Accommodation in Everest Base Camp Trek
Everest Base Camp offers accommodation on how much you spend. You can get star-rated accommodations at Lukla, Phakding, and Namche if you're trekking to Everest Base Camp solo and not on the budget trekking. But, with a local agency like us, we arrange the accommodations in the best available tea house.
Local Sherpa operate tea houses, locally known as lodges. As previously mentioned, the tea houses' services vary from basic to luxurious, but not everywhere. You can have hot showers, internet, and warm drinking water at most tea houses. Also, attached bathrooms and toilets are available till Namche and a few above it.
It becomes challenging to find accommodations during peak Everest trek season for solo Everest trekkers. In seasons like Autumn and Spring, the number of Everest Base Camp trekkers surges. As a result of which, tea houses get filled with numbers of trekkers. Most times during Everest trekking peak season, you may not find a room for accommodation. Thus, plan your trek long before you set out for this trek. Contact every tea house and reserve a tea house in advance.
But, with a travel agency like Sublime Trails, you don't have to worry about the shortage of tea house accommodation. Your trusted travel partner like us arrange the logistics and overnight accommodations at decent tea houses. At such times, you have to accommodate on a twin-sharing basis and will be private.
Don't expect heated beds and rooms for accommodation in Everest trekking. You'll get comfortable accommodation services, and we assure your comfort. We recommend you carry a sleeping bag and pillowcase for cosy sleep and personal hygiene.
Meals throughout the Everest Base Camp trek
There'll be three meals for you, Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.
We'll have breakfast at the tea houses we stay in before starting the day hike. Usually, breakfast items include eggs, toast, bread, butter, porridge, soups, thukpa, etc. The breakfast menu at Lukla, Phakding, and Namche comprises a wide range of food items. However, the breakfast items on the menu constrict as you hike further to Everest Base Camp. Either way, you'll get a decent breakfast to keep up the hike till lunch at early noon.
For lunch, the menu includes varieties of items. The Nepali Dal Bhat, the most common and well-liked food, is the trekkers' favourite staple dish. The cooked rice, vegetables, pickles, and lentil soups make it the best preference for lunch. Other food items include dumplings, pizza, Tenduk, Tibetan bread, Thukpa, Spaghetti, and more. We encourage you to consume adequate hygienic lunch to replenish your energy and to keep up the hike. We'll stop at a tea house en route for lunch, where you can stay for another thirty minutes for rest before resuming the trek.
The dinner menu and lunch menu are almost identical. We'll eat dinner in the tea house we accommodate for overnight sleep. The best part before dinner is you can warm yourself sitting close to a centrally heated oven. Every trekker in the tea house gathers around the centrally heated oven and enjoys the warmth before having a delicious dinner.
Note: Try to avoid meat products throughout the Everest Base Camp trek. Why? The meat products are delivered either by Yaks or porters. Thus, the quality and freshness of meat deteriorate as they reach the tea houses. Further, try not to consume more caffeinated products like coffee and coke. They'll only cause dehydration and impact health midway.
Safety and Security
Sublime Trails is 100% committed to the safety and security of its clients throughout Everest Base Camp Trek.
Everest Base Camp, nearly above 5,500 metres, is a risk prone region. Not in the sense that the icefall will crumble on you. But, multiple factors like injuries, altitude sickness, theft, and unforeseen incidents may come into play. Thus, in those situations, priority will be given to the trekkers.
Trekking for 12 long days at high altitudes demands endurance and pace. Hence, as a trekker, you must eat healthy diets and meals to maintain the best physical shape to continue the hike. Sublime Trails offers the best available tea houses that serve hygienic meals. Also, if you have some dietary requirements, we recommend you inform us about them before leaving off for this trek.
Further, theft and robbery are almost negligible on the Everest Base Camp Trek Route. You'll be looked after 24/7 by our trek guides, and porters will take care of your baggage. On top, everyone in Everest trekking supports each other, whether it's a fellow trekker, trek guide, or porters from other groups.
The unavoidable altitude sickness sometimes turns into a fatal issue. Even at such times, Sublime Trails handles the situation with utmost precision. The essential medications and helicopter rescue will be available during emergencies.
Hence, with us, you're 100% safe and secured.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance becomes a life saviour if you fall sick or develop serious illness issues with altitude sickness.
With travel insurance on the Everest Base Camp trek, you'll have the advantage of the worry-less hike. Most trekkers often ignore purchasing travel insurance, and in challenging hours, they don't get spontaneous helicopter evacuation and medical attention.
With decent travel insurance, you'll get dedicated helicopter evacuation during extreme illness and injuries. The insurance you have will cover all the evacuation and hospitalisation bills. Hence, it reduces the burden of extra expenditure on you.
