
- Namche Bazaar is the Sherpa capital of Solukhumbu, a sweet hilly market town with traditional and modern products for trade.
- Adventure of a lifetime into the Everest region, worldwide popular Everest Base Camp trek,
- Strenuous side hike to Kalapathar and other viewpoints ideal for viewing Mt. Everest, Mt. Pumori, and a number of other high mountains.
Equipment checklist for the Everest Base Camp trek:
As suggested while booking with Vertex Holiday. Normally down Jackets and Sleeping bags are recommended by the company. Personal clothing, water bottles, torch, crampons, and ski poles are essential. Other items to pack are fine and strong trekking boots, snow gaiters, sunglasses, snow goggles, and headwear for sun and cold weather.
A waterproof daypack is also handy in order to carry your essential items, as the luggage is carried by porters and it’s usually hard keeping up with them. For detailed information on the packing list for any trekking trip in Nepal, please visit here.
Food and accommodation in Everest Base Camp Trek:
Throughout the Everest Base Camp trek, foods are offered from a wide range of menus, with proper hygiene and health maintained. In most places, some lodge restaurants provide fresh bakeries with varieties of coffee and tea. Meals and snacks served in lodges are continental, Indian, Chinese, and Nepalese meals, whereas Mexican, Italian, Japanese, and Korean food is also available.
Food products, including vegetables and animal products, are transported from the lower regions carried by porters, yak, mules, and Helicopters. Starting from Lukla onwards till Namche Bazaar, travelers can choose from simple budget, standard to luxury class lodges or teahouses for accommodation.
From Tengboche onwards, all room accommodation is the ordinary but spacious, comfy dining hall. During the high tourist season, single supplement rooms are hard to find, thus requiring advanced booking. Most rooms are non-attached; thus, sharing common toilets and bathrooms is mandatory.
Permits for Everest base camp Trekking:
- Without Permits, there is no chance of trekking in the Himalayas of Nepal, including the Everest region.
- The local authority of the village community issues an entry permit for trekking in the Solukhumbu region.
- Entry Permit to the Sagarmatha National Park is also mandatory and is to be obtained at the Entry gate before Jorsalle. Vertex Holiday will undertake the necessary formalities to obtain the permits.
- TIMS ( Trekking Information Management System) has been scrapped in the Everest region, and you will not be requiring them.
Why choose the Everest Base camp trek:
There are many motives for taking the Everest Base Camp trekking Trip, and the foremost is the jaw-dropping panoramic Everest and the neighboring mountain peaks of Nepal Himalayas, probably a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
During the hiking trip, exploration of serene Sherpa ethnic villages jeweled with the rich spiritual Himalayan Buddhist culture, including monasteries, prayer wheels, Mani walls, stupas, Chhortens, and prayer flags swaying with the wind, combined with the heartwarming hospitality of Sherpa commune and their lodges.
Apart from mountain vistas, including Mt.Everest, the trek goes through lush green woodland of pine, fir, and rhododendron: Nepal’s national flower blooming during the spring season entices travelers.
A challenging yet most rewarding high-elevated trekking destination in the world, the Everest Base Camp trek is one of its kind.
Everest base camp Trekking Challenges:
Even though most of the trekking trail is situated on higher altitudes of alpine territory, the trip is comparatively easier than expected. However, the challenge is enormous for anyone and counts on their physical fitness and medical history.
The density of oxygen in the air gets thinner with the gain of elevation; therefore, the breathing and speed of hiking ratio are to be maintained by walking slowly and steadily.
Once you start feeling shortness of breath, taking rest and drinking water while exploring the harsh environment is optimal.
Selection of food and beverages that you consume is also needed wisely; thus, try to keep as light as possible, including green vegetables and soups.
Travel Insurance for Everest Base camp Trek:
Travel and medical insurance from your respective country with the coverage of Emergency rescue and evacuation is the best option for precaution. Unfortunate things can happen anywhere, like accidents, and sudden changes in weather, even during the best time of the year.
In high-altitude places, the probability of health complications, including Acute Mountain Sickness, cannot be discarded, where immediate medical attention might be required. At such times fast measures of transportation like Helicopter services are quite helpful but costly.
Therefore Vertex Holiday advises you to have proper Insurance covering your travel, hospitalization, or other extra costs.
Everest Base Camp Trekking Weather and Best Season:
The ideal season for Everest Base Camp trekking is in the springtime (Mar-May) and autumntime (Sep-Nov). The days during these months are mostly sunny and clear, with traces of scattered clouds.
The temperature fluctuates from -15 degrees to 20 degrees centigrade depending on the time of the year and elevation. A cool breeze flows, assisting you in removing all the heat from the strenuous journey.
However, if you are a hardcore trekker and are seeking to hike on the trail with snow, then the months of December to February are the best option for you. The temperatures can reach -20 throughout the night and 10 degrees during the day. Although the skies are clear during the majority of the daytime with a chance of snowfall during the late afternoon.
The weather during the Everest Base Camp Trek is an unpredictable phenomenon in the Himalayas, as the chance of rainfall and snowfall is imminent in the Himalayas, thus causing roadblocks, landslides, or avalanches. During such times, evacuation with the help of a Helicopter may be required.
The mountain flight to Lukla from Kathmandu and vice versa can be delayed, postponed, or canceled due to extreme weather conditions. In such cases, trekking trips can be rerouted to other Himalayan destinations.
Fitness for Everest base camp trek:
Everest Base Camp Trekking mandates trekkers to be psychologically as well as physically fit, as the harsh topography will pose a huge challenge to them.
Improving the endurance capacity of your body, including respiratory and circulatory functions, is important. Thus, Vertex Holiday recommends that you spend at least three weeks’ time in the gym. If not possible, jogging, aerobics, swimming, and cycling can be helpful.
Apart from all these, Yoga and meditation can be of great help as long as you practice them properly under the guidance of a proper instructor.
Vertex Holidays’ custom Everest Base Camp Trekking package itinerary includes all the major highlights of the Everest region. It is designed to serve the trekkers seeking for a once in a lifetime hiking trip in the mountains at an affordable cost.
Considering the risks of Acute Mountain Sickness, climate change, avalanches, or other extreme weather conditions, For we are dedicated to providing sustainable tourism services, we ensure you the quality and hygiene of our trip packages. If there are any queries, then feel free to reach us.
