Everest Base Camp Trek: Discover the Spirit of Adventure Within You!

For centuries the mysterious and enigmatic mountains of the Himalayas have beckoned many men and women to climb its soaring peaks. While some have conquered the greatest of heights, for most people, the trip to Everest Base Camp, the views and the chance to experience Nepalese culture first-hand are the ultimate draw cards. The journey and the mountains keep inviting adventure lovers to come and experience something so different to their usual urban surroundings, allowing them to immerse themselves in a destination that will take their breath away. The adventures of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay stand testimony to man’s great affair with the mighty peaks of the Everest region!

Over the years, the Everest Base Camp Trek has been one of the world’s most spectacular trekking experiences, luring adventure lovers from all over the world. Be it the people you meet on your way, or the scenery, or the unique culture and friendship of the local ‘Sherpas’, this exhilarating trek promises to fill your cup of adventure to its brim in every possible respect. If you love Nature and adventure, then maybe it's time you embark on this unforgettable journey. As Ralph Waldo Emerson’ said “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

You must be wondering what is it that makes this trek so special? Well, it goes beyond saying that the Everest Base Camp Trek, like all treks in the Himalayas, is also famous for breathtaking mountain scenery. Apart from picturesque surroundings, you’ll also get to visit several museums and Tibetan monasteries along the way. Your paths will be decorated with mana stones under your feet, and embellished with colorful prayer flags providing a perfect contrast to the snow-capped mountainous background. You will walk through deep river gorges and dense forest trails, balance your way across swinging bridges that will remind you of your favorite Hollywood adventure movie, and ascend through high ridges and descend to beautiful wide valleys. And, as the sun goes down behind the horizon, you’ll sit with your fellow travelers discussing your day, enjoying the well-earned local cuisine!

Himalayan wildlife is abundant, from Yaks, the load carrying animals, to the native bird the Danphe, to the mythical looking Argali sheep with their huge horns. These sheep are like something you would expect to see in a Greek mythology book, not a real animal in the Himalayas. There are also many reptiles, and other bird species to keep your eyes and ears busy!

As for the food in Nepal, when you visit the bustling city of Kathmandu, you’ll find lots of street markets nestled amongst alleys and quirky buildings. The cuisine is a culinary mix of Chinese, Indian and Nepali food. These interesting flavor combinations, or some might say collisions, will keep your tastebuds guessing in a pleasing sort of way. There are many houses of prayer; monasteries for the majority of the practising Buddhists, who visit daily to their places of worship.

You’ll also be surprized at the locations of monasteries as you make your way along rocky trails high in the mountains, and through gorges. These colourful and brightly decorated Monasteries are lavishly decorated with multi-colored prayer flags, and gold and red flashes of colour. As you walk by the many prayer wheels you will encounter on this trip, make sure you pass on the left to keep with Buddhist tradition. You’ll pass Stupas everywhere, these are otherwise known as prayer mounds, and should be walked around anti-clockwise.

You’ll be stopping along the way to acclimatize and spend some time getting to know the locals and their way of life. Your stay in the many tea houses along the route not only gives you the opportunity to enjoy local food and hospitality, it also contributes greatly to the local economy.

You’ll stay at Namche Bazaar, the world's highest market, where you’ll again get a chance to buy some locally produced goods – made lovingly by the local Sherpa people.

Apart from such a wide variety of cultural and textural experiences that you will be rewarded with on this trek, it is the sheer sense of achievement that really makes the Everest Base Camp Trek so special. People from all walks of life love the challenge of this this trek, to arrive at base camp to get a grand glimpse of the world’s highest mountain peak and so, when you stand at the base camp or at the summit of the mountain ‘Kala Patthar’, gazing at the grand view of Mount Everest, you are filled with a sense of pride and fulfilment. You listen to your heart whispering the words: “To those who can dream, there is no such place as far away”.

The best time to take this trek would be around March to May and from September to December. Depending on the season you choose, it’s important to be geared up with all the necessary gear to complete this beautiful journey successfully. If you have good health and are reasonably “walking fit”, you can do this trek.

When selecting an Everest Base Camp Trek, most travel sites detail their tour itinerary and other specifics such as dates, duration, cost, local culture, tour highlights, etc. Most will explain that groups have trek leaders, guides, and porters to accompany them to Everest Base Camp and back.

What’s important are also other considerations like who you are traveling with, how long the travel company has been running for, what is actually included so there are no hidden costs, and some of the unique destinations some tour companies will take you.