Nepal is one of the world’s top adventure travel destinations, with a rather large influx of tourists each and every day. If you are an adventure enthusiast and planning to visit Nepal for a trek to Everest Base Camp, these are some of our tips to make sure that you have a successful and enjoyable occasion on this implausible trek to the base camp of the highest mountain on the planet.
In this article, we are going to talk about some of the useful Tips and Advice for Trekking to the base of Mount Everest
Everest base camp trek is a trek that should be on the Bucket List of every trekker, this destination has always been on the top list of ‘Top Ten Places to see in the World ‘for a long time. In a surreal landscape, devoid of vegetation, at the foot of the world’s highest mountain, the base camp attracts countless visitors every year. Likewise, The Everest Base Camp Trek offers breathtaking Himalayan implausible panoramas, high altitude trekking, majestic Himalayan ranges, Buddhist monasteries, Sherpa culture, a glimpse into Sherpa lifestyle, and wildlife. If you are adventure enthusiasts who love to hike, then this trek is a piece of cake for you and unquestionably it’s going to be an exciting and unforgettable trip of a lifetime.
Going through the heartland of the Sherpa people; the trek enjoys views of the most famous Himalayan peaks, the harder you climb better you get the views, as you probably know trek to Everest base camp is a non-technical climb but it is multiple days hike that demands a good level of physical stamina and a good amount of determinations to complete a 12 days normal trek that starts in Kathmandu at the altitude of 1450 meters and takes you to the base camp of the world’s highest mountain Everest as it stands of 5364 meters, the two weeks of hiking in high altitude takes you through fabulous landscapes interacting with the locals people and get to explore their lifestyle throughout the trek. In order to complete this trek successfully, you should know some useful tips that help you to make your trek successful in a good shape. In this article, we have sorted out the 7 most common and useful tips to make your successful trek to Everest base camp based on our years of guiding experiences in this region,
1.Build your fitness level before departure.
As you know and are aware trekking to Everest Base Camp is not a technical climb and you need no technical climbing experience is needed to make this trek but Training for Everest Base Camp shouldn’t be taken lightly and of course, you will not regret getting in a shape before starting your Himalayan adventure trekking holiday trip. You do not need to be super fit and athlete for this trek and this is not an impossible achievable goal for most people as long as you have a strong determination following along with some of the useful tips. Theoretically, you don’t even need any previous experience at a high altitude to complete an EBC trek and the daily training should not be at the high altitude of four or five thousand metres heights.Having normal daily exercise and basic physical train will be extremely helpful for you to conquer the base camp goal. Normally, an amalgamation of cardiovascular fortitude, strength training, and normal hiking is needed to prepare for the trek, visiting the gym, running or swimming, or working out at home. If your schedule does not allow for this then try to add more walking to your daily routine around your place or in the small hill section if possible. You will notice that small amounts of exercise on a regular basis are the best way of increasing your fitness level. Maintaining a fitness level capable of hiking by carrying your own small day backpack can significantly increase your chances of reaching Everest Base Camp and enjoying the trek too. We recommend you to start walking every day at least 2 hours a day at home or find a small hill for walking around before flying to Kathmandu for this adventure.
2. Join a longer Everest Base Camp trek itinerary.
Everest base camp trek, one of the highest treks in the world. Trekking in a high altitude area like Everest, you must have enough trekking days in your itinerary for the necessary acclimatization to adjust your body consumption in the high altitude’s thin air. Bear in mind you are starting this trek in Kathmandu from the altitude of 1450metres ascending to the summit of KalaPatar at 5,545m where there is only about half of the partial pressure of oxygen compared to sea level. If you trekking in the Everest region makes sure to choose the longer version (Comfortable) Everest base camp trek, almost everyone can acclimatize to high altitude although you need to ascend slowly and steadily. This allows a good amount of time for your body to adapt to the lower amount of oxygen available at the higher elevation areas in the Khumbu.
The Everest base camp trek has various trekking itineraries starting from 8 days Everest base camp trek itinerary to 16 Days itinerary. If you are a beginner and have never been trekking into the high altitude area before then 14-14 days of Everest base camp trek itinerary is right for you that allows you to adjust your time for acclimatization during the trek before approaching the Base camp at the 5364 meters height above sea level. Following the right itinerary for the trekkers is very important to make your trip effectively successful. Meanwhile, the shorter Everest base camp, like an eight-night and 9 days one, could be the perfect one for those who have trekked a lot in the high altitude before and used to get high up in the mountains. A short EBC itinerary can be relatively unfair to choose for the beginners and its high chances of getting high altitude sickness, so choose the fourteen to sixteen days Everest base camp trek itinerary to make your trip more enjoyable and comfortable.
3). Keeping a Slow and Steady Pace
The movement and pace you are walking at when on this Everest base camp trekking trip are extremely important. Your Sherpa guide will frequently keep reminding the group to walk slowly, you must maintain your slow pace in walking while ascending in comparison to your normal speed of hiking back in the city or lower areas. Your goal when going to high altitude is trying to get from point A to point B, doing as little as possible. Therefore, you want to keep a slow and steady pace throughout the trek. We must make a good position of our oxygen level as much as possible, keeping a manageable heart rate throughout the trek will be very important. Taking some rest quite frequently and taking the water as much as possible, usually, after about 30 minutes, if you are trekking with local guides then you will be informed and reminded by him or her frequently on the trail, they will keep informing for you to keep trying to catch the breath while climbing and waters to drink suggested to have some energy bars to regain your energy level. This is the way to work at altitude and make the trip as comfortable as possible. You have to manage your breathing, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Learning this is critical to successfully and safely reaching your goal.
