Everest Base Camp Trek

Before committing to at least eleven days hiking in (generally) basic conditions, it’s a good idea to establish that you like hiking and don’t mind basic conditions, so that you can actually enjoy the experience when you do it. Bank a two- or, optimally, three-day hike to see how you feel about walking each day and being away from home comforts before you commit.

The Everest Base Camp trek is less physically strenuous than some people make out – although not a walk in the park. The main issue is going up and down steep slopes and steps, and so the best preparation is to go up and down lots and lots of stairs with the weight that you’ll be carrying when you trek. The trek starts at Lukla, 2,860m above sealevel, and culminates at Gorak Shep, over 5,160m above sealevel, so it’s worth banking some higher altitude trekking experience before committing to it.

Nepalese tap water is not safe to drink. Bring water purifying tablets or a water purifying stick to save money and the environment. Note that at higher elevations during the coldest times of year the water will freeze, so you’ll need to buy boiled water from teahouses. Buy a decent thermos flask or plastic water container in Kathmandu so that you can top up with hot, boiled water at the beginning of the day – starting with hot water will stop it freezing.

Yes, you can charge batteries en route. Charger should be brought. There are hot shower facilities as well. You may have to pay certain amount for both ($1-$2). Negotiate. Also, hot water facility could be free at lower elevation.

The main Everest Base Camp route now has decent cell coverage – although be aware that you will need to pay from 200 to 600 NPR per hour to charge your devices. You can buy a local Ncell SIM with 5gb of data for under $25: do this in Kathmandu or Pokhara, not Lukla!

Yes. Definitely purchase travel insurance and make sure it will cover you at high altitudes. If you need to be airlifted down you will want to be covered by your insurance.

In the mountains, people generally talk in hours rather than kilometres or miles. It can be painful to hear that you have walked for 8 hours but only covered 4 miles!

But for those who need the stats the total distance you walk from Lukla (the village where you fly to from Kathmandu) to Everest base camp is; 38.58 miles or 62 Kilometers.

The starting point is at 2,700 meters and EBC is at 5,400 to 5,500 meters.

The highest point reached during the trek is the small (in comparison!) mountain of Kala Pattar which is around 5,550 meters from here you can see the Khumbu and the Mount Everest in all its magnificence!

Pack for every season. Kathmandu and the first few days of the trek will feel like the UK on a very hot summers day and base camp like a very cold winter day.

The most important item on your kit-list should be your boots. Because of the variety of terrain covered they will need to be strong, flexible, warm and offer good ankle support.

Generally, 3 season trekking boots fit the bill well (they don’t need to be crampon compatible). If you are happy with your boots walking the Scottish Munros then take them to Nepal.

(Adventure Connexion can provide you with a comprehensive kit-list which covers all the bases but still lets you travel as lightly as possible.)