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Most of, if no longer all, trekking equipments and gears can be bought in Kathmandu. Gears and equipments like hiking poles and trekking boots too can be rented or hired. Important trekking equipments include warm clothes that are lined with fleece, sunglasses, duffle bags, sleeping bags, down jackets and day packs. Although trekking boots can be bought in Kathmandu, it is recommended and advised to have ones personal trekking boots that are comfortable to wear and that have been damaged into. Packing as light as probable is also the most suitable option. Carrying only the necessary and essential items for the trek reduces the likelihood of hassles or items being lost or misplaced. Most trekkers and travelers of the Khumbu hire porters for carrying the weight of the duffle bags. This has to be considered while packing as well. A porter can carry up to 10 to 12 kg of weight from a single trekker. That is why carrying unnecessary items and extra concerns arent perfect. Only the equipments and items which are important and valuable should be packed. Hotels in Kathmandu primarily provide the service of safety storage lockers where people can store their excess luggage until they come back from the trek. Baggage allowance from Kathmandu to Lukla is also only 15 kg per person. Extra 5 kg as hand-carry too can be taken.
Trekking Gears and Baggage
The Everest Base Camp Trekking Trail
Accommodations and Meals inside the course of the Trek
The view of Mount Khumbila from Phakding is spectacular! After getting a good nights sleep, the trekking journey maintains on to the subsequent town of Namche Bazaar. Sagarmatha National Park is entered en route to Namche. The entrance to the park lies at Monjo and it is a pleasant hike thru the wide woods and forests of the national park to the celebrated town of Namche. Also famously known as the Gateway to the High Himalayas- Namche Bazaar is considered the industrial hub of the Khumbu vicinity. It is incredibly popular all over Nepal and is a great place to acclimatize. Trekkers spend at least a day inside the town for acclimatization. Namche lies on a facet face of a hill and presents a terrace-like topography. Houses and huts are situated at different levels of the terrace on the hill and standing at the bottom flat floor of the town is like standing on an amphitheatre. Views of Mount Everest, Thamserku and the Kongdi RI from Namche are amazing. While spending the day here, trekkers can stopover at the Everest Photo Gallery or the Sherpa Culture Museum. The renowned Everest View Hotel also lies a little distance away from Namche and it is listed inside the Guinness Book of World Records as the highest located Hotel inside the world. A lovely respite inside the hotel with tea and the view of the cerulean Mount Everest massif can be enjoyed while staying at Namche. The Syangboche Airstrip too can be visited. It lies just above Namche on a flat strip of mountain land and offers amazing panoramic view of the town and the distant Himalayas.
The EBC Trek takes place inside the Khumbu vicinity, which lies in northeastern Nepal. The Khumbu vicinity is part of the Solukhumbu district which falls below the Sagarmatha Zone. The vicinity is regarded as a prime Sherpa settlement of the country and has many villages and towns that are extensively occupied by Sherpa communities and people who follow Buddhism. As such, many chortens, Gompas, Mani-stone partitions with carved prayers and colorful Buddhist prayer flags can be seen across the trekking journey.
Dingboche is a small village that lies inside the Chhukung Valley at an elevation of 4,410 meters. The trekking trail to the Everest Base Camp goes thru here and which means- Dingboche is visited by many trekkers. The village is also used for acclimatization. The Nagerjun Hill, which lies close to the village, acts like a vantage point and a short facet-hike can be taken to the hill for looking at beautiful panoramic views of peaks like the Lobuche East, the Lobuche West, the Kangtega, the Taboche Peak, Thamserku and the Ama Dablam. Sometimes, if the weather is obvious, view of Mount Makalu too can be seen. The view of the gaping Pheriche valley fro the hill is also fairly fascinating. Another special feature of Dingboche is its kilometer long stone wall that surrounds the entire village. The wall is built to cut back the impact of the cold winds that sometimes sweeps down the valley on the village crops. Dingboche also receives more sunlight compared to other mountain villages of the Khumbu, and which means, it's also called the Summer Valley. During the peak trekking seasons, many trekkers can be seen sunbathing inside the village lodges.
