EVEREST BASE CAMP
Grade: Moderate-Challenging
Duration:18 days
(13 days Lodge trek, 5 days Kathmandu)

Besides the amazingly close views of the great Himalayan peaks , including Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Makalu, you will come in close contact with the Sherpa tradition and culture.

Among all the mountain communities, the Sherpas are arguably the most discussed. Their life-style on the high mountain side, the sparse vegetation of the high Himalayas, their co-relation with yaks (a source of transportation, milk, cheese, meat and wool), and their courage have been praised by the liked of Hillary, Bonnington, and Messner.

Our Everest experience begins at Lukla; the flight in and out of this airstrip alone may be worth this trip. Sacred stones, chortens(some built to commemorate the memories of of climbers who died on Everest expeditions) and fluttering prayer flags make the path to the base camp more than a trekking route. You will frequently meet yak caravans and cross precarious suspension bridges. This route passes through forests of birch, confer, rhododendron, juniper, and tundra.

Namche Bazaar at 3446 meters makes an enchanting resting site. Shape like a horseshoe, the settlement could well be the greatest mountain ampitheater on earth. You will see Everest(8848m), Nuptse(7879m), Lhotse(8501m), Ama Dablam, Kwangde and Thamserku mountains. On Saturday people bring vegetables, clothes, meat, yak tails, and butter for trade and the Sherpa people gather to share goods and gossip. Mountaineering souvenirs, left behind by legendary expeditions to Everest, can also be purchased. Stop at the village of Khumjung will fill you with the tales of the legendary Yeti a visit to the local monastery will give you a view of the Yeti's scalp. Tengboche monastery will show you how Sherpa religion works, and perhaps, if lucky, see an endangered snow leopard.

At Dingboche you will rest for a day to acclimatize, you may go to Chhukung(4730m) on this day and see the Island Peak(3189m), the south face of Lhotse, the eastern face of Ama Dablam, and Amphu Lapcha at 5780 meter pass.

The climb to Kalapathar will bring before you perhaps the best view of Everest and the Lho La pass that takes travelers from Nepal to Tibet, the West Ridge route, and Everest all the way to South Col. The trip to the base camp from there is fascinating, and at the base camp you may meet members of Everest expeditions.