| The Everest Base Camp trek is quite simply the classic trek in Nepal. High in the priority list of trekkers, the Everest Base Camp is one of the most visited regions in the Himalaya. The two week trek starts and finishes at Lukla, an airstrip to the south of the region better known as the ‘Gateway to Everest’. Starting from Lukla, a gentle two-day trek up the Dudh Koshi valley leads to the famous Namche Bazaar. The route has an abundance of tea houses. Phakding and Monjo are the popular stopovers on the first day and just beyond Monjo is the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park at Jorsale check point. Permits are checked here. The trail that followed the Dudh Koshi River starts going uphill from the suspension bridge just a few minutes from Jorsale. After a 3 hour hike, Namche Bazaar is reached. Namche Bazaar, one of the popular stops along the Everest route is a Sherpa dominated trading centre that seems to have it all. Besides a good number of hotels, restaurants and equipment stores, one can even find a proper pub and cyber cafe. It is good to halt here for a couple of days to acclimatize by walking in and around Namche as acclimatization cannot be done in a hurry. A visit to Syangboche or some Sherpa villages such as Thame, Khumjung and Khunde just a few hours walk from Namche are good options for whiling away your time here. Leaving Namche Bazaar, the trail follows the valley of Imja Khola with spectacular views of Thamserku, Kangtega and Ama Dablam mountains, and dominating the skyline ahead are the giants, Lhotse and Everest. The most common night halt after Namche is at the top of a steep climb from the Imja Khola at Thyangboche. The Thyangboche Monastery is one of the most famous monasteries, probably because of its unrivalled backdrop, Mt. Ama Dablam. This Buddhist monastery was burnt down in 1989 and rebuilt replacing the old building with a more solid structure. Tours of the monastery are conducted every afternoon. Following the Imja Khola from Thyangboche, the trail ascends through Pangboche until Pheriche or Dingboche is reached, where the days trek ends. Another day of acclimatization follows with a fascinating side trip to Chhukung which is about a 3 hours walk from Dingboche. From Dingboche or Pheriche a 6 hour walk leads to Lobuche which sits on the lateral moraine of the Khumbu glacier. What follows is a roughly 3 hour hike from Lobuche to the last settlement on the trail known as Gorak Shep. The few tea houses at this place provide shelter for the night before one undertakes the final leg of the trek over the glacier to Everest Base Camp. Above Gorak Shep can be seen the popular view point known as Kala Patter, from where many a trekker has captured the image of the world’s highest mountain and gazed up in awe. The trek along the glacier to base camp can take up to five hours. This is treacherous ground and one must walk through this area cautiously, as finding a route through can be tricky and the risk of falling on the ice is great. | |