Everest Base Camp

Mount Everest, locally also called Chomolungma or Sagamartha is, at 8848m, the highest mountain on earth. This is a two-and-a-half week trip to visit the base camp on the southern, Nepalese side. This was the start point for the original ascent and is still the most frequented line today.

First climbed in 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, this mountain has become the mecca for world mountaineering.

Mount Everest is flanked by Lhotse and Nuptse to give a fantastic horseshoe of the world's highest mountains. The trek to Base Camp is a two-week-plus round trip from the UK with approximately 14 walking days. Accommodation is in hotels in Kathmandu and lodges on the trail. This trek reaches very high altitudes. We firmly believe it is sensible to have this time frame for the trip due to the high altitudes involved. The more time you have to acclimatise, the more chance you have of reaching base camp and the more chance you will have of enjoying it. Don't be tempted to rush up and down to Base Camp in a short time frame as this greatly increases the chance of altitude sickness. We offer this trip either with a dedicated UK guide or with an all-local team which is English-speaking, certified, and highly reputable.

After arriving in Kathmandu we spend a day in this intriguing city exploring the Thamel district before flying on to Lukla at 2800m. It's a good idea to sit on the left side in the plane on the flight up as you will get the best views of the mountains. In Lukla we are greeted by a pile of sherpas, porters, touts and others clamouring for our attention. After some friendly banter we head north on the trail out of Lukla towards Phakding...

• 14 days guiding by experienced trekking leaders
  
• We'll pick you up and drop you off at Kathmandu Airport
  
• Option to use UK leaders or local leaders at lower cost
• Porter assistance for the entire route
  
• Set open dates or bespoke courses for individuals to larger groups - just ask if the date you want is not listed
• Many years experience in providing these courses
  
• You need to have a good level of fitness and be prepared for 'lodge-living' whilst on trek
• One of the ultimate challenges - but well worth it!

This is a trekking trip to Everest Base Camp, Nepal, as well as the Everest viewing point at Kala Pattar. We run this trip over a period of 2 weeks plus, starting on a Thursday and running through the weekend two weeks later. If however you would like to do this at any other time then please contact us and we will fix it for you.

We will meet you when you arrive at Kathmandu Airport and then transfer you to your hotel. At this time our representatives will go through the planned route and carry out an equipment check to ensure you have everything you need to enable you to enjoy the trip.

Your trek starts next day after a flight to Lukla.

A typical day on the trek starts with a wake up call at about 6am depending upon what your activity will be for the day. Breakfast at 6:30 or 7:00 followed by trekking start at 7:30am. You can stop for tea during the morning and probably break for lunch at about 11:30 or 12:00. If you need to walk in the afternoon, then you will generally be at your day's destination by about 3 or 4pm. Evening meal will be served at about 6:00 or 6:30 before an early bed time. Of course these times are flexible but the rhythm is dictated by daylight and you will need a lot of sleep!

A typical itinerary may look like this:

Please note: This itinerary is a guide only. It can be subject to change dependent upon viability, course members' fitness, weather conditions or for any other reason the guide may deem necessary.

This trip involves travel to high altitudes and to areas where a short notice change of itinerary may be necessary. In particular the flight from Kathmandu - Lukla and return can suffer from weather related delays.

This trek visits high altitudes! You will be spending at least six or seven nights at or above 4000m which is serious altitude. It is imperative you are properly acclimatised not only to have a safe trek, but also an enjoyable one as altitude sickness has the capacity to make you feel very miserable! All along the way you will find warnings about ascending too quickly. If you show signs of altitude sickness, appropriate measures (i.e. descent) must be taken. Inform yourself as much as possible about this issue before you go so that you have an understanding of how it can affect you. Keep your guide informed regarding how you are feeling during the trek.

You can choose to do this trip either with with a special UK guide or with a local Nepalese guide. We have an excellent network of contacts on Nepal for providing this trip. So even with a local guide, your guide will be certified, accredited, first aid trained, and will be a fluent English speaker. Some of our clients however do prefer to have a UK guide, and are happy to pay a little extra for that service. Either way, you'll of course have the backup of a great local team to help you along. The costs of these options are set out in detail below.

