The stunning country of Nepal is the entry point to the Himalayas, drawing thousands of visitors each year. Many of them have the goal of climbing Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world.
They spend weeks traveling at great risk to reach the summit of Everest. In addition, some of them travel to the base of the peak in order to gain a close-up view of it without overcoming as many difficulties.
While the majority of trekkers are successful in reaching Everest Base Camp Trek, some find the journey to be just as challenging and intimidating as Mount Everest itself. How hard could it be? Take a few minutes to consider this.
What is the overall difficulty level of the Everest Base Camp Trek?
Even though it may seem overwhelming to imagine yourself standing at the base of Everest and surrounded by other snow-capped giants in the middle of nowhere, anyone who is prepared and dedicated enough may complete the EBC trek.
The Everest Base Camp trip is extremely demanding overall, with multiple obstacles to overcome. These include the rigorous 130 km (80 mi) distance and the challenging 5,555 m (18,206 ft) elevation at Kalapatthar.
In addition to this, the difficulties presented by the weather and the challenging terrain may add to the difficulty of your trekking experience, along with the lack of facilities, strange food, and strange surroundings.
Nevertheless, even for novices, the hike is not insurmountable. The trek can be finished with moderate difficulty if you are aware of its challenges ahead of time and have packed and prepared accordingly.
What makes the Everest Base Camp trek difficult?
The challenge of the Everest Base Camp journey is complex and includes elements like a long distance, high altitude, rough terrain, few facilities, rocky routes, and erratic weather.
Length of the Trek
Road accessibility is either very limited or nonexistent on the EBC journey. Because there are no highways leading to the mountains, the only way to reach them is by foot, beginning in Lukla and continuing through the Khumbu region all the way to Base Camp.
The trek from Lukla to Everest Base Camp is 65 kilometers (40.38 miles) long and follows the Dudh Koshi valley. It is all foot travel.
The trekkers travel 130 kilometers (80 miles) round trip on the same path back. Depending on your itinerary and the number of acclimatization days involved, the total trip can take 12 to 14 days to complete.
Although it may appear simple at first, trekking for two weeks in the difficult circumstances of the EBC trail requires serious physical and mental preparation from the hikers.
Both the distance and the duration may seem intimidating, particularly to a beginner. As a result, mentally preparing for the number of days required to walk to Base Camp and return to Lukla is essential.
The secret to completing the daily lengthy treks required to complete the EBC trip is to rise gradually at a moderate pace and to take adequate pauses.
Terrain
The Short Everest Base Camp trek trail winds through a variety of landscapes over the course of its 65-kilometer journey there and back, all inside the boundaries of Sagarmatha National Park.
Trekkers travel through beautiful forests with pine, bamboo, and other plants, some of which are slick at times and require extra attention to navigate. Several suspension bridges will also be encountered, heightening the excitement.
After Namche Bazaar, the trekkers notice more rocky paths and a thinning of the greenery on the relatively lush track leading to Phakding. Having good footing is essential at this part of the trail to prevent slipping, particularly on the descents.
Combining many sceneries, the hike follows glacial trajectories outside Gorak Shep as you head higher up to base camp. Even though these landscapes are breathtaking, hikers must exercise greater caution in order to prevent accidents amid these bleak moraines.
The journey includes several high ascents and descents, such as the climb to Kalapatthar and the steep ascent to Namche Bazaar and Tengboche monastery, which call for increased leg and cardiovascular power despite the ascent being gradual.
In addition, the thin air makes these climbs at high passes even more taxing. As a result, some parts of the journey may seem more difficult than others, such as passing through the Thukla Pass, a significant landmark.
The EBC trek’s terrain is equally varied as it is gorgeous. To successfully navigate these terrains, hikers must be well equipped with appropriate footwear, physical fitness, and mental toughness.
Altitude
Since the Everest Base Camp trip brings you to the highest accessible location in the globe at 5,555 meters, the severe altitude has to be the most taxing aspect of the hike.
Kalapatthar is the highest point on the EBC trek—even higher than the Everest Base Camp. At a daunting 5,364 meters, the Everest Base Camp is situated, and Kalapatthar is 5,555 meters up.
But the difficulty doesn’t end when you get closer to base camp. As soon as you step foot in the Lukla airport, the challenge starts. For those who come from lower altitude regions, the EBC trek itself begins at a considerable elevation gain.
