We fly to Lukla this morning . The flight to Lukla usually takes 30-40 minutes offering stunning aerial views of the Himalayas. After landing at Lukla we start our hike to Phakding ( 2610 Mts) which is a 3-4 hour hike.

This officially marks the first day of the trek to Mount Everest base camp. This allows for acclimatisation and familiarises the trekker and the trail.

The trail from Lukla to Phakding is relatively relatively flat with a gradual descent passing through many Himalayan villages, oak and rhododendron forests.

Stay at Phakding.

Namche Bazaar (3446 Mts) is apt for altitude acclimatisation. This is a longer day of trekking than the previous day, we will take approx. 6-7 hours to reach Namche Bazaar. We will gain approx. 836 Mts of elevation from Phakding.

As we ascend the trail, we will enter the Sagarmatha National park which a permit check point. The trail passes through lush forests , suspension bridges along the banks of the Dudh Koshi river

Consider the elevation gain, approx 48 hours ago we were in Kathmandu at a elevation of 1400 Mts / 4600 ft, today we are at an elevation of 3880 Mts/12780 ft.
This elevation gain in short span of time calls for a day of rest and recovery. A zero day ! During your acclimatisation day the day is your own - spend time hiking to near by villages or simply kick back in the comfort of your accommodation, but hey you are at the highest landscape in the world - that definitely calls for a hike and some adventure to the nearby villages of Khumjung / Khandse and head back to Namche for the evening.

We are in Namche Bazaar for the night.

A gorge 600 m/2000ft below welcomes you to descend it before climbing up to Tengboche. Tengboche is the place from where one gets their first peek at Mount Everest. One can get a good look at Ama Dablam towering at 22,350 ft / 6312 Mts from Tengboche.

We will cross the villages of Devoche and Phunki Tenga before arriving in Tengboche.

The trail from Tengboche-Dingboche is slightly different. We will be entering the 4000 Mts scale from here onwards, one can also note that the trail has lesser trees as we gain more elevation. The trail becomes more rugged from here on along with increasing icy winds and wind speed.

The trail is dotted with forests, potato farms and Himalayan villages. Hiking along the Imja Khola river one can notice the constant companion in Ama Dablam in the background. When we arrive at Dingboche a warm bed and hot meal of Dal-Bhatt awaits.

Todays acclimatisation day is to let your body recover as well as acclimatise to the increase in altitude. Most hikers spend this time hiking to near by landscapes, exploring the region around.

There is a popular ridge around Dingboche, to get there one as to hike down towards the same path taken when coming from Tengboche and take a diversion from a popular intersection there. Most hikers and guides can be found on this intersection-warming up to the sun.

After a hearty breakfast we proceed to Lobuche, our stop before Gorakshep Initially the trail is flat - one can soon find the any signs of vegetation, prayer flags, scrubby bushes, suspension bridges disappear. At this altitude, a rocky barren trail greets you surrounded by giants looking down upon you - this is when you truly know - you are but a speck of dust among these Himalayan giants.

The trail is fairly flat with low gradient of incline , it gradually starts to get steeper upon reaching Dhugla and takes a steep ascent to memorial hill or the glacial moraine of Khumbu Glacier. The trail gets relatively flat post the glacial moraine or memorial hill.

Coming Up ! Our final stop before we reach EBC - Ecohunters base camp ooppss...Everest base camp 🙂

Today is the longest day of the trail. We hike to Gorakshep and then to Everest Base Camp ( EBC). The elevation gain is approx 200Mts .The distance from Lobuche to Gorakshep is 5 km -5km of Vertical climb.

Once we reach Gorakshep 5160 Mts/16920 ft - we check in to our accommodation - recharge our bodies with a hot meal of Dal -Bhatt. Given that the weather is clear we start our hike from Workshop to EBC -Everest Base Camp 5360 Mts /17585 ft. The trail from Gorakshep to EBC is relatively flat with gradual incline. While crossing the ridge which separates the Khumbu Glacier from the lake bed we realise that the climb is not steep as previous days of hiking, however the presence of large rocks from the glacier moraine makes it a bit challenging.

The distance of 3.5 km from Gorakshep to EBC is not long but the factors like altitude, cold, low oxygen, rocks make it challenging. Closer to the base camp we notice Khumbu Ice fall to the right. On the trail Enroute base camp we finally see the dark peak rise up between Khumbutse ( 6665 Mts /21867 ft and Lhotse (7861 Mts, 25,790 ft ) towering at ( 29029 ft / 8848 Mts ).

The base camp is marked with a large pile of rocks with the words - Everest Base Camp - engraved on them. Once we are at the base camp we spend sometime soaking in the views of the might Himalayas and the Khumbu Glacier surrounding it.

We Start our walk back to Gorakshep to end this days trail. The trail back is mostly flat or downhill with the exception of the climb being almost endless! It will be dark by the time we get to Gorakshep , so keep those headlights handy.

The early morning hike to Kala-Patthar ( 5545 Mts/18192 ft )is surely going to bear an etch in your memory! This is the place from where one can truly soak in the views of the mighty Everest and the giants surrounding it. The trail takes a early descent before taking its way through a few steep switch backs and then levelling off before a few steep ascents until one reaches a ridge , from here it is a ten minute scramble to the top.

The views of Mount Everest and surrounding peaks during the sunrise at the summit of Kala-Patthar is ethereal. It is truly and literally a once in a life time moment which will have its grasp on thee for a long long time !

We spend time at the summit warming upto the sun , witnessing the first rays hit Everest and its surrounding peaks at ( 5545 Mts / 18,192 ft). Once you have had your fill of the moment its time to take the long walk back to Gorakshep for a late breakfast and then onward to Pheriche ( 4371 Mts/ 14,340 ft).

We will be descending to Namche Bazaar (3446 Mts/ 11305 ft).

The trail is relatively comfortable. We find ourselves among the greens again - alpine meadows , forests and small villages make for a warm welcome. Familiar sights of suspension bridges , children and small villages dot the route as we descend to Namche Bazaar (3446 Mts/ 11305 ft).

We will rest at Namche for the night before resuming our journey to Lukla tomorrow.

Retracing your steps to Lukla ( 2860 mts/9383 ft) is fun . You will encounter familiar faces on the trail and exchange stories at pitstops en-route. You will also encounter folks travelling towards the EBC and now that you have wings of EBC, you can tell the first timers and retrace their journey in your head !

On reaching Lukla we check in to our accommodation , while we await our flight the next day from Kathmandu , exploring Lukla this time would be more familiar and would also add a different perspective of the local atmosphere and culture.

We reach Kathmandu today.

Om arrival in Kathmandu , you will meet your local guide at the airport and transferred to your accommodation. The rest of the day is yours - choose to spend time resting or exploring the city and its many by lanes or just reflecting on your epic journey !

In the evening we will have a farewell dinner at a authentic nepalese restaurant accompanied with a cultural performance.

You will be dropped to the airport 3 hours prior to your flight. This is where our paths go their ways.. .Safe Flight...Untill we meet again !