trekking guide to everest base camp

Hands down, the Everest Base Camp trek was one of the most amazing adventures of my life - if not the best, and that's a tough crown to claim.

If trekking to the base of the top of the world is something you fancy, I couldn't recommend it more. But where do you start? My journey started just 6 weeks before I boarded the flight to Kathmandu and I was completely overwhelmed by all the research and preparation needed - after all, you're literally walking into the relative unknown for 12 days; safety is paramount and, past a certain point, resources are...limited.

I'll be the first to say, I'm not a trekker, so I turned to our friend Google for a lot of help. How hard was it? What should I expect? How much would it cost? What company should I use for the tour? What should I pack?

So here is my 'everything you need to know' guide to prepare for and fully enjoy your Everest Base Camp trekking experience, based on my own.

Deciding on a tour and tour company

There are hundreds of tour operators offering treks in the Himalayas, and it's important to do your research to find the one that is right for you - from local and semi-locally based companies to global, well known giants, there's a huge variety of packages to choose from.

A few things to look for:

Route

The basic trek takes you up through the Khumbu Region of the Himalayas through Namche Bazaar and straight on to Gorak Shep and Everest Base Camp - it typically takes 9 days up and 3 days down. However, many companies will offer alternative/extended routes, building in time to see things like the Three Passes and Island Peak. It's definitely worth checking these out if you have the time and the money!

Safety

This was one thing I really, really looked into. To me, it wasn't so much a question of whether the company I chose would get me to Everest Base Camp, but more so what they would do in the event I needed to get down unexpectedly and safely.

Whichever route you choose, absolutely make sure the company you're using has included enough days for acclimatization. The basic trek has at least two on the way up - typically one in Namche Bazaar and another in Dingboche - with short treks organised on these days to aid acclimatization further.

Ask your trekking company about their process of monitoring and responding to altitude sickness on the trek - in addition to the acclimatization days, the company I chose monitored our oxygen levels throughout, and ensured the guides were both local to the Khumbu region (so well connected and familiar with the trek) and trained to spot the signs early. It's not necessary to carry extra oxygen, so don't be surprised if the company you use doesn't do so. Some tea houses have a small supply but if you need to get down due to altitude sickness, your tour company's priority will be to arrange that as soon as physically possible and safely, either by foot or helicopter. It's important to be able to communicate with your guides, so be sure to check which languages they speak and that they have a good level of English as standard.

Price

Price can be a huge deciding factor when planning your Everest Base Camp trek. Cheap is tempting but possibly too good to be true. Expensive can be reassuring, daunting and possibly over-priced. It's a fine balance.

In reality, beyond ensuring you have paid for the best quality (local) guides and safety precautions, there are only so many options and resources in the Himalayas. Yes, you can pay for (slightly) better tea houses, food, some wifi access and hot water, but past a certain point everyone is pretty much 'on the same mountain' shall we say? Everything on the mountain is carried up from Lukla - so the higher you go, the scarcer it becomes. Gorak Shep has just 3 tea houses, and not a Ritz or a Hilton in sight! Quite a contrast to the hustle and bustle of options in Namche Bazaar (still no Ritz or Hilton but more choice).

When I stumbled across Himalayan Wonders coming in at $1349 for a 14 day trek with all accommodation AND FOOD included, I did wonder (no pun intended) if it was a smart choice. Before I go any further, I absolutely have to say that I had no knowledge or interaction with the company prior to my own research into the trek and my pro-active choice to book with them.

I spent days, checking their itinerary against other more well known providers to be sure they were allowing the right/a similar number of days for acclimatization, and checked other companies to see if there was a correlation between cost, inclusions and quality. Being honest, I couldn't find a trend. Three other very well known, global tour operators quoted $300 - $600 more than Himalayan Wonders, some with and some without food. Had the trend in price difference and package offered been easy to spot I probably would have been logically swayed to spend more, but to me, it felt as though it was basically the same offering or less, for more money (or profit).

