Everest Base Camp is a great adventure along the Himalayan trails of Nepal. This trek takes you to the enchanting alpine forested trails that lead the road to the peak of the world. Getting to do the Everest Base Camp trek is a great privilege. It is a great adventure that gifts you mesmerizing vistas of the Nepali Himalayan range. Moreover, you also get to interact with locals and learn about the Sherpa culture so close to the world’s peak.
If you have planned the EBC trek and are wondering how to prepare for the everest base camp trek, worry not. You are in the right place if this question is bothering you. The EBC trek, although quite fun, is a great hassle to prepare for. Long-drawn planning is necessary if you want to complete this trek.
Preparing for the Everest Base Camp trek entails getting physically and mentally prepared, choosing the right time, preparing many logistics, etc. Keeping tabs on every detail of how to prepare for the everest base camp trek is very difficult. So people usually do the Everest Base camp trek through trekking agencies.
We have made a detailed explanation of what we, as a trekking agency, would suggest you prepare for the EBC trek.
Navigate the map for your journey.
There are various variations of the Everest Base Camp trek. The first step to preparing for the EBC trek is to decide which variation you want to do. Mostly when people talk about the Everest Base Camp trek, it involves walking to the base camp through the easiest possible routes. There are other variations of the trek that is suitable for experienced trekkers. You can also do the EBC trek via Gokyo Ri and the Three Passes.
All these routes will begin from Lukla and diverge as you move forward with the trek.
The regular Everest Base Camp route
The regular Everest Base Camp trek begins with trekking from Lukla to Phakding. From Phakding, you take the route to Namche Bazaar, the gateway to Everest. You will reach the Everest Base Camp by heading towards Tengboche from Namche. Then the route goes towards Dingboche - Lobuche and finally to the base camp via Gorakshep.
People also visit the Kalapatthar viewpoint during this trek after reaching the base camp. You can reach the viewpoint by traveling a little uphill from Gorakshep.
The Gokyo Ri route
This route takes you to the base camp along with Gokyo Lake and Gokyo Ri. This map follows the same route as the regular EBC trek route. However, we will divert once we reach Namche as we head next to Mong instead of Phakding. Then you will reach Gokyo Lake via Phortse Tenga- Dole - Machhemara -Gokyo. From Gokyo Lake, the route takes you to Gokyo Ri too.
The move forward to reach EBC would be to head to Thangnak and cross the Tsho La pass to reach Dzongla. You will walk downhill to Lobuche and join the regular EBC trails. You will head to the base camp via Lobuche- Gorakshep - EBC. You can also head to Kalapatthar from Gorakshep to complete your near-to-Everest experience.
This route is longer and tougher than regular EBC trails. We do not suggest it to novices. However, if you are an experienced trekker, you could enjoy this version of EBC as well.
Three Pass route
Three Pass trek route makes you cross three major passes that lie around the Everest vicinity. You will begin the trek as the regular EBC route goes. The route remains the same until Dingboche. Then you will head to Chukkung crossing the Imja Tse Valley via Pangboche. You will aim to reach Lobuche next but through a route that requires crossing the Kogma La Pass. Then you will head towards the base camp following the regular route via Lobuche- Gorakshep- Everest Base Camp.
You can then head to Kalapatthar from Gorakshep and then head to Dzongla. Then you have to cross the next pass of the trek, Tsho La Pass, to reach Thangnak. From Thangnak, you will head to the Gokyo Main Third Lake and then head out of the Gokyo Valley. You ought to cross the final pass of the trek, the Renjo La Pass, to reach Lunghden. Lengthen will lead you back to the regular EBC trek route at Namche Bazaar through Thame.
This is the toughest version of the EBC trek out of the three available ones. Three Pass EBC trek is strictly for experienced trekkers, and we highly discourage novices from doing it.
Decide the time of your trek.
The Everest Base Camp trek is available all year round. However, there are specific seasons that enhance your trekking experience. Some seasons allow for easier and more beautiful treks. On the other hand, some seasons make up for very difficult yet adventurous treks. However, if you are searching for answers to how to prepare for everest base camp trek, we’d suggest you take the easier route.
