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Climbing Mount Everest is on the list of many travelers. Submitting the world’s highest mountain is a great achievement many would like to experience. But only a few are able to fulfill their dream due to personal reasons.
Thus Everest Base Camp Trek is the best option to reach the foot of Mount Everest. This trek gives you the chance to view Mount Everest closely and explore the areas as well.
You must have heard and read many exciting things about this trek. Well, it is the most popular trekking destination in the Everest region. Many trekkers visit this region every year to walk in these trails. They visit these trails in search of a thrill, adventure, and challenges.
But there are some things no one tells you about hiking. Thus we have listed out a few things you must not have heard about heretofore.
Before planning your trek, you must have read many travel notes, researched the routes, its difficulties, etc. But as you travel you might find there were many things you have missed out.
So, this article helps you know a few things no one tells you about hiking to EBC.
About The Route
Base Camp are campsites that lie at the base of Mount Everest which climbers use during their ascend and descend. Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world with a height of 8848 m above sea level.
This mountain has two base camps on its opposite sides. South Camp in Nepal and North camp in China. The base camp in Nepal lies in the Solukhumbu district of Sagarmatha Zone in Province No.1.
Base Camp is a popular trekking route in the Himalaya that begins from Lukla airport. This airport is the gateway to EBC. Landing here you begin your trekking journey towards the base of the world’s highest mountain.
Everest region is home for the sherpa community that are influenced by the Tibetan Culture. You get to visit many monasteries, prayer flags, and mani walls on the way.
Also as Everest lies within Sagarmatha National Park, you get to visit one of the famous parks of Nepal. This park is home to many endangered animals. So if you are lucky you might even spot some on your trails.
Kala Patthar is the highest point of the EBC Trek. It lies at an altitude of 5643 m above sea level. On this trek, you will be passing many lush green forests filled with beautiful vegetation.
You also get to see various magnificent peaks along the way. Such as Mount Everest, Nuptse, Dorje Lakpa, and many more.
14 Days Everest Base Camp Trek is filled with exciting adventures and challenges that give a memory of a lifetime.
Highlights
- Explore Everest region and learn about the culture and lifestyle of Himalayan people
- Visit Sagarmatha national park and its exotic flora and fauna
- Enjoy the mesmerizing sunrise view from Kalapathar viewpoint
- View of various majestic mountains such as Mt. Everest, Dorje Lakpa, etc
- Pass through forest paths filled with unique vegetation of flora and fauna
Things No One Tells You About Hike
While reading information about this trek most of the people leave out a few things from their journey. We have listed things no one tells you about hiking to the Base Camp.
Tipping coins or notes less than 50 is disrespectful
Nepal is cheap compared to many other countries. But it is not very cheap as you think. Tipping with coins or notes less than 50 is quite rude. It is the same as tipping someone in the US for a loose change around 70 cents.
Also, most of them meet their days end with those tips. So, they expect a bit much for their physical work. You consider the condition of the notes. Handing dirty or old notes is not advisable.
It is better to carry around NPR 100 (US$ 1) if you want to tip someone with a small amount.
Delayed Flights from Lukla and Back
Many won’t say this to you but there are high chances of your flight to and back from Lukla getting delayed. Usually, the flights are held for early morning when the sky is crystal clear.
Flights get delayed on a regular basis. If the weather condition is bad then only a few flights are held a day. So, if you are not able to board those flights you might have to wait for the next day.
If you were the first one to book the first flight. Then you will board the flight no matter when it takes off. The flight goes in order.
It is necessary to add an extra few days in your plan. As you might get stuck there due to flight delay and miss your flight back to home. Thus for an emergency like these, you should separate around 500$ for a helicopter ride back to the capital.
The season of Winter and Monsoon is the time when flight conditions are very poor. So, during these seasons add a few extra days to your trek plan.
Poor Internet Connection and Pay for it
As you make your way into the mountains the internet connection there is quite poor. And you have to pay an extra price to use the wifi.