Still a little nervous though, I emailed Himalayan Wonders asking them questions about staff qualifications, safety precautions and gear, and within 24 hours found myself on the phone to Eric (a company ambassador based in Chile). Eric talked me through all of my concerns and even offered to add me to a sold out tour date, as he was confident they would be adding more groups to such a popular date. Finally, Trip Advisor - they had great reviews! I was sold and booked. After the trek, I loved them so much that I asked to partner with them to organise Find Her There's first solo female group trek to Everest Base Camp.

Preparation

Ok, being honest, the trek itself is not as hard as some online would have you believe. It's challenging both mentally and physically but a lot of that is to do with acclimatizing and the natural exhaustion anyone would experience from walking 7-9 hours a day for 12 days in a row. That's easy for me to say, I've done it, but how did I feel before I went?

Honestly? Excited and intimidated, which I loved. I was determined to use my 6 weeks as productively as possible - I got a training programme (a mix of HIT training and resistance training), I was eating healthily, gave up drinking and started running/walking to and from work. Prior to the trek, I really wasn't sure how necessary this all was but wasn't keen on being under-prepared so decided to do as much as I could. Some people online suggest you need several months to get in shape, others report their training as being a mix of eating pizza and getting the bus to work.

Training was actually one of the things I was looking most forward to when I booked the trip. I wanted the entire thing to be a challenge - motivating me to be the best version of myself I could be in the time I had. But just a week into it, I pushed my running too hard, didn't stretch properly and caused myself a knee injury. Bummer. Be careful out there kids!

3 days later, I was optimistic the inflammation in my knee would settle and I'd be back to training with 4 weeks to go. 2 weeks later, I was crying to my mum down the phone debating whether my knee would make it through and even if it did, was I fit enough to do this without ANY TRAINING WHATSOEVER? I'm pretty stubborn, and I think I knew that unless my knee was in agony on the day of my flight, I was determined to go. I booked in to see an Osteopath and after a week, went on a hike just outside London to stress test whether I was crazy to not cancel. Thankfully, I made it through that hike relatively unscathed, so decided to persevere with the plan - worst case, I wouldn't complete the trek and would spend two weeks in Kathmandu - which would be amazing, just different to the original plan.

As it happened, day 2 of the trek, I was silently weeping to myself as we approached the Hillary Bridge. My knee was in absolute agony and I didn't think it would hold for the next 10 days. Thankfully, I met a lovely man called Ross on our acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar - he was a sports physio and strapped it for me so well that it held for the rest of the the trek.

Overall, if you have a good level of fitness, are comfortable with the idea (and act) of multi-day hiking and have good mental perseverance in uncomfortable conditions, you should be fine. Be sure to know how to stretch all of your muscle groups and no matter how cold you are in mornings and evenings - stretch, stretch, stretch.

I personally cannot imagine being able to do the trek without the use of trekking poles - some of the climb (day two particularly) is very steep and poles take a tremendous amount of pressure off your knees on the way up and down. They also help to prevent lactic acid build up - at the end of the day my muscles were sore from the hours of walking, not the difficulty of the walk itself or as a result of my fitness levels. Even now, if I had to choose between an hour of HIT training or Day 2 of the trek to Namche Bazaar (which to me and many others was the hardest day) I would pick Day 2 every time.

Insurance

Each tour company will have its own requirements but as a minimum, you need to have helicopter evacuation cover for up to 6000 meters. It's worth calling your insurance company first to check they won't insist on payment up front in the event you need to be evacuated by helicopter. Nobody wants to be hunting for their credit card whilst suffering from altitude sickness! I personally use the Silver annual insurance through Insure and Go which (at the time of writing), in theory, covered me and was a good price. Thankfully, I've never had to use it!

Kit

If you're a novice hiker like myself, you probably don't own a lot of kit. WOW - it was so much fun exploring all the gadgets, gear, clothes, bags, shoes, polarized sun glasses. Everything. I learnt so much, and felt so energised, informed and prepared by this part of the experience. In reality you can buy absolutely everything in Kathmandu but I personally felt better having everything with me when I landed. The last thing I wanted to do was panic buy and end up purchasing low quality items and paying through the nose!