Our UK/western mountain leaders are supported by Nepali guides. Their responsibility is to ensure your safety on the trip, select the lodge accommodation and organise the porter crew. You will be amazed how much easier having a local guide makes the dealings with lodges, etc. Evening meals and drinks miraculously appear and you have many less chores during the day. You will miss him when you are back in the UK!

Your guides will travel with you from Kathmandu to Lukla to simplify the domestic air travel. Should you wish to travel outside the dates of our scheduled departures, then we can provide you with a bespoke trip on dates of your request with either UK and Nepalese leaders or just local guides. Please contact us should you want this.

We adhere to the guidelines laid down by the International Porter Protection Group. This organisation works to improve the working conditions of mountain porters in the tourism industry worldwide. Therefore we do not ask our porters to carry more than 30kg per load (this is advised by the IPPG). We provide adequate clothing per porter for the intended trek and full insurance during their time of employment. Because of these guidelines, we ask you to limit the equipment you ask your porter to carry to a maximum of 15kg.

Many 'Westerners' feel uncomfortable seeing a local 'carrying their bags'. There are many reasons why this should not be so. Guiding and portering are recognised professions in Nepal and often form a vital part of a family's income. They will enrich your holiday experience immensely by being a source of information about local cultures and traditions. Remember - for them this is a job, just as in the UK many individuals work for someone else.

The accommodation is in ensuite, twin rooms in a Kathmandu hotel and trekking lodges on the trek. The hotel boasts all the facilities you would expect. Each room has air conditioning, 24hr room service, multi channel TV, etc. In addition, it also has pleasant gardens which are just an awesome place to relax either after a long flight or a tiring trek and have a refreshing drink!

The lodges we use on trek are of the higher standard. These are obviously more basic than the accommodation in Kathmandu but the better ones on the trek. The rooms are singles, doubles or triples shared as part of the group, there are hot showers (water has to be heated in advance), toilets (sometimes flushable) and they are fully catered. Many have electricity 24hrs. The general rule is: the higher you go, the more rudimentary they become. This is understandable.

All British nationals require a visa for entry into Nepal. You need to arrange these prior to departure with the relevant embassy. If you are not a British national then you will also need to contact the embassy to enquire about visa requirements. It is more than likely you will need one.

The Nepalese embassy in the UK can be contacted under:

Royal Nepalese Embassy
12a Kensington Palace Gardens
London W84QU
Tel: +44 (0)207 229 1594 or +44 (0)207 229 6231
Fax: +44 (0)207 792 9861
e-mail: 
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
web: www.nepembassy.org.uk

Please submit your application, together with the requisite fee within the specified timescales to the embassy. Remember to send your passport registered post! You will need the following:

For medical and inoculations advice contact your GP before you travel. Do this in good time (at least 3 months) as many injections/treatments must be given a certain time apart.

To do this trip you will need to be physically fit and prepared for 'lodge-living' whilst on trek. An often used phrase in Nepal is 'Nepali flat'. Your guide will surely say this to you a few times. This means the trail is about to 'undulate' quite considerably. Distances are not measured in conventional metres, kms or even miles on the trails in Nepal, but in walking times. This is because the trails go uphill or downhill but seemingly never flat. Therefore it is best to arrive in Nepal suitably conditioned, and if you have not done so already then start to get fit. Visit your local gym or go for a bike ride. If you arrive there suitably conditioned then you will enjoy the trip so much more. You should be able to walk for 4 to 6 hrs in a day on undulating terrain (ie going up and down hill) and not feel exhausted! There are also a few steep hills to negotiate (takes about 2hrs) and so you should be ready for these.

We recommend that you follow a fitness plan in preparation for your challenge, an example of one will be sent to you when you have confirmed your booking.

