Everest is not a mere hike it is a pilgrimage to the Base of the Himalayas, to the foothill of the highest mountain on earth. It is a dream and we at Discover Altitude make it a reality.
Everest has always enthralled travelers with its beauty that no one can utter in words, it is an adjective that can only be felt. The entire region of Everest falls under UNESCO Natural Heritage Sites and is a protected region with nature and the unique Sherpa culture and tradition.
Despite the same trail, trekkers still have a question: How to trek Everest Base Camp, and Which is the Best way to trek Everest Base Camp? The first thing trekkers must know about Everest Trek is that the trail to Everest Base Camp is only one.
However, there are numerous packages for the Everest Base Camp Trek depending upon the trekkers' choice, the physical fitness level and time frame of the trekkers mainly determine this.
Thus, travelers will have multiple options for the Everest Base Camp Trek, starting from just 7 days to 14 days or even more. This number of days is determined by physical fitness level and range of vacations one has for this trek and also the diverse adjoining trail to different areas of the Everest Region.
Travelers can reach the Base of Everest with a hike or can use a helicopter to explore the beauty. There are ways to select the best will always be appreciated. If one has a limited time frame for this trek, then taking a Helicopter back from Gorakshep will be the best option. If one has a tight schedule, then the One Day Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour will be another option.
This will minimize the number of days and also benefit trekkers skipping the same way downhill from Everest Base Camp.
Despite the high altitude, age, or physical fitness level of a trekker, Everest is an enchanting pilgrimage that will always surprise travelers. If one is determined to stop at the highest base camp on earth, your age will not be an issue for this trek.
However, choosing the right itinerary is the best thing one has to know and this guarantees the accomplishment of your entire success.
One can choose among those and trek to the base of Mount Everest easily and comfortably. Although the number of days for the Everest Trek varies, the trail and the views remain the same.
Trekkers normally get confused about the Everest Base Camp trek when they see such different packages for Everest but those are all doable. Firstly one has to be clear, about how they want to complete this trek, how many days they have for this trek, and how fit one is for this trek.
Keeping this in mind one can easily select the best option for the Everest Base Camp Trek. Below is a list of some of the best ways to trek Everest base camp, keeping the starting and ending points as Kathmandu:
The shortest version of the Everest Base Camp Trek is 9 days, starting from Kathmandu and ending in Kathmandu. Within this 9-Day one can hike to the Base Camp of Everest and descend downhill to reach Kathmandu. This is a two-way hike without acclimatization in any of the places.
However, this is only recommended for those who are fit and can hike 7/8 Hours every day in high altitudes.
Further, if one is not physically fit for a high-altitude trek or is a first-time trekker but wants to explore the Everest Region then this 9-day trek is not recommended. Instead, one can trek to the Everest Base Camp with acclimatization and then take a Helicopter back to Kathmandu. This will be a perfect option for the first-time trekkers.
Everest Base Camp Trek with Fly Out from the highest point of Ghorakshep is another relaxing way to complete the Base Camp Trek in a short time frame. This is comparatively risk-free because trekkers can hike one way to the base camp while acclimatizing and descending via Helicopter.
The main highlights of this trek are you will be hiking one way to the Everest Base Camp and then descending the other way via Helicopter. For trekkers who are first time at this altitude and want to skip the same way descending towards Lukla, the Fly Out option is one of the best alternatives. This will save 4-Day downhill towards Kathmandu.
Base Camp Trek and Fly Out via Helicopter is just a 9-Day Program with 2-Day acclimatizing while ascending. However, for trekkers who are physical, this can be done within 7-Days skipping the acclimatizing, or in a more relaxed way you can extend this trek to 10-Days or more as well.
Regular Everest Base Camp Trek is a 12-day budget-friendly Program where trekkers will complete the two-way trail hiking a distance of 135 km. This program includes 2-Days acclimatization while ascending toward the Base Camp.
This is a regular itinerary and can be done in a more relaxing way if trekkers are not restricted by their time frame. This is highly recommended for first-time and budget-friendly trekkers. Further, one can extend the number of days as per their interest and timeframe. However, an alternative option will be to take the Helicopter back to Lukla or directly to Kathmandu on the same day that remains during this trek.
Short Everest Base Camp Trek is just a 10-day program trekking the Base Camp and descending back to Kathmandu. This is a two-way hike to and from Kathmandu after the flight to Lukla.
This program helps trekkers to acclimatize to the altitude because the overnight camp after Dingbuche is shortened with the altitude, making sure that trekkers don’t have altitude issues. This is recommended to physically fit trekkers who can hike 6-7 hours on average every day.
Everest Base Camp Senior Citizen and Kids is a comparable long-day trek program, making sure they get ample time for acclimatization at such a high altitude. This Program helps them to cope with the level of declined oxygen at high altitudes by minimizing the trek distance.
This guarantees the success of the entire trek. Further, as the trek distance to be covered also becomes less balancing the everyday altitude gain. This helps trekkers to hike at a very nominal pace exploring nature.
Everest Base Camp for Seniors and Kids will start from 14 days to 17 days, depending upon the fitness level of the trekkers.
Tips for Everest Base Camp Trek
Train before the Trek
Everest Base Camp Trek is not a technical trek but it starts from a Moderate to Strenious Hike with ascend and descend. However, trekkers need to be physically and mentally prepared before the trek.
Training yourself before the trek is one of the best things to do for high-altitude treks. You need to make sure that your body is capable of hiking at a nominal pace with the altitude gain. Thus, before the trek be prepared with some hiking, swimming, cycling etc to increase the stamina.
Listen to your body and acclamatize well
The second most important thing a trekker must know is to listen to your body. Hike at a nominal pace and keep calm with the breathing. Thus, keep a slow and steady pace and let your body get proper acclimatization in the high altitude.
One always has to make sure the heart rate is manageable and for this one can take a short break after every 15-20 minute hike.
Hydrate well during the trek
Drinking is very important during the trek and always have to make sure your body is hydrated well. During the trek, one doesn’t want to drink plenty of water, however, drink frequently and very often and make sure your lips are wet.
Apart from water, one can also have food that contains fluids like noodle soup, ginger soup, tea, etc that will help one to hydrate.
Maintaining your pace with your body
Maintaining a balanced pace at a high altitude helps our body to acclamatize. Don’t be too rushed to reach the overnight point. Take frequent breaks when your heart beats increase listen to your body and act accordingly.
Avoid forcing to push when the body needs rest., don’t cover your mount and nose unnecessarily. Let them be exposed to nature.
Conclusion:
Trekking to Everest starts with a moderate to strenuous hike with the gain of altitude. As the altitude increases the level of oxygen decreases. The above program is mainly designed to focus on the risk factor of altitude.
Thus, to make sure our body is well acclamatize to the altitude, we recommend trekkers select the program that suits them well. If you need any help regarding the selection of the Program, kindly feel free to contact Discover Altitude.
Our professional involvement of more than 2 decades will assist you in the perfect selection of the Everest Base Camp Trek Program. This will help one trekking at the base camp of Everest comfortably and in a more relaxing way.
