Mountaineering and trail hiking are just two aspects of the Everest region/Everest Base Camp circuit. In addition to fresh experiences and enlightenment, it has a lot to offer its guests. The Everest usually extends a very warm greeting to visitors, offering a variety of locations to discover and comprehend its natural beauty in a peaceful manner. A lot of tourists say that climbing Mount Everest changed their lives. Without scaling Kalapathar (5545m), the Everest Base Camp cannot be considered complete. Beyond that, there are a lot more places for the hikers to discover. It is home to enormous glaciers, icefalls, the tallest mountains, deep valleys, desolate communities, and strong people who confront the toughest obstacles nature throws their way in the thin air of high altitude. This Everest Base Camp Trek and Helicopter Return is for those adventure seeker who are looking for shorter trek to Everest base camp and desire desire to back Kathmandu directly from Gorakshep/Kalapathar.
Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu to Lukla flight is the best and easiest way to reach Everest Base Camp. Beside that, you can go on a mid-hill trek to reach Everest, but it consumes a lot of time and most of the visitors do not prefer it. Sagarmatha National park is the most valuable treasure of Everest reason, which visitors will explore on their way to base camp. Lukla, Namche Bazar, Gokyo Lake, Nuptse, Makalu, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Khumbu glacier are the most important aspact of Everest Base Camp trek. Furthermore, the aria view that you see from the sky on you return to Kathmandu is something that strikes your memory.
Everest Base Camp Trek and Helicopter Return Itinerary
Day 01: Kathmandu to Tenzing Hilary Airport (Lukla) and Trek to Phakding ( 2640m)
Tenzing Hilary is one of the world highest airport at the elevation of 2843m. It is also understood as luka airport as it lies in the vilage of lukla. Further it is a gateway to Everest Base Camp and other vilage communities including Gokyo Ri Lake in Everest circuit. Sir Edmund Hillary managed the development of the airport in 1964; he originally originally intended to build it on a flat field. Only a 30-minute flight separates this small town's tranquil location from Kathmandu Valley. Only a 35-minute flight separates this small town's tranquil location from Kathmandu Valley.
Then we continue our walking to Phakding, takes around 2-3 hours to reach Phakding.
Day 02: Phakding to Namche Bazar (3,500m)
Expeditions to Everest and other surrounding Himalayan peaks commence in Namche Bazaar (3,500 m), which serves as a staging area. It has flourished into a tiny, vibrant market town that offers everything you could possibly need for your adventure. A standard pub, Wi-Fi access points, and a pool table may be found in addition to the typical selection of accommodations, cafes, and gear stores. Since adaptation is a gradual process, it is advisable to stop here for a few days and walk up and down hills in the area to help you adjust.
Day 03: Acclimatization in Namche Bazaar (3,500m)
Day 04: Namche Bazar to Tengbonche (3,864m)
Namche Bazar to Tengbonche is just 5-6 hours walk and10 kilometre long. The trekkers are not recommended to walk more than 10 kilometres per day to prevent altitude sickness. As you get to wonder at some breathtaking views of the Everest Mountain Range in the distance throughout the trip, it will also be one of the most rewarding days on your journey.
Day 05: Tengbonche to Dingbonche (4360m)
Due to its high elevation, your trek to Dingbonche will be of similar to Tengbonche. It is 5-6 hours walk. This elevation too, will provide you the opportunity to view the giant mountains in the backdrop. They seem as if they are too near to you and you will definitely mix yourself with the snow of Everest.
Day 06: Acclimatization in Dingboche (4360m)
Day 07: Dingboche- Lobuche ( 4930m)
Take a breeakfast in Dingboche and start walking by following beautiful farm of Yak. Visit memorial shrines and prayers flag on the way. Enjoy the wonderful views of Cholatse and Tawache peak. Stay overnight in Lobuche
Day 08: Lobuche to Everest Base Camp 5,364 meters and return Ghorakshep 5,164 metres
Everest Base camp and Kalapatthar trek are almost the same. The Everest Base Camp is at the altitude of 5,364 meters, and shares the same territory with few meters distance elevation. The current Everest Base Camp territory lies in the famous Khumbu glacier. As Khumbu glacier is rapadily thinning due to global warming and other human activities, the Nepal government is planning to shift the base camp quite soon. Moreover, fly back to Lukla (Tenzing Hilary) airport from Everest Base Camp is possible during the trekking season. The helicopter return facility can be provided by private helicopters. But you can also share with others on your way back home. The sightseeing and experiences that you gather during the trek and helicopter is quite different. You can have both of the experiences and numerous account to share with your friends and families.
Day 09: Helicopter ride to Kalapatthar and Back to Kathmandu via Lukla
To the hikers those have very limited time can have a helicopter access to kaapatthar to see the best views of Everest surrounding. Mostly, helicopter tour depends upon the weather and climate condition of Everest region. After your flight from Kalapathar to Lukla, you can have your direct flight to TIA at Kathmandu. Sometimes direct flight to kathmandu from Everest Base Camp is also possible.
Best time for Everest Base Camp Trek and Helicopter Return
The best time for Everest trek is during autumn and spring season. Moreover the best time also depends for what you are going to trek for? If you are planning the trek for cultural research, climate research, geographical, the best time to trek can be all the seasons throughout the year. If you are planning for sightseeing and mountaineering the best season can be spring, if you are planing for hiking the best season might be autumn. The livelihood of Sherpa people is associated to the weather and climate found there. The monsoon (rainy) season is not recommended to the visitors to avoid human casualties.
Accommodation in Everest Region
Everest Region trek provides plenty of accommodation opportunities to the visitors. There are several hotels, lodges and tea houses on the trail. At Everest base camp you have to camp on a tent, but the villages on the way to Everest provides you a very good accommodation at five star to normal and less expensive lodges, guest house and hotels.
Thing to observe during Everest Trek
Festival and Monastery
Witnessing one of the numerous colourful Hindu or Buddhist festivals held throughout the year in Everest is a highlight of vacation there. Because the majority of the inhabitants of the Everest region are Tibetan Buddhist Sherpas, their culture is significantly different from that of other places of Nepal. The Mani Rimdu festival is one of the main festival observed by the locals during October or sometimes in November based on the local calendar. Next, you can also witness significant Tengboche gumba/monastery where monks perform ritual dances while dressed in ornate and colorful costumes.
Sagarmatha National Park
Most of the hiking trail falls within the Sagarmatha (Everest) national Park, so the hikers will get a wonderful opportunity to explore its flora and fauna, its ecological variation and so on. It extends over the area of 1148 square kilometres from some of the tributaries of Koshi river. Khumbu glacier, icefall, Rhodendron forest, red pandas, snow leopard, alpine forest are some of the important aspect of Sagarmatha National Park to be observed.
Settlement of Sherpa people
Sherpa people have descended from the small family group of Tibet many centuries ago in the mid hills of Everest region. They made their living by cultivating field crops in the previously forested areas and tending to livestock, including as yaks, cows, and yak-cow crossbreeds, which are treasured for their superior milk, on the upper pastures. They prefer to live in the house made of woods and stones, but nowadays they have a choice for modern luxury house. The well furnished accommodation helped to boost tourism in the settlements like Lukla, Namche bazar, Tengbonche and so on. Moreover, local sherpa people as quite friendly and helpful, so it is not difficult for you to assimilate with them. You can also taste local foods produced by them.
Conclusion
The Everest Base Camp trek and helicopter return will be a wonderful experience the travelers will collect on the journey. Everest should not be understood only as a mountain peak. Everest is more then that. Trekking to Everest Base Camp means to understand the nature in deeper level. It is an expedition to understand the human culture and way of life at the to op the world. It is to understand the plants and animals that exists there. It is to understand the landscape on the remotest corner of earth. In much more deeper level it is to understand ourselves.
