Everest base camp trek. Advice...

[Nibble]

Next year I'm going to be doing the trek to Everest base camp and some of the surrounding mountains. Getting excited planning it and there is a mine of info online but has anyone on here done this? There seems to be two likely options, one going as a volunteer, doing the 2 week trek and then volunteering in construction of school facilities for 4 weeks, the other going as a planned trek with one of about a thousand travel companies and just doing the 2 week trek. Anyone done this and can offer advice? Cheers!

 

[seagullmouse]

ooo I did this 3 years ago, amazing. group trek with about 10 randoms. about 30 Sherpas. cost about £1100. 21 days for the whole thing.

The flights weren't running from Kathmandu to Lukla so we had to charter a chopper for about another $100 each.

Went up to Kala Patar which is just above basecamp and better views.

Amazing experience.

 

[seagullmouse]

This was the trip but sure it was 21 days for me http://worldexpeditions.co.uk/index.php?section=trips&id=24

 

[Vegas Seagull]

Wear rainbow shorts and take a clipboard

 

[Nibble]

21 days is even better. Looking into a few companies that do it but there are so many it's hard to choose. Was it hard going?

 

[seagullmouse]

21 days is even better. Looking into a few companies that do it but there are so many it's hard to choose. Was it hard going?

not too hard, i am reasonably fit and didn't struggle too much until got close to basecamp ~5300m, a bit of a headache and it was slow going getting up Kala Pattar but of course I managed to race everyone in the group and get up first. so two hard days and the rest of it just moderate effort

 

[Nibble]

Cool, so a reasonably fit bloke, ie me would be fine? Thank you.

 

[MattBackHome]

[MENTION=15605]knocky1[/MENTION] is virtually a sherpa he's spent so much time there.

 

[Glanders]

I did it on a shoestring in 2004. me and a mate booked flights etc once in kathmandu and then did our own thing. You can't really go wrong once you're on the trek out of lukla, just take as long as possible cos the headaches and potentially more serious aspects of altitude sickness are pretty grim. We went to Gorak shep and kala pattar in about 7 days which was far too quick in hindsight - a fortnight would be better. We then crossed over a pass and came back a different way to namche bazaar. It was one of the best things I've ever done but my f@@king camera packed up...

 

[Tony Towner's Fridge]

Stay in the Katmandu Travelodge... recommended...


TNBA

Chris Boddingtons

 

[knocky1]

Stay in the Katmandu Travelodge... recommended...


TNBA

Chris Boddingtons

I met a nice girl called Hillary there.

 

[knocky1]

[MENTION=15605]knocky1[/MENTION] is virtually a sherpa he's spent so much time there.

Been busy trying to finish pickling my beet roots before the T20 cricket. [MENTION=5707]Nibble[/MENTION] you will love it.
The people are brilliant, the landscape brilliant and they need your money after May's earthquake, which has devastated many of the houses above Lukla but luckily apart from the Avalanche at EBC there were not many deaths in the region.
I have done it twice with Mrs Knocky1 in the last 5 years. Each time we have walked in from Jiri and back out this route. This adds about 2 weeks but by the time you get up to the airport and then Namche Bazaar you are well acclimatised as you have already been up to that altitude 2 or 3 times on the way in. We carry our own gear and do not use a guide purely because of the freedom of stopping where we want everyday. However, you do it you will love it. We spend about 28 days walking and have been to the 4 valleys that branch out from Namche Bazaar and crossed 2 of the 3 main passes. This means we have to go back for the 3rd!
All the volunteers we have met in Nepal have enjoyed their experience and , as said, they certainly need help at the moment.

We always trek in December as less people, not such a problem after the earthquake, and the weather is generally settled with cold sunny days and -15C nights. Had a good 24 hours settling snow last December that was fun. Any problems and the Sherpas and all Nepalis will help you on your way.
Enjoy it and may even see you there.

 

[Nibble]

Thank you good people. some great advice. Was thinking of going in March but can move this forward to December at a push. Is it worth it or wait til March? I found out my cousin has done this trip, again he said 3 weeks, a lot of the travel operators seem to do 2 weeks but I'd rather take longer, acclimatise and not rush about everywhere I think.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

I know someone who did this a few years ago and fell ill. He says the worst moment of his life was when he overheard the conversation outside his tent ... "What Shall We Do With The Body?"

 

[knocky1]

Thank you good people. some great advice. Was thinking of going in March but can move this forward to December at a push. Is it worth it or wait til March? I found out my cousin has done this trip, again he said 3 weeks, a lot of the travel operators seem to do 2 weeks but I'd rather take longer, acclimatise and not rush about everywhere I think.

March will be as good a time to go. I have read up on the Earthquake and Kathmandu is now around 1.5 m higher (!) and Everest a couple of centimetres. All routes are open above Lukla Airport. Earthquake risk in this region less than a year ago. To the West of Pokhara earthquake risk is same as before with a huge rupture having been expected for a number of years still ready to happen. This would only be felt slightly in the Everest region.
At the moment the Monsoon is lashing the country and creating numerous landslides on the newly moved valleys. Once this is over in early September the land will be more settled until next summer's monsoon. So March would be a good time.
Are you booking a trek from here or in Kathmandu?
[MENTION=6]Lord Bracknell[/MENTION] is right about bodies. A German went over the Renjo La Pass to Gokyo, above a 300m climb in a day, and died in his sleep on the morning we got there. Every year 2-3 Trekkers, at least, die below EBC. Mainly people in groups who have the peer pressure of staying with the group and ascending too quickly ignoring the tell tale signs AMS. Acute Mountain Sickness can hit anyone, the fit, the unfit, the young, the old, the fat, the thin. You just take your time going up, listen to your body and go down if symptoms persist. Walk in for 8 days and you will feel like a super athlete to those around you.

