Author: Vandana

Day 8: Dingboche to Lobuche (4940m)

Every day is getting increasingly more difficult. The oxygen level in the atmosphere is nearly 50% less. It’s hard to do anything. It wasn’t until now that I realize how much of a difference oxygen levels make. I found myself having such short breaths just getting out of bed and walking downstairs to breakfast. There is one very steep climb up (I am really struggling at this point) and the only thing keeping me going is realizing we only have one more day until we reach our destination! At the top of this hill I sit down and watch the many yaks surrounding us. We’re at a memorial area for all the sherpas and climbers who have died on their attempts up Everest. It’s sombering to realize how many people were so close, only to have their dreams cut short. Everest is dangerous, and all the climbers know that they’re risking their lives trying to make it to the top of the world.

By the way, it’s so cold in Lobuche that the water in the toilets are completely frozen, to the point that we had to break the ice to use them. Awesome.

Day 9: Lobuche to Gorak Shep (5164m), trek to Everest Base Camp! (5364m)

Today’s the day! We start our ascent to Gorak Shep, only 200m above Lobuche. Mostly flat, but I still feel very tired. The combination of low oxygen, lack of sleep, mild altitude sickness, and walking for hours every day was really catching up with me. I had no idea that altitude caused insomnia. Even being physically exhausted, I could never fall asleep immediately. When I finally did, I would wake up multiple times throughout the night. Altitude does weird things to you.

After making it to Gorak Shep, we eat lunch and get ready for base camp. From here, it’s two more hours of walking. We each buy a chocolate to eat in celebration when we reach. For myself, it’s a dark chocolate Toblerone, whereas everyone else gets Snickers (I don’t understand this). Switching from our heavy backpacks to our daypacks is always a marvelous feeling. 

I feel as if we’re on another planet as we make our way to base camp. The terrain has completely changed from beautiful lush green with flowing rivers, to rocky and lunar-like. It’s incredible looking at the glaciers. Sabine, the guide who has now joined us, tells us to be very careful here. Apparently this is the most dangerous part of the trek. People have died in the past due to sudden avalanches or earthquakes.

Finally seeing the Everest Base Camp sign fills me with so much joy. There are hugs, high fives, and cheers all around. My grin is ear to ear. It’s emotional thinking about how hard we have all worked to get to this point. After 9 days of continuous uphill walking, struggle, pain, and freezing cold weather, we made it. It’s been one of the most challenging things I have ever done in my life, both physically and mentally. It’s hard to describe the pride I felt looking up at Everest. Nothing could ever beat that feeling.

Day 10: Hike up Kala Patthar (5643m), descend to Periche (4371m)

I am so ready to head down. But before that, we have one more ascent up Kala Patthar mountain. I really don’t want to do this. This day is so much harder than the day before. People said the last two days were the hardest, and I have to agree. As we’re going up the mountain, I must have told myself a dozen times “I’m not going to do this. I want to quit.” The moment you start going up though, it’s hard to stop until you make it to the top. Sabine is literally pulling me up towards the end, as I’m crawling up this mountain. As always, the view is unbeatable. It’s really glorious to see. The Himalayas are one of the most magnificent sights in the world. We’re at 5643m, and we can see the top of Everest towering over everything else, which is still 3200m above us. 

Day 11: Periche to Namche (3340m)

It’s crazy how fast we descend in comparison to how long it took us to go up. All our hard work gone out the door. Going downhill, we’re still walking around 6-8 hours. A group of people on their way up what I remember was a particularly bad stretch, looking miserable, ask me if it gets worse. Hate to break it to you, but yes, it does. But you can do it, and it’s so worth it!

Reaching Namche is so exciting, as it seems like the closet thing to civilization. We have wifi and good apple pie again! There’s a pub! Real toilets! 

Day 12: Namche to Lukla (2850m)

The oxygen in the air is palpable. The feeling of being able to take a deep breath with ease— so satisfying. Walking down with big smiles on our faces, we pass by people who are at the beginning of their journey up. It’s a great feeling to be done, and we can’t help but feel this sense of “I know something you don’t” and “You have no idea what’s ahead of you.” 

Day 13: Leave Lukla! Wait– just kidding.