The best seasons to do the Everest Base Camp trek would be spring and autumn. The weather is quite suitable and would make up for a comfortable trek, especially for novices. A moderate temperature is brought on by spring and autumn. It's not too hot or too cold. So you won't need to worry about getting heat stroke or carrying around a bulky load of cold clothing.
In addition, clear blue skies can be found throughout spring and autumn. As a result, it makes for very beautiful treks. Clear views of hills and mountains on the horizon may be seen, which is a treat for the eyes. Additionally, because the paths are relatively dryer, your journey will be more comfortable.
You can also do treks during summer and winter. However, they will need a lot more practice and caution. Such off-season treks allow trekkers to experience the Himalayan snow, particularly in the winter. But it also makes the trails quite slippery and cold. You have to carry extra luggage for your clothes and be very careful during your walks.
The same thing applies during monsoon or summer as well. The trails become muddy and quite treacherous. Both seasons are rather dismal and offer very few views when you're trekking too. So, the trekking experience will be quite gloomy and dark. You have to choose a trekking season to have a vibrant trek.
Arrange your logistics
Hire guides and porters.
Guides and porters are an essential part of remote trail trekking in Nepal. They make your trekking experience more comfortable and secure you from possible dangers. The government of Nepal does not allow you to do the Everest Base Camp trek without guides. You ought to hire a guide licensed by the government of Nepal to do the Everest Base Camp trek.
These guides are necessary for your own good. Guides help you in many aspects. They help you navigate routes, be educators, and act as a medical assistant. Arrangements of other logistical needs like transportation, accommodation, permits, etc, are also managed by them. You can hire guides and just relax about how to prepare for everest base camp trek.
Other important people that should accompany you during your EBC trek are porters. Porters are people who are familiar with the trails of EBC. They have walked the region so often that they can carry very heavy luggage easily throughout the trek. People who do not walk the complicated Himalayan trails often will have a lot of discomfort trekking for days with a very heavy load. So we highly recommend you get porters to help you in this regard.
Porters will carry at most 25 kg of luggage per day for you.
Manage your Transportation
Trekking to the base camp of Everest requires you to land at Lukla. You have to book flights to and back from Lukla. Transportation to take you to the airport, especially in Kathmandu, might also be necessary. You have to make arrangements for such transportation needs.
Accommodation and Meals
You must also be sure to schedule your overnight stops. The majority of your spots for the night will be tea houses. You can get filling meals in the tea shops to prepare you for your hikes. These tea houses serve satiating meals for your journey and comfortable amenities for you. Hence, managing tea houses automatically ensures you meals for the treks.
We also suggest you to carry sleeping bag with you for comfortable sleep. The bedsheets in remote cold areas might not be washed often. Hence, using a sleeping bag might be a good alternative in case of such occurrence.
If you do the trek via trekking agency or with guides, they will get you good deals for tea houses and make prior reservations for you.
Get your permits
You will need two major permits to do the Everest Base Camp trek. These permits apply to all variations of the Everest Base Camp trek.
One of these permits is called the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality permit or simply Rural Area Permit. This permit will cost you around USD 20 for the first 4 weeks. You can get this permit either at Monjo or Lukla.
The other permit is the entry pass for the Sagarmatha National Park Conservation Area. It is applicable in order to preserve the wildlife of the protected area. This permit will cost you around USD 30, and 13% additional VAT will be charged. You can also get this permit at Monjo or at Bhrikutimandap of Kathmandu.
Pan out your itinerary
The next thing on your to-do list for preparing for the Everest Base Camp trek is to come up with an itinerary. Create a daily schedule based on what you think is best for you. You will have decided your route of the trek at this point. So plan out how you will travel to your daily destinations. Separate days are needed to travel to a specific place with time allocation for lunch and overnight stop.
We also highly recommend you separate days for acclimatization and rest. The risks of altitude sickness are very high during the EBC trek. Putting days for acclimatization in your itinerary is a great practice to mitigate the risks of altitude sickness.