 

[Nibble]

March will be as good a time to go. I have read up on the Earthquake and Kathmandu is now around 1.5 m higher (!) and Everest a couple of centimetres. All routes are open above Lukla Airport. Earthquake risk in this region less than a year ago. To the West of Pokhara earthquake risk is same as before with a huge rupture having been expected for a number of years still ready to happen. This would only be felt slightly in the Everest region.
At the moment the Monsoon is lashing the country and creating numerous landslides on the newly moved valleys. Once this is over in early September the land will be more settled until next summer's monsoon. So March would be a good time.
Are you booking a trek from here or in Kathmandu?
[MENTION=6]Lord Bracknell[/MENTION] is right about bodies. A German went over the Renjo La Pass to Gokyo, above a 300m climb in a day, and died in his sleep on the morning we got there. Every year 2-3 Trekkers, at least, die below EBC. Mainly people in groups who have the peer pressure of staying with the group and ascending too quickly ignoring the tell tale signs AMS. Acute Mountain Sickness can hit anyone, the fit, the unfit, the young, the old, the fat, the thin. You just take your time going up, listen to your body and go down if symptoms persist. Walk in for 8 days and you will feel like a super athlete to those around you.

This is exactly the advice I need.
I was planning to book from the UK (?)

 

[knocky1]

This is exactly the advice I need.
I was planning to book from the UK (?)

...with or without volunteering?
I was looking at the trips from UK before and they are pretty good price wise and you would be guaranteed to meet people.
I would start training now. A weekly visit to Ditchling Beacon and build up to walking up from the Car Park ,down, back up, down and back up and down. There are at least four paths. The Seven Sisters and back is God as well.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I did this about 6 years ago through a company called Community Action Nepal, which was founded by a mountaineer (Doug Scott). Amazing experience. Not much to add that hasn't already been said, except that:
1. The people are amazing.
2. They are also very poor - it was a constant reminder that when we were buying bottles of Coke and Mars bars in the tea-shops on the way up, these were unaffordable luxuries for our sherpas.
3. One of our sherpas, who was superb and spoke excellent English, wanted to do a mountaineering Sherpa course, but couldn't afford to. His father had recently died and so he was the main breadwinner for his family. The cost of the course he wanted to do was about £70 - an amount of money for which just about anyone on the trek could have written a cheque for without thinking..... but we also read things about being careful not to unbalance the economy. I found that very hard.
4. Take altitude sickness very seriously. The one couple from our group who had to go back down were the youngest and fittest - professional dancers. You can get medication to support/boost your oxygen intake. My GP refused to prescribe it, fearing it would mask the symptoms. Perhaps he had a point. I managed to get some while over there, and was fine. We did talk to members of another group going up, one of whose number had ignored the signs and the warnings to go back, and didn't survive!

I can't remember the name of the place, but at one point on the way up there is a sort of cemetery/memorial which was possibly the most moving place I have ever visited on this planet. The whole experience was fairly spiritual, and that was a feeling shared by every member of our group. some of them being very surprised to find it so..... so it wasn't just me.

 

[knocky1]

I did this about 6 years ago through a company called Community Action Nepal Not much to add that hasn't already been said, except that:
1. The people are amazing.
2. They are also very poor - it was a constant reminder that when we were buying bottles of Coke and Mars bars in the tea-shops on the way up, these were unaffordable luxuries for our sherpas.
3. One of our sherpas, who was superb and spoke excellent English, wanted to do a mountaineering Sherpa course, but couldn't afford to. His father had recently died and so he was the main breadwinner for his family. The cost of the course he wanted to do was about £70 - an amount of money for which just about anyone on the trek could have written a cheque for without thinking..... but we also read things about being careful not to unbalance the economy. I found that very hard.
4. Take altitude sickness very seriously. The one couple from our group who had to go back down were the youngest and fittest - professional dancers. You can get medication to support/boost your oxygen intake. My GP refused to prescribe it, fearing it would mask the symptoms. Perhaps he had a point. I managed to get some while over there, and was fine. We did talk to members of another group going up, one of whose number had ignored the signs and the warnings to go back, and didn't survive!

I can't remember the name of the place, but at one point on the way up there is a sort of cemetery/memorial which was possibly the most moving place I have ever visited on this planet. The whole experience was fairly spiritual, and that was a feeling shared by every member of our group. some of them being very surprised to find it so..... so it wasn't just me.

I agree the people are poor but give their all to visitors. After the earthquake they just got on with rebuilding their houses. Very resourceful, as you have to be to survive up there. The magic of Buddhism in the mountains, as you say, adds to the awe inspiring scenery. The memorials are at Tengboche looking up the valley with Everest at the head and more at Duglha about 7 hours from Base Camp. I have left prayer flags in memory of my Mum, cousin and two friends over the years.
The one for my cousin at Renjo La at Christmas was most bizarre. Just as we finished tying it an Australian, and two Germans stripped naked on the Pass for a naked photo in front of Everest. Each to one's own and at least there were no Nepalis around.

 

[BrightonCottager]

Cool, so a reasonably fit bloke, ie me would be fine? Thank you.

I did Lukla back down the old approach route used by the old expeditions and got altitude sickness (headaches) above about 3500m. I'm reasonably fit but that's no indicator of likelihood of getting it. Always sleep lower than the highest point on the days trek and heed the warning signs. It's an amazing place - enjoy.