Our flight back to Kathmandu is scheduled for 7:30am. We arrive 6:30am at this tiny little airport where there are apparently no rules or regulations. We have no idea what is going on or what is going to happen. It’s cloudy outside, which does not bode well for us. 8am comes and goes, then 10am… Several hours pass by and we’re still waiting. The clouds are not clearing up, and in fact, they are just getting worse. We’re starving, having not eaten breakfast thinking we’d grab a huge delicious lunch in Kathmandu instead. We look around for anyone who works at the airport only to find they have all gone home already. By 1pm the airlines announce that all flights have been canceled today. It’s extremely frustrating to have to wait until tomorrow. Weather has to be perfect in Lukla, Kathmandu, and one other airport in order for planes to fly. There are way too many variables that could prevent us from flying. Someone tells us there is forecast for snow for the next week which is horrifying news. Others tell us about people who had to wait for 4 extra days. I’m optimistic that this won’t happen, but it did not matter much to me. I did not have a flight back home to catch the following day. 

Our options for coming home are still waiting and flying in the airplane, taking a private helicopter which would cost $3,000, or walking back to Jiri and then taking a jeep (another 3-5 days of walking). At this point we are seriously contemplating getting a helicopter instead if it comes down to it and are each researching our travel insurance policies to see which will cover it. Someone would need to fake being sick in order to get the helicopter rescue, and we’re told that this is totally normal to do. It’s Asia. 

That night we decide to make the best of it, so we buy yak cheese, wine, apples, and some yak burgers. Surprisingly extremely good cheese, and one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. 

Day 14: Flight from Lukla to Kathmandu

The sky is clear! It’s flying day! We’re back at the airport at a more reasonable hour (lesson learned). Fingers crossed, we wait by the windows hoping to hear the sound of a plane. Every time it comes, we get so excited, only to be disappointed to see a different airline. We’re scheduled for the second flight on Simrik Airlines, but our plane never arrives. Someone informs us that the wheel on our plane is broken. Of course this would happen to us. Again we’re waiting for hours, so nervous that the crystal clear weather will change any second. We could not bear to wait another day. Apparently they fixed the wheel on the plane, because we see it arrive! I remember when we first landed in Lukla how happy the people had been to board our plane. I completely understood why now. There are cheers all around. I can’t wait to finally shower and wear some clean clothes. 

Boarding the plane, I’m genuinely sad to be leaving. It was going to be strange not having the crew with me all the time. We had such a set routine and had spent so much time together working towards a common goal. Looking back at the Himalayas while we’re in the air, I’m already planning when I will come back. 

Day 1: Flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, Lukla to Benkar (2630m)

December 1, 6AM, we were at the airport ready to go. Flight tickets in hand, bags packed, and legs ready to walk. I was terrified for this flight. It’s a very short flight, less than 30 minutes, but you’re packed into a tiny propeller plane, and you have to land on one of the shortest runways in the world on the side of a mountain. Thrilling! We get onto the plane finally after a delay (which are apparently not uncommon: on our way back to Kathmandu we realized how lucky we were to get out of Kathmandu so quickly. Weather has to be perfect in both Kathmandu, Lukla, and one other airport in order to fly. The pilots need a cloudless view in order to land the plane and not crash into a mountain. So reassuring!!). The plane takes off and everything is going smoothly until we hit insane turbulence. This tiny plane is shaking violently and I am in complete panic that we are about to crash. Chris tells me to look at the air hostess, who is perfectly calm. If she panics, I should panic. Fair enough. With tears in my eyes I eventually calm down once I see the Himalayas. I feel more zen than I ever have. I’m holding my breath as we’re landing on this extremely short runway. We’re safe! Once we’re ushered out of the tiny plane we’re on our way!

We trek for about 8 hours to the town of Benkar, all the while I feel like I’m walking through the shire. The villages are incredibly picturesque, and the high suspension bridges over the aqua water are stunning. Everyone we see who is walking down looks happy as can be. It makes us feel like this is going to be a wonderful trek since everyone is smiling so much (we learn the truth later as to why this is)!