Only a few coffee houses in Namche Bazaar give away free wifi. Other than that you will have to pay for them in most places. As you climb higher in altitude the quality gets poorer and more expensive.
The connection is not that good in high regions. The internet works but is pretty slow. So it is better to upload pictures after your return. But having a connection in the mountains is a great achievement.
Use Yak Poo For Fire
The Himalayan region is still not developed properly. The people living there rely on Yak poo for heat and fire. If the yak poo is not available there is no fire. The burners still use Yak poo which is quite amusing.
Are you wondering whether it smells or not? Then nope you won’t even notice it was dung being used. On your trails, you can see men carrying sacks and picking Yak poo while walking up and downhill.
Hardcore Altitude
Usually, it is known that air is thin in high places. But the altitude is brutal then you have expected. Getting used to the current environment can be harder. But it is not impossible, you just need some time to adjust to your surroundings.
Walking in high altitude feels like a light jog. You can also hear your heartbeat faster than usual. While climbing in high altitude it is necessary to walk slowly as possible.
Don’t rush, just walk at your medium pace. You don’t have to walk in the front, just take your time and walk normally. Most of the evening will be free so you can walk enjoying the beautiful scenarios.
No Proper Loo in the trails
The condition of Loo is worse than you can imagine. On most of the trails, you won’t even find toilets. As the routes are cut into the mountainsides with steep incline and decline.
You have to go behind bushes to do your business. Also, there is no availability of water so don’t forget to carry toilet rolls for an emergency. As climbing in altitude requires drinking about 4 to 5 liter water a day. So, you will be peeing for most of the way.
Don’t feel shy and go if you have to.
Quite Expensive
By expensive we don’t mean thousands. But you will be needing more than you have budgeted. As you may know the higher you climb the more expensive the goods and services are.
As there is no proper groundwork, people carry goods all the way from the lower region to the high region. Thus this is one of the reasons for the supplies to be expensive.
Also, you will have to pay for hot water, charging your phone, etc which many don’t know. So they don’t add this while budgeting and get low on cash.
So, it is necessary to carry extra cash then you have planned.
Carry Cash
While traveling in high altitudes, ATMs are useless as there are no machines in high regions. So it is necessary to carry enough cash along with you. Before leaving Kathmandu you can take out as much as cash you require.
Also if you are planning to exchange your cash do it during the morning. So that if you have any problem finding places you have the rest of the day to look around.
No proper bathrooms
The bathrooms are nice till Namche Bazaar as they have proper showers. But as you pass Namche the tea houses are limited. And you have to pay an extra price for hot showers.
Lodges in the high region heat their water boiler using solar power. And most of the lodges will boil a bucket of water on the stove when asked for one. Usually, trekkers wait till they return from EBC.
During these times Baby wipes will be your most useful companion.
Side Trips
If you have extra time to spare then you can add Gokyo Lake Trek and Three High Passes Trek on your itinerary. These are some side trips that can be done from the Base Camp.
You can visit Everest Base Camp and head towards Gokyo Lake Passing the three passes. They take a few extra days off your vacation but it;s worth it. Viewing the Gokyo lakes and reaching three high passes on a trip is quite an amazing experience.
Cold Rooms During Night
If you are looking for warmer rooms then it’s quite opposite to that. As you climb higher in the mountains the colder the rooms get. As they don’t have A/C or Heater up there.
Also, the walls are thin in many lodges as if they were made of ply board. And in some places, a sleeping bag can also not be much help. So, carrying extra-warm clothes is helpful during your trek.
Follow Yak Dung
On your trails, you will notice two animals yak and donkeys. You should be aware of donkeys. As they tend to push anyone that tries to be first in line. So maintain distance from them.
As for yak they are slow and lazy. So they tend to take easy and safe routes for a walk. If you follow their dung you will know which trails are easy and safe for walking.
Final Say
We hope our article gave you some important information. Usually, people only list out nice things so most forget about things that can be an obstacle. Thus we tried our best to list out things that can hinder your trek so that you can overcome them.
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