Everest Base Camp
A trek to Everest base camp is as much a pilgrimage as a straightforward trek, but there’s much more to the region than ‘just’ Mt Everest.
Mount Everest, (8,848m) the highest mountain on Earth, exerts a magnetic pull on trekkers, mountaineers and armchair adventurers alike. The main trekking routes around Mount Everest can be busy and over commercialised, but for sheer awe nothing comes close to the trails threading through the Khumbu, the area around Everest.
Although the focus on these treks is naturally on Everest, the surrounding giants — Lhotse (8,501m), Nuptse (7,861m), Lobouche West (6,145m) and others — are often more beautiful and more inspiring.
The Everest region has long been the most popular trekking area in Nepal. The trails are well-developed, the trekking lodges excellent (there are a growing number of genuinely luxurious places to stay), the variety of food impressive and the organisation and information as good as it gets. With no complicated permits required and — unless you attempt to do something really offbeat — no need for any form of camping equipment, this is independent trekking at its best. However, most trails take you up high (well above 5,000m) and the risk of acute mountain sickness on many routes is real. Therefore, don’t hurry on any of these routes, build in plenty of rest days, and take the time to enjoy this outstanding place.
Trekking in Nepal
Everything you need to know about Nepal trekking
The Nepal trekking industry is plagued with an oversupply problem – there seem to be more trekking operators than actual trekkers, which puts immense downward pressure on prices. This might seem like a good thing for you, but when you see a 12 day EBC trek for $800 it means corners are being cut somewhere, usually in the pay and quality (and therefore safety and wellbeing) of ground staff. Personally I always recommend booking with a Nepal based and owned operator, but do plenty of homework first...read more