I bought all my gear from Mountain Warehouse, Decathlon, Blacks and Amazon and was really pleased with the quality and comfort.

Here's what I took (for trekking in April), with links where possible and a handy code: NP = buy this in Nepal, HM = buy this at home.

Head

• Thermal hat (NP)

• Baseball cap (NP)

• Polarized Sunglasses (HM)

• Buff (NP)

Body

• 2x Thermal base layer sets - 1 for the day (Merino wool) and 1 for the night (Polyester blend) (HM)

• 1x Moisture-wicking T-shirt (HM/NP)

• 2x Insulating jumpers without zip (HM/NP)

• 2x Insulating fleeces with zip (HM/NP)

• 2x Trekking pants - 1 thermal/lined (HM)

• 1x Waterproof pants (HM/NP)

Feet

• 2x Pairs of Sockliners - to avoid blisters! (HM)

• 4x Pairs of Merino hiking socks (HM/NP)

• 1x Hiking boots (HM): Buying these at home and breaking them in before the trek is an absolute must. Your feet are your most valuable body part during the trek so you want to be sure to look after them and invest in a good pair of boots. The link is to the Men's version of the boots I bought but they are available in Women's sizes.

• 1x Trainers/lightweight but warm shoes for the evenings (HM)

Hands

• 1x Trekking gloves (HM/NP)

• 1x Ski gloves (HM/NP)

Toiletries

• SPF Lip Balm (NP)

• Sun Cream - high factor and sweat resistant (NP)

• Menstral Cup (better for the environment)/Tampons (HM)

• Moisturiser for face and hands (NP)

• Packing cubes set (HM) : These were great for keeping clothes organised and separating the clean from the dirty!

• She wee (HM)

• Baby wipes and PH neutral feminine wipes (HM/NP)

Medicine

• Nurofen (HM)

• Diamox (HM) : If you live in the UK you may find that your pharmacist prescribes you the slow release version. At time of writing this was no longer available, so be sure to ask them for the rapid release version. Allow 2 tablets per day, but in reality, we took half a tablet twice a day to begin with and allow us some room to up the dosage higher up if needed.

• Turmeric powder (HM) : Great for inflammation and can be added to hot water to create a warm drink

• Vitamin C tablets (HM)

• Sore throat lozenges (NP)

• Rehydration sachets (HM

• Anti-diarhoea tablets (HM)

• Savlon

• Water purification tablets (HM/NP) : These can taste awful and in the end I didn't use mine and instead opted to buy water the whole way up. Not the best for the environment of course. A few people had Steri-pens but once we reached Gorak Shep, the water was so filthy that I think even these were abandoned in favour of bottled water.

• Plasters (NP)

• Mole skin roll (HM)

• First Aid Kit (HM)

• Toothpaste

Day Kit

• 1x 35L Day Bag (HM): Be sure to buy one that is specifically for trekking or you could find yourself very uncomfortable after a few days. Minimum size should be 25L.

• 1x 2L Camelbak (HM) : There is a risk this will freeze if not suited to low temperatures, but it was a god send and made sure I drank more that enough waterwithout having to stop every 5 mintues to fiddle with a water bottle.

• 1x 1L water bottle (NP)

• Trekking poles (NP)

Tech/Gadgets

• Wrist Watch

• Head torch and spare batteries (HM)

• DSLR Camera (HM) : Be sure to bring some zip lock bags with you. Place your camera in these before going from a cold environment to a hotter one - this will help to avoid condensation building up in the camera.

• Sports Camera (HM): I did loads of research into a cheaper version of a Go Pro and was thrilled with the quality and price of the Akaso V50.

• SD Card

• Solar Charger

• Mobile Phone

Spending money

Each person in our group took around $350 USD with us on the trek - $100 USD of this went towards a tip for the guides and porters which we were happy to give them. The rest was spent primarily on water ($2-5 per liter - you need to drink around 5-6 liters a day), the occasional hot shower (one at Namche Bazaar for about $5) and some extra boiled eggs at breakfast ($3).