The airport in Lukla is located at an elevation of 2840 meters, which is double that of the airport in Kathmandu, which is 1,400 meters. This elevation gain is already significant enough to cause mild altitude sickness in some people.
Because there is less oxygen in the air over 2,500 meters, physiological repercussions start to manifest. Acute Mountain Sickness symptoms, such as nausea, vertigo, and other symptoms, are unavoidable.
The oxygen level is moderately depleted and the elevation rises by 600–800 meters every day. One of the reasons to be well aware of altitude sickness before starting the Everest Base Camp climb is because of this.
Altitude sickness can be avoided by walking carefully, taking as many days as possible to reach base camp, allowing yourself at least two days of rest and acclimatization to the altitude, and staying well-hydrated by drinking lots of water.
By following these guidelines, you can better acclimate to the rising altitude encountered during the hike. The key to mitigating a danger like altitude sickness is to schedule specific acclimatization days following each few days of trekking.
The acclimatization days, which are often spent at Namche Bazaar and Dingboche, enable hikers to adopt the fundamental trekking tenet of “climb high, sleep low” by enabling their bodies to adjust to the harsh conditions of the journey.
Accommodation
One of the difficulties of trekking to Everest Base Camp is being away from your comfortable surroundings and finding fewer conveniences as you go higher up the trail.
Considering the hard and remote surroundings, particularly in the vicinity of the base camp, the accommodations’ main goal is to offer necessities for survival.
Other facilities like internet, hot baths, electricity, charging stations, and so on move to the rear in the midst of these difficulties. You do, however, receive a cozy and welcoming location to stay in addition to the amazing warmth of the locals.
Even the familiar comforts of home, like shower and laundry facilities, Wi-Fi and internet connectivity throughout the EBC trek, are available at lower altitudes. However, the availability reduces with elevation.
With the teahouses on the EBC trek, you won’t be roughing it without amenities, but be ready for the possibility that these amenities won’t be present everywhere.
Lack of Training
The journey to Everest Base Camp is not easy, even though it’s one of the most accessible hikes for everyone. Trekking in the Everest region requires careful planning and is a severe challenge.
For anyone hoping to successfully finish the EBC journey, physical fitness is a must. If you are not physically fit, the trek turns into more of a battle where you have to drag yourself to the finish.
For those who are physically healthy, trekking to Everest Base Camp is achievable. It makes sense to begin your training as soon as feasible in advance of your planned hike.
Traditional workouts that increase strength, endurance, and fitness—like aerobics, which include swimming, jogging, cycling, and other activities—can be a great complement to your training program.
It can be advantageous to do light weight training, especially if your current level of fitness is not ideal. You can practice ascending and descending steps with an additional weight to prepare yourself for the difficult ascents and descents.
If you can, walking for at least an hour or two a day or trekking up and down the hill will help you develop your stamina, lung capacity, and ability to concentrate at higher altitudes.
By partaking in these activities, you can experience the dreaded sore muscular pain—the most unpleasant aspect of the walk.
One’s best chance of reaching base camp safely and successfully and enjoying one of the most spectacular hikes in the world is contingent upon careful planning and training.
Mental Preparation
In addition to physical stamina, the Everest Base Camp journey demands mental fortitude and resilience. The trekkers’ mental states may also be put to the test by the harsh weather.
Your mental health may suffer during lengthy days filled with draining excursions across difficult terrain and no comforts to return to. Being separated from your loved ones makes things more difficult.
As such, you need to be psychologically ready to face every obstacle along the way. It is crucial that you accept the difficulties presented by the EBC hike and have reasonable expectations.
Talking to your loved ones via messages or phone calls will help you obtain the much-needed mental lift whenever you get to connect during the walk.
In addition, because you are all on the same boat, bring board games or other games like cards so you can pass the time with your fellow hikers and improve your mood.
Additionally, you can bring a journal to record your experiences as they happen or your favorite books and novels to read at teahouses.
Prior Experience
Prior trekking experience is not required, although it is a great advantage for the EBC journey. Having completed comparable journeys will benefit you in multiple ways.
Trekkers with prior experience on other treks are well-fit and accustomed to the demands of regular, strenuous walking. Their body is accustomed to handling high altitudes as well.
Additionally, they are accustomed to the Himalayan way of life and the indigenous cuisine, therefore there are no nutritional issues. They have personal experience trekking, therefore they know just what to include and leave out of your backpack.
