Everest Base Camp travel tips
Everest Base Camp is the best way for non-elite climbers to get close to the world's highest mountain, plus it's a great insight into Sherpa culture and the high Himalaya
Everest Base Camp advice
- Make sure your porters and guides are well paid and well treated. This means following the International Porter Protection Group guidelines. Tip them at the end of the trek.
Watch out for the yaks. Always pass them on the uphill side – they are no more aggressive than cows, but they do have big sharp horns.
Take a head torch – your teahouse may not have reliable electricity. Pack spare batteries.
Read Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, a classic, nail-biting account of how badly an Everest summit attempt can go wrong.
Stay in teahouses rather than camping – they are more comfortable, and you will be providing much-needed income for the local people.
If you want to hike in the Everest region in greater comfort, stay in the plusher Everest Summit Lodges – they have heated rooms, en suite bathrooms and still allow access to great walking.
When to hike the Everest Base Camp trek
The best time to trek to Everest Base Camp is during the dry season, which runs from October to May. Post-monsoon (October to Christmas) offers days that are generally clear, allowing for good views of the freshly snow-covered mountains, but the nights get very cold from December to February.
Pre-monsoon (March and April), it’s usually cloudy by late morning and the mountains are less snowy, but it’s Everest season, so Base Camp and the trails are buzzing with the world’s climbing elite. Lower down, it’s spring – flowers are everywhere.
Everest Base Camp health and safety
Altitude sickness is a danger on the Everest Base Camp trek. Mild symptoms include headaches, nausea, loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping. Moderate effects might be vomiting, persistent headache and constant breathlessness.
If symptoms worsen you start to become incoherent, uncoordinated and confused, you must descend immediately. Acute mountain sickness can be fatal.
To help avoid altitude sickness, climb steadily. Drink plenty of boiled/purified water. Eat a lot to keep your energy levels up.
Some climbers take Diamox, a drug actually licensed to treat glaucoma that also combats the effects of altitude sickness. Seek advice from your doctor.
You need to be reasonably fit – a hill-walker, or someone who takes regular exercise. Although many of the days are easy, the trek from Lobuje to Base Camp is a long day, made difficult by the 5,000m-plus altitude.