Everest Base Camp Trek 16 Days

Useful Information

Everest Base Camp Trek Difficulty

The Everest Base Camp Trek is a moderate trekking journey. What that means is- you do not need prior trekking experience to do the trip. However, the journey does require trekking for extended periods on alpine Himalayan terrains with rising elevation, thus preparing your body before the beginning of the trekking trip is a must. Otherwise, the body would not be able to handle the long hours of trek, and the journey might not be a success. 

Thus, preparing your body by doing regular cardio exercises like running and swimming regularly, and gradually increasing the workout time each time you perform them can help boost your stamina. This can aid during the trip. Every year, around 30,000 people tend to trek through the Khumbu Valley to Everest Base Camp. It is a trip that has no age limit or physical boundaries. As long as you are capable of long hours of trekking, you can do the journey. 

On average, the length of the Everest Base Camp Trek is about 130 kilometers. A normal trek on leveled terrain with this length does not seem too difficult, but what sets the EBC Trek apart is the gain in elevation. Trekkers usually cover about 15 kilometers of length per day. Excluding the two acclimatization days, EBC Trek requires about 10 out of 13 days of trekking. The typical trekking pace during the trip is 5 to 6 hours of trekking. Taking into consideration the terrain of the region, the trip proves to be difficult than the average trek on the leveled landscape.

Most trekkers opt to take the aid of porters to carry the heavy baggage, as well as trekking equipment like trekking poles. The rocky terrain can be hard on the knees and joints, and thus building up endurance before trekking is important.

Physical Fitness for Everest Base Camp Trek

As stated, Everest Base Camp Trek is a moderate trekking trip. For this, you will need to prepare your body before the journey. Doing cardio exercises boost the body's stamina and help in the overall performance of trekking endurance. Despite being achievable, the EBC Trek still presents certain challenges, like long hours of trekking and the rise in the elevation above 3,000 meters. The Khumbu, which is where the EBC Trek takes place, presents trekkers with alpine, mainly uphill hike on rocky terrains.

Moreover, you also need to be able to hike through back-to-back days. That is why building up endurance is necessary. For physical preparation before trekking, you can practice cardio exercises, starting at 30-minute durations at the beginning and then gradually increasing your work-out time. This will help in building the muscles and also increase your stamina and boost your endurance capacity.

Likewise, the EBC Trek also presents the arduous task of trekking up elevations that present low oxygen amounts in the atmosphere. High altitude makes breathing slightly harder than normal and can result in getting worn out faster. Thus, it is also important to keep that in mind while preparing for the trip. Getting used to exercising at low oxygen-level conditions can also adjust your body for the trekking trip. Doing so can alter your body to take in more oxygen than normal per breath, which is useful while trekking in the mountains.

This is one of the physical characteristics of the ethnic Sherpa people who live in the mountains. Their high altitude environment has made their bodies alter and adjust to the environmental conditions.

Duration of Everest Base Camp Trek

In general, the Everest Base Camp Trek takes about 13 days. Most of the trekking journeys are also incorporated with a pre and post nights stay in Kathmandu. The duration of the EBC Trek is incorporated with ample acclimatization time. The trek is done at a slow and comfortable pace as this allows your body to adjust to the gradually rising elevation. It is advised to not rush the trip as it can lead to Acute Mountain Sickness. AMS occurs when your body does not adjust to the gain in elevation and can cause symptoms like dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headaches, loss of appetite and others. If left untreated, AMS can also sometimes be fatal.

To avoid AMS, one can take medications like Diamox. Most trekkers opt to take the medication from the very beginning of the trip itself, from Kathmandu. Other factors to consider are getting properly acclimatized, maintain a comfortable pace, being hydrated and resting if the symptoms occur. Because of this, having travel insurance is mandatory while trekking in Nepal. It is also important to have a travel insurance policy that covers the helicopter rescue and emergency evacuation in the mountains while trekking.

During the trip, you can also hire porters to carry your bag-packs. This makes trekking a lot easier. Taking this into consideration, it is also advised to pack light and to only pack the necessary things you will need during the trip. The maximum amount a porter is capable of carrying is about 5 to 6 kg of weight per person. Similarly, the daily duration of trekking from one destination to the next is about 5 to 6 hours of trekking. The gain in elevation is much harder than the descent. That is why the initial trek to the base camp requires more stamina and longer duration than the descent back down the valley.

Everest Base Camp Trek 16 Days Cost

The overall cost of an all-round EBC Trek includes the cost of permits, TIMS, guide, porter, accommodation, meals, and other miscellaneous things. The cost ranges from USD 1000 to USD 1200 per foreigner for an average trek of 13 to 16 days. Of course, this is an extrapolation of the trip, and the cost varies from one travel agency to the next, as well as solo travels.

When traveling with us, the cost generally excludes travel insurance, visa fees, trekking equipment, and other personal expenses. Besides this, we include the cost of our package deals. As for meals and accommodation, the EBC Trek presents the option of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals. For drinking water, you have two options- either buy bottled drinking water in the mountain or use your own water purifying method, like tablets. Using one's purification method is a lot cheaper and cost-effective than constantly buying bottled drinking water in the mountains. The mineral water cost from USD 1 to USD 4 per bottle along the journey. The higher the elevation, the costlier things become.

Warm Tea and coffee usually cost USD 2 to USD 4. A beer bottle costs USD 5 to USD 10. In the same manner, tipping the guide and the porter isn't mandatory, but it is appreciated. There are no specific amounts for tipping, but it depends upon your satisfaction in their work.

13 days Everest Base Camp trek with 3 nights in Kathmandu including day tour and farewell, being one of the most popular treks of Nepal; the Everest Base Camp trek contains more than 25,000 tourists a year.

Best Season for Everest Base Camp Trek

From February to June and September to December are the most preferable seasons for the trek. December and January, the winter season, will be too cold and snow will be on the trails through the weather will be crystal clear. Even though July and August are the rainy seasons in Nepal still the trekking to EBC in these months can be done.

Complimentary Bag

A large duffel bag (30 liters) of our company will be supplied to you by us for your trek; you can put your stuff in the duffel bag which will be carried by our porters.

Your Trek Bag/Duffel Bag

Our porters will be there to greet you at the Lukla airport, they will carry your trek bag/duffel bag, for two trekkers one porter will be there as one porter can carry up to 20 kg.

Lukla Flight

All the flights from Kathmandu to Lukla are scheduled to fly before noon. There are several options (airline companies) for flying to Lukla. A small plane (16 person capacity, twin Otter single-seated plane) with window seat guaranteed and the weight limit is 15 Kg including your handbag. You would be able to buy the tickets on the internet or if you need our help to buy the tickets please feel free to let us know.

Note: For Lukla flight delays and cancellation and Lukla airport fact and weather forecast, please read our latest article here

Tips to Complete the Everest Base Camp Trek Successfully

Enjoy the Everest Base Camp trek; one of the most thrilling treks in Nepal, the trek to EBC begins with a stunning walk through the world-famous trails to Khumbu valley. The trek does not include any technical climb, therefore no need for any previous climbing experience or even any high altitude experience to complete the trek. However, you need to be physically fit and have great strength, conditioning and endurance to be able to complete the trek and to fully enjoy the amazing trip of a lifetime.

So, we suggest you to spend at least 4 to 5 days a week doing some intense physical training for 3 to 4 months prior to the departure date of the trek. Joining a Gym, hiking/ walking and good aerobic exercises including jogging, swimming and cycling are highly recommended before starting the Everest Base Camp trek.

Why Choose Us?

We are a pure Nepalese owned Trekking and Tour Company based in Kathmandu, Nepal. We have crossed the threshold of two decades and the count will go beyond horizons in the years ahead…Read more