5 things I wish I'd known... Everest Base Camp

Phoebe Smith proves you don't need to be a mountaineer to make it to Everest Base Camp in the new issue of Wanderlust. Here she offers a few tips you need to make it... comfortably

6 mins

1. Dust yourself down!

It is very, very dusty on trek and most people will find themselves the proud recipient of the so-called Khumbu Cough. Take a buff to cover your nose and mouth and plenty of cold and flu remedies in your first aid kit.

2. Stay toasty

At night the temperature drops and teahouses, outside of the main dining room, are not usually heated. Take a Sigg bottle with you; get it filled with boiling water just before bed (for a small charge), then use it as a hot water bottle; the following morning it will have cooled and be safe to drink for that day – genius!

3. Hygiene first

Keep your hands clean – above everything else, remember this rule. Carry hand sanitiser with you in your day pack and use regularly.

4. Stacks of loo roll

Toilet roll is never provided in the teahouses or cafes en route. You can buy it from them but it is fairly expensive so bring some of your own and keep some in your daypack just in case.

5. Don’t push yourself

Altitude is a funny thing, you will go slower than you would walking at home and get tired quicker. If at the end of the day you feel like eating egg and chips rather than another dal bhat then go for it.

Find out more from Phoebe's adventure in the video below:

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