Trek to the Everest Base Camp

Nepal packs more geographical diversity in more square miles than any other nation on Earth. When one thinks of Nepal, people envision tiny mountain villages and ancient temples majestically placed against the backdrop of the Himalayas. But it is also lush green rice paddies and jungles to the south as having 8 the world's 10 tallest mountains within its tiny borders.

The first leg of your Everest trekking adventure starts when you land in Nepal's capital city, Kathmandu. Visitors are often taken by surprise at the bustling city of Kathmandu (pop. 600,000); with its high rise buildings and morning traffic jams.

City of Myth and Legend

Kathmandu (4,383 feet) is both the capital and largest city in Nepal. It is full of legends and myths. The city was named for the famed structure "Kaasthamandap", a 2-story pagody made entirely from wood. Fitted together without the use of iron nails or supports and it is said to have been created from the timber of a single tree.

In Kathmandu, businessmen in suits clutching briefcases and cell phones hustle to work sharing the streets with honking cars, blue jean clad motorbike riders and women in colorful scarves and traditional dresses.

Most travelers stay in lodgings located in Kathmandu's popular Thamel district. Visitors often rest up 1-2 days in order to cope with jet lag, have an opportunity to do some sightseeing and make travel arrangements for the next leg of their Everest trek.

During this rest stop you should visit legendary Durbar Square, a large labyrinth of over fifty Hindu temples and shrines, Buddhist stupa and other ancient buildings (including the "Kaasthamandap"), along with the former palaces of the Nepal Royal Family. Durbar Square is currently listed as a UNESCO world heritage site due to its unique yet universal value to world culture.

After a day of spent walking and taking photographs, find a local restaurant and sample some the simple but full favored Nepalese dishes. A regional favorite is "dal-bhad-tarkari. Dal is a thick soup made from lentils eaten with bhad (rice), tarkari (a vegetable curry) and pickles. Wash it all down with local or brand-name bottled beers (avoid the water or ice unless filtered). Check out some the nightlife and listen to one of the many "cover bands" that play in hotels and clubs around the city. After your layover in Kathmandu, the next step of your trip requires that you reach Lukla (9,350 feet). There are only two ways to reach the Lukla trailhead, which leads the Everest Base camp: the most common is by air.

Everest Trailhead

Perched on a cliffside deep within a mountain valley, the airstrip at Lukla hosts multiple flights from Kathmandu every day. During the trekking season (postmonsoon months October/November and from March to May), you will find the 30-40 minute flight to have some of most spectacular and dramatic views of Mt Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse. The only other way is overland via bus or truck to village Jiri (Giri) with an additional 2 week long hike to the Lukla mountainside jumping off point. This is similar to historic path that Sir Edmund Hilary and his team once traversed. But unless you have the needed time for a month of travel, you should take the flight to Lukla. After landing in Lukla, you will be met by your tour company's porters and guides or if you traveling solo you can hire a porter/guide pf our own using several agencies in the small town. Now you will be pressing on towards the Khumbu region and Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park.

Gateway to the Himalayas

Within a three day hike is Namche Bazar (11,300 feet) - a booming, traveler friendly village and is the biggest town in the Khumbu district as well as being the entrance to the Sagarmatha Park.

Covering over 1148 square kilometers, the park was created in 1979 and is a Natural World Heritage site. Sagarmatha means "mother of the universe" in Sanskrit and is the modern Nepali term for Everest.

Home to over 118 species of bird, along with the rare wild yak, musk deer and snow leopards the park also has a small population of endangered red pandas or firefoxes, native lesser panda and a bamboo eater.

The park is also home to 3000 of the world famed Sherpa people, who are believed to have migrated from Tibet in the 15th or 16th century. Devout Buddhists Khumbu Sherpas historically were farmers and herdsmen but since the conquering of Everest by Sir Edmund Hilary and Tensing Sherpa in the 1950's, many Sherpas have become involved in the tourism industry as guides, porters and innkeepers. Visit the Sherpa Museum while walking around Namche.

Travelers often spent at least 1-2 days in Namche Bazar in order to become acclimatized to the altitude. Altitude sickness and food poisoning are still the two most common reasons why most trekkers fail to reach the Everest base camp.

Namche is a major trading post with a police outpost, a bank and post office as well as lots of shops where you can purchase just about anything you need to continue your trek (except camera repair).

It also boasts a small medical clinic and helicopter pad for emergency use. Due to the location of the Nepalese Army barracks (they have an outpost near the entrance to the park) picture taking of the peaks to the west nearest the base is forbidden.

A good way for you to both adjust to the higher altitude and take in the sights without restrictions to hike to the Everest View Hotel (12,467ft.) The Everest View Hotel is luxury hotel with a full service Western style restaurant.

Touted as the "highest placed hotel in the World" the Hotel Everest View was built in 1968 by a Japanese construction company and opened in 1973 to mixed reviews. The hotel offers chartered flights by helicopter from Kathmandu or Lukla to the hotel's landing strip at Shyangboche.

Every room is said to offer a striking and panoramic view of Mt. Everest and to be fully oxygenated. However, some of the guests who traveled directly by air to the hotel have experienced altitude sickness and extreme nausea despite all the precautions. However, those travelers already acclimatized seem to enjoy their stay either as on the ascent or descent portion of their journey.

Crisscrossing the glacial waters of the Imja Khola River along seemly death-defying suspension bridges, you will travel up the Imja Khola Valley pasting the Thyangboche Monastery (12,887 feet) the spiritual center of the region. Take a moment to view the elaborate wall hangings with its 20 ft Buddha statue.

You will cross yet another suspension bridge traveling to Dingboche (14,250 feet) before turning up the Lobuche Khola valley. You will love traveling through the smaller red-roofed villages pasting by ancient caches Mani stones (mantra or prayer inscribed tablets or pebbles).

After reaching the mammoth Khumbu Glacier, push on along the left side until you reach the Everest Base Camp shelters (17,192 feet). Take a moment to celebrate your triumphs and accomplishments. Rest a moment and take in the views. Now take on the rocky steep trek to the summit of 18,192-foot Kala Pattar.

Here you will be offered a fantastic and unobstructed 360 degree view of the magnificent Everest "trinity" of Nuptse (25,790 feet), Lhotse (27,940 feet), and Everest (29,029 feet).

Although the spring trekking season (March to May) is the favorite due to warmer weather, warm air can mean your views will be obscured by clouds. So the postmonsoon months in the fall (October/November) while cooler offers better photo ops.

Since the treks to the Everest Base camp are a popular destination, many travel companies' use the same routes more or less; do pick a company based on their amenities like hot meals, overnight accommodations and pack animals (more pack animals and porters mean less weight for you to carry).

While trekking to the Everest Base camp is no longer a arduous journey as it once was, you still have to be in excellent physical shape and able to hike steep mountain trail for 4 to 6 hours a day to properly enjoy your Everest Base trek.

Photo by: mafic

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