Complete Guide To Everest Base Camp Trek

EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK

The Everest Base Camp Trek (EBC Trek) is one of the most if not THE most popular treks in Nepal. If you're not a hardcore mountaineer or do not have the funds to splurge over $30k USD to climb Mount Everest, then the Everest Base Camp trek is the next best thing to seeing the tallest mountain in the world without risking your life.

The trek takes anywhere between 11-14 days to complete, most finish it in about 12 days on an average. This part of the Everest region has a ton of foot traffic year after year as there are many treks in the area aside from base camp. This can be a turn off for the many but it's busy for many great reasons. If you're reading this you've probably already booked your trek or if not, you're on the fence about it and just need a bit more research from your end. Whatever the reason may be, keep on reading because this is the complete guide to the Everest Base Camp Trek!

Before I start off with the guide, I would like to mention that there are 3 ways to do this hike. You could do the trek with an agency which is very common, do it on your own but hiring a porter to, or doing it completely on your own without a porter to carry the the bulk of your luggage up the camp.

When I did the trek, I went and did it with an agency called Trekking Team Group. It's an amazing company to go with as they are also doing ethical things such as taking initiatives to use less plastic to prevent more rubbish from building up in the Everest region as well as working with organizations to give back to the community in need in Nepal. If you want to see my experience with them, you can head on over to my YouTube channel to see my EBC Trek vlogs starting from Day 1!

HOW TO DO THE TREK

As I mentioned above there are 3 main options to go about this trek. Whatever you choose is based on your preference. Here's a quick run down.

Trekking With An Agency - The permits required will be arranged for you by the agency as well as your flights to and from Lukla. Accommodation and food would also be taken care of. You'd be trekking with a group of people along with an English speaking guide who can give you insight or information about the surroundings and ensure you make the trek.

Independent With A Porter - You're going to have to organize the permits as well as your flights/transportation on your own. Getting your own permits is fairly easy as I've done it before when I did the Annapurna Region the year before this. You will also be responsible for your accommodation. During the busy season this may make things complicated and hard as trekkers who booked from the agency will get priority on the rooms so it could be something that may be a bit of a hassle especially after a long day of trekking. Porters cam be hired in Kathmandu or once you land in Lukla. You may also ask for recommendations from tour agencies

Independent Without A Porter - This one is self explanatory, it's similar to the option above but without a porter meaning you're lugging all of your things up to base camp from start to finish.

COST/BUDGET

The cost of going with an agency on an average is anywhere between $1300 - $1700 USD (2019-2020). You will also need to take into consideration the tip amount for the porters you've hired as well as your guide. If you're going to do this trek independently with a porter it's about $1400 USD. If you're going to do it all independently it'll be anywhere between $700 - $900 USD.

Here's a quick break down of your common expenses:

Local Government Fee - $17 USD.

Sagarmatha National Park Permit - $30 USD.

Flight from Kathmandu to Lukla (roundtrip) - $350 - $400 USD.

Accommodation - Between $4 - $9 USD/ night. There are also accommodations available on a much higher end. Many places are flexible with their prices so don't forget to bargain. You have the power to get a place to nudge their price a bit if you tell them that you will be eating in their kitchen. This works almost all the time so be sure to do it in every place you stay at.

Meals (x3) - $8 per meal and if you're looking to do 3 meals a day, it's going to cost you roughly around $24 USD per day. Most of the common meals are fried rice, fried noodles, momos, soups, vegetables, french fries, dhal bat, and pizza. For beverages it's tea, coffee, soda, juice as well as alcoholic beverages.

Miscellaneous - Snacks and water can be purchased in the teahouses along the trail but I suggest bringing a steripen or aquatabs to filter your water in the entirety of your trek. The only place where drinking local water is not safe even if its filtered with a steripen or aquatab is Gorakshep. This is the only place where you need to purchase a bottled water as the water that runs through this village is too contaminated. Bringing a steripen or aquatabs will not only minimize your cost, you're also doing wonders for the environment for not consuming plastic. As for snacks, try getting most of it in Kathmandu as they are less costly there as opposed to the teahouses.

