Q1. Is Trekking in the Everest Region Difficult or Easy?
The difficulty of treks in the Everest region depends on the trek you choose to do.
If you’re looking for a little more challenging adventurous trail rather than a simple walk, then you can go for Everest Base Camp trek! This base camp trek takes you from 2,804 m at Lukla to 5,545 m, the summit of Kala Patthar.
The trails in the Everest region include moderate uphill and downhill walk, steep ascents and descents. Generally, the trekking route is well-maintained but also involve some mix- rough terrain.
So, with a good health condition, you can complete this base camp trek with ease. With enough acclimatization day and proper training, you can complete the trek with success. You should train yourself before embarking this adventurous trek. The more fit you are, the more pleasant your journey will be.
Q.2 Do I Have to be Extremely Fit to Trek in the Everest Region?
There is no specific requirement of fitness for trekking in the Everest region. However, a basic level of fitness is required. After all, you’ve to hike with your daypack for 4-6 hours, on various types of terrain, over the course of several days.
You need a basic level of fitness, but you don’t need to have a pro-level athlete’s fitness. Before trekking, you can do an exercise like jogging, running, swimming, or hiking.
Thus, if you attempt Everest Base Camp Trek with proper training, you can enjoy every moment of the trek. Remember to walk at your own pace, drink plenty of water, and allocate enough acclimatization day.
Q.3 How to Reach Lukla from Kathmandu?
Lukla village serves as the main entry point of world famous Everest region. It is a small town located at the height of 2,860m and inhabited by Sherpa community. This small mountain village hosts Tenzing Hillary Airport, one of the most adventurous airports in the world.
At present, the airport is the only convenient way to reach the Everest region from Kathmandu. Flights from Kathmandu to Lukla take around 45 minutes. Buddha Airlines, Sita Airlines, Yeti Airways, and Tara Airways are some of the airlines that operate daily flights between Kathmandu and Lukla.
Likewise, the monsoon season (June-August) is highly prone to flight delays and cancellation due to bad weather conditions. Therefore, if you’re traveling to Nepal during monsoon time, it is recommended to add 2-3 spare days in your itinerary.
Q4. Am I Prone to Altitude Sickness while Trekking in the Everest Region?
While trekking in the high altitudes of the Everest region, the symptoms of altitude sickness are very common in all trekkers, regardless of their age and fitness level. At higher elevation, many experience symptoms like occasional headaches, shortness of breath or mild nausea. These symptoms are easily treated with proper rest, hydration, and over the counter medications.
Due to this uncertainty, most trekkers use Diamox, a medication which can help you fight the symptoms of altitude sickness.
Unfortunately, some people may experience more serious symptoms that demand intensive treatment like oxygen therapy and a portable hyperbaric bag.
Q5. How Do I Prevent Altitude Sickness?
- Stay hydrated. Try to drink at least 3-4 liters per day.
- Avoid tobacco, alcohol, and meat.
- Don’t go up until symptoms go down. People acclimatize at different rates, so make sure to acclimate properly before ascending further.
- Listen to your body. Take your time. The pace is a critical factor on all routes.
- Don’t skip the acclimatization days.
- Walk high and sleep low. If you have enough energy, take an afternoon stroll further up the mountain although you descend to sleep.
- Consult your doctor before you start your trek. Your doctor may prescribe you an altitude sickness tablet.
Q6. What Happens if I get Mountain Sickness?
If you get altitude sickness while on the trail, let your guide know immediately. They’ll help you. For this, you need to be familiar with the symptoms of altitude sickness.
Most people experience mild symptoms like a headache, loss of appetite above 12,000-14,000 feet. These mild symptoms are not serious and will disappear within 48 hours. But, if symptoms become more serious, there are two options:
- Descend to a lower elevation- possibly resume the trek once you recover.
- Get into a portable hyperbaric bag- it is an inflatable pressure bag large enough to accommodate a person inside. A person is placed inside the bag, then sealed and inflated with a foot pump. By doing so, within minutes, the effective altitude is decreased by 1000 to 3000 meters depending on the elevation.
Q7. Do I Need Travel Insurance to Trek in the Everest Region?
In the Everest region, most of the trekkers face the problem of high altitude sickness. So, it’s important you should get proper insurance for your Everest Base Camp Trek. Make sure that your travel insurance package covers:
- Trip cancellation
- Travel delay
- Loss/damage of baggage
- Medical emergencies
- Medical evacuation.
If you’re confused about the insurance, you can contact us, we are happy to help you.
Q8. When is the Best Time for the Trek in Everest Region?
The best time for Everest region trek is Spring (March-May) and Autumn (Sep-Nov). In the spring season, the weather is dry and stable, and the mountain views are at their best.
One of the best part of trekking during spring is the fantastic view of the lower hill blooming in rhododendron flowers.
Autumn is one of the peak trekking seasons in Nepal. If you opt autumn season for Everest Base Camp Trek, then you’ll get the magnificent snow-capped mountain views.
During spring and autumn, the trail is overcrowded because of the large inflow of the tourists. During this time, almost all tea houses get packed with the trekkers. So, you need to make advance-booking for accommodation and flight.