Day 2: Benkar to Namche Bazaar (3440m)

I can’t accurately describe how beautiful this trek was. The weather has been crystal clear and I actually have to peel off all my layers. At one point we run into Chris, who has lost Lisa. We fear the worst. After waiting a while and looking for her off of cliffs (seriously), we are optimistic that she just walked all the way to Namche. This was the beginning of extremely strenuous uphill hiking. For about 3 hours we walk uphill, and not going to lie, it was miserable. It was getting cold very quickly and we needed to get to Namche before dark. Eventually we make it and collapse into what becomes our favorite bakery: the Everest Bakery. Tea and coffee, freshly baked goods, and most importantly, free wifi!!! Glued to my phone, I update myself on the outside world and eat the best apple pie in the Himalayas (I know this to be true because from then on we had apple pie in every village just to see which one had the best. Verdict is still Namche). We stay at a fantastic lodge and drink our favorite tea, ginger lemon honey. I spent way too much money on tea during this trek, probably about $5 every day. 

Day 3: Acclimatization Day in Namche Bazaar, day hike to Hotel Everest View (3880m)

At 3800m many people start to feel the effects of the altitude. An acclimatization day is absolutely necessary here. Ola was not feeling well this day so he did not join us on the hike. AMS is a big deal and it’s important to not push it if you’re not feeling well. It’s okay to get AMS, it’s not okay to die from AMS. One thing about rest days is that they are not rest days, you still walk a fair amount uphill. We do our acclimatization walk to the Hotel Everest View, which is the tallest hotel in the world. Funnily, people who go here usually fly in to this altitude and then immediately fall sick because they have not acclimated at all. Silly tourists.

Day 4: Namche Bazaar to Debuche (4100m)

We leave for Debuche on this day, and Ola stays in Namche to rest up and get over the AMS. The rest of the day is so. Much. Uphill. Help. I’m not sure how I did it, but you just keep going. At the end of it your mind just tricks you into thinking it wasn’t really that bad. Then you do it again the next day. A quick stop at the monastery in Tengboche at the top of the hill is your reward.

 

Day 5: Debuche to Dingboche (4410m)

Today we accidentally skip lunch. This is a huge mistake. Walking for 6 hours without fuel is suicide. Don’t do this. The “village” we intended to eat lunch in, which consisted of two lodges, was completely shut down. Mohammed was a life saver for sharing his Clif Bars. I have never loved a Clif Bar so much in my life.

Day 6: Acclimatization day in Dingboche, day hike to some mountain (5300m)

People in Nepal are straight crazy. You think you are cool for hiking to base camp, but no, you are not. Everything is ten times more extreme. The guide for the Spanish Guys (we came up with names for all the groups we saw along the trek. The Aussie Gingers were my favorite), who we’ll call Angelo, has done the Everest marathon. That’s right— EVEREST MARATHON. Others have climbed up to 6,000m or more. Trekking to EBC is easy business for the locals. While the guides are skipping up the mountain, the rest of us are having a very difficult time. We get our lesson in local culture regarding the Sherpas. Sherpas are an ethnic group in the Himalayas. I’m 100% positive now that they have evolved completely differently. They are completely acclimated to the altitude, can carry tons on their backs (uphill, for hours and hours), need no water, and can be essentially barefoot in freezing rivers and snow. They are a different breed of human who own the mountains.

We do an acclimatization hike up almost 1000m to a beautiful mountain, the name of which I can’t remember. I thought this was never going to end but we eventually made it up to the top. As always, it was worth the pain and struggle.

At night we await Ola. Perched on the windowsill of our lodge, we watch the groups of people coming over the hill. Ola Watch continues for two hours, until we concede that he’s not coming 🙁

Day 7: Acclimatization day in Dingboche, day hike to Chukhung (4700m)

Lo and behold, look who appears, Ola! We made a pact to stay if Ola showed up, so we do. He is feeling good, so he does his hike up the mountain as we do our second acclimatization walk to Chukhung. Initially we feel great, but somehow we all get hit with massive dizziness and nausea once we arrive. A combination of walking too fast, no breaks, and little water makes us all sick and I see the world spinning as we wait for our food. We order garlic soup, which is said to be help for altitude sickness. Placebo or not, it works a bit. This is the first time I really feel AMS and understand how debilitating it is. After this point, I get a headache that would not go away for the rest of the trek. Everyone gets this, but you just learn to live with it.