The last place where ATM's are available is Namche Bazaar. This is the largest sherpa village in the Everest Region. If you need to take money out or exchange money, this is the last place to do just that. Be sure that you have enough disposable cash to last you for the remainder of your trek.

WHAT TO PACK

I'm not going into details about what you need to pack on here as I've already done a video on this as well as a post (for those of you who prefer it in writing). If you want to check out the packing list for the EBC trek, check out the video by clicking HERE and if you'd like to see the post, click HERE to see it.

WHEN TO DO THE TREK

There are two ideal seasons to do the EBC trek. Pre-monsoon or post-monsoon.

Pre-monsoon: February to May - The weather is stable and dry. Perfect trekking weather to do this trail. Though the trails are dry, it is still fairly cold as the snow cap mountains in the Himalayan range can be spotted.

Post-monsoon: September to November - This is a great time to do some trekking in the region. I did the EBC trek in late October, early November and the skies are clear and the trails are dry! That said, with this spectacular weather, it attracts many tourists meaning it is the busiest season for the trail. Teahouses are most likely going to be packed and foot traffic is heavy on the trails. Though the trails are dry and the sky is clear with the sun beaming, it does get cold especially the higher up you get closer to base camp. As with any treks in Nepal, do bring layers so that you're prepared for any type of conditions the trek throws at you.

December to February - People still trek around this time but it gets very cold at night. As cold as below 20-30 degrees! The trails are covered with snow and there might be a possibility that passes are closed during this time.

ROAD TO BASE CAMP

Itineraries may vary but this outline will give you a good idea of what your days would look like. Your typically trekking 5-6 hours, or about 15 kms for the next 12 days or so. The amount of days may vary depending on a couple of things such as if you're looking to add Gokyo Lakes, Kala Patthar etc. It also depends on your pace or anything that could potentially delay your trek. On an average it takes about 12 days to complete. Again routes may vary but this is the route that people generally take.

Day 1 - Kathmandu (1,400 m / 4,600 ft) to Lukla (2,845 m / 9,334 ft). Lukla to Phakding (2,650 m / 8,694 ft): To kick off this trek, you'll hop on to a small plane from Kathmandu which is set to land on the World's most dangerous airport, Lukla (Tenzing-Hillary Airport). A reputation the airport holds because of its frequent accidents due to its location. The airport has a short runway for planes to take off from and land on and it's also the highest airport in the world at 2,845 m (9,334 ft). This is the gateway to the many treks in the ever so popular Everest region. It is one busy airport! The first day of trekking is fairly easy as you descend to your first stop, Phakding.

Day 2 - Phakding (2,650 m / 8,694 ft) to Namche Bazaar (3,440m / 11,286 ft): After an easy first day trekking to Phakding, day 2 is where you head to Namche Bazaar (3,440m / 11,286 ft.). The largest sherpa village in the Khumbu region, a popular place where foreigners typically get acclimatized. This is also a town known for its markets and where trading goods takes place. You'll be spending 2 nights here to acclimatize.

Day 3 - Acclimatization in Namche Bazaar (3,440m / 11,286 ft): This is what a "day off" looks like in the Himalayas. You'll start the ascend from Namche at (3,440 m / 11,286 ft) and head up to Hotel Everest View (3,880 m / 12,729 ft). A unique "day off" to say the least!

Day 4 - Namche Bazaar (3,440m / 11,286 ft) to Phortse (3,950 m / 12,959 ft): After spending a couple of days acclimatizing in Namche, it's time to leave. The next stop is a town called Phortse. Ama Dablam will be in your sights on the majority of the trail and she is a thing of beauty! These spectacular views will definitely keep you going as the air get's thinner higher up.

Day 5 - Phortse (3,950 m / 12,959 ft) to Dingboche (4,410 m / 14,468 ft): Today is another ascend to a village in the Himalayas. Startingt in Phortse and headed up to Dingboche (4,410 m / 14,468 ft). Get ready for another 500 m steady climb elevation gain.

