Everest Base Camp Trek Without Guide and Porter

So, Here we are Ebc trek without a guide and porter! This seems a fun task but let us know more things about mount Everest and its base camp before proceeding with the plan.

Mount Everest (8848.86m) is the world’s tallest peak located in the northeastern part of Nepal. The trek to the base camp of Mt. Everest is the popular and trending trekking trail in Nepal. The trek will bring some of the oldest and most treasured spots on the earth. The trek even offers a close view of the majestic Himalayas as well as the local cultural exploration of Sherpas in Nepal. The Base Camp trek to Everest is considered one of the most expensive trekking regions in Nepal. With its diverse natural vegetation, Tibetian-influenced culture, and a close encounter with the Himalayas, this trek has been a dream trek for many enthusiastic trekkers around the world. 

Trekkers and climbers from all around the world have set their eyes on Everest. The Landscape of this region especially from Kalapatthar (5545m), will blow your mind away with its best-ever view of Everest.

How to access it?

The base camp to Everest has two routes, one approaching from the Southeast and the other from the north. With its border between Nepal and Tibet, autonomous China, there are two major routes to the Base camp of Everest. The southern base camp is at an altitude of 5364m in Nepal whereas the northern base camp is at an altitude of 5200m in Tibet. In Nepal, Everest Base Camp is 23 miles from Lukla. Most visitors head to the base camp of Everest from the small mountain town in Lukla. 

The two weeks classic Everest Base Camp trek passes through Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Lobuche, Dingboche, and Kala Patthar. Trekkers usually fly from Kathmandu to Lukla and start their trek from Lukla to Namche Bazar, which is the gateway to the Everest Base camp trek. Trekkers rest here for a day and trek for another two days to Dingboche monastery. Another two or three days take them to the base camp of Everest via Gorakshep.

 

 Is it possible to do the Everest base camp trek without a guide or porter?

Yes, The base camp to the world’s highest peak is possible without a guide or porter. 

As per the routes, the routes in the Everest Base camp are very easy to follow, and there are plenty of people to ask for directions during the busier seasons. Also, the local people there are always welcoming and warm and ready to help you anytime. We will meet plenty of people during the peak seasons, so, we can be friends with them and even enjoy the trek exchanging the culture and traditions each other. Ebc trek without guide and porter is not that easy but not too hard due to the following reason.

The base camp to the world’s highest peak is something to brag about. The trek to Everest Base Camp is not very difficult.

On the other hand, if you are an athlete or person with physical fitness, you can carry out the trek on your own even without a porter as well. For that, pack the only thing which is compulsory or necessary. Avoid packing unnecessary things. Trekking without a guide or Porter provides you a wonderful opportunity of researching and explore on your own. The only problems are the route and the accommodation but for those, the local or other trekkers are always there to give you a location or suggest you good accommodation. For the rest, you have to do it on your own.

 

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu

Enjoying the views over the valley, and the stunning Himalayas, you will land at Tribhuvan International Airport. Then, our representative will pick you up from the Airport terminal and transfer you to the hotel in Kathmandu. You can have a peek at the city when transferring to the hotel. We will then introduce you to your guide and they will give you a short briefing about the tour. In the evening, you can either rest in the hotel or go for an exploration of the city. Overnight at the hotel in Thamel.

Day 2: Kathmandu Sightseeing

When you are in a culturally and historically rich city, how can you miss exploring the city? Today we will visit the cultural sites in Kathmandu which are listed on the UNESCO heritage list. Starting our city tour with the early morning visit to Pashupatinath, a Hindu temple of Lord Shiva, we will then drive to Boudhanath stupa. Boudhanath is 1.7km from Pashupatinath. It is one of the pilgrimage sites for Buddhism. Then, drive to Swayambhunath, the oldest heritage of Nepal which is probably 2500 years old. 

Then last but not least, we will end the city tour with a visit to Kathmandu Durbar Square. This place is surrounded by various fountains, ancient statues, small ponds, a series of the courtyard, and small temples. Similarly, there is the Old Royal place inside the complex of Durbar Square, Hanumandhoka. The evening life around durbar square is more lively. Overnight at a hotel in Kathmandu.

Day 3: Fly to Lukla and trek to Phakding

Taking an early morning flight over the Himalayas and green terrains, we will land at Lukla Airport. The flight takes about 40 min. Meeting the rest of our team in Lukla, we will then start our trek to Phakding. We will then gradually descend to Chiplun village from where we will catch a glimpse of Mt. Khumbu Yui Lha. It is a sacred mountain that has never been climbed. Then, gradually descend until Phakding. The distance covered by the trek is 8km which is about 3-4 hours of walking. Overnight at a hotel in Phakding.

