Everest Base Camp Trek is a 12 – 14 day trek in the Everest Region. Many trekkers attempt to trek here to view Mount Everest (8848 m), the World’s highest peak. Stepping on the foot of the highest peak is a dream come true.
However, to accomplish the high-altitude trek, you need to prepare well. Proper clothing and necessary equipment decrease difficulty. But there are some natural factors you need to be aware of before starting your trek.
In this blog, we will learn about the difficulties of Everest Base Camp Trek.
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The total length of Everest Base Camp Trek is 130 km. It takes a minimum of 9 days of walking, which means 15 km per day. Walking such a long distance on a difficult trail increases the difficulty.
The rocky terrains and snow-filled trails make it challenging, resulting in slowing down your pace. You will be hiking upwards constantly. The high altitude makes your trek tougher.
You have to be patient while walking these trails for a long duration, for several days. You need to be physically and mentally fit. Take rest during your journey and walk slowly.
The altitude adds a lot of difficulty in trekking. You can trek the same length with low altitude easily, but when altitude increases, so does difficulty. The high altitude makes it more challenging and hard to accomplish.
You start your journey from Lukla (3000 m) to Everest Base Camp (5400 m). You also ascend to Kala Patthar (5500 m) for a better view of Mount Everest. There is a high risk of altitude sickness during this trek.
It is common to suffer from altitude sickness once you cross an altitude of 2,000 m. The oxygen level decreases by 60 percent after reaching this height. Altitude sickness makes you feel dizzy, nauseous, and shortness of breath. It also affects the blood pressure and your heart.
Thus, you will need to acclimatize after reaching a certain height. You must acclimate for 2 days to Everest Base Camp, once in Namche Bazaar and next in Tengboche. Acclimatization helps your body to adapt to higher altitudes.
If not prevented in time, Altitude sickness can lead to death, so read symptoms carefully and learn about proper techniques to acclimatize. The main cure for this sickness is to descend quickly.
The weather at higher altitudes is unpredictable. It changes from time to time. Also, the seasons affect the weather vastly. There are favorable seasons and off seasons. Autumn and Spring are the most favorable times to trek. While trekking in Winter and Summer is very challenging.
Winter is extremely cold. The temperature drops below -20 degrees, which is intolerable. The heavy snow blocks the trails, increasing the difficulty level to pass through the trails. Even warm clothes cannot withstand this harsh weather. It isn’t easy to trek during winter.
Summer is warm during the day but cold during the night. The rainfall makes trails slippery, making the trek difficult. You need extra effort to walk on such trails. It is very dangerous due to the occurrence of landslides.
To avoid harsh weather and climate, choose a feasible season for a successful trekking. Seasonal trekking helps to save many troubles.
Once you enter the Khumbu region, a Khumbu cough is inevitable. Due to high altitude and low humidity, you will start coughing continuously. This dry cough results in irritation during your journey. You are fine, but coughing makes it hard to continue the journey.
You will have difficulty breathing due to a cough. To prevent a cough, you can wear a buff to cover your throat. Drink water regularly and stay hydrated. Drinking ginger lemon tea helps a lot. If you don’t want to eat, then don’t force yourself.
You will encounter the hardest trail to cross when you reach closer to Everest base Camp; in the journey from Dingboche to Lobuche, the trails shortly incline. But once you reach Dukla, you must cross the sharp, crisscrossed, steep trail to the EBC memorial.
This steepness is very tricky and challenging. You will find yourself in a low state. This steep drains out your physical stamina, making it hard to move and breathe. If you mentally break down in this part, then it is even more unachievable.
Stay calm and walk slowly. Stay hydrated and take regular breaks. You need to stay mentally calm during these situations. After overcoming this trail, you will reach a beautiful destination.
In high altitudes, there are fewer facilities. The restrooms are in the worst condition. It is dirty, stinky, and unhygienic. You have to compromise a lot in your daily habits a lot during this journey.
When you reach close to the base camp, there are no flush toilets instead of bucket toilets. And worse, when you reach Gorak Shep, the water is frozen, making toilets unflushable.
You may find it very unpleasant and unhygienic. If you are a hygiene freak, it may traumatize you. But remember that all these sacrifices are fruitful.
Hence, these difficulties make your trek more challenging. You need to prepare yourself better to make your trek successful. You will encounter many things that you never expected. So, hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Enjoy your trek!
