Food and Beverages
The food in the Everest region is great! There are well-trained cooks in each village throughout the trek. From the menu, you can choose your desired dish for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A variety of both local and Western dishes are available. Some common menu items include pizza, fried noodles, fried rice, some variation of potatoes, Swiss Roast, pasta, and of course Dal Bhat (Nepali typical dish consisting of rice, lentil soup, vegetable curry, and pickle). For beverages, each teahouse offers water, coffee, tea, cold drinks, and beer. Though, we don’t recommend drinking beer after Namche Bazaar, due to the effect it can have on your body in the high altitude. In Lukla, Phakding, Namche, Tengboche, Dingboche, and Lobuche, there are awesome cafes to have a pastry and a fresh cup of coffee.
Accommodation
Accommodation on Short Everest Base Camp Trek is nice to compare to other trekking routes in Nepal. There are well-decorated Sherpa lodges up until Gorekshep. You will have a clean room with a blanket and pillow every night up to Gorekshep. The rooms are on a basic, twin-sharing basis. The views from the window each morning are breathtaking! It is awesome looking out of your bedroom window each night as you get closer and closer to the mountains. If you are traveling solo, you might have to share a room with the same gender in the high season.
Trekking Trail and Distance
The trekking trail up to Base Camp is manmade,well-maintained, and safe. On two days, the trail only goes up. On the third day, there are ups and downs, but then the trail goes gradually up all the way to Everest Base Camp. Expect to walk 5-7 hours per day on the trail. There are lots of teahouses on the trail, so while walking, we can stop and have tea or coffee. If you are too tired, you can have a rest and change the itinerary. This trek is flexible and catered to your comfort. The total distance of the Short Everest Base Camp Trek is about 130 kilometers (about 80 miles).
Guide and Porters
Having a good guide can add a lot of meaning to your trip and can even be the deciding factor of whether you’ll have a successful trek or not. All guides and porters from Breeze Adventure are highly professional and dedicated to their work. They will lead you to Everest Base Camp safely and will always be with you during the trek. There will be 1 porter for every two people. Like our guides, the porters for the Short Everest Base Camp Trek are from the Everest region as well. They will join you in Lukla and continue the trip to Everest Base Camp. They can carry up to 20 kg of your luggage, so try to pack 20kg or around 20 kg for your Short Everest Base Camp Trek.
Best Places for Mount Everest Views on Short EBC Trek
The Short Everest Base Camp Trek offers amazing, once-in-a-lifetime views of Mt Everest – the same views as the legendary EBC Trek. We start to see Mount Everest from Day 2 on the way to Namche Bazaar. If the weather is bad at that time, don’t worry! You will see it the next day. Seeing Mt. Everest from the Sagarmatha National Park Museum with Tenzing Sherpa’s statue is a picture-perfect moment. This spot is just a short distance from Namche Bazaar and displays a stunning Everest view. The most popular Everest viewpoint, though, is Kalapatthar! From here, you can an up-close Everest view right before your eyes!
Famous Places on Short Everest Base Camp Trek
The most famous places on the Short Everest Base Camp Trek are Lukla Airport, Namche Bazaar, Tengboche Monastery, Everest Base Camp, and Kalapatthar. Everyone has a certain place that sticks out to them during the trek, but these are definitely the most memorable, each for their own reason. Lukla is famous for having one of the most dangerous airports (and highest) in the world! Namche is famous for its commercial appeal (i.e. food, bars, cafes, etc.). Tengboche Monastery is the largest and oldest in the Khumbu region, and it has a great view of Mt. Everest and the other Himalayas. Everest Base Camp needs no explanation, and Kalapatthar is popular for having the best view of Mt. Everest, Khumbu Glacier, and a plethora of other Himalayan peaks.
Safety for Short Everest Base Camp Trek
Safety is the key to a successful trek in the Himalayas. As the Everest Base Camp Trek is the most popular trail in Nepal, and perhaps even the world, the trail is very well-maintained. From winter until sometime in early April, it is possible to have ice and heavy snow on the trail. As a precaution, our team carries crampons and an ice axe for your safety. Please carry your personal medicine advised by your doctor, if you have any. The Short Everest Base Camp Trek is a safe trek in the Everest region. This trail is covered by the mobile network, and you will get WiFi (fees depend on what the guesthouse charges), so you do not have to worry about being disconnected or unreachable.
