Everest Base Camp Trek

Everest Base Camp Trek Travel Tips

G-Free Travel Rating

5/10

Major Airport

Tenzing-Hillary Airport (LUA)

Official Language

Nepali (English spoken by most guides and common in touristy areas)

Currency:

Nepalese rupee

Power Outlets:

Types C, D & M Personal power source

Eating Gluten Free on the EBC Trek

This proved to be more challenging than we expected and were not nearly as prepared as we should have been. After the provided meals on the Inca Trail and Mt. Kilimanjaro hike surpassed expectations we over anticipated what this would be like. The communication between our travel agency and us was fantastic but we lost some communication in translation during the trek. Unfortunately, that led to a reaction, which was hard to recover from when your body is already doing more than it is used to in an environment it is not used to. Overall, there are options (i.e. boiled potatoes, eggs, dal bhat (in some cases)); however, he mostly survived on granola bars.

Since you’re here, I’m sure completing the Everest Base Camp (EBC) trek has been on your bucket list for a long time. Completing a bucket list adventure halfway around the world can be a daunting experience, but we’re here to help with the initial spark of inspiration to getting you that last step on the trail. This trek is infused with towering peaks and rugged landscapes leading to breathtaking vistas and encounters with diverse wildlife. But it’s not just a long walk in the park. It presents countless challenges that you have to overcome not just physically but mentally as well. Ready to start planning your trek to Everest Base Camp?

12-Day Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary Overview

If trekking with Ace the Himalaya:

Day 1: 5-6 hour Drive to Manthali then fly to Lukla. Trek to Phakding.

Day 2: Trek to Namche Bazaar.

Day 3: Acclimatization Day at Namche.

Day 4: Trek to Tengboche.

Day 5: Trek to Dingboche.

Day 6: Acclimatization Hike to Nangkartshang Peak.

Day 7: Trek to Lobuche.

Day 8: Trek to Everest Base Camp and then back to Gorak Shep.

Day 9: Morning Hike to Kala Patthar (optional) and Descend to Pheriche.

Day 10: Trek to Namche Bazaar.

Day 11: Trek to Lukla.

Day 12: Flight Back to Manthali then drive to Kathmandu.

Day 0

Right off the bat we were presented with weather challenges that changed the entire trip itinerary. Because you are smack-dab in the middle of the Himalayas, weather is a common flight disrupter. The day before us was cancelled and had not cleared all of the previous trekkers by the time we arrived. We spent hours in anticipation as to whether or not we were going to make it out that day. One minute we would be hearing that our time is scheduled and good to go to the next minute hearing that our flight will depart the next day. It ended up being the latter. But, what better way to spend the countless hours waiting than by making new friends, even though I’m pretty sure they were just in it for the chocolate!

The town of Manthali is not built to accommodate hundreds of travelers. But, people of the town graciously took us into their homes and provided us with one last phenomenal home cooked meal before we headed out. My husband’s last full meal for the rest of the trek.

Day 1

We finally made our flight to Lukla! After a quick introduction to our guide and porters we grabbed a meal and warm beverage and then were on our way. The hike to Phakding was quiet and enjoyable as we didn’t have many other tourists currently hiking with us. This day is designed to ease travelers into the altitude.

Elevation: 9,199 ft in Lukla down to 8,563 ft in Phakding

Duration: 3 – 4 hours

Terrain: Wide well traveled path mainly consisting of dirt, gravel and flat rock.

Days 2 & 3

We stayed two nights in Namche Bazaar. This is a quaint sherpa town nestled in the Himalayas that serves as a hub for supplies and a stopover for both trekkers on their way up the mountain and trekkers making their descent. I can’t remember the name of the hotel we stayed at, but it was the only place we saw gluten free options actually listed on the menu.

The second day here was a day for acclimating. It seemed like we just went straight up hundreds of stairs until we were at a hotel. We thought this was a lot of stairs but I’ll talk about another hike we did just outside of Kathmandu that tripled the amount of stairs and change in elevation we just did. Our legs started off very stiff and felt like lead the first few stairs but loosened up quickly after that. The views at the top were spectacular, especially since this was our first glimpse of Mount Everest herself. It was a nice sunny day to sit, sip some tea or ginger lemon honey drink and take in the views.

Elevation: Day 3: Phakding 8,563 ft to Namche Bazaar 11,289 ft

Day 4: Namche Bazaar to Hotel Everest View 12,730 ft

Duration: Each day was about 5 -6 hours

Terrain: Steep, but wide well traveled dirt/gravel paths. Introduction to the iconic suspension bridges throughout the trip. Acclimatation day was incorporated with stairs. Starting to share the path with donkeys, horses and yaks.

Day 4

The hike to Tengboche starts off with a little descent before completing the day with an uphill battle. Don’t worry the views of the landscapes and cultural influences keep you entertained. Enjoy the multi-colored prayer flags and don’t forget to stop by and explore the stupas along the way.