All varieties of meals are available inside the guesthouses. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals are present. Breakfast and dinner are served inside the guesthouses and lunch is had while on the hike from location to the subsequent. Breakfast is served early inside the morning at around 8:00 and because darkness engulfs the mountain swiftly after the sun sets, dinner repeatedly occurs at around 5:00 or 6:00, reckoning on the schedule. Breakfast at most guesthouses consist of Oatmeals, bread and butter/jam/honey, pasta or noodles, eggs or Chapattis and vegetables. The meals vary from dumpling and soups to rice and lentils for lunch and dinner. Rice is the staple food of the country and is found at all places across the trek. It is fulfilling and offers good energy.
The Everest Base Camp Trek has many highlights. It is one of the ideal trekking journeys inside the world and presents amazing terrains and various topographical hallmarks like the Mahalangur Himalayan variety, the Khumbu Glacier and Icefall, the Khumbu moraine, the vantage point of Kalapatthar, the Sagarmatha National Park, the glacial rivers of Imja and the Dudh Koshi and many more, along with ethnic Sherpa and Buddhist villages. It is a perfect blend of the regions traditional aspects with its natural elements. It truly is an adventure that has to be done at least once in life.
The Best Time to do the Trek
From Dingboche, the trekking trail further opens out uphill to reach the villages of Pheriche, Lobuche and Gorakshep; and from Gorakshep, the Everest Base Camp Trek. There lies a Trekkers Aid Post at Pheriche as well- which is run by Western Volunteer Doctors and assisted by the Himalayan Rescue Association. On the path to the base camp, trekkers primarily stop at Lobuche overnight and finally reach the base camp the subsequent day. The vantage point of Kalapatthar is also visited after the base camp. Trekkers wake up inside the early hours of dawn and hike to Kalapatthar to look at the view of the sunrise from amidst the Mount Everest massif. It is famed for amazing panorama of the Himalayas.
Although the Everest Base Camp Trek can be done at all times across the year, the spring and the autumn seasons are considered the ideal trekking seasons. Spring occurs from March to May and autumn from the months of September to December. The temperature and weather inside the course of spring and autumn are traditional and present clear skies. The sun shines inside the course of the day and temperatures drop at night, but it does no longer hover on serious conditions like the winter season. Winter and summer are considered as no longer perfect trekking months because as mentioned, winter season has serious cold temperatures and heavy snow that can result in some paths being blocked or snowed-in. The summer season is also the season of summer showers and the monsoon. It rains constantly and trekking trails inside the mountain become muddy. The rain clouds also cover the sight of the Himalayas. That is why most trekkers arrive in Nepal for EBC Trek inside the course of autumn and spring. The trekking crowd becomes high and flights tend to get booked very quickly.
Altitude Sickness and Acclimatization while Trekking
Dingboche to the Everest Base Camp
Altitude Sickness is always a threat that looms over trekkers while they are doing the Everest Base Camp Trek journey. Although the chances of actually getting sick varies from person to person, it is important to take good care of your health and to properly be acclimatized in order to no longer get altitude sick inside the mountains. Important pointers for staying altitude-sick free is to remain hydrated, eat contently and healthily, get lots of sleep at night and to give proper acclimatization time for the body to adjust to high altitude. It does no longer do good to rush thru the trek without giving the body the likelihood to get used to the high altitude conditions. That is why trekking at your personal comfortable pace and going slow is the key to avoid the sickness. Some symptoms of the Altitude Sickness include headache, loss of sleep and loss of appetite. If the symptoms persist while trekking, then it is important to take rest and gain back strength. Medicines too can be taken for this, like Diamox. Many trekkers take medicines for Altitude Sickness from the very get-go at Kathmandu itself to avoid getting sick later on inside the journey.