Hands down this has been the highlight of my trip so far. I remember reading about the Everest Base Camp trek and totally psyching myself out. It seemed so difficult, too expensive, and way too hard to plan. I figured I would just do another trek like the Annapurna Circuit or a shorter week-long trek. I kept asking people in Nepal what to do: Annapurna or Everest. Annapurna would be beautiful as you trek through multiple terrains and go through many different villages, but Everest would be an achievement (and also still beautiful since you’re trekking through the Himalayas). It’s Everest. Who can say they have trekked to Everest Base Camp? Of course being me, that’s what sold me on it. I can’t describe how badly I craved that accomplishment. I could not get this out of my head.

I did not book a trek online, which was the right choice. Going through a pre-organized trekking service was lame and it was absurdly expensive online ($1500-3000) It seemed easy enough and cheaper to book in Kathmandu on arrival. Yes and no. I was immediately overwhelmed by the ridiculous number of travel and trekking agencies. I had no idea how to get a guide, if I needed one, if I needed porters or not, or if it was even possible for me to do EBC. I had NO gear whatsoever. I was only planning on traveling to warm countries, and here I was about to trek in the snow. No hiking shoes, no jacket, no gloves, nothing. Luckily most other people are as unprepared as I was when they get to Kathmandu trying to plan a trek, and everything can be figured out there, from gear to flights, from permits to itinerary, and from finding a guide to finding a trekking group.

On my second day in Kathmandu I met up with Lisa, from Sweden, and Mohammed, from Egypt, for breakfast, whom I had both met on trekkingpartners.com (yep, this is a real thing and a legitimately great resource). They had both posted about EBC and wanted to leave around the same time I did. I dragged Chris, from England, whom I had met in my hostel room, along with me who was also considering doing EBC. We were also joined by Ola, from Norway, who Lisa had met randomly. Somehow, having nothing planned or booked at all, in less than 24 hours of breakfast the five of us were on a flight headed to Lukla to begin our trek!

We had two options to get to Lukla: take a jeep to Jiri then walk 3-6 days to Lukla, or fly directly into Lukla for around $200-300. We took the latter option, as Mohammed and Chris had a tight deadline for flights back to Europe (if you have a tight budget and more time, the former option is also excellent). We had to finish the trek in 12-14 days in order for them to make it. Some people do EBC for much longer, up to 20 days, but they add additional acclimatization days or trek to other places, like Gokyo Lakes and do Chula Pass. I would have loved to do these, but 14 days of trekking was enough for me. We decided to follow the 12 day itinerary found on the Everest app, which was actually very helpful and high quality. Theoretically you could trek around the Himalayas for months. I met one girl who trekked totally alone for 1.5 months. It’s totally up to you what you want to see— there is so much to see.

 I was able to buy all my gear that same day: hiking shoes which I prayed would get me through the trek, a four season sleeping bag, down jacket, walking stick, thermals, gloves, etc. There’s a ton of fake NorthFace and Patagonia and everything related to hiking gear can be purchased right there. If I did it again though, I would bring good quality gear from home, especially shoes. I lucked out that my shoes lasted, but I met someone whose shoe soles broke off by midday. I only packed the essentials, and I repeated all of my clothes during the entire trek. rotated between two long sleeve hiking shirts, the same 3 pairs of trekking socks, 6 pairs of underwear, 3 sport bras, one pair of thermals, and one trekking pant. I had no clean clothes and I was sweating profusely in them from all the walking. It was gross.

We ran around Kathmandu to get permits for the Everest trek. We barely made it before closing time, but for 2000 rupees we got our trekking permits to Everest! In between that time we also purchased our flights to Lukla through an agency ($308 roundtrip, which is the cheapest you can get, especially due to the fuel crisis), who set up our flights for 7AM the following day, with an open return ticket. We weren’t exactly sure when we’d be coming back so it was best to just leave it open and just call two days ahead of arriving back in Lukla.

We decided not to hire porters to carry our bags or get a guide. A porter would cost $5-10 a day, and a guide $20 a day. We were all capable human beings who can carry our own things. Plus, I would feel way too guilty making someone else carry my heavy bag. With five of us, it would be easy to figure it out on our own and we could watch out for each other. We had maps and we downloaded the Everest app with our planned itinerary (though if I was trekking alone I would have absolutely hired a guide. Much, much safer just in case anything happened). We were gonna do this real adventure style!!