4. Keep well hydrated.
Being well-hydrated is extremely important at altitude. Drink the water as much as you can, we recommend drinking anywhere between 3 to 4 liters a day when you are at altitude. Next to oxygen, water is the most important substance that our body needs to survive. Water makes up 60% of our body weight, and blood is normally about 94 percent water when the body is fully hydrated. Remember how important water is for you. You must drink fluids throughout the day and night to stay well hydrated. Staying well-hydrated aids the acclimatization process. Sometimes, you can feel how fast your body dehydrates at altitude so that makes you feel tired and down. Therefore, you need to reload your fluids and drink the water more than where you do at home. If you follow these regulations, you will avoid altitude sickness and keep yourself feeling good throughout the trip to make it a much more comfortable and successful Everest base camp trek in Nepal!
We recommend you carry two proper water bottles one for hot and another for cold water and carry them in your day pack.
5. Eat the good foods
Food is one of the most important factors when you’re traveling in Nepal that takes a risk of picking up insects that could lead to travelers’ diarrhea and vomiting. Nobody wants to experience this sort of problem when we are on a holiday. However, you can simply reduce this kind of risk by choosing and eating the right foods at good quality tourist standard restaurants either in Kathmandu and the mountains for trekking. Whenever you drink the water, make sure your water is well refilled or it should be bottled water. During the trek, some trekkers make silly mistakes by taking direct water from the tap and drinking it without purifying. If you are thinking of the same way as others to save a couple of dollars then that is not a good idea. Spending the money for the right thing is saving your life, so spend some money to buy the bottled water in the mountains or you can also carry a water purifications tab that you can get the water direct from tab and drink it, and also a good idea to bring hand sanitizer with you because in the mountain not every tea houses have this facility in the Everest region.
Foods in the mountains are very convenient but people said the meat is not as fresh as you expect in the mountain and people avoid taking meat items while trekking because as people experienced sickness after taking it, which is not recommended from us, It is important to eat enough good food while trekking for nutritional reasons. When on a high-altitude trek you will be burning a lot of calories throughout the day and night. The local tea houses offer a wide variety of good foods throughout the trek, take a menu and choose whatever you want from them but make sure only food that does help you to make you stronger and healthier. Likewise, you can also carry some energy bars and fresh fruits on your day pack. That will certainly help your energy level to boost whenever you needed
6. Choose the best months for a trek to Everest Base Camp.
The weather is one of the most important factors when we are traveling, especially for trekking in the Himalayas. It is important to understand the weather patterns of the region when planning your trek to ensure you get the most out of your time spent in the area. The weather should be well-formed and clear to enjoy the best of it. If you are trekking to Everest base camp then plan in the months of March, April, May September, October, and November; these are considered the best months of the year for trekking to Everest Base Camp. The trek can be done in September although there is a risk of cloudy weather and precipitation if there is a late withdrawal of the monsoon. It is possible to trek in December, January, and February in the winter season. It's good yet it will be colder and some years there will be winter snows still on the ground higher up.
7. Having the right personal equipment for a high-altitude trek.
Having the right gear is essential for any trekking into the Himalayas especially Everest Base Camp, it is very important for your safety, spending a few dollars to purchase the good quality of trekking gears as you needed for trekking is worth at the end, the gears you need to have at least some spree pair because it is a multiple-day hike where you will hardly find the laundry places in the mountains, we recommend for you to bring a warm down jacket, sleeping bag, trekking/ hiking pants, thermals for the upper part and lower part of the body, warm hats, sunscreen, sun hat, scarf, some pair of hiking t-shirts, swimming costumes, towel, underwear, hiking or trekking boots, warm socks at least four pairs, hat lamp, toiletries, and medical first aid box. These are some of the essentials that you should focus on, you can buy these lists in Kathmandu on your arrival, Kathmandu around in Thamel area which is full of trekking shops that you can purchase at a reasonable price before the trek start. The last-minute shopping can be rushed, we recommend you manage those gears as easily as possible so that way you get used to it and make sure you have tested it out before traveling to Nepal!
Remember that Everest base camp trek is a tea house trek, you do not need to bring any tents for overnight sleep and no need for food, the local tea houses will provide you with standard foods and rooms to spend the night, the blankets are also provided but carry sleeping bags for the extra warmth. During the Everest base camp trek, you will experience the weather varies from season to season and day to day as you ascend to higher elevation areas from the lowlands. Experiencing the 12-degree celsius conditions with temperatures up to 20 Celsius. As you climb higher above the five thousand meters high You experience the coldest temperatures in Labuche and Gorak Shep at an altitude of 4980 meters and 5,180m. Overnight lows here will be down to around -10/20- Celsius with the extremely cold temperatures, down jackets, sleeping bags and a couple of warm blankets are a must tonight.
Conclusions
When you’re ready to discover the Himalayas for yourself, please don’t hesitate to Contact Us. We are standing by to answer your questions, compare notes, and begin crafting a unique travel itinerary that will answer your own schedule, personal budget, and interests. Have a look at our upcoming trips HERE, book now and save up to 20% today!
Good luck with your Himalayan trek and do enjoy the impressive mountain views along the way