Everest Base Camp


	Everest from Kalar Patar [Full Image]

Solu Khumbu is the most famous area of Nepal and perhaps in the entire Himalaya. It is the home of Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain, as well as several other giants, and of the hardy mountain people renowned in mountaineering lore - the Sherpas. After flying from Kathmandu to Lukla, you commence your trek along the Dudh Kosi Valley passing numerous small villages and homesteads. Beyond Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa "capital", you'll pause at the celebrated monastery at Thyangboche before continuing on to reach Everest Base Camp itself - scene of many triumphs and tragedies. Before descending from the mountains you'll ascend Kalar Patar, a fine vantage point with magnificent views of Everest and the surrounding peaks. The Nepalese call Everest Sagarmatha, or "head of the oceans". Everest is one of the world's most awe-inspiring sights and, along with its surrounding peaks, can truly be called one of the natural wonders of the world - a perfect place for adventure!

Details

Price Includes

(HK-5070-P)

Flights

Accomodation

16 breakfasts

Price Excludes

Local Payment 160 USD.
LOCAL COSTS: 16 breakfasts are included. You must pay for all other meals yourself. While on trek you are unlikely to spend more than Â£10 per day for meals, soft drinks, chocolate etc. Vegetarian food is available although choice might be somewhat limited. In Kathmandu you will probably spend around Â£12 per day for meals, drinks etc. Approximate costs are given for guidance only, and may vary widely according to type of establishment.
Coffee/tea ............................................................UK£0.25
Soft drink ...................................................................£0.40
Medium beer.............................................................£1.50
Local snack lunch ...................................................£3.50
3-course dinner*......................................................£7.00
*reasonable mid-range tourist class restaurant

Suitability / Level

Strenous

Itinerary & Highlights

DAY 1 - DEPART LONDON

DAY 2 - ARRIVE KATHMANDU. After your flight, you transfer to your first night's accommodation and check in. Today your group leader will brief you on arrangements for your trek. The evening is free to dine at one of Kathmandu's many excellent restaurants. Hotel - 2 nights

DAY 3 - KATHMANDU. After breakfast you\'ll take a guided city tour to see some of the spectacular sites of Kathmandu. The city is a labyrinth of streets and markets, crowded with exotic produce and a bewildering mix of people. You\'re likely to see Gurkhas from the area east of Pokhara, Tibetan women in their striped aprons, traders from India, and sadhus - Hindu holy men - perhaps on pilgrimage to one of the many temples and shrines of the valley. There should be a little time left to shop for any lastminute items for the trek or simply relax. Your group leader will be happy to assist in any way and will meet you on both mornings in Kathmandu to help with any queries. (B)

DAY 4 - SCENIC FLIGHT TO LUKLA. Early in the morning you transfer to the airport to board your flight. This sometimes involves a period of waiting around, so remember to pack a book in your daypack! Once up and away, your destination on this breathtaking flight is the Sherpa village of Lukla, perched above the Dudh Kosi or "River of Milk" - so named because glacier melt-water makes it appear pale. Years ago, Lukla was a herding
pasture (its name actually means "Place for Sheep"), but it is now the gateway to the Everest region and many trekkers pass through this prosperous village. After a picnic lunch you commence your trek with an afternoon's downhill walking to reach Phakding. One of the first things you'll notice as you start trekking are the differences between the Newari people of the Kathmandu Valley and the local Sherpa people, who migrated from Tibet 500 years ago. Sherpas dress similarly to the Tibetans and their language is closely related to, though not
easily understood by, the remaining "true" Tibetans. Along the trail are mani stone walls, made from hundreds of stone tablets and giant carved boulders, brilliantly decorated with brightly-coloured paints. Buddhists hold these sacred and believe they gain merit in their next life by praying as they go past. As a sign of respect to the local people, you must always pass these in a clockwise direction. Tea-houses - 12 nights (B)