Here are some random tips and answers to questions people have been asking me regarding the Everest Base Camp trek that are important to note! You do not need to go through an agency. Keep in mind this was all organized independently by me and my group during low season, without a porter and guide, which brings the price down significantly.

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Cost: A complete breakdown of costs total per category for 14 days. Each day I budgeted between $20-30.

• Two trekking permits (Nepal and National Park): $55
• Flight roundtrip Kathmandu to Lukla: $308
• Gear (sleeping bag, clothes, etc.): $150
• Food and Water: $275
• Lodging: $10 (free or up to $1 per day)
• Guide: $30 ($15-20 per day usually, includes tip)
• Shower: $5
• TOTAL ~$830

Food costs, lodging, gear, and misc. are all approximate. This could be much cheaper, notably without the flight, skimping on food and snacks, and doing it without a guide. That being said it would be much more expensive if you go during high season, have a guide, porter, take showers, do laundry, or simply trek for a longer amount of time.

Altitude Pills: I did not take any altitude pills. I had a ton of Diamox pills, as most people do just in case, but I vowed to only take it if I felt any AMS symptoms. Even when I did start to feel bad, I still did not take them. My body dealt with it on my own. You can purchase them anywhere on the trek.

Training: I did not train at all. If you’re an active person in average physical condition, you’ll be fine. There were people of all ages doing the trek. If I were to train, I would walk/run hills or uphill on a treadmill for maybe 1-2 hours a day. What you really need is strong mental fitness and willpower 🙂 Regardless of fitness ability, it will still be hard. You walk for around 5-8 hours a day. Plus, as the oxygen level starts to decrease, everything becomes exponentially more difficult.

Lodging: We stayed in guest houses along the way. These were basic 1-2 bedroom rooms . You’re required to also have your meals there. Lodging is inexpensive during low season, ranging from free (if you eat there) to $2. Most are heated by dung stove (mm yum) in the common room. I slept with all my layers and thermals in the season sleeping with the blankets over me. It was still cold in the rooms but I got warm quickly once in my sleeping bag. In the spring and summer I believe it’s possible to tent camp.

Water: Water is plentiful. We filled up our water bottles along the way for free at restaurants, lodges, and taps, but put an iodine/chlorine pill every time we did. In 30 minutes you can drink your water! Water bottles can be purchased so you don’t have to wait to drink them, but these can get to about $3.50 per bottle the higher you go.

Bathrooms: Bathrooms leave much to be desired. Mostly squatters. Bring toilet paper everywhere. At one point I was in a little shack which simply had a hole in wooden slats. There was about a 10ft pile of poop underneath me and all I could do was hover and pray that I would not fall in.

Time of Year/Weather: Go during the dry season, which is October – May. Monsoon season will be too cloudy and wet. October – November is high season as the weather is crystal clear. December – February is low season as it is the coldest part of the year. However, early December was still bearable and the weather was perfect during the day. We got sun every single day! There weren’t as many people and this was very ideal. During high season there are tons of people packed on to the trails in a queue. It is so much more enjoyable without the crowds. However, it would have been nice to not be freezing during the night. Trade offs. 

Showers/Laundry: A hot shower costs between $3-6 in the mountains. This adds up. I showered once during the entire trek. No one else showers so there’s just no point. You will smell together, it’s not a big deal. You can do a freezing cold shower for free but when it’s already THAT cold, this is the last thing you want to do. Laundry can be done, but again, pricey. Hand washing laundry is possible and then you can dry by the dung stove.

Clothes: Bring ONLY the essentials to keep your bag light. You will repeat all your clothing and wear the same thing nearly everyday. This was what I wore since it was so cold.

• Solid hiking shoes (bring from home, though I bought in Kathmandu)
• 1 fleece jacket
• 1 down jacket
• Two long sleeve hiking shirts
• 1 yoga pant
• 1 trekking pant
• 1 thermal pants
• 1 thermal long sleeve top
• 6 pairs underwear
• 3 sports bras
• 2 pairs trekking socks
• 1 pair wool socks
• 1 beanie
• 1 Buff convertible scarf/headband
• 1 pair thick gloves
• 1 sandal/house shoes to relax in
• 1 hat
• Sunglasses

Gear: Other random essentials to bring.