Fitness Level for this Trek
You don’t have to be an athlete or a bodybuilder to finish this trek! You should be in decent shape and have some previous hiking experience. We recommend doing some hiking regularly starting about 10 weeks before your departure date. Walking about 3-5 km every day, especially up and downhill, builds your stamina and will help you on the trail to Everest Base Camp. If you don’t have any mountains near you, running on a treadmill, stair-climbing, swimming, etc., will build your stamina. Please consult your doctor before you go to the gym or do any rigorous exercise. All in all, you do not have to be an ultra-athletic climber or a sportsman. This trek requires just hiking experience on an up-and-down trail. Just say, “I want to do this trek!” and we will handle the rest!
Altitude Sickness
High altitude sickness is an unexpected critical situation for trekkers. It can quickly get worse if we don’t listen to our bodies right away. Altitude sickness is caused by a lack of oxygen in our bodies. There are three main kinds, which must be noticed in the first stage in order to minimize the problems. They can happen to anyone at any time in the Himalayas. It can cause huge troubles (in extreme cases, it causes death) if you don’t listen to your body. When symptoms of the second stage of appearing, you must descend as soon as possible at least 300-1000 meters. While you are experiencing altitude sickness, your body becomes very weak, so it’s better not to walk yourself. Our guides will do their best to safely guide you to a lower elevation. Here are three types of altitude sickness: AMS, HAPE, and HACE. Keep in mind, none of this is meant to scare you – the likelihood of you contracting one of these sicknesses is slim, but it’s better to be knowledgeable about the risks.
a) Acute Mountain Sickness:
Acute Mountain Sickness is the most common type of altitude sickness in the Himalayas. It can happen to anyone, whether you are comfortable in high altitude or it is your first time. This first symptom can happen at an altitude of 1500m-3000m. You may feel nauseous, dizzy, headache, and muscle aches. If you do experience these symptoms, don’t hesitate to tell your guide. Drinking 3+ liters of water (with electrolytes) and taking an extra day for acclimatization will help you recover.
b) High Altitude Pulmonary Edema:
Pulmonary Edema is caused by a deficiency of oxygen in our bodies due to high altitude. When this happens, our lungs are under immense pressure and start to fill with fluid. The symptoms of Pulmonary Edema are like pneumonia. It feels as if your body is being poisoned, slowly and painfully. If this happens, you must descend as quickly and carefully as possible. It is dangerous to walk and breathe while your lungs are full of fluid. You need to be carried by a horse, guide, or porter or take a helicopter evacuation in this situation. Our medically trained and experienced guide will take care of you and help you avoid HAPE on your Short Everest Base Camp Trek.
c) High Altitude Cerebral Edema:
High Altitude Cerebral Edema happens when, due to a lack of oxygen in the air, fluid enters the brain. This gives very bad pain in the head. It makes you lose coordination, have trouble walking, and contract a severe deep headache that cannot be cured by taking regular medicine. With the help of your guide, you must descend as soon as possible to a lower elevation.
Flight to and From Lukla Lukla
All flights to Lukla are now operating from Ramechhap Airport in Manthali, along the banks of the Tama Koshi River. Manthali is roughly a 4-hour drive from Kathmandu. After the trek, we fly to Manthali again and drive back to Kathmandu. The flight from Manthali to Lukla is very scenic. Seeing the Himalayas from your window will get you excited to get on the trail and start trekking. There are no reserved seats on this flight, so we recommend taking the left side for a better view of the Himalayas!
Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend having travel insurance before going on a trek. We do our best to take care of you, but something can happen that is out of our control. In case of a medical emergency, leading to a helicopter evacuation, it is best to have insurance. You are unable to obtain medical insurance in Nepal and must do so in your home country. Be sure that your insurance covers accidents abroad and high in the mountains.
Why trek with Breeze Adventure?
Beyond the fact that we are fun, energetic, compassionate, and caring, we put your safety and success in reaching Everest Base Camp as our highest goal. Our team has years of experience in guiding people in the Himalayas. Our team handles any problems you might encounter and we do our best to keep you comfortable. Also, most of our team is from the Everest region itself. They have spent most of their lives there and have tons of knowledge and expertise in the region. Our youthful, passionate Sherpa team will make this trip exciting and memorable for you.