It’s hard to believe it’s been over a year since I set foot at Everest Base Camp. But I still remember it like it was yesterday!
To commemorate my one year EBC anniversary I thought I’d put together a post with all the information I’ve had to offer about EBC so far.
I really hope it helps others achieve their goal of trekking to Everest Base Camp (5364m)
There is a wealth of information out there advising what to take on the Everest Base Camp trek. With plenty of people advising it can all be bought or rented in Kathmandu. Although this is predominantly true, there are some items worth bringing from home. These are my recommendations:
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Many people ask ‘how difficult is the Everest Base Camp Trek?’ The answer to this question depends on a number of factors.
Do you like walking?
First of all, ask yourself the following question – do I like walking? Because if the answer is no, then the trek probably isn’t for you. Yes you’ll still feel the same accomplishment of getting there, but if you don’t enjoy the journey it’s probably not worth it.
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When preparing for the Everest Base Camp Trek one of the main questions people have is:
Do I need a guide?
The short answer is no.
The long answer is no, but there are plenty of benefits to having a guide.
In this post I aim to examine the pros and cons of hiring a guide for the Everest Base Camp trek (and tea house trekking in the Nepal as a whole).
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The vast majority of high altitude trekkers will feel some effects of altitude above 3000m. There’s a lot of information out there and some of it sounds pretty scary. I read about altitude before trekking in the Himalayas and thought I would shared what I found.
Altitude sickness is caused by reduced atmospheric pressure at high altitudes. There are various symptoms and some people are effected more than others. It has nothing to do with fitness, but rather the speed at which your body acclimatises. I have listed the most common symptoms below.
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Day 12
Gorak Shep (5164m) – Pheriche (4280m)
Today we began the arduous descent back down the valley. We had planned to climb Kala Patar for sunrise but the clouds would have made our efforts futile and my boyfriend was still feeling the altitude.
We descended quickly down to Pheriche and were there in time for lunch. Unfortunately we were feeling a bit lazy and weren’t selective over our tea house. We picked the first one we saw, which turned out to be a mistake as it was probably the worst we stayed in.
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Day 11
Lobuche (4940m) – Everest Base Camp (5364m) – Gorak Shep (5164m)
Finally the big day had arrived with Everest Base Camp less than 500 vertical metres away. After a truly awful cinnamon pancake we started to trudge to Gorak Shep. Apart from one steep, but thankfully short ascent the trail was fairly forgiving. Some ups and downs but nothing too severe. However the altitude gains continued to make it feel like a bit of a slog.
Upon arriving in Gorak Shep we grabbed a room, dumped our packs and fuelled up on snickers. Then it was off for the final stretch to base camp.
Day 8
Dingboche (4410m) – Dughla (4620m)
We set off from Dingboche and started the gradual ascent to Dughla via the undulating trail. Our pace was fairly slow due to the altitude and ever decreasing oxygen in the air. We were motivated on by views of the Dughla glacial lake in the distance.
Day 4
Namche Bazaar (3440m) – Tengboche (3870m)
This day started with a relatively flat walk, curving around the hills. The further you walk the better the views get. Soon Ama Dablam and Everest (amongst other beautiful mountains) come into view.
Day 1
Kathmandu – Lukla (2840m) – Phakding (2610m)
Our flight to Lukla was scheduled for 6.15am and as per the ticket instructions we were at Kathmandu airport at 4.15am. Of course the airport was closed when we arrived, so we waited patiently for the doors to open at 5am.
Checked in and ready to go we waited in the chaotic domestic departures lounge. There were no screens displaying flight information so we had to keep a sharp ear out for the crackly announcements. Soon we were ushered into a bus ready to board our tiny fixed wing plane.
doingbeingbecoming 