• Big backpack (40L or more probably)
• Daypack
• Quick dry towel
• Sleeping bag (four or three season if it’s winter)
• Headlamp and spare batteries
• Tissue paper / baby wipes for your ghetto shower
• Trekking poles (I didn’t use but many people do)
• Nalgene water bottle
• Headlamp
• Sunscreen
• Pain-relief meds
• Water purification tablets
• First aid kit
• Camera
• Phone
• Kindle
• External battery (this will save your life)
• Journal and pen

Meals: Tea houses have standard Dal Bhat, dumplings, and also western food. I got sick of the Asian food and just started eating pizza, omelettes, and toast. Food costs between $3-8, depending on how high you are.

Snacks: Bring chocolate with you. Bring a billion Clif Bars. Bring nuts and almonds. Everything gets more and more expensive the higher you go since they have to carry everything up (there are no roads or cars here, someone is carrying EVERYTHING up on their back). A single chocolate bar got up to $3.50.

Trekking partners: It’s easy to find others to trek with in the hostels around Kathmandu. Trekking with others is preferable in my opinion, so you have company and are motivated. It’s much more fun. Plus, it’s safer. I met people who were trekking alone who still had a wonderful time but would have preferred to do it with others. You can also definitely find people on the way to tag along with.

Porter: Eh, you can do without it. At times I would have loved to have had someone to carry my bag, but I love that I did it without the help. My bag was around 9-11kg depending on what I was wearing. I wish it had been lighter. If you can’t carry that much on your back, then get a porter. Plus, getting a porter gives someone a job.

Guide: You really don’t need one (unless you’re trekking alone, in which case I think you need a guide for safety purposes). We had a guide for 4 days towards the end and he proved to be very helpful in the end. It’s good to have someone who actually knows the language with you, just in case something happens. The latter part of the trek had unclear trails, due to crumbling rocks and snow. You can get a guide in Lukla, Kathmandu, or Namche.

Permits: Two permits are required, one from the government which you can get in Kathmandu and then one from the national park which you get during the trek.

Flight: The cheapest way to get a flight seems to be through a travel agency. Book the flight while in Kathmandu, and book an open return flight. The weather has to be perfect on your flying day, otherwise the flights will be very delayed, or worse, cancelled. Before arriving back in Lukla, call to confirm your flight or ask your teahouse to do so for you. When coming back, get to the airport an hour before your flight, and just wait. Cross your fingers that you’ll get to leave.

Route: The 12 day route we did was the fastest and safest option with three acclimatization days (added an extra so our group would be back on track). Could be longer if you decide to add the Three Passes, Gokyo Lakes (which I wish I had done), etc. Get familiar with your route. Buy a map. Get this app. Know where you’re going to stop for the day and spend the night. You don’t want to reach somewhere in the dark.

Day 1: Flight to Lukla (2,652m), Trek to Benkar

Day 2: Trek to Namche Bazaar

Day 3: Acclimatization day hike to Shyangboche

Day 4: Trek to Debuche

Day 5: Trek to Dingboche

Day 6: Acclimatization day hike to the nearby mountain

Day 7: Acclimatization day hike to Chukhung

Day 8: Trek to Lobuche at (4,955m)

Day 9: Trek to Gorak Shep (5,395m), go to Everest Base Camp

Day 10: Climb Kalapattar, Trek to Pheriche

Day 11: Trek to Namche Bazaar

Day 12: Trek to Lukla

Day 13: Fly Back to Kathmandu

Wifi/Service/Charging: There is no reception in the mountains. There is reception at Base Camp, so you can make a call to your friends and family to tell them you made it! The last spot for free wifi is at Namche Bazaar. Some tea houses along the way have wifi that you can pay for. You have to pay to charge your electronics so bring external batteries. My camera battery lasted the entire time without a charge, though I did have to recharge my phone a few times.

Trekking to Everest Base Camp was an amazing, unforgettable experience! Truly life-changing. Hopefully this information has been helpful, if not, I can answer questions directly.