Once in Tengboche enjoy a nice warm beverage and then tour the monastery to watch Lamas performing a prayer ceremony. Don’t forget to walk behind the main monastery because there are additional buildings you can tour. Here was the first night we didn’t sleep due to two dogs barking for about 4 hours straight through the night. Also, the last place we are going to have any form of cellular service…sorry Mom!

Elevation: Namche Bazaar 11,289 ft to Tengboche 12,664 ft

Duration: 5 – 6 hours…see a trend?

Terrain: Starts to get a little more rocky. Finally pass through the rhododendron forest. If you time it right you can see it in full bloom.

Day 5

Dingboche is the last little village along the way. While you don’t get to see Everest, except at the start of the day, there are some pretty astonishing views of Mount Ama Dablam. This is the last place we had attached private bathrooms.

Elevation: Tengboche 12,664 ft to Dingboche 14,272 ft.

Duration: 5 – 6 hours

Terrain: Similar to the day before but passing through an alpine forest.

Day 6

Well…this was supposed to be an acclimatization day where we hike up to Nangkartshang Peak and return back to Dingboche, but that was not how our trip was going to go. Since we were delayed in Manthali due to weather conditions and were unable to extend our trip we had to cut a day out. This was the best way the guides thought we would be able to manage. Instead we hiked from Dingboche to Lobuche. About an hour into the hike my husband realizes he left his phone back at the tea house. Luckily, our guide was willing to run back down and check our room while sending us on our way. Since the trail was flooded with fellow trekkers we knew which way we had to go. Along the way you are surrounded by breathtaking snow covered mountains and pass by stone memorials enriched by colorful prayer flags.

Elevation: Dingboche 14,272 ft to Lobuche 16,109 ft

Duration: Can you guess?? 5 – 6 hours

Terrain: It starts out with a gentle climb to get the leg muscles working in the nice brisk morning air. After about 45 minutes or so it eases back into flat terrain and continues like this for awhile.

Day 7

It’s finally here…Everest Base Camp. This day is broken down into multiple sections. You hike to Gorak Shep, stop for lunch then continue to EBC and back to Gorak Shep where you’ll spend the night. The hike from Lobuche to Gorak Shep is not terrible. Up and down gradual inclines. Once you start back out after lunch, the terrain becomes more challenging. You are walking along steep ridges next to the Khumbu glacier. Theses ridges can be very narrow at times and you have to share the trail with people going the opposite direction as you as well as horses and yaks. The ridges with narrow passageways are a great place to catch your breath and admire the views of the surrounding mountains while waiting in the extensive queue to pass. Please be patient and don’t try to pass someone who is passing someone else. One misstep could be fatal.

Once at base camp, reflect on all the hard work that it took to get there. Enjoy the panoramic view of the surrounding mountains: Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Pumori, and Khumbutse, whilst observing the bustling base camp of climbers hoping to summit. During our time, Base Camp wasn’t bustling like it would be in the spring. Take all the pictures you want and then retrace your steps back to Gorak Shep.

Elevation: Lobuche 16,109 ft to Everest Base Camp 17,602 ft to Gorak Shep 16,995 ft

Duration: 8 to 9 hours

Terrain: Well traveled rocky/gravel path. Definitely more rugged along the way. The ridges can be very narrow with steep declines on the side.

Day 8

You are given the option to wake up and catch the sunrise at Kala Patthar (18,225 ft) or enjoy the warmth of your sleeping bag for a little longer. My father chose to go see the sunrise while Terry and I enjoyed a few more hours of warmth. I do want to point out Terry is continuing to feel worse as the trek goes on. It was a terribly long and slow trek down to Pheriche. The first part is crossing over ridges but the terrain outside of the village is nice and flat. It was misleading in how far you had to still travel from where you first saw the village up on the ridge.

Elevation: Gorak Shep 16,995 ft to Pheriche 13,780 ft

Duration: 6 to 8 hours

Terrain: Initially challenging with narrow paths but eventually opened up into wide pathways on a flat terrain with a welcoming village. Continuously passing and getting passed by the furry fellow trekkers bringing resources to each camp.

Day 9

Things did not go according to plan and we decided it was time to take the helicopter back to Lukla. Terry continued to feel ill and had been unable to eat or sleep the last couple of days due to altitude, noise and congestion. His fatigue was high with little energy left in his reserves, so I made the executive decision that we were going to take a helicopter. While I believe he would have pushed himself to hike the next two days, it was not worth risking him falling and hurting himself and then needing a Medivac. So, after breakfast they radioed for a helicopter and within an hour we were back in Lukla. One positive out of it was how excited one of our porters was. He had never been able to fly in a helicopter before and couldn’t contain his excitement when the helicopter finally landed.

Moral of the story. Trust your body to tell you when enough is enough. We saw many close calls for people who shouldn’t have been continuing on. If their guide wasn’t keeping a close eye on them, they would have tumbled right down the side of the mountain.

Elevation: Pheriche 13,780 ft to Namche Bazaar 11,289 ft

Duration: 6 to 7 hours (for us 15 minutes)

Terrain: It would have been a long hike through trails we had previously trekked.

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