Sublime Trails encourages every client joining Everest Base Camp trek fixed departure in Autumn to purchase travel insurance. It becomes helpful especially for you in unprecedented situations. We only buy the insurance for our trek guides and porters.
Baggage and weight limits for the porter
There's no policy such as the proper weight limit for the porter on the Everest Base Camp trek. But, a porter usually carries 10 kg per person and not more than 15 kg in some cases. If your weight limit exceeds 15 kg, make sure that you hire another porter and pay an extra cost.
For the good part, two trekkers can hire a porter, and for two, a porter carries approximately 30 kg of baggage.
At the airport, the airlines operating Kathmandu Lukla flight allow not more than 15 kg to each traveller. You can divide the baggage as 10 kg on a backpack and 5 kg on hand carry.
You must pay additional charges if your backpack exceeds the stated weight limit. Different airlines have their guidelines for excessive weights.
Weather and Climate
While trekking to Everest Base Camp, the weather has to be clear and stable. People plan this trek to see Everest from a close range. Hence, the best times for Everest Base Camp trekking in Nepal are spring and autumn.
Weather and Temperature in Spring
The fresh outlook, greenery, and verdant forests make spring a serene time for hikes in Nepal. The Everest region hike in spring gives an unmatched experience due to the clear weather and stable temperature. Further, the rain-free days in spring make the Kathmandu Lukla flight unhindered.
The daytime temperature averages around 10 degrees, making it ideal for day hikes. Also, the nighttime temperature of around -7 degrees is bearable with a decent sleeping bag and down jacket.
Weather and Temperature in Autumn
Not only for the best scenery, autumn is equally best for festivals in the Everest region and Nepal. The major festivals in Nepal are in autumn, making it the best time to plan the trip.
The monsoon rain washes away all the dust and pollutants, making the autumn sightseeing clearer and brighter. The crisp outlook combined with zero rain makes the Everest Base Camp trek route a wonderful trail to hike on.
Everest Base Camp in autumn becomes moderately warm, with a daytime temperature of 13 degrees. This temperature is perfect for day hikes. Also, the nighttime temperature of around freezing point won't be stressful.
Everest Base Camp weather and temperature in Summer
Summer is the hottest time in the Everest region as the temperature rises to 17 degrees in the daytime. Also, the nighttime temperature averages around the freezing point.
The temperature in summer is ideal for Everest trekking, but the poor visibility, rain, and other added risks make the trekking challenging. Some trekkers even hike to Everest base camp in early summer, but the frequent rain and overcast ruin the sightseeing.
Weather and temperature in Winter
Winter is the coldest time of year and the temperature in the Everest region becomes freezing. Even though the daytime temperature is only 4 degrees, it feels cold.The night temperature drops to -10 degrees.
It's an ideal time for Everest trekking for advanced trekkers with decent trekking gear. The sky clears and the outlook becomes brighter with fresh snow. Everest, Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Nuptse, and other mountains look fantastic in winter, if you can hike to Kala Patthar in freezing temperatures.
Packing list and necessary gears
The rugged Everest Base Camp trek route requires decent trekking gear for comfortable hikes. To overcome the wind, cold, and daytime sun, you need to have the proper wearables and skin-care products.
Here's a decent list of trekking gear you need for Everest Base Camp trekking in Autumn 2022.
Wearables, Skin care products, Gadgets
- Multiple Sleeves, fleeces, inner wears
- Rainproof and windproof jackets
- Face towel, extra pair of woollen socks
- Face scarf, mask, hat, cap
- Poncho, raincoat or umbrella
- Down jacket, dry pants, trekking trousers, Thermocoat
- Trekking boots, Running shoes,
- Woollen hoodies, neck warmer, gloves
- Multilayered sleeping bag, backpack and rainproof cover
- Sun block lotion, moisturiser, lip balms, nail trimmer, earbuds etc.
- Vitamin C supplement, water purification tablets.
- Binoculars, camera, mobile devices, extra pair of spare batteries etc.
Trek Difficulty
If you're acclimatised well and have a little high-altitude trekking experience, the Everest Base Camp Trek will be one of the easiest treks for you. Even if you don't have experience, with our adequate acclimatisation and itinerary, we guarantee that you'll reach Everest Base Camp safe and sound.
This trek is an easy-to-moderate-grade trek compared to other treks in the Everest region like the Everest Three High Passes Trek. The lower regions like Lukla, Phakding, Namche, Tengboche, and Dingboche are easy to moderately difficult to hike. The well maintained trekking route and lush vegetation supplying oxygen make the hike comfortable.
The further hikes to Lobuche, Gorak Shep, and Kala Patthar are tiring and somehow arduous. Also, the lack of oxygen fatigues the body, and trekkers often struggle to keep up the pace.
