Sagarmatha National Park – Home of Everest

The Sagarmatha National Park is located in the Solukhumbu district of eastern Nepal. It is the home of three of the 14 eight thousand meter peaks (Everest, Lhotse and Cho Oyu) and many famous mountains including Ama Dablam, Cholatse, Kangtega, Kusum Kangguru, Lobuche, Pumori and Thanmserku, which we will see on our trek. The national park covers an area just over 1,000km2 and is a protected Natural World Heritage Site. Thousands visit the area to trek and climb every year. The trek to Everest Base Camp is a very popular item on many a bucket list.

The EBC Classic route starts from Lukla, heads north to Namche Bazaar and then follows a north-easterly direction to Dingboche, and northwards to Gorak Shep, which is the last village before EBC. Trekkers get to climb Kala Patthar from Gorak Shep and get to see amazing Everest views from the top of this mountain.

An alternative to the Classic is the Three High Passes route that takes in Renjo La, Cho La & Kongma La Mountain passes. These passes are completely bypassed in the classic route as we detour upon reaching Namche Bazaar. From here, we head west and take a clock-wise loop to Everest Base Camp. A slight variation to this is the One High Pass trek which takes us on a smaller clock-wise loop to Gokyo Lakes. Both options are longer and brings us to remote areas where we also get to climb a mountain called Gokyo Ri before heading to EBC where we will climb another mountain called Kala Patthar. Many a classic photo of Everest and surrounding peaks, plus the sunrise are taken on these two peaks. For the Three high passes trek, after EBC, we cross a third mountain pass and climb a third peak (Chukung Ri). Trekkers who decide that they do not want to do the third pass and mountain can descend after EBC and spend an extra night on a mountain lodge. We then join the Classic route for the rest of the way down. Except for the one day travelling down from Namche to Lukla, we experience new sights every day.

The longer routes are more scenic and exciting, but requires more stringent preparation. This challenge is for individuals who can endure some hardship as the finish has to be earned. Whichever route you decide on, you’ll need to be in good health and commit to train for at least three months prior to going so that you are at your peak fitness. All our trekkers have successfully made it to Everest Base Camp following our training protocol.

The pre-monsoon EBC trekking season is from March to May, and post-monsoon from October to December. The pre-monsoon period is typically crowded as it is the main climbing season. It may be cold and snowy if the preceding winter had heavy snowfalls, but progressively gets warmer. The post-monsoon period typically starts of wet and warm, but the weather progressively gets more stable and cooler. November is our recommended month as we get clear skies, cool temperatures and less crowds. In late December, temperatures will plummet and some areas will be unpassable due to snow. After our trek, we have three days to explore Kathmandu. Our itinerary includes a full day of sightseeing and there is time for some shopping before departing. If you would like to visit more places, talk to us and we shall connect you to the right people.

Difficulty:
High Passes & Island Peak: Hard 8.5/10
Direct: Challenging 7/10

Pre-requisites:
1. Walk 10km on a flat road in 100 minutes with a 5kg pack
2. Good general health with no mobility or cardiac problems

Our routes and packages:

Three High Passes to Everest Base Camp & Island Peak – 24 Days
Three High Passes to Everest Base Camp – 21 Days
One High Pass to Everest Base Camp – 19 Days
Direct Route to Everest Base Camp – 18 Days
Everest Region Experience – 9 Days

Unsure of your fitness level? Talk to us… we’ll help you with any concerns and get you ready for this challenge.