Manage Health tools
Risks of health issues are quite high when you walk on foot for days on end in remote cold regions. Chances of minor injury and ailments, the possibility of getting altitude sickness, and oxygen deprivation are also possible. So, we recommend you carry essential medical tools as a caution. Necessary items might include ointments for injuries, bandages, diamox tablets, and electrolytes.
We also recommend you keep contact details of helicopter rescue services just in case. Helicopter rescues are the best way to get emergency medical care on the Himalayan trails. There are very few healthcare centers, and they aren’t very well facilitated. To get the best medical care, you must get to the city hospital. Hence, you have to use helicopters to get there.
Get Insights on:
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Prepare yourself Mentally and Physically.
Everest Base Camp lies at 5364 metres in height. Reaching the base camp is a very exhausting task. The Everest Base Camp trek is rated moderately challenging. Although the trek is not impossible, it still requires a lot of effort. A lot of mental and physical strength is necessary to complete this task in its entirety.
You need to make up your mind and prepare yourself to face challenges. The EBC trek might drain you a lot but gather courage and determination to complete the trek. This applies both before heading for the trek and during the trek.
The EBC trek also requires you to be physically fit. Moderately challegning treks in the Himalayan trails are quite exhausting task to complete. The oxygen levels get lower as you head up. So walking for days on end in places with lower oxygen saturation will not be easy. Hence, we highly recommend you train to increase your stamina for the Everest Base camp trek. Hop on the treadmill around a month or two before your actual trek.. We also recommend some strength training to gain some muscles.
Make your packing list
There are a lot of necessary items that needs to be in your backpack during your trek. This is a short list of things that is crucial for your Everest Base Camp trek.
Carriage / Bags
- A 65L to 100L Waterproof Duffel Bag
- A 40L day backpack
- Packing cubes - to organize your bag
- Sleeping bag
Clothes / Shoes
- A Down Jacket
- A light-weight fleece jacket
- A pair of Thermal Wear
- Two to three T-shirts
- A shell rain jacket
- Two pair of Waterproof / Windproof trousers
- Two pair of Leggings and Lightweight hiking trousers
- Expedition pants
- An Expedition coat
- Pajamas for bed
- Slippers / Flip flops
- Two pair of Gloves
- Three to four pair of Socks
- Hiking boots / Sport Shoes
- Trekking poles
Evereyday Needs / Accessories
- Hand sanitizer
- Quick dry towels
- Feminine hygiene - Pads, Tampons, or menstrual cups as per your need
- Toothbrush, Toothpaste, and Floss
- Shampoo, conditioner, hairbrush, and soap
- Toilet paper
- Nail cutter
- Sunscreen
- Moisturizers / Lip Balms
- Polarized Sunglasses
- Hats
Technological tools
- Solar panel
- Camera
- Power bank
- Headlamp / Torchlight with extra batteries
- Cell phone
- SIM card with data package
First Aid
- Diamox tablets
- Electrolyte tablets
- Water purification tablets
- Pain killers
- Cold medicine
- Oximeter
- Personal Prescribed medications
- Neosporin, band-aids, and medical tape
- Supplemental Vitamins
Final Say
Preparing for the Everest Base Camp trek means checking off a lot of to-do list. Searching for answers to how to prepare for Everest Base Camp trek will be a forever process. You will find something and miss something else. The research process will never be complete, especially if you do it all on your own. So, we highly recommend you get some help.
If you are preparing for the Everest Base Camp trek, we suggest you get a trekking package. Trekking packages are brought by various trekking agencies that arrange all your logistics. They ensure your transportation, accommodation, meals, permits, guides, porters, itinerary, and so on. Trekking agencies are well known to every minor needs for the trek. So they will give you a comprehensive detail of the trek. They will also arrange things for you as per your need if you travel through them.
You can just book an Everest Base Camp trek package and relax. If you are looking for such help you can also turn to us at Eco Holidays Nepal. We have various trekking packages related to Everest Base Camp trek. We manage things for your convenience and will work to make your trip the best.
Contact us for more info or to book your package for the EBC trek!