Moreover, if you love solitude, then the monsoon (June-Aug) and winter (Dec-Feb) are a good time to do it. Also, if you opt these seasons, you may need to add extra days in your itinerary as flight delays and cancellations are common due to bad weather conditions.
Q9. What are the Accommodations Along the Trail?
The accommodation facilities along the Everest Base Camp trail are pretty great! You can opt from the luxurious hotel to basic tea houses according to your budget. In luxurious accommodation, you’ll get a luxury room with attached bathrooms and hot showers.
Likewise, teahouse has a simple room but comfortable to sleep. Most of the teahouse have squat toilets. Also, as you move to higher altitudes, the accommodation facilities become more simple. So, don’t expect luxurious accommodation at higher altitudes.
Q10. What is the Food like on the Everest Trail?
Everest trekking trail is a lot more developed in comparison to other trekking routes in Nepal. You’ll find several teahouses that serve good food.
Along the trail, you can get everything from rice and lentil dishes (dal bhat power 24 hr) to pizza. Almost all tea houses have similar menus. You’ll get momos, noodles, soups, and burgers.
Beer and soft drinks are available everywhere but at a highly inflated price. Snacks like candy bars, chips are widely available, but for a higher price than Kathmandu valley. As you move towards higher elevation, the price gets higher too.
Tips: Bring your snacks from Kathmandu. Yes, it’ll increase the weight of your luggage, but it’s better to pay NRS. 80 per bar in Kathmandu than NRS. 200 on the trail.
Q11. Is Drinking Water Readily Available During the Trek?
Most of the tea house along the trail serve bottled, boiled, and filtered water. It is not safe to drink tap water without treating it. The best options are to bring a reusable water bottle and a water purification tablet. It’s cheap and doesn’t hurt the environment too.
You can also buy mineral water bottle everywhere. It is cheap in Kathmandu (USD 2 for a liter bottle) but expensive on the Everest trail (USD3-5 for a liter bottle).
Q 12. Can I Charge My Electronic Devices?
Yes, you can charge your electronic devices during the trekking period. Almost all tea houses have charging plug points. However, charging your electronic devices will cost you some money especially a the higher elevation. So, it’s a good idea to carry spare batteries for your camera.
Q13. Can I Trek Alone?
Yes, you may trek alone actually there is no any law these days that tourists need to travel with guide or travel company. However, trekking alone in the Everest region is not advisable.
For your convenience hire a guide or porter. A guide will not only help you in route navigation but also will help you to get the best places to eat and sleep. Also, they’re familiar with the local culture and tradition.
A guide will help you to get a close insight into local culture and traditions. They’ll also assist you with gears, medical emergencies, and travel arrangements.
A porter is one who will carry your baggage throughout the trekking journey. Hiring a porter will help you enjoy long walks as you don’t have to carry heavy backpacks.
Q14. Do I have to Carry my Luggage on the Trip? If Not, What is the Weight the Porters Carry?
Trekking is a long journey for which you’ll need two bags to keep your belongings. A rucksack/ duffel bag and a daypack for personal items.
Throughout the entire trekking journey, our porter will carry duffle bag whereas you have to carry a daypack of your own. A daypack is a small backpack where you can keep your personal items like camera, battery chargers, snacks, and water bottle.
If you’re taking a flight to Lukla, there is a certain weight limit of your baggage. The maximum weight of the check-in baggage is 10 kg whereas that of hand carry is 5 kg.
Our porter can carry up to 25kg during the trek, whereas your other personal items will be safely kept at the respective hotel.
Q15. What Qualifications Do the Guides Have?
Our guides are knowledgeable in the areas of history, culture, and geography of the Everest region. Also, our guides and porters are well trained and licensed. Last but not least all of our guides are friendly, helpful, honest, humorous, and hardworking.
During the trekking journey, they’ll provide you with a good knowledge of the local culture. They’ll assist you in every aspect of your trips like arranging the rooms, meals, and flight.
Q16. Can I Hire a Sleeping Bag and Down Jacket with the Quality Thermal Required for the Trip?
Yes, you can hire a sleeping bag and down jacket with the thermal quality in Kathmandu. There are plenty of shops in Thamel that sell trekking gears. You’ll find many shops selling a high-quality copy of these brands but at a relatively low price.
Further, you can also hire most of the trekking equipment from Kathmandu. The rental cost may range from NRS. 3 – 4 per day.
Q17. How Much Do you Recommend to Tip the Porters or Local Guides?
Tips are not mandatory while trekking in Nepal. However, at the end of the trip, if you wish to show your gratitude, it is always welcomed.
Tipping can be in USD or Nepalese Rupees (NRS). So, it is good to carry small denominations of USD for small tips to driver, hotel staff, porter etc. If you want to tips someone you are free to do so but there is no hard and fast rule about how much you should tip.
Q18. Are ATMs Available in Everest Region?
Yes, there are some ATMs in Namche Bazaar and Lukla but not in places higher than that. Also, sometimes ATMs might run out of cash or the machines may not work properly. So, it’s a good idea to carry some hand cash.
Q19. Is There Any Alternate Way to See Mt. Everest Closely Without Trekking?
Yes, if you don’t have ample time for a number of days trek, then you can opt Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour around Everest region to get a close-up view of Mt. Everet.