On the other hand, if this is your first time trekking, don’t be afraid. With the right information, direction, and planning, you may easily overcome the difficulties of the EBC hike.
For the Everest Base Camp journey, you will need to exert additional effort in the form of maintaining a regular exercise regimen, doing research and preparation, developing mental toughness, and carefully choosing what to pack.
With this and a guide’s assistance, you’ll be well-equipped to overcome the difficulties of the EBC trek.
Improper Diet/ Food Poisoning
A poor diet might be a significant obstacle on the EBC trip. Even while the food on the EBC trip is generally healthy and nutrient-dense, there have been instances where trekkers have had to return to Kathmandu midway because of food poisoning or eating the wrong thing.
So, what should be consumed throughout the hike is the question. Well, since the Everest Region is a Buddhist region, it is strictly forbidden to slaughter animals there.
Meat is therefore flown to Lukla and transported by yaks or porters to the higher altitudes. Because there is a chance of food poisoning, eating anything that contains meat is therefore not advised at all.
It is recommended that you dine at your accommodation and try the rice, lentils, and curry (dal, bhat, tarkari) that are served there. Your body will be adequately nourished by the ordinary food.
It is best to stick to a vegetarian menu because it will provide you the energy to continue on your journey. Along the trekking trail, there are guesthouses where one may easily purchase drinking water. Alternatively, one can bring purifying tablets with them.
Unpredictable Weather
Despite being open year-round, getting to EBC during any other season might be difficult because of the severe and erratic weather in the Everest region.
A lot of people who go on their first journey are shocked to hear about the extreme variety of temperatures that can happen in a single day. In the Everest region, the nights are significantly colder than the daytime hours.
In less than a day, the daytime high of 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) can drop to as low as -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit).
Although it’s impossible to predict the weather in the mountains day-to-day, there are some trends in temperature and precipitation depending on the month and season.
The optimum seasons to hike to Everest Base Camp are spring, which runs from March to June, and fall, which runs from mid-September to November.
Conversely, the monsoon season—July, August, and mid-September—brings with it countless difficulties, such as slick forest trails and clouds of rain blocking your otherwise spectacular views.
If walking during this season, be ready for rain nearly every day. In addition to the risk of sliding and falling, the monsoon season also increases the likelihood of landslides and rockfalls.
On the EBC journey, the winter months of December through February bring extremely high temperatures. The trail is blanketed in snow, so you’ll need to exercise additional caution and bring microspikes, even though the vistas are worth the difficulty.
At times, you may even come across avalanches on your way from Gorakshep to the Everest Base Camp. Consequently, keep an eye out.
Being ready for the unexpected turns the mountain may throw at you is crucial when hiking through Everest Base Camp. Anticipate anything from sudden downpours and snowfall to severe winds and unexpected cold.
No matter how much you rely on weather forecasts, there is always a chance that something may go wrong because the weather in the Himalayas is becoming less and less predictable. Therefore, stock up on all the equipment and clothing needed to handle all weather conditions.
Flight Delays to and from Lukla
Situated in an amazing valley and encircled by towering mountains, Lukla Airport is widely recognized as the world’s most hazardous airport. This makes landing and taking off from Lukla extremely challenging and sophisticated.
The airport is even more thrilling and perilous because it just has one short runway. That isn’t too dangerous, though, because pilots must meet specific requirements in order to fly into that airport.
The primary obstacles in this situation are the weather, which is always changing, and the airport delays. There may be abrupt changes in the weather in the area every few hours, which could cause flight delays or cancellations.
Typically, the weather during the monsoon season, which runs from June to September, makes takeoff impossible due to poor visibility. It is not possible to guarantee flight delays during other seasons either.
Travelers have been left waiting for days in the airports, either to catch a flight to Lukla or return to Kathmandu, as a result of flight cancellations. In these kinds of circumstances, we decide to take our clients as far as we can in a helicopter.
Full coverage insurance, which includes air ambulance service, is especially helpful in these circumstances since it spares you from being in the dark and uncertain.
Thus, one of the hardest and most uncertain aspects of the EBC journey is dealing with airplane delays to and from Lukla.
Conclusion
Because there are numerous variables that affect how difficult the trek will be for you, the overall Everest Base Camp experience transcends the dichotomy of easy and hard.
Every trekker will have a unique experience from this Himalayan expedition. Hence, rise to the occasion and fulfill your lifelong desire by being well-prepared to overcome any obstacles that may arise.
