Mt. Everest Base Camp Trek
Everest Base Camp trek is the classic trek in Nepal. High in the priority list of trekkers, the Everest Base Camp is one of the most visited regions in the Himalaya. The two-week trek starts and finishes at Lukla, an airstrip to the south of the region better known as the ‘Gateway to Everest’.
Starting from Lukla, our guide will take you for a gentle two-day trek up the Dudh Koshi valley leads to the famous Namche Bazaar. The route has an abundance of tea houses. Phakding and Monjo are the popular stopovers on the first day and just beyond Monjo is the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park at Jorsale checkpoint. Permits are checked here. The trail that followed the Dudh Koshi River starts going uphill from the suspension bridge just a few minutes from Jorsale. After a 3 hour hike, Namche Bazaar is reached.
Namche Bazaar, one of the popular stops along the Everest route is a Sherpa dominated trading centre that seems to have it all. Besides a good number of hotels, restaurants and equipment stores, one can even find a proper pub and cyber cafe. It is good to halt here for a couple of days to acclimatize by walking in and around Namche as acclimatization cannot be done in a hurry. A visit to Syangboche or some Sherpa villages such as Thame, Khumjung and Khunde just a few hours walk from Namche are good options for whiling away your time here.
Leaving Namche Bazaar, the trail follows the valley of Imja Khola with spectacular views of Thamserku, Kangtega and Ama Dablam mountains, and dominating the skyline ahead are the giants, Lhotse and Everest. The most common night halt after Namche is at the top of a steep climb from the Imja Khola at Tengboche. The Tengboche Monastery is one of the most famous monasteries, probably because of its unrivalled backdrop, Mt. Ama Dablam. This Buddhist monastery was burnt down in 1989 and rebuilt replacing the old building with a more solid structure. Tours of the monastery are conducted every afternoon. Following the Imja Khola from Tengboche, the trail ascends through Pangboche until Pheriche or Dingboche is reached, where the day's trek ends. Another day of acclimatization follows with a fascinating side trip to Chhukung which is about a 3 hours walk from Dingboche.
From Dingboche or Pheriche a 6-hour walk leads to Lobuche which sits on the lateral moraine of the Khumbu glacier. What follows is a roughly 3-hour hike from Lobuche to the last settlement on the trail known as Gorak Shep. The few tea houses at this place provide shelter for the night before one undertakes the final leg of the trek over the glacier to Everest Base Camp. Above Gorak Shep can be seen the popular viewpoint known as Kala Patter, from where many a trekker has captured the image of the world’s highest mountain and gazed up in awe. The trek along the glacier to base camp can take up to five hours. This is treacherous ground and one must walk through this area cautiously, as finding a route through can be tricky and the risk of falling on the ice is great. Our experienced guides and team leaders will see to it that you tread safely and have a trek safe yet adventurous.
ITINERARY
Day 1:
Arrival in Kathmandu (1400m). Check-in Hotel.
Day 2:
Free day for jet lag/ sightseeing at Monkey Temple and gear check /prepare for the trek.
Day 3:
Fly to Lukla (2800m), trek to Phakding, 2-3 hrs.
Day 4:
Trek to Namche Bazaar (3440m) 6-7 hrs.
Day 5:
Hike to Gong Ri (Hillary Viewpoint 3800m) for acclimatization and back to Namche Bazaar, 3-4 hrs.
Day 6:
Trek from Namche Bazaar to Tengboche (3867m) 5 hrs.
Day 7:
Trek from Tengboche to Dingboche (4300) 4-5 hrs.
Day 8:
Acclimatization hike to Nagarjun Hill (5360m) and back to Dingboche, 3-4 hrs.
Day 9:
Trek from Dingboche to Lobuche (4900m) 5 hrs.
Day 10:
Trek from Lobuche to Gorakshep (5100m) and hike to EBC after lunch and Back to Gorakshep, 6 hrs.
Day 11:
Hike to Kalapathar (5550) early in the morning for the closest view of Mt. Everest and Trek back to Pheriche (4371m), 7 hrs.
Day 12:
Trek to Phortse (3950m) 5 hrs.
Day 13:
Trek to Namche Bazar, 5 hrs.
Day 14:
Trek to Lukla, 7 hrs.
Day 15:
From Lukla Fly to Kathmandu in the Morning check-in Hotel.
Day 16:
Free day in Kathmandu and shopping.
Day 17:
Departures Home.
"I have visited Nepal with SKA Adventures in October 2017, trekking to Everest Base Camp. In the months leading up to the trip communication from Nima and Tsering was regular and helpful, ensuring that I was well prepared. Upon arrival in Kathmandu I was introduced to Pasang, my guide. It seemed obvious that Pasang was a professional, and that did indeed turn out to be the case. In fact, the entire operation was professional from beginning to end! Almost everything was taken care of for me, and when on a couple of occasions minor unforeseen issues arose the guys helped me to address them. Both Pasang and Kumar (our porter) were very friendly which added to my enjoyment of the experience. Last but certainly not least, on returning to Kathmandu from the mountains I received tremendous practical support from Shera. This continued the overall high level of service. Thank you Sherpa Khumbiyila Adventures for making sure that my trekking adventure was a happy and memorable one!"