DAYS 5-15 - BASE CAMP TREK. From Phakding the trail follows the river through stands of pine and oak as far as Jorsale, the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park. Here the track starts to rise, and rhododendron, magnolia and giant firtrees predominate. You start up the famous Namche Hill, your first big ascent, where
you take a slow, steady pace. It is an excellent place to learn to walk from the masters - the porters. Their ability to climb such hills with enormous loads is all technique, and following them allows you to learn the rhythm that makes each ascent seem effortless. At the top you reach Namche Bazaar, a delightful mountain village and the Sherpa "capital". It is also an important trading centre for the local people. You spend a "rest and acclimatisation" day here, allowing you time to sightsee or relax in the sun! On leaving Namche, the mountain views start to open up and become more dramatic as you approach the holy ground of Thyangboche, with itsreached an altitude of 4,100m and it's time for another acclimatisation day. Dingboche is a "summer village", used by Sherpas with homes lower in the valley to look after their herds in the summer months, and it offers outstanding views. Then comes Lobuche, often reached by walking past frozen rivers where stone houses sit in an icy wilderness of stunning beauty. There are views of the Khumbu Icefall, Pumori and many smaller peaks from ridge tops on the track. From here you make the tough walk to Everest Base Camp at approximately 5440 metres. During the spring, the main climbing season, you're likely to see the encampments of expeditions from all over the world, whose common aim is to make successful ascents of the world's highest mountain. However in the autumn this area will be deserted, with the only indication of mountaineering activity being the occasional memorial to lives lost on the mountain. Retracing your steps you'll descend to spend the night at Gorakshep (5160m).

The next day there's the opportunity to make the steady climb to the lofty summit of Kalar Patar (5,545m), the rocky outcrop which towers above Everest Base Camp. Most people who are fit and have acclimatised without problems - generally at least half the group - make this ascent. The views from Kalar Patar are breathtaking; far better than Base Camp itself; Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse and numerous other peaks are visible. After descending from the peak you continue your descent to Pheriche (4240m), rejoining any members of the group who opted not to climb today.

NB: Depending upon prevailing conditions the ascents to Everest Base Camp and Kalar Patar may be swapped, ie you may climb Kalar Patar first, before trekking to Base Camp from Gorakshep. Finally, the next three days are spent retracing your steps to Lukla. The continuous descent and loss of altitude allow you to do this with surprising ease. Your last evening in this spectacular area is spent in this wonderful village and a party in one of the lodges is not unknown! (B x11)

NB: See our "Walking and Trekking" leaflet for more information about walking at altitude. Anyone suffering adversely from the effects of altitude will have an assisted descent with a Sherpa guide until they feel more comfortable and wait for the group to rejoin them.

DAY 16 - RETURN TO KATHMANDU. In the early morning you take off from Lukla airstrip for a spectacular mountain flight back to Kathmandu. After being met at the domestic airport terminal and transferred to your hotel, the rest of the day is free to explore this wonderful city: shopping for souvenirs, trying out the various
restaurants in Thamel or simply relaxing.Hotel - 2 nights (B)

DAY 17 - KATHMANDU. Today is left free for you to explore this fascinating city by foot, auto-rickshaw or bicycle. Much of old Kathmandu is centred around the Durbar square. A medieval feel still pervades and there are temples at every turn. The streets all around the central square are full of colour. Market traders spread their wares before them, from vegetables and spices to pans and farming equipment. The holiest of the Hindu sites is Pashupatinath. This Shiva temple attracts pilgrims from all over Nepal and India, and the nearby ghats along the holy Bagmati River are popular places to be cremated. Pashupatinath has been likened to Varanasi on the sacred Ganges. It?s a place full of interest with sadhus and pilgrims making pujas. There are a couple of other nearby places that are worth visiting. Patan, now almost absorbed by Kathmandu, still retains a distinct identity. If time allows, and if you want to visit a picturesque, medieval town, then a short trolley bus ride to Bhaktapur is a must. (B)

NB: This day in Kathmandu may be lost if inclement weather delays your departure from Lukla, however this is unusual.

DAY 18 - FLY TO LONDON. Transfer to airport and fly to London. (B)

DAY 19 - ARRIVE LONDON

(BLD = Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).

Accommodation & Centre Details

The lodges - also known as teahouses - are very basic huts, which provide accommodation as well as hygienic, tasty and nourishing food. As a general guide, 3/4 beds are arranged in dormitories. There is a central dining/sitting room where food and drink are served. Toilet facilities are usually outside, of the pit variety - which is most hygienic and suitable for these conditions. The lodges have rubbish pits and we recommend that you use them. You can buy toilet paper at the lodges or many of the shops on the trail. Most locals use water so there will be no toilet paper available in the toilet - please carry your own. During the day, ensure that toilet stops are far off the trail, all waste is buried at least 15cm deep and all toilet paper is burnt. Sanitary napkins and tampons should only be disposed of in the toilet hole at the lodges.

Everest Base Camp

Everest from Kalar Patar

Details

Itinerary & Highlights

Accommodation & Centre Details

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