What to expect on the trek

Each day is completely different and it's impossible to sum them up or describe them in full, as the terrain and challenges change so dramatically throughout. Here are the top 10 things you should know:

1. The flight to Lukla: Lukla is considered to be one of the most dangerous airports in the world. The runway is set on a cliff edge and is just 527 m (1,729 ft) long. Reaching it requires boarding a short flight from Kathmandu in an 8-10 person plane. It's a little nerve-racking to say the least but rest assured that planes take off and land here every day of the year and the pilots are highly trained. Try to get a seat on the left hand side when flying to Lukla and the right hand side when returning to Kathmandu - this will give you the best views of the Himalayas.

2. Expect delays: Delays are not uncommon and are usually caused by fog at either Kathmandu or Lukla airport. In the event you get held up, you don't want to be panicking that you're going to miss your flight home. For this reason, it's sensible to build a few extra days onto the end of your trip to act as a buffer.

3. Food: The food is surprisingly good. Breakfast options include eggs, toast, waffles, pancakes (with peanut butter, jam or honey) and porridge. Lunch and Dinner options include everything from pizza to the highly recommended Sherpa Stew (it's delicious). You will also be offered tea, coffee and lemon, honey and ginger to drink wherever you go. It's sensible to avoid alcohol and meat (which is flown in from Kathmandu and then carried up the mountain).

4. Accommodation: The tea houses are very basic but cosy - typically wooden structures with basic beds and thin mattresses. They can be very cold at night! Each room should have a lock on the door so you're perfectly safe when asleep and typically 1-2 people will share a room. I personally got my own room throughout due to the fact I was the only single female on my trek, but I wouldn't have minded sharing. The toilets are incredibly basic and can be very smelly, so brace yourself! Sometimes you will be able to sit down on them, but other times you will be squatting over a hole in the ground, trying to avoid slipping on an icy floor.

5. Acclimatization: Expect to find breathing a little harder and mild headaches - you'll likely need to stop for a rest more than you would expect along the way. Drinking water is key - this is why I took a Camelbak - and instantly makes you feel better and re-engergised. For me, I noticed the effects of the altitude more at night - when I relaxed in bed, I found my breathing became very shallow - this woke me up quite a few times in a somewhat panicked state - it was a little scary at times but nothing unmanageable, and I always felt better after drinking water. Our guides also monitored our oxygen levels every morning and evening which was reassuring.

6. It's a mix of up and down: The trek can be challenging at times because you will spend a lot of time going up, only to come back down, and go back up again. Be prepared for this and remember it's all part of the overall experience.

7. Don't race to the finish line: It can be really easy to want to walk fast - either because you are super fit, tired (and in need of a rest) or simply excited to get to the next or final destination - but don't. Your guides will set a safe pace to ensure you are acclimatizing properly and safely. If getting to Base Camp is your only goal and the only way you will consider the trek to be a successful experience then you risk being very frustrated along the way and possibly very disappointed. You've signed up for a 12 day trek with amazing views, experiences and people throughout, so enjoy each day as it comes.

8. Mental perseverance is key: Not only are you walking for 7-8 hours a day, but you're doing it in some pretty unfamiliar conditions, over a number of days. No matter how cold or tired you are in the mornings, get up and keep going. You' won't regret it.

9. Coming down is just as hard: 3 days down sound pretty easy right? Wrong! Your knees will definitely feel it and the days are also a little longer. So preserve your energy where possible, take it slow and steady and use trekking poles to support you if you will find this easier.

10. Expect to make some amazing friends: Put simply, I absolutely loved my trekking group and the people we met along the way. My experience and the memories I have from the trip were only enhanced by their kindness, support and the relationships you build in such a short time. I couldn't have asked for more.

If you have any specific questions about the Everest Base Camp trek as a solo female traveller or to join our solo female group trek in April 2019, please do get in touch.