Many people should have a dream to trek to the Everest base camp. As most of them who are dreaming, you might be one of them. Everybody collects information before visiting a new place as pulling factors, pushing factors and more. You also must have been doing the same. What people expect and how it will be in the reality of the Everest base camp trek?
Everest base camp trek is an amazing trekking trail with rich of natural beauties, massive Himalayas, traditional villages and more. Sometimes people think one way and will be in an alternative. There are also might be something that you are expecting and will be different in reality.
Lukla Flight Cancelation and Alternative Option
Everest base camp trek starts with a short scenic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. It is a nice flight which offers stunning Mountain View while you will be flaying. Are you excepting it is easy and regular flights operating from Kathmandu? And expecting to go get flight ticket even in the last hour?
There are a lot of flight cancellation and delay due to bad weather. The flight tickets will be fully booked for high trekking season so, you need to book your flight ticket in advance. The flights are operating in the morning with limited aircrafts every day. There are more chances of the flight in the morning when the weather will be clear and nice visibility.
If regular flight cancelled, you will have more chances to get a later flight for the next day. Once fixed passengers fly and cancellation tickets will be scheduled for next. You might fly on a helicopter paying extra if you could not fly on a plane. So, be ready to pay extra money if this happens.
Weight Limitation on the Plane
You are going to a cold place to trek so you must have warm trekking equipment and bring some essential things for the trek. You might be thinking you can take as much as you want. But you can’t take more than limitation. What is the weight limit that you can take on the flight?
You can only take 15kg with one ticket for free. If you have more than 15kg, you need to pay extra. But if the weight would be more than allowed and ready to pay extra, you might miss your bag. If the plane got overloaded, you and your bag should be kept on a different flight. Sometimes you reach Lukla and your bag not. So, take just needy equipment to not miss your belongings.
Everest Base Camp Trek Training
Do you need a serious climbing for the Everest base camp trek? Many people should be worried about walking on a mountain trail and high altitude. If you need to be trained, what type of training is recommended?
Some trekkers will trek even without any physical training. They are a bit fool it can be difficult to walk 6-7 hours a day. Some hiking and trekking up to 3000m elevation in the Himalaya are suggested before you plan a trek to the Everest base camp.
Hiking training works only to improve your walking ability but it doesn’t help for altitude. You need to have some extra days for altitude practice rest days during the day.
Lodge, Food, Drink and Toilet
There are enough lodges in every place for your night stay during the trek. It means you don’t need to bring a tent on the trek. Also, there some luxury lodges but they are expensive. You can get easily your accommodation in most of the places but places like Tengboche, Lobuche and Gorakshep have limited lodges which might not be enough sometimes if there are flooded tourists in high trekking season. You need to book a day earlier your accommodation in those places.
You will have a food menu in the lodge and along the way for lunch. You can choose different food items from the menu but you see the same food items in each place. You don’t need to stay with the local food every day. If you would like to have the local food item, you can try.
You can buy drinking water everywhere in the lodges and groceries but the cost goes high as you go to higher places. You can drink normal water filling in your bottle. But, don’t forget to use a purification tablet or sterilizer before drink.
You might have seen some photographs of Tibetan toilets with some writings like toilets available on Everest base camp trek. Yes, there are Tibetan toilets in this region but they are not for you. There are sitting toilets in the lower area and regular flat toilet in a higher area. But they might be smelly in higher lodges because of freezing temperature. You will have indoor toilets in every lodge so you don’t need to go outside of the building.
Altitude Effect and Prevention
The major enemy of the trekkers on Everest base camp trek is the altitude sickness. People start feeling altitude when they reach around 4000 meters. Altitude sickness is a serious problem which can kill people if don’t be careful.
Altitude sickness caused by less oxygen in the air. There are two types of altitude sickness which effect in brain and lung. Affecting the brain is High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE) and the next is High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE). There will be fluid in the brain and lungs when the situation gets worst.
There will be early symptoms of altitude sickness so people can be safe with being careful and not going further higher elevation. The best medicine of altitude sickness is to descend to the lower elevation. You can prevent the problem from walking slowly, drink plenty of water, sleep well, eat well, keep warm and stop being much worry with altitude sickness. You can start taking altitude tablets after 3000m in every 12 hours. If you have a problem, don’t trek further high elevation having medicine. It can be dangerous so stay another day rest or descend as soon as possible according to your condition.
Headache, vomiting, tingling fingers and toe, hard to breathe while resting, Fatigue on resting, hard to sleep and eat and a few more symptoms can be found when altitude attracts. Taking good travel insurance which covers any emergency evacuation from up to 6000m of elevation is highly suggested for the Everest base camp trek.
Everest Base Camp and Stunning Viewpoints
The Everest base camp is on the Khumbu glacier with 5,364m of elevation. You need to hike from Gorakshep where you spend the night. It takes 2 to 2 and half hours to reach the base camp and at the same time to return. You don’t see Mt. Everest from the base camp but you still see some other big mountains. You can see mt. Nuptse, Lola, Changatse, Khumbutse and Lingtren.
The best view of the Everest and another high mountain can be seen from Kala Patthar. Kala Patthar is a hill station closer to Gorakshep. You need to hike about 2 hours from the lodge. It is good to climb for the sunrise or sunset.
Kala Patthar is not only the place from where you see Everest and other big snow-capped mountains. Everest view hotel, Tengboche, and Nangkar-Tsang hill are the other places which offer stunning panoramic views.
12 Days beautiful Everest base camp trekking journey is one of the best base camp treks in Nepal. It has lots of attractions which attract trekkers. Trekking to the Himalaya might be a lifetime experience but there should be some difficulties too. Sometimes people think one way and the reality goes opposite. If people don’t get what they expect before travelling to the place then feel sorry. If people know the difficulties and what exactly the can get on the trek before going to the place then they can be mentally prepared.
