Everest Base Camp Trek

You would arrive in Kathmandu by air. At the airport you will be met by our representative and transported to the hotel. After some rest we head out to see the sights of Kathmandu including the Thamel area, extremely popular with tourists, and window-shop at the street filled with trekking gear outlets.

Take the exciting flight out to Lukla after breakfast and then trek down to Phakding (8700 ft). The flight is only 35 minutes, but Lukla is a spectacular airport. The trek is fairly simple and you will pass through many villages and get a chance to look at the lifestyle and farming in the region.

Namche bazaar, the heart of Sherpa-land, is your destination on this day. You stop by for lunch at a small village called Monjo. It’s a gradually steep walk up to Namche Bazar and before you get there you will get your first glimpse of Everest. The six hour walk to Namche is not too hard except for a few steep sections. The view all around is fantastic with tiny villages dotting the countryside and verdant spaces all around.

As you climb to higher altitudes you need to acclimatize and prepare for the Everest base camp trek. It’s important that we follow this routine because the body needs time to build RBCs so that you get enough oxygen into your system with each breath in the rarified atmosphere. Namche is a bit of a touristy place with bars, coffee shops and souvenir shops. It’s easy to spend the day lazing around or visiting the Namche Monastery.

The Tengboche Monastery is really beautiful and probably the village is one of the prettiest on the route. The trek is moderately difficult and will take about six hours, but when you get there, the spectacular monastery and the surroundings more than make up for the fatigue. Tengboche sits in a small valley and you begin to feel the effects of altitude.

As you hike towards Pangboche where you have to stop for lunch, the route is dominated by great views of Ama Dablam which means mother’s necklace. The ridges on both sides stretch out like arms, like a mother protecting her child. This 22349 ft peak was first climbed by British mountaineers in 1961. Post lunch, you head out towards Periche and the Imja valley. Past the Lobuche River the hike today passes 2 steep sections and could take up to seven hours for the average trekker.

You are in serious altitude, so acclimatization is very important at this stage. You will get some headaches and lack of sleep, but that is a sign that your body is getting used to the altitude. The views here are mind-blowing. You get to see three eight thousanders, Makalu, Cho Oyu and Lhotse and several other smaller peaks.

You trek through Dughla on this day and the going gets tougher. The reward is fantastic views of Pumori, sometimes called Everest’s daughter, Nuptse, Cholatse and Thamserku. You also get to see Lingtren, Khumbutse and Mahalangur. View of Mt Everest still eludes you. Average trekkers cover the distance in about eight hours. Sleep overnight at a Tea House.

Note: Tea Houses are just another name for an Inn and the Innkeepers have converted their homes into a place for trekkers to stay.

You will be trekking on the glacier now, greenery and trees left far behind, and you are really as close to heaven as it gets. The trek is not very difficult. Although you do get glimpses of Everest, you won’t get a great view from the Everest Base Camp, but there’s a wonderful view of the Khumbu ice falls, the route taken by climbers on their way to higher camps on Everest. The walk is moderate and you get really close views of the glaciers and peaks around Everest. Save the best views for the next day when you walk up to Kala Patthar. You stay overnight at Gorak Shep which is a frozen lake bed.

The toughest hike brings the best rewards and through the most difficult part of the trek you get the best view of Mount Everest that you can possibly imagine. It takes about 3 hours to get to Gorak Shep and another 3 hours to get to Lobuche (16207 ft). The way down is very steep and rocky, and one has to be very careful on the descent.

Today we walk back towards civilization. Though it’s easy as most of the time you are losing altitude, it’s very hard on the knees and it’s advisable to use walking sticks and knee caps.

The hike back to Lukla Airport is 6 hours, but it is strenuous and you are tired after the strain that your body has taken. But thinking that this is the last leg of the journey, before you move out of this beautiful area, is both saddening and makes you feel relieved as well.

Take the flight back and spend the day exploring Kathmandu and spend the night at a quaint hotel.

You need to check out and leave for the airport before 12 Noon. We will drop you to the airport in time for your flight.