Day 4: Phakding to Namche Bazar

Today the trail takes you through a pine forest, small villages, and streams. The trail today will be longer as you have to walk for an average of 5-6 hours. Starting our hike from Phakding, we continue our walk on the trail to the north and ascend the Benkar valley. Then, We will cross the Dudh Koshi River and pass through several villages like Chumoa and Monjo villages. Afterward, we will enter Everest National Park and continue to walk toward the suspension bridge. After crossing the bridge, we pass Jorsale village and walk alongside the Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers. Similarly, We will ascend a steep trail and finally reach Namche Bazaar. Overnight at Namche.

Day 5: Acclimatization Day at Namche

 Namche lies at an altitude of around 3438m, so, to get adjusted to that altitude we will have an acclimatization day at Namche. Namche Bazar has one of the greatest Sherpa settlements and is the primary town of the Everest or Khumbu region. It has access to government offices, beautiful markets, ATMs, shops, restaurants, international brand sportswear showrooms internet cafes, and cafes. So, you can stroll around the town of Namche today.

 Besides, on our acclimatization day today, we can hike up to Sagarmatha National Park and enjoy the sunrise over the Himalayas including Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, etc. Likewise, if you are interested in a day hike, you can trek to Khumjung village. Later after lunch, we will visit the Hillary School and a monastery that houses a yeti scalp!  Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

Day 6: Namche Bazaar to Tengboche

After a day of acclimatization in Namche, we will hike to Tengboche today. From a perspective of elevation gain, this will be one of the toughest days of trekking. You will gain nearly 4,000 feet / 1,200 meters. The trek until Phunki is easy from there we ascend towards Tengboche village which is home to a famous monastery. Tengboche monastery is the biggest monastery in the Everest region. Located within the Sagarmatha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the monastery offers a stunning view of panoramic views of the Himalayas, including Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, and Thamserku. The Monastery opens at 3:00 pm, so we have to reach there by 3 o’clock to observe a Buddhist religious ceremony. Overnight in Tengboche.

Day 7: Tengboche to Dingboche

From Tengboche, we will be home to another place with famous monasteries and highly influenced Buddhist culture, Dingboche. Our trail today descends through lush forests of birch, confer, and rhododendron. Your trek will be blessed with admirable good views of stunning peaks such as Mt. Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam. Then, walk downhill to Debuche, cross the Imja River and rest at Pangboche.  Rest at the upper Pangboche trail and get a glimpse of the Himalayan vista and also the Pangboche Monastery. Likewise, continue to walk to the Imja Valley and pass through the Lobuche River.

Thus, from the river ascend uphill and reach Dingboche. Dingboche is a wonderful village with a panoramic natural scenario as well as diverse vegetation along with the culture and tradition. So, you have a lot more to explore after reaching Dingboche. Overnight at a hotel in Dingboche.

Day 8: Acclimatization day at Dingboche

We will acclimatize once again at Dingboche. Spending a day at Dingboche helps us to adjust to the high altitude. Dingboche has a lot to offer to tourists. Instead of staying idle, we can hike to the village behind the ridge and get a glimpse of the world’s tallest peaks including Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu. Furthermore, we can also witness the natural landscapes, diverse vegetation, and grazing land of the Himalayan region of Nepal. On our north-west, more Himalayan peaks are rising above the Khumbu Khola Valley Among them, Lobuche West, Lobuche East, and Lhotse are the most dominant.

 Besides, we can also admire the picturesque Imja Khola Valley and the beautiful Dingboche village from the other side of the bridge. Overnight at Dingboche.

Day 9: Dingboche to Duglha

The distance from Dingboche to Dugla is 4km, which takes about 3-4 hours the walk. It is a relatively short journey where we trek across a wide pass. Around the beginning of the trek, we will enjoy the picturesque view of the mighty Himalayas on all sides. Afterward, the valley narrows down as we come closer to Dusa. As we continue our trail, there comes a view of the stunning Mt. Pumori. Then, we will ascend to Duglha after crossing a stream. Duglha is a tiny village with a huge strand of prayer flags hung across the valley. In Duglha, walk for 45 more minutes to an hour and visit the Memorial Shrine. Overnight in Duglha.

Day 10: Duglha to Lobuche

Today the trek is relatively shorter and you will walk for about 2-4 hours depending upon your speed and cover a distance of 4km. Starting our trek by ascending the steep terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier, we will encounter several unrealistic views along the way. We will then pass through boulder-strewn slopes after ascending to Chupki Lara, a ridge that provides spectacular mountain views. The top of the ridge is full of prayer flags and stones as a memorial shrine for climbers who lost their lives on Mt. Everest. Similarly, the trail drops to the Khumbu Glacier moraine, where one can get a view of great peaks including Khumbutse, Lingtren, Pumori, and Mahalangur Himal. We can get a glimpse of Mt. Nuptse while we cross the Khumbu Glacier. Overnight in Lobuche.

