From decades of hiking and taking people to Everest base camp – I am lucky to be in position to suggest you the tips for successful Everest base camp hike. There are many things you need to consider. But if you follow 8 of these minor tips you will have easiness for hike to Everest base camp.
Table of Contents
Tip no – 01 – Hike with a genuine trekking agency
There are many local and international trekking agency for hike to Everest base camp.Thus choosing a right agency for hike to Everest base camp might be tricky. But with following parameters you can choose the best company for hike to Everest base camp.
- Check who is corresponding email to you. If the person you are talking is owner or MD of the agency then it is more likely you are in the right trekking agency. Ask some question you already know and see if the answer you are getting is genuine.
- Check their payment method and if you are able to pay to any of the local bank from Nepal in the name of respective trekking company account – that means you are in the right agency. Opening of bank account on the name of their trekking agency take lots of work. Thus if it is not a authentic agency – you will not be able to pay in their company account.
- Check their social media like Facebook, insta and whatsapp
- Make sure you are talking with a registered trekking agency in Nepal. Registered trekking agency will have company registration number, VAT number and they will be registered with Nepal tourism board
After choosing a genuine trekking agency you will reduce the risk of unsuccessful hike to Everest base camp by 90%.
Tip no – 02 – Hike slow but steady
Hike to Everest base camp starts from 2880 meters at Lukla. This is already more than a mountain in US and Europe. Thus from the day 01 – trekking slow but steady will be one of the greatest hack for successful trekking to Everest base camp.
In general you will hike for 6 to 8 hours a day. This walking hours are included of photo breaks and short tea breaks. Thus in distance wise you will hike for 8 to 12 kilometers a day. Thus slow walking will not be a problem.
But stopping for long hours in one place will not keep up the time. As long as you are walking you will reach the targeted destination in good time.
Do not catch your breath but keep walking. Especially in the uphill section of hike to Everest base camp – it is better to keep moving in caterpillar pace. But keep going rather than taking long breaks.
During the break time or to catch your breath – look back and take seconds of break. Looking back will help you to see how long you have walked so far and you will feel more inspired by yourself. Or sometimes you will see people coming towards you, uphill and make you feel good.
Tip no – 03 – Drink enough water from the day 01 of Everest base camp hiking
Either hike to Everest base camp or anywhere in Nepal – drinking enough water is necessary to avoid the dehydration. Thus, drink enough. So, what is the best idea to drink more water in the cold like Everest base camp and any places above 4000 meters during my hike to Everest base camp?
The best tip for drinking more water is using camel pack. Or make it easier for yourself to drink. Use pipe to drink water instead of drinking from water bottle. And also, drink during your hike rather than while you are not in motion.
Drinking cold water is not easy, we all know that. But while hiking your body will be warm enough to digest couple of sips of water from your camel pack pipe. Take a sip walk for few steps and repeat the cycle.
Tip no – 04 – Follow your guides suggestion and update him/her changes you encounter in your body during Everest base camp hike
Guides are local people of the Mountain. As your guide will know a lot about the region than you – s/he will be able to help you with anything during hike to Everest base camp.
If you have small blister on toe – share this to your guide. Even if your guide is not a doctor but he will know the proper way to tackle this situation. I bet he will know better than what you would be able to do.
Sharing small details with your guide is for his/her expertise as well as the job they have been doing in the hard circumstances for longer than you can think of.
For example – running 40 miles is a big thing for normal people but imagine the same distance for marathon runner – it is nothing. Same applies for the guide. Guide is used to the environment – so solving problems like you are encountering now would have been solved by your guide many years ago. Or your problem might be very small for your guide.
Tip no – 05 – Do not let you to lose your appetite
In the beginning day of trekking you will feel like eating a lot. This is a bad sign. Thus control your appetite while you are on the day 1 or 2 of hike to Everest bas camp.
Higher you get – less you feel like eating. But even if you feel like eating less – do not lose your appetite, instead keep pushing to eat more. Try different things every day, so that you might be able to eat more.
Most of the trekking companies will have meals included in the package you buy, thus ask to your guide to change the taste for the dinner or lunch.
As always try to eat more in the breakfast and less during the dinner. This will help you to defeat the cold and wind you might encounter during the day the of your hike to Everest base camp.
Food menu during your Everest base camp hike will not be versatile but still – you guide can help you to choose the different items daily. Switch noodles with rice or potatoes with beads.
Drink soup when you don’t like eating at all. Eat chocolates as the last resort.
Tip no – 06 – Keep yourself warm both in the tea house & while hiking
Mountain trekking will surely be colder than your home. Tea houses will not have central heating. Only the dinning’s are heated.
Till Deboche there are luxury hotels for hikers to Everest base camp. IF you are doing luxury hike to Everest base camp – you will surely get benefited by these luxury stays and cold might not be the issue.
But in case of general package for hike to Everest base camp – most of the nights will be cold. You will rely with your warm jackets, dawn sleeping bags and blankets (If available).
At any cost – keep yourself warm. Drinking warm and wearing warm are 2 major ways when you are not walking. But during hiking you will be warm by action.
Best idea to keep yourself warm is to walk around to explore. If your feet are really tired and want to relax – stay in your bed under the blanket. I would suggest you to breathe inside the blanket so your breath will keep yourself warm.
During the nights as well – breathe inside the blanket. Wear face mask if you cannot sleep inside the blanket. Always use hat while sleeping or walking. Use wind stoppers if you cannot walk with dawn jackets. Keep your neck warm with muffler or buffs.
If you do not have proper jacket ask your trekking agency – they might have supplement dawn jacket and sleeping bags. As we – at Nepalgram adventure provide warm dawn jackets to our guest for one time use.
Back home – you might not need jacket and sleeping bad as thick as you would need for hike to Everest base camp – thus your trekking agency can help you to lend for the trip to Everest base camp. You can use and return them after your hike to Everest base camp.
Keep pair of thermals on. Have a bottle of warm water if you can carry one.
Tip no – 07 – Reserve your energy for Everest base camp day
Everest base camp day starts from Lobuche village. This day you will start trekking early in the morning with early breakfast. Thus this day is going to be long day. Day starts at Lobuche village and you will have lunch at Gorakshep. Gorakshep is the village you will be stopping for the night. But before night you will have to hike to Everest base camp and come back down to Gorakshep. This long walk needs more energy.
The high altitude walk surely needs more energy than in low lands.
In lower altitude like first and second day – you will feel like you can walk more than destination walk. Even if you feel like you can walk more – do not do so. Rest now so you will have energy for higher up.
Walking slow but steady can help you to store energy for later days while hiking in earlier days of Everest base camp trek.
To keep yourself warm I have suggested you to walk more – but this does not need to be conflicted with losing your stamina. Keep your stamina and energy storage at first place and think about keeping warm.
Tip no – 08 – Hike to Everest base camp with less information to get more amazements while hiking
If there is no suspense – your guided trekking might not be as adventurous as you would expect for. Hence, do very little research while doing hike to Everest base camp with guide. If you have chosen the best trekking agency – that means the guide you will have will be knowledgeable and he/she can help you for anything you need.
Thus – over preparing for hike to Everest base camp with pre information might spoil your amazements.
Less you know before and explore it to know at the site – this will help you to excite for the trip and keep motivating for the multi day hike to Everest base camp.
But – just skip the research for guided part of your trip – rest you need to do proper research for sure.
Extra tip for Hiking to Everest base camp solo
If you are thinking of hiking to Everest base camp on your own, at first I do not recommend it. Secondly I suggest you to do proper research prior to the trek. Thirdly, get ready with the proper gears for the hike.
To win the battle – you need to have proper training and good ammunitions. Same way – for best trekking experience and successful hike to Everest base camp – you need to train abundant and need to have required gears for the trekking.
Helpful tips on QA
How hard is it to hike to Everest Base Camp?
Hike to Everest base camp alone is not hard as you imagine. EBC trek is hard only if you connect this hike with either chola pass or any of the 3 high passes. Most of the people who talk about hardship while doing hike to Everest base camp must have forgotten to talk about chola pass or any other high pass they did with Everest base camp.
If those people who talk about hardness of Everest base camp, if mention Gokyo lake in their trip – they have done chola pass.
How long does it take to hike to Everest Base Camp?
It takes 11 days hike from Kathmandu to Kathmandu. But there are few people who also do Everest base camp in 5 days. 5 days of Everest base camp hike is possible only for very first people. If you ask me, for me as a trekking guide – I can do Everest base camp trek in 3 days as well.
But 12 days hike to Everest base camp is properly acclimatized itinerary and for the best experience possible.
However, if you have time – take 2 days extra and do 14 days Everest base camp hike from Kathmandu to Kathmandu. This will make your hike to Everest base camp easier.
Can a beginner climb Everest Base Camp?
Yes, Everest base camp is for beginners. If you are beginner with very less active schedule in regular life, I would suggest you to trek 14 days as mentioned above.
Climbing Everest base camp with 12 days itinerary is for beginners. Just in case you have time and you want to spend more time in the mountains, you can choose 14 days Everest base camp trekking option.
As a beginners, you have to train yourself – prior to your hike to Everest. Train might include running, gym, football, cycling, long walks, mini hiking’s back home or any of the outdoor activities.
Can you just hike to Everest Base Camp and skip Gokyo or Kalapatthar?
Absolutely, you can. Trail to Everest base camp hike do not necessarily goes through neither of them. Neither Kalapathar nor Gokyo are on the route of Everest base camp trail. Both of these destinations are as the side trip while hiking to Everest base camp.
Thus – if you do not choose to go to either of Kalapathhar or Gokyo is possible and you can just do hike to Everest base camp alone.
But as a suggestion – you might want to do Kalapatthar. While you are already on the base of Kalapatthar at Gorakshep village – if you have energy left for the hike up to Kalapatthar – I would strongly recommend you to take hike to Kalapatthar. It does not need to be all the way to top.
Looking forward to the hike in Nepal
If you are still in confusion in choosing any trip to Nepal, Nepalgram can be helpful on deciding on which trip to go for. Please feel free to schedule a meeting with me by emailing at [email protected]
Apart from regular hike to Everest base camp – there are many ways to get to Everest base camp. 9 days helicopter trek can be another interesting thing we can discuss together. In this helicopter trek – you will be trekking uphill all the way to Everest base camp and on the way down, upon reaching Everest base camp – you can chopper to get back to Lukla.
Also you can take helicopter all the way to Everest base camp and get dropped off at Tengboche to trek downhill. This way you will walk most of the downhill trail of Everest base camp and along with enjoy by getting to Everest base camp.
More destination from Nepal
Explore Nepal with Nepalgram – to the deep in those nook and corners of Nepal Himalaya.
Annapurna Conservation Area (46 Trips)
Nar Phu Valley (3 Trips)
Annapurna Base Camp (5 Trips)
Thorong La pass (8 Trips)
Tilicho Lake (2 Trips)
I want examining and I think this website got some really useful stuff on it! .