Most trekkers who get tired after reaching Kala Patthar often take a return helicopter flight to Lukla. Some of them often fly to Kathmandu on a helicopter. Thus, if you feel like the return will be difficult, Sublime Trail arranges for an Everest Base Camp trek and a helicopter return to Lukla.
Everest trek Elevation
The towering altitudes of Everest Base Camp trekking give thrill and awe to trekkers. The rapidly increasing altitude takes you to a much more diverse landscape in Sagarmatha National Park.
Lukla at 2,850 metres, Phakding at 2,610 metres, Namche Bazar at 3,440 metres, and Hotel Everest View at 4,880 metres are the lower regions of Everest trekking. The hike to Namche on the classic route is comfortable.
The second phase, a hike to Tengboche at 3,860 metres, Dingboche at 4,410 metres, Lobuche at 4,940 metres, Pheriche at 4,371 metres, and Gorak Shep at 5,164 metres, is moderate to arduous. The splendid mountains like Ama Dablam, Imja Tse, Pumori, and more make the hike entertaining.
The final phase, a hike to Kala Patthar at 5,644 metres and Everest Base Camp at 5,364 metres, concludes the standard 12-day Everest Base Camp Trek.
Flights delays and Transportation
Lukla, at 2,860 metres, is prone to unpredictable changes in weather. The clouds hover over the entire landscape, making the takeoff and landing challenging. Hence, more flight delays and multiple days of flight cancellations often become an issue on the Everest Base Camp Trek.
But, in spring and autumn, most of the time, the weather at Lukla becomes stable. The clear weather, stable temperature, and scenic landscape accompany the thrilling Kathmandu-Lukla flight. So, there's less chance of flight delays at such wonderful times of the year.
If you are planning a classic Everest Base Camp trek during the winter or monsoon, you may not be able to find fixed departure flights to Lukla. In winter, the entire landscape and runway get covered with snow. As a result, the flight landing is extremely difficult. The frequent drizzles and showers in the monsoon or pre-monsoon hamper the flight. The clouds cover the entire landscape of towering hills. Hence, in these conditions, with far more delays, the airlines don't operate their flights to Lukla.
At other times, the unpredictable weather might cause flight delays. At such times, we arrange a day or two as a buffer day. Plan your itinerary with some buffer days for unpredicted conditions if you're planning a solo Everest Base Camp trek without a guide.
Guides and Porter Safety
Trek guides and porters play an integral role in making your Everest base camp trekking experience wonderful. On top, with experienced Everest trek guides and porters with Sublime Trails, you'll get 24/7 support from them.
The safety of the trek crew is our primary duty. Thus, to ensure their health safety, we buy health insurance for them. We provide quality accommodations, meals, and transport services to trek crews.
Sublime Trails operates every Everest Base Camp trek with a fixed number of clients in a group. To keep the team in the best shape, we only employ healthy and fit porters and guides. We also arrange health checkups for them once a year.
Local culture and respect
The Everest region is home to traditional Buddhism, century-old monasteries, and legends of Everest. Hence, as a trekker, you'll get many things to witness, admire, and respect throughout the trek.
Sherpa people practise Buddhism and also celebrate Hindu festivals like Dashai, Tihar, and others. The major Buddhist festivals like Buddha Purnima, Lhosar, and Mani Rimdu are celebrated widely. Hence, these festivals are attractions for trekkers. Many trekkers often plan their Everest Mani Rimdu Festival Trek during autumn. You'll get a wholesome experience witnessing these festivals at Tengboche monastery.
While celebrating, you must respect and value the essence of the festival. As a trekker, you must respect the local Sherpa, the landscape, art, monuments, and more.
Sublime Trails encourages every trekker to practice "Give respect, Take respect". At some times, the cultural difference between the Sherpa and foreign trekkers becomes a chasm in communication. At such times, you must contact your trek guide to ease the situation.
You must respect people's privacy while capturing photographs. Trekkers often try to capture portraits, but without their permission, may result in conflict. Hence, as an Everest Base Camp Trekker, you must respect the nuances of the landscape, lifestyle, and culture.
Tipping for trek crews
At the end of your fantastic Everest Base Camp trek experience, it's now time to tip the trek crew. Every base camp trekker tips their porters and guides as a sign of gesture and compliment.
As per the standard, you must tip USD 10 to the trek porter and USD 15 to the trek guides each day of the trek. And on the last day in Lukla, many trekkers offer dinner and additional tips to their porters and guides.
The most important thing is that these trek crews do everything to make your trip successful. These will be with you throughout the Everest trek, with your highs and lows. And, their primary source of income is through tips and salary from the trek that mostly happens twice a year. Hence, your tip and small compliment put a smile on their faces and lit the fire in their kitchen.
