Tag: Everest base camp trek

Everest base camp trek: Quick guide

Posted on by Plan Holidays

Before setting off for any adventure, it is of utmost importance that you first set a base. As it will serve as your primal retreat if things don’t go as planned. Furthermore, a Everest base camp trek will also help you get accustomed to how things work in that particular region.
As far as mountaineers and trekking go, the base camp for Mount Everest is arguably the most famous one. Since the regions host a bunch of the most prominent mountains on earth, it’s only natural to assume that you need to familiarize and learn as much as you can about the trek that lay ahead. In this segment, we’ll be going over the essentials.

everest base camp trekking tips
Everest base camp trek

The two main camps

The two main base camps for Mount Everest are on opposite sides of the peak. The southern base camp lies in Nepal, whereas the Northern base camp is in China, Tibet. Both of them sit at about the same elevation and are roughly 3000 m below the summit.
The base camp in Nepal is at an altitude of 5,364 meters, whereas the one in Tibet is at 5,150 meters.

Best time of travel

If you’re considering giving Everest a shot, then there are two distinct trekking seasons to find. The first one is pre-monsoon (February, March, April, May), and the second one is post-monsoon (September, October, November, December). However, it recommended that you opt for either February or September. Going mid-season might result in increased ticketing and budget, whereas going in January or late December means you’ll be packing extra for the cold and extreme climate!

Setting a budget

The budget breakdown for the whole trip depends entirely on where you decide to spend. Furthermore, the minor details involved can be tweaked to your preference. For a 12 to 15 day trek, anticipate investing about $1400 to $1700 or more than that according to your luxury. As it will include permits, local flights, accommodation, and food.

Essential equipment

The clothing and equipment mention below are those that people don’t account. If you want to have a safe and comfortable trip, don’t forget to pack these!

  • two-liner socks
  • two pair trekking pants with a zip-off bottoms
  • two fleece sweaters (lightweight/heavyweight)
  • two trekking shirts (short-sleeve)
  • Quick-drying long-sleeved base layer shirts
  • Trail shoes
  • Liner gloves
trekking the EBC

Safety precautions

In situations such as these, a slight mishap has the absolute probability of resulting in death. Hence, you need to make sure that you commit the safety precautions to heart and follow them with the due diligence they deserve.
1. Keep yourself hydrated and gradually attain height. Furthermore, make sure you consume enough calories. In the absence of these, you run the risk of contracting Acute Mountain Sickness.
2. Keep track of your health insurance and make sure it has you covered in the event of an emergency.
3. Always follow and listen to the trek guide.
4. Don’t try to look for more accessible or alternate paths for the sake of adventure.
5. Always keep a whistle on you so that you can attract attention if you’re in trouble.

How Difficult Is The Everest Base Camp Trek

Posted on by Plan Holidays

As intimidating as it may sound, the Everest Base Camp trek is not difficult at all, and the death rate is pretty low considering that more than 30,000 people each year trek through Khumbu Valley up to the Everest Base Camp. However, only a few successfully summit the Everest each year.

The Everest base camp trek generally doesn’t require any experience of expertise and people of all ages have completed it over the years. It’s just a long trek at a very high altitude. Generally, 12-14 days, which is the actual deal-breaker for a lot of people since people aren’t accustomed to trekking for such long. However, despite its relative ease and is achievable, there are certain things that you need to keep in mind before setting off.

Everest Base Camp Trekking
Everest Base Camp Trekking

Altitude 

If it were not for the altitude, the trek would be pretty basic. So, this is certainly the factor you need to consider the most, a lot take this lightly and end up facing deadly consequences like altitude sickness (AMS), which should not be underestimated as a minor issue as it can eventually result in death! The starting point of the trek is just below 3000 meters, which is already enough to induce AMS while the altitude will go up to 5500 meters, more or less.

Make sure to know the symptoms and treatments of AMS available there before your trip. Also, keep in mind you need to have 2-3 days fixed to acclimatization and have a slow approach to high altitudes. Your outward leg should take at least 70% of the total time of your trek. Furthermore, AMS is not related to your fitness or age, so everyone is vulnerable!

Length 

Essentially, the distance between Lukla, your starting point, and Everest base camp  is around 65 km. However, you will have to cover a round trip, which is more or less, 130 km.

Initially, this may sound like a lot of distance to you if you’re not an experienced trekker, but according to the mathematics, you will only have to walk 15 km/day as 2-3 days are spent in acclimatization, which doesn’t seem much as an average human walks with a speed of 5 km/hr.