From Kathmandu to Lukla
As with most trekking journeys inside the Khumbu, the EBC Trek primarily starts with a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. This is the easiest, the fastest and the most popular way of commencing the trekking journey from the capital. Flights from Kathmandu to Lukla occur daily at all times, and it lasts for about 35 to 40 minutes. Hiking to Lukla too can be done from Kathmandu, but it takes about 5 days to reach Lukla by hiking. The Lukla flight is considered by many as one of the most dramatic flight journeys inside the world. The Lukla Airport is also located on a cliff and has a single runway that is capable of taking in only one plane at a time. The runway also drops off to the gaping valley below towards its end. Lukla is the 1st major small town of the Khumbu and because it is the commencing point of many trekking journeys, it has many guesthouses and lodges that cater to tourists and trekkers. The change inside the terrain and the environment is immediately felt upon touchdown at Lukla because the town is surrounded by tall green forest-covered hills and views of distant mountain peaks can be seen. Trekkers can stay overnight here, but most opt to hike further out to the subsequent village of Phakding and stay there. Phakding lies approximately about 8 kilometers away from Lukla and it takes about three hours of hiking thru beautiful trekking trail and smaller villages and settlements to reach.
The village of Tengboche lies at the confluence of the Imja Khola and the Dudh Koshi Rivers inside the Imja Valley. It is situated about 11 kilometers away from Namche and is also shares the same popularity as Namche. While Namche is understood as the industrial hub of the Khumbu, Tengboche is understood as its spiritual centre. The famous Tengboche Monastery- the largest Buddhist Monastery of the vicinity, lies here. The monastery is visited by many trekkers for prayer and blessings of a successful trekking journey. Tengboche also provides amazing panoramic views of Himalayan peaks like the Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Nuptse, Tawache and Mount Everest among many more from its ridges. The village is surrounded by tall hills that are covered in rhododendron trees. During the spring, the blooming rhododendron flowers make the village look absolutely lively and blissful. Many Impeyan pheasants and Monal birds can be seen roosting on the trees of the forests as well. Trekkers stay overnight at the many guesthouses here and continue on the trek the subsequent day.
From Lukla to Phakding to Namche Bazaar
Tengboche to Dingboche
The Everest Base Camp Trek, among many trekking journeys in Nepal, is the most popular and sought-after trekking journey. Its popularity is huge among many travelers and trekking enthusiastic from all around the world. It takes place inside the Khumbu vicinity of Nepal and because of the regions many natural and cultural attributes, the Everest Base Camp Trekking is preferred by many. The trekking journey goes thru many ethnic Sherpa villages, a national park, a popular vantage point all the way to the base camp of the worlds highest mountain peak- Mount Everest. It is a good way to learn and experience Nepals mountain culture and to be immersed inside the countrys marvelous natural landscapes and topographical features. Since Mount Everests first conquest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in 1953, trekking journeys to the base camp of the mountain has been developing in stable popularity. It is cheap to do, falls below the relatively moderate trip grading level, can be done by people of all demographics and experiences and can be done at all times of the year. Base Camp Trekking to Everest also plays a major responsibility in significant revenue generation inside the country. Done by thousands of trekkers every year, the Base Camp Trek employs hundreds of porters inside the mountains and offers earning possibility to many people inside the remote parts of the vicinity. The Khumbus unique beauty, its cultural prominence and its many Himalayan ranges- the tallest inside the world, makes trekking journeys an experience of a lifetime.
Drinking water can be brought from the shops inside the mountains. Many springs, wells, small brooks and water-holes can found along the trekking journey at various villages. But because the water from these sources are no longer suitable for direct consumption, extra precautionary measures have to be taken, like using water-purification tablets or water-pumps.
A whole type of Hotels are available for choices in Kathmandu, but that may no longer be the case inside the mountains. In the Himalayan villages while trekking, accommodations are provided by guesthouses and lodges. Generally, twin-sharing lodge-to-lodge accommodation is the most viable option available inside the mountains. The accommodations are rudimentary and offer basic services. Some trekkers also tend to camp out, but with the guesthouses and the lodges, it isnt an absolute necessity to camp out at night. Hot water is also no longer simply available; and so is the laundry service. The guesthouses cost extra money for using hot water. But the guesthouses and lodges are fairly comfortable and some even provide wifi services. During peak trekking seasons when the crowd gets high, trekkers are expected to share the room with other trekkers (of the same gender). Guesthouses and lodges at Namche, Phakding and Lukla even have western-style toilets.