Day 6 - Acclimatization in Dingboche (4,410 m / 14,468 ft): Acclimatization day in Dingboche! You'll head up to Nagarzhang Peak where you'll get views of Lhotse, Ama Dablam and Island Peak - where people go to to train before hitting up Mount Everest!

Day 7 - Dingboche (4,410 m / 14,468 ft) to Lobuche (4910 m / 16,109 ft): You'll continue your ascend towards Everest Base Camp and your next stop is Lobuche. You're getting closer to the 5,000 m mark so you will definitely start to feel the thinner air up here if you haven't felt it yet.

Day 8 - Lobuche (4910 m / 16,109 ft) to Gorakshep (5,180 m / 16,994). Gorakshep to Everest Base Camp (5,346 m / 17,598 ft) : Today is the day.. the day to see the tallest mountain in the world up close. From Lobuche you'll make your way to Gorakshep and then from Gorakshep, you'll leave your things at the teahouse you'll be spending the night. After a good hour or two, you'll be heading to Everest Base Camp. As I mentioned earlier, Gorakshep is the only place where you need to buy a bottled water as filtering the running water here is not recommended.

Day 9 - Gorakshep (5,180 m / 16,994) to Kala Patthar (5,550 m / 18,208 ft). Kala Patthar to Pangboche (3,985 m / 13,-74 ft): After completing Base Camp, the following morning you'll head up to Kala Patthar. This is the cherry on top. A very steep hill well worth the climb to see the sunrise over Everest and the rest of the Himalayan range. This is a 3 am wake up call as you need to be on the trail by 4 am. There's a reason why you need to start this early. Aside from catching the sunrise at the top, it's also so that it's pitch black and you wouldn't be able to see how steep the hill is or how much you have left to do! It's a mentality, mindset thing. Because as the sun rose when we got to the top, we saw how steep this thing is, no joke. It get's very cold up here too so I suggest layering up! After Kala Patthar, you'll head back down to have breakfast at the teahouse where you stayed for the night and make your way down to Pangboche.

Day 10 - Pangboche (3,985 m / 13,-74 ft) to Monjo (2,835 m / 9,301 ft): Your descend continues toward civilization. Just before passing Namche, you may stop at a monastery in Tengboche. A peaceful monastery with remarkable views of the Himalayas. You'll then continue on down towards Monjo so you're that much closer to Lukla.

Day 11 - Monjo (2,835 m / 9,301 ft) to Lukla (2,845 m / 9,334 ft): Today is the day when you say your goodbye to your porters (if you've hired some). You typically have dinner with them, celebrate with them as well as your group for completing the trek. This is also a great time to give the porters as well as your guide tips for their service.

Day 12 - Lukla (2,845 m / 9,334 ft) to Kathmandu (1,400 m / 4,600 ft): You'll have breakfast at the teahouse in Lukla and you will have all your things packed, ready to hop on the small plane once again to go back to Kathmandu.

SURVIVING BASE CAMP

Due to the elevation of this trek, altitude sickness is very common to experience. Symptoms include being lightheaded, dizziness, headache, feeling fatigued, and loss of appetite. This can happen to anyone whether you're fit or not and there's no way to "train" for a high altitude trek like this one but there are things you can do to minimize or prevent altitude sickness.. naturally. First and foremost there are altitude sickness pills. There's pros and cons to this. Some people are all for it and some are against it. I suggest speaking with your guide prior to the trek (if you have a guide) and trusting him when he recommends it to you. Don't just take it on your own without knowing too much information about it. Now as far as naturally preventing altitude sickness, stay hydrated. Water and ginger soup will do wonders for you on this trek. Don't ascend way too fast, you need to go at a steady, slow pace. Also, acclimatize! After completing your trek for the day, get settled in where you'll be staying in for the night and don't lay down or sleep right away. Rest up for a couple of hours and climb up a hill or a viewpoint nearby. The idea is to go up high where you're staying up for the night, and sleep low. This will also play a huge factor in preventing altitude sickness. Last but not the least, make sure you're well rested for the next day and don't forget to stretch before as well as after your trek!