Although the fitness plan we will send to you has been devised by a fitness professional, this is only provided as a guide and you should seek professional advice before starting your own fitness regime.

The season for this trek is outside the Monsoon and winter seasons: this means late March to May, and then late September to December. This trip is available for individuals and groups, however we can be very flexible and arrange dates around you. Please click on the link below to request a trip date.

The trip dates below are staffed by our UK mountain leaders or with local leaders. Staffing for each trip is indicated in the appropriate columns in the dates table below. All trips are supported by local guides and porters. We can also run bespoke trips for you on dates of your choosing, guided just by our local leaders.

2012 dates so far:

If the date you want is fully booked or not listed please contact us by clicking on the link below - we may still be able to help!

All requested dates are unconfirmed until minimum numbers have been booked.

If you have a group of 10 or more people we will be happy to run an exclusive trip for yourselves.

The season for this trek is outside the Monsoon and winter seasons: this means late March to May, and then late September to December. This trip is available for individuals and groups, however we can be very flexible and arrange dates around you. Please click on the link below to request a trip date.

The trip dates below are staffed by our UK mountain leaders or with local leaders. Staffing for each trip is indicated in the appropriate columns in the dates table below. All trips are supported by local guides and porters. We can also run bespoke trips for you on dates of your choosing, guided just by our local leaders.

2013 dates so far:

If the date you want is fully booked or not listed please contact us by clicking on the link below - we may still be able to help!

All requested dates are unconfirmed until minimum numbers have been booked.

If you have a group of 10 or more people we will be happy to run an exclusive trip for yourselves.

2012 price: UK leader

2012 price: Nepalese leader:

£1295 per person

What's Included:

• Professional event organisation.
• Experienced trekking leaders from the UK and Nepal
• Arrival and departure transport from Kathmandu Airport.
• Bed and breakfast accommodation in comfortable hotels in Kathmandu. Single rooms are available at a supplement.
• Half board accommodation in mountain lodges.
• Porter assistance for the duration of the trek.
  
• Group first aid kit with qualified first aiders.

The Nepalese Rupee is the local currency. You can exchange pounds, dollars and travelers cheques at the airport and at exchange stores throughout Kathmandu. There are also ATMs in Kathmandu of which our experience has been satisfactory. In the hotel in Kathmandu you will be able to pay your extras by credit card. Shops and other restaurants in Kathmandu accept rupees.

Once you have left Kathmandu you will only be able to change money in Lukla and Namche Bazaar on your trek. When exchanging money remember to take an official exchange receipt. Once on the trek, low denomination rupee notes are necessary. It is best to split the cash you carry. Store the larger part of your cash in your day sack and carry a small quantity for easy access on you. This way you don't look like a walking bank to the locals when you pull out a big wad of notes to pay for a postcard.

Your extras (drinks/lunch/evening meal etc.) in Kathmandu should amount to no more than £20/day and on the trek to £5/day as your trek is fully catered. This obviously does not take account of international phone calls, laundry, gifts etc. Our advice is to take some cash with you for changing but also to take a more secure way of carrying your money. Travellers cheques etc. Ask you bank or foreign exchange bureau to advise you on this.

The days of zero crime in Nepal are gone, however Nepal still has a very nonaggressive society, especially towards foreigners. None the less, exercise the usual common sense precautions to avoid becoming a victim of crime. Don't flash your valuables (camera, watch, money etc.) around, and don't act ostentatiously! There has been a longstanding internal conflict in Nepal between political parties which involved armed conflict. A peace agreement for this was signed in 2006. For an official British Government view on this issue please visit the foreign office website www.fco.gov.uk and then the 'Know before you go' section.

The climate during your trip will vary between warm in Kathmandu (20-30C), to relatively warm on the lower trekking trails (15-25C daytime) to cold at the higher elevations (0-5C daytime). Night-time temperatures at Gorak Shep and Base Camp can be as low as -15C during the trekking season with snow. Generally it should be dry, but this can not always be relied upon and expect wind.