Still, you should be prepared as the altitude will be increasing with every step and the terrain would be quite rough, so the walk will not be that easy keeping in mind that you will have a lot of baggage with you as well. But luckily most tour operators have porters or mules to carry your baggage so you may not have to worry about that.

Training 

While Everest base camp trek does not require any prior training and any novice-trekker can generally handle it, but due to the altitude and the length of trekking, having some basic level of low-key training would help you get through your trip without running into any discomforts.

As we read, some things make Everest base camp trek stand apart from any other treks, so it is advisable to have a few weeks spent in the gym before pursuing your trip. A leg workout should be the top priority, which will help you carry yourself up to the mountains, and don’t forget the squats, you won’t regret it!

Trekking

5 Best Trek Destinations for Teahouse-Style Trekking

Posted on by Plan Holidays

With the increasing inflow of tourists for Best Trek, the major trekking routes have lodges dotted across their trails. These lodges are also known as tea houses. These tea houses have made trekking for beginners and advanced trekkers an ease during their stay in the trail. Tea houses are available throughout the trail in major trekking hot sports.

You can now trek for weeks by carrying only the essentials without worrying for warm bed and hot supper or lunch. The tea houses are accommodations offered by the local hosts who reside in the trekking regions. Due to which, you will be glad to know that the money you spent on trekking goes to these local peoples instead of some wealthy companies in Kathmandu or abroad. Tea house trekking also lets you meet other trekkers under the same roof and is kind of socializing house for trekking lovers.

Not all of the trekking trails in Nepal offer tea house- style trekking. So, here we have listed 5 best Trek Destinations for Tea House-Style Trekking in Nepal.

Everest Base Camp Trek

Everest Base Camp is a medium-hard graded 16-day tea house trek which has tea houses throughout the whole trail. The trail has the highest altitude of 5545 m.The tea houses in this trek have better facilities than many other trails as it is one of the most trekked routes by trekkers in Nepal. Trekking in Everest Base Camp is trailing the footsteps of great mountaineers like Reinhold Messner, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. The 2015 earthquake led some minor damages in the tea houses in this region but, now they have been attended and fit to lodge the trekkers in this region. The preferred month to visit this region is from February to May and October to December.

Annapurna Circuit Trek

Annapurna Circuit is a medium hard graded 12–18 days trek. This trek is second to none in terms of facilitating trekkers the lodging and comfort. The trail reaches the highest altitude up to 5,416 m. This tea house trek also offers side trips along the trail if you ever feel like diverging. The side trips also have the tea house lodge facility to serve you in the trek. The tea houses in Annapurna Circuit can be found every couple of hours. As for the cost, the ACAP has set the standardized price for the tea house lodging and its foods. However, expect the cost to increase as you trek further from the road. The same Dal Bhat that costs you 250 in the starting days of your trek will cost you almost double while reaching Thorung Phedi. All in all, Annapurna Circuit has been rated excellent in terms of Tea house availability and service. The suitable time to visit the Annapurna Circuit is from March to April and October to November.

Langtang Valley Trek

The Langtang Valley is one of the nearest treks from Kathmandu but is no easy feat for everyone. It has been graded medium with 7-8 days in the off beaten path. The trail passes through high alpine valley and glaciers with the highest altitude of 3,870 m. Although the 2015 earthquake brought havoc in this trail’s tea houses, most of them are maintained and up for service. However, many side trails are not yet ready to be trekked in this region. The suitable time to trek to Langtang valley is from September to May.

Mustang Trek

Mustang is a 10 day trek with medium-hard rated difficulty. The maximum elevation of this trek is 4,325 m. Also known as kingdom beyond the mountains, Mustang has been a hotspot for trekkers from very beginning of trekking history in Nepal with the likes of Jimmy Hendrix visiting this beautiful haven. After the earthquake in 2015, some lodge hosts have left the area and are suited in plains. So, some tea houses you stay might be crowded due to the limitations.

Mardi Himal Trek

The new yet progressive short tea house trekking has been quite the heart throb of every trekkers. The beautiful sceneries of Machhapuchhre, Dhaulagiri and Annapurna Series has mesmerized everyone in this trek. There are tea houses growing rapidly in numbers due to the increasing inflow of tourists in this trail.

So, these are the 5 best tea house-style trekking in Nepal which are suitable for the ones who want minimum of weight on their backpack.

Trekking in Nepal

Nepal peak climbing holidays

Adventure Activities In Nepal

Jungle Safari In Nepal

Nepal Village Homestays

Hiking in Nepal

Rafting in Nepal

Kathmandu Excursion Tour

Places of interest in Nepal

Day Tours

Nepal Mountain Biking Tour