After a long and cold winter, the season of spring has finally arrived and you are looking to do the Everest Base Camp Trek. Then you are on the right track. The snow has started to melt and the chilling cold temperatures have now started to warm up a bit—a perfect temperature for trekking. The color of white and gray that corresponds with winter changes into a bright technicolor of multiple shades.
The trail leading up to the base camp will be filled with different melodious sounds of chirping birds, many hibernating wildlife come out for the first taste of the sun and of course the mighty Mountains cascading over the hills of the forests of blooming rhododendrons.
If any time is the best time for the adventurous trek to the Himalayas, then it is in the spring season. The EBC trek in spring leads you through the verdant trails to some of the highest points on earth, making it an unforgettable journey.
The spring season in Nepal starts in the month of March, as the winter ends at the end of February and ends in May, welcoming the blistering summer heat and monsoon rain. Here’s what’s special about trekking in each month of spring:
March: The temperatures are still cooler and there are fewer crowds on the hiking trail as the season has just begun. Experience the tranquility and peace like no other time during March.
April: April welcomes you with warmer temperatures and is the peak time to witness the absolute blooming of Nepal’s national flower, rhododendron. Make friends on the trail from all over the world.
May: Temperature becomes even warmer as the spring is ready to change into summer and in Nepal’s case, it is pre-monsoon transitioning to full-blown monsoon, making the days susceptible to light drizzles and cloudy skies.
No matter when you decide to book a flight to Nepal to do the EBC trek, it will always be there. Mount Everest is not going anywhere, so why spring? What makes the spring season so special that most people choose this specific time? Well, let’s find out.
It cannot be emphasized enough how pleasant the weather is during the spring. The three months of pure sunlight shining through the tall peaks of the Everest range. Unlike monsoon, where you need to worry about getting rained down on every step of the way, during the spring, you can relax and hike to the base camp accompanied by good weather and a moderate temperature. Unlike the bone-chilling cold of winter, it will be much warmer compared to that.
Average Temperatures
March: -10°C to 15°C
April: -5°C to 18°C
May: -5°C and 20°C
The mountain weather is often unpredictable and can get bad in a blink of an eye. That being said, spring has lesser chances of weather going bad and gives you the most unblemished views of the snowy peaks under the brightest azure skies. Unpack the true potential of the Himalayan landscapes, including some of the world’s tallest peaks such as Mount Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Pumori, Ama Dablam, etc.
Rhododenderons are the national flower of Nepal, and they represent love, patriotism, bravery, and resilience. And spring brings an abundance of rhododendrons blooming in different shades of red and crimson, pink, white, etc. Hiking through the forest with blooming flowers, chirping birds, and even getting glimpses of some wild animals is truly an experience that is exclusive to spring. You can even see different varieties of butterflies fluttering their wings to get nectar from rhododendrons.
As a collective effort of the communities of the Khumbu region, the trails have been well maintained for years now. A portion of the revenue collected from the trekkers goes into trail maintenance. Walking through a well-maintained route leading to the base camp of the world’s tallest mountain will be an unforgettable experience. And what makes this experience even more remarkable are the encounters with other fellow trekkers.
While trekking can be a soulful experience where you enjoy peace and tranquility, you will also get to meet people who are from different parts of the world. More often than not, you will come out of this trek meeting a good friend.
Preparing for the trek, especially if it is the Everest Base Camp, can be quite intimidating. Doing your own research and figuring out how to prepare is very crucial. Here, we can give you some brief information on how to prepare for the Everest Base Camp Trek for the spring season.
One of the most important things to follow if you are planning to trek to Nepal is making sure you have appropriate clothes, gear, and equipment. Your pleasant and successful trekking experience depends on the things you pack, how you pack them and most of all, how you wear your clothes. Make a packing list and tick off everything before your trek begins. You can also do last-minute shopping once you arrive in Kathmandu, Lukla, and Namche Bazaar.
Essentials such as down jackets, trekking pants, light t-shirts, fleece jackets, windstoppers, etc. should be on the priority list. Having good trekking clothes can make a world of difference because they are light, easy to carry, and quick to dry. Gear such as trekking poles helps to assist you in ascending and descending the trekking routes. These essential items will make your trek to the Everest Base Camp a good experience and a success.
Even if you have all the expensive trekking clothes, if you do not execute it correctly, you will not have a good experience. Layering is the best way to not only ensure being warm all the time but also you can easily switch in and out of clothes if you feel the need to change it mid-hike.
Doing the Everest Base Camp Trek is not a walk in the park and cannot be done on a whim. Unless you are someone who is a highly experienced trekker, then training is a big step to prepare for the EBC Trek. Being both physically and mentally healthy is important. You need to start doing cardio exercises and go for a day hike or a run at least one month prior to your trek. And mentally, you need to prepare for long hours of walking every day and compromising many luxuries during the trek.
Along with training your cardio-vascular strength, you also need to have a good immune system; thus, you need to focus on a healthy diet that will give you energy throughout the trek. You need to take care of your physical health, mental health, and diet at the same pace.
Altitude sickness is very common when trekking in the high altitude Himalayas. Having light headaches and feeling tired are to be expected, as you will have a drastic change in atmosphere. It is nothing to worry about, and you will feel better with proper rest, diet, and hydration.
Altitude sickness happens when your body fails to adjust to the lower level of oxygen as you ascend to higher elevations. It can start as low as 2500 meters but can be avoided if proper precautions are taken. The best way to avoid altitude sickness is to acclimatize your body to the altitude. And you can do this by staying at the same place an extra day, which the standard itinerary already has an acclimatization day.
Make sure not to overexert your body, have good diet food on the trail, keep yourself hydrated, and last but not least, get a good rest. Medicines can be a good alternative to avoid attitude sickness but acclimatization is actually the best way. If you get altitude sickness and it only gets worse, then immediately descend. While the sickness itself might not be bad, if you ignore all the symptoms and continue to ascend despite the worsening symptoms, it can turn into something fatal. In such a case, descend at least 1000 meters.
Taking slow and steady with proper acclimatization days can be the best experience for this trek.
Permits to trek to any part of Nepal are mandatory. And there are two permits required for the Everest Base Camp Trek and they are:
You can get the national park entry permit in Kathmandu from the Nepal Tourism Board or directly at Monjo in Khumbu. Meanwhile, you can only get the municipality permit in Lukla.
The cost of the permits for the EBC Trek:
Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit
For Nepalese Nationalities: NRs. 100
For SAARC Nationalities: NRs. 1500
For Foreign Nationalities: NRs. 3000
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entrance Permit
For Nepalese Nationalities: Not Required
For SAARC Nationalities: NRs. 1000
For Foreign Nationalities: NRs. 2000
Having a guide to lead you through the trail, help you with logistics, and other things can be a very rewarding experience. You can just focus on making it from one location to another while enjoying the spectacular landscapes surrounded by the mountains, while your guide will show you the way, take good pictures of you, book a good room and make sure you have your meals in a timely manner. And especially in spring, where it can sometimes be hard to find a good accommodation, you can trust your guide to come through with the best services.
You can carry all your belongings yourself, but if you just have too much and carrying everything might not be such a good idea, then hiring a porter will be a big help and take a huge load off your back. The guide cost for the EBC Trek is $30-$40 per day, while a porter is around $25-$30 per day. If you are going through a company, the guide cost is already included in the package, while porter costs are additional.
After spending a lot of time, effort, and money, you will definitely want your trek to the Everest Base Camp Trek to be a successful one. Here are some tips to make sure your trek is a hundred percent success:
The stable weather, moderate temperatures, and blooming rhododendrons make spring the best time to trek to the Everest Base Camp. The trail offers the best of the best experience, with vibrant alpine forests, many wildlife giving a glimpse, and most of all, the tall and mighty mountains. And while it is easy to get lost in the excitement of reaching the base of Mount Everest, you need a well-prepared itinerary with acclimatization days to avoid altitude sickness. Not only that, but you also need a good packing list, layering clothes, gear, and equipment.
Hiking through a well-maintained trail up to the heart of the Himalayas, leaving the blooming rhododendrons behind but meeting new people each day can be the most rewarding experience of all time. Spring welcomes you with open arms to conquer a significant feat. Are you ready? If yes, then we can take you there at the most affordable price. Contact us via WhatsApp or email at +977 9851175531 or info@alpineramble.com.
