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Mount Everest

Hello Good People,

I'm planning a trekking expedition to Mount Everest and would greatly appreciate some guidance from experienced trekkers or anyone familiar with the region. I'm particularly interested in insights regarding the best routes, essential gear, recommended tour operators or guides, safety tips, and any other valuable advice you may have based on personal experience.

Your input will be incredibly valuable in helping me prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Please feel free to share your knowledge, recommendations, or any anecdotes that could enhance my trekking journey.

Thank you in advance for your assistance!

Best regards,

Posted by
5490 posts

This is a general tourism website. For your specialized needs, you really need to look for mountaineering forums

Posted by
1344 posts

To climb to the summit? Probably years and years of previous mountaineering experience, so you’d already have the relevant gear and know the mountaineering techniques and safety drills, back to front and inside out.

Know you are fit enough - athlete standard and because of your previous experience, which expeditions are planned when you want to go - the ‘season’ is a tiny window, but you knew that, right?

You’ll need an absolute boatload of money - six figures and counting, upwards - in dollar terms.

You’ll need your affairs in order. One in five don’t come back, statistically speaking. More, if it all goes horribly wrong. Read ‘Into Thin Air’. If it gives you pause, it’s not for you.

If you mean your expedition is to Everest Base Camp, which is not as severe, you need to tell us. This needs less mountaineering, but still has risks attached - altitude sickness to name but one. Avalanches, land slips etc., to name more. Your journey is likely to be from Kathmandu at around four thousand feet altitude to base camp at eighteen thousand. Thus the approach involves a lot of hill climbing. I mention this as I’ve heard from a mountain guide out there that this has come as a surprise to at least one person.

Posted by
1344 posts

Hi Tintaldra -

No disrespect intended here. But because it isn’t specific about EXACTLY where the OP wants to go I didn’t want to assume. As I’m sure you’ll know even going to base camp is not easy, but it’s a sad fact of life that if you’ve got the cash you can attempt to climb Everest without a scrap of experience. A fairly recent BBC article showed a guy attempting the fixed rope section with crampons on the wrong feet, helmet dangling off the outside of his pack and no ice axe to hand. So I was more thinking in the vein of ‘know what you are taking on’ rather than just going ‘great, go for it’. I think this is probably the wrong place to be asking about Everest treks and the fact that the OP was asking here made me wonder a bit. Although there have been some odd posts on here that turned out to be trolls recently again I did not want to assume the OP was a troll, so answered honestly. I have trekked all over the world including Nepal but admittedly have not been to Everest base camp (hats off to you though!).

I’m sorry that you thought that both myself and CJean came off as disrespectful, I’m sure that’s not what either of us intended.

Ian

Posted by
17559 posts

I have no experience with Himalaya trekking, but I have friends and family members who are. And I can recommend an excellent guiding company that is well-regarded and very experienced. We have used them for less arduous treks (Patagonia, Tour du Mont Blanc) but I know Everest Basecamp is one of their specialties. They offer two different itineraries:

https://www.mtsobek.com/trips/asia/nepal/nepal-everest-base-camp-trek/

https://www.mtsobek.com/trips/asia/nepal/nepal-everest-lodge-to-lodge-trek/

Note that the second one does not reach the main Everest Base Camp at 17,000+feet; they visit a lower one (Ama Dahlam) at 15,000 feet. The first trek does reach the main Everest Basecamp, but you do not overnight there. All nights are in inns and lodges.

Posted by
11946 posts

Hiking involves a long energetic walk in a natural environment on hiking trails or footpaths for a day or overnight.
Trekking involves a long vigorous hike in wild natural environment for multiple days. It can be done off hiking trails.
https://adventures.com/blog/hiking-vs-trekking/

OP left room for ambiguity on how he is using the word 'trekking'

Would have been nice if OP came back and provided details on just what he is planning

Not sure that trekking excludes 'climbing' ( to a summit)

Posted by
17559 posts

“Trekking” does not necessarily exclude reaching a summit, so long as it can be ascended on foot, without technical climbing gear or skills. I have reached a number of summits, including Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the “lower 48”, by hiking (or trekking) up a trail. And spent the night there.

But reaching the summit of Everest requires technical “climbing” as mountaineers and alpinists use that term. That is, climbing steep rock, ice, or snow with the use of hands, ropes, ice axes, and/or other devices. It is not a walkup. For example, our local Mt. Rainier, which is not as high as Whitney, is a “climb”, requiring ice axes, crampons, roped climbing partners, and all the rest that goes with actual mountaineering.

Thus I did not read the OP’s request as an intent to climb Everest, but simply a wish to trek to the climbers’ basecamp, which is a famous place. Also one that is difficult to reach, and requires logistical support. There are lots of issues involved, including environmental ones, and I do not know if one can even spend the night there without an official permit, as they are likely reserved for climbers.

I am sure there are other websites that would be better sources for for information the OP seeks.

Posted by
33991 posts

well after 6 days of silence from our first-time poster I think it likely they did not intend to return

Posted by
2 posts

Thanks Everyone Gyes! I got some valuable information, and I'll share my experience with you guys after I complete my EBC trekking.