Trekking to Everest Base Camp: My Experience PART ONE
Hello Steemit friends, in October of last year I quit my job in the oil and gas industry to go and travel the world. I booked a flight to Shanghai and spent a few days exploring before heading to Kathmandu, Nepal to make the trek to Everest Base Camp. Over the next few days I will make a series of posts that will outline the two week trek and you can see some of the amazing views along the way. With all that being said let’s get into it.
The tallest mountain in the world in all its glory.
PREPPING IN KATHMANDU
When I arrived in Kathmandu I had done next to no preparation so I had a few days to get a lot done. The beauty of Kathmandu (Thamel neighborhood in particular) is that you can buy a lot of knock off gear for very cheap prices. I made the decision to do this trek without a guide and I am very glad I did, I heard a lot of stories along the way of bad guides and also the trail is quite basic and there are so many other people around you would be hard pressed to get lost. I went about buying the necessary gear, (you can read more about that here) and booking my flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. There are tons of tourist agencies that can book this flight for you for around $140USD each way. The one thing that cannot be skipped is getting a TIMS card, it’s a permit to trek in Nepal. You have to go to the national tourism board with a passport photo and the $20USD to pay for the permit, if you are with a tour it is included more often then not but if you are independent then do not forget this.
Navigating the busy streets of Kathmandu.
Flying to Lukla
When I headed to the domestic terminal of the Kathmandu airport I was not prepared for the insanity that was ahead of me. The problem with flying to Lukla is that if the weather is even remotely bad then they postpone the flight until the weather clears which can lead to backups of people waiting to fly. I arrived for an 8:30 am flight and didn’t end up leaving until 2:00 pm and the only reason I got on a flight was because I was flying alone and there was one available seat. I was talking with a guy in the airport who was in a group of 8 and their flight was for the previous morning and they still hadn’t left, mind you October is the best month for this trek so the flights will always be booked solid.
View from the plane flying not long after leaving Kathmandu
I was so glad I got the window seat.
The flight was on a Dornier DO 228, which is a small double prop plane that seats about 14 people and the flight to Lukla takes about 45 minutes with absolutely amazing views along the way. The Tenzing-Hillary airport is infamous for it’s incredibly short runway that ends on a cliff, it is just over 500m long and requires fast braking and acceleration. I arrived shortly after 3:00pm so I got a room in one of the local lodges for the night.
The infamous Tenzing-Hillary Airport, taking off and landing here is an insane rush because of the short runway
It’s important to note that this is a tea house trek, meaning that the road to base camp is filled with villages that have small guesthouses that you can stay at for about $1USD per night on the condition that you eat all your meals there.
Starting the Trek - Lukla to Phakding
The next morning after breakfast I went through the tourist checkpoint (showing your TIMS card and they ask what brand your camera is for some reason) and left Lukla and started down the trail, at this point though I still didn’t have a full itinerary for where to stop along the way and I was just winging it. I decided to stop in Phakding, which is about 6km away, in the afternoon and talk to other trekkers to sort out a full itinerary and formulate a plan for my trek. I met an Indian guy named Mahesh in the teahouse I was staying in who had a guide/porter and he showed me his itinerary and I basically just copied it down into my notebook. I then thanked him and asked if he wanted to walk together the next day to which he said yes and the next morning we were on our way.
A small village just outside of Lukla
The beginning of the Khumbu Valley
A shot of the trail just a few hundred meters outside Lukla
The first few days of the trek lead you through the Khumbu Valley which is incredibly beautiful and serene, the trail follows the river and crosses back and forth over the river via suspension bridges. The trail varies from a dirt path to stone stairs and stone walkways which makes it a really interesting walk.
Awesome post. I have been to Kathmandu as well, but never made it to the Everest. Next time. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! I will be adding more posts in the next few days of the whole trek, so check back if you're interested!