Hundreds of climbers worldwide travel to the Nepalese Himalayas to conquer the world's tallest peak, Everest. They spend weeks on the Everest base camp just getting their gear, equipment, altitude, and excellent weather to begin the climb.
Everest is so popular among travelers that they consider themselves very lucky if they even reach Everest's base camp at 5,364 m (17,598 ft). The trails may not be an off-beaten path in Nepal, but the number of trekkers visiting EBC by air and land is increasing daily, and these numbers are nothing if we compare them with famous cities like Paris or Amsterdam.
Overcrowded or not, Everest's Himalaya vistas are stunning. Likewise, EBC is the closest place to the world's tallest peak at 8,849 meters (29,000) ft unless you plan to conquer it, which is unnecessary here. Before you embark on an Everest Base Camp trek, read on to prepare yourself.
The Everest climbing expedition and the Everest base camp trek may be the most famous climbs and hikes in Asia or arguably in the world. However, its popularity has become the trekkers' worst nightmare due to the overcrowding and some pollution in both Everest and Everest base camps. Still, Nothing compares with the thrilling sense of hiking during the journey toward the base of the world's highest peak.
The rewards of the Everest base camp hike do not come so quickly. But it will definitely be easier than climbing Everest itself.
The Everest base camp is generally considered a high-altitude route and requires at least two days of acclimatization. This means you need at least 12- 14 days, including the rest days on Namche Bazaar, Dingboche, or any other destinations en route. Moreover, you will cover around 80 miles (130km) on foot, including the roundtrip from and to Lukla airport.
If we divide the Everest Base Camp trek into individual sections, you will cover 8-10 miles (13-16km) daily. This distance is very low compared to the Everest expedition. But how long does it take to climb Mount Everest? Generally, it takes around 6 to 10 weeks or even more if the situation gets worse to climb Mt. Everest.
Everest climbing requires more preparation and time allotment and mainly depends on the level of preparation, the climber’s expectations, etc. At the same time, the Everest base camp trek demands less preparation and time allotments. With this in mind, the typical Everest base camp trek can be completed in 12 days, and the actual distance trekkers will be covering here will be around 15km, which is a reasonable and achievable number, to begin with.
Most trekkers on their way to the Everest base camp hike for around 8 hours daily. The other route to Everest base camp treks, like from Jiri or Phaplu, will take much more walking hours, but if you are directly taking a flight to Lukla, then expect to hike around at least 8 - 9 hours per day, though the walking times can up when you're in high altitude sections.
The most famous treks season for the Everest base camp trek is spring and autumn.
The spring season starts in mid-February and ends in May, with March month in between being the hottest month of the year, where the temperature hovers around 17°C. Likewise, the autumn season is generally called the dry season, which comes after the summer/monsoon months, starting from mid-September and lasting till November. These autumn months are when trekkers will have the highest possible great weather with clear skies before the winter season in December.
You can still trek during winter months, like from December to January, But en route destinations like Gorakshep ( the last Sherpa village just before EBC) will experience temperatures around -15°C. Moreover, another off-season month, from June to August (monsoon season), will be difficult to travel, especially flying from Kathmandu to Lukla. Still, this rainy season can benefit travelers wanting to transverse to the quieter trails.
Mt Everest climbing began at the start of the 1920s when George Mallory's team (speculated to reach the peak for the first time) started their expedition from the peak's north face.
Then came the official conquering expedition of the first mountaineers to reach the peak, Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary, who completed their expedition starting from the south slopes of Nepal. They both wanted theirs and others' mountaineer's journeys to be more hassle-free in the future, so they wanted to have space to store the supplies at Everest's base. Thus Everest base camp was formed, which made the climber's journey easier, and they now did not have to trek the whole Khumbu Valley to get the required gear.
Talking about the Mountain Everest's formation, the tall peak between the Tibet and Nepal borders, was formed from a tectonic smashup. The smashup happened between the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates more than tens of million years ago.
Moreover, the collision crushed the landscaped and raised mountains stretching up to 1,5000 miles, a range now we call the Himalayas. The Everest’s formation precise steps mystic are still unknown, but the collision is still a condition to date, which, in fact, plays a huge role in why the altitude of Mt Everest is not the same.
Porters are essential while trekking to the Everest Base Camp. They are called superheroes as they transport most of the trekker's gear and equipment from destination to destination. Employing the services would cost you around $25 per day, which is reasonable. Using porters services can make your trek more enjoyable. Porters can generally carry up to 25kg, including the two trekker's gear.
Before embarking on the Everest base camp trek, manage your expectations because reaching EBC may not have the same achievement one could get while summiting Mt Everest. Moreover, EBC lies at the base of the Mountain, so generally, you can't see Mt Everest from its base camp as there will be other tall peaks blocking your Mt Everest view.
But there is no need to worry here because you will get enough pictures of Mt. Everest from your day one hike. And to get a more precise view of Mt Everest, you can hike up to Kala Pathar, known for the sunset and sunrise view aros Mt Everest.
If all goes well during your trek to Everest base camp, your next destination will be Kala Patthar at 5,645m. You can hike up to the Kala Patthar on the same day as reaching the Everest base camp or the following day.