Day 11: Lobuche to Gorak Shep, visit Everest Base Camp

Today we will trek from Lobuche to Gorak Shep. And today is the special day of the trek as well reach the Everest base camp trek at an elevation of 5365m. Upon trekking to the base camp, we will enjoy the incredibly gently rounded ice towers on the upper part of the Khumbu glacier. The Everest Base Camp is stunningly beautiful where we can enjoy amazing views of the Nuptse, Khumbuste, and Pumori mountains. After soaking in the beauty of the Himalayas, we walk back towards Gorak Shep and spend the night. 

Day 12: Gorak Shep to Kala Patthar and Pheriche

Today the hike will be longer as we have to walk for 7-8 hours covering a total distance of 16km. Waking up early we will hike to Kala Patthar. We walk on a fairly steep trail, ascend the hill and reach the summit of Kalapatthar. The view from the summit is stunning as we get to see the view of Lingtren, Khumbutse, and Changtse mountains.  After spending some time at the summit of Kala Patthar, we walked back to Gorak Shep. Trekkers who will visit the Everest Base Camp today will have an early breakfast as the hike up to the Everest base camp is longer than that of Kala Patthar. After returning to Gorak Shep, both the groups will have lunch together and descend to Pheriche. Overnight in Pheriche.

Day 13: Pheriche to Namche Bazaar

Today losing approximately 2,000 feet in elevation, we walk on a trail with a lot of ups and downs. Firstly, we will descend through a hillside with rhododendron and juniper trees and cross a bridge over the Dudh Koshi River. After that, we will descend through the pine forest where we can easily spot mountain goats, pheasants, and other wild animals and birds. We will reach Sansa from where we can enjoy views of Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and Nuptse mountains. Then, walking on a windy trail, we will reach Namche. Overnight at Namche.

Day 14: Namche Bazaar to Lukla

We begin our trek from Namche Bazaar today on rocky terrain. Today, the trek is mostly a downhill trek on a trail alongside the Dudh Koshi River. After crossing several suspension bridges, we will pass by several monasteries and villages and reach Lukla. After reaching Lukla we spend the rest of the day taking rest or exploring around the Lukla. Overnight in Lukla

Day 15: Fly to Kathmandu

We will catch an early morning flight to Kathmandu and upon reaching Kathmandu, we can take a rest or do some souvenir shopping. If we want to explore other areas of Kathmandu. Our guides can help you with both souvenir shopping and sightseeing. Later in the evening, there will be a farewell dinner to celebrate the successful completion of our journey. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Day 16: Final departure

Our adventure in Nepal ends today. Our representative will drop you off at the Tribhuvan International Airport and wish you a safe and wonderful journey. 

Here we did it, if you can do Ebc trek without guide or porter you can conquer the world. But, wait! We have few more information to share.

Best time to do

Spring and Autumn

Spring and Autumn are the peak seasons for the base camp trek to Everest.  The months of March, April, May, October, and November, are the months when the conditions of the weather and temperature are at their best. The spring and the autumn tend to offer reasonable temperatures, clear skies, beautiful mountain scenarios, natural landscapes as well as comfortable routes. On the other hand, there is little-to-no rain, and less chance of problematic snowfall during this season, which makes the trek more comfortable. The routes are busiest during this month, however, if you’re seeking the best weather conditions, that’s a trade-off you may be prepared to make. 

 

Winter

The month of December, January, and February isn’t necessarily bad time to trek to Everest Base Camp, but it’s certainly the off-season. The temperatures in the Everest region can get extremely cold, so you need to be well prepared for freezing conditions. However, the skies tend to be very clear in winter, meaning excellent mountain views. Because of the off-season, you won’t be in the crowded place en route. You can freely trek of your own will.

Monsoon

The monsoon is not a go-on season for the trek. The month of June to early September is not an ideal time to travel to the Base camp of Everest. The wet weather in the monsoon can lead to landslides on trails and muddy conditions. Similarly, the rainclouds can obscure the mountain views. Generally, temperatures are warmer at this time, and it rarely rains all day every day. However, If you’re well prepared for the rain, monsoon trekking can be fine because there is certainly less rainfall at the higher altitude.

 

 

Accommodation

During your trek to Everest Base Camp, you will be accomodating in Several Lodges and tea houses. The number of tea houses and lodges gets limited as we rise higher in altitude. They provide comfortable bed sheets and blankets but you can carry your sleeping bag. However, we will be staying in different teahouses and Lodges during the trek, so we suggest you be self-prepared. For Accommodation, because of the higher number of trekkers, you might have to share a room with your fellow trekkers(of the same gender). Therefore, you should be prepared in every way for the Base Camp trek of the highest peak Everest.

 

 

Meals and Water

As for the food, you will get an abundance of lodges and a teahouse serving the best meals for you. Even though there are not many options for the food in the tea house and lodges, one can have a taste of typical local food. Generally, three meals are planned for the day.

Breakfast: Breakfast is the starting meal of the day. As you need to walk for 5-6 hours per day, we try to include healthy food in breakfast which will give you energy for the whole day’s walk. The options for breakfast are bread, potatoes, porridge omelets, toast, and tea with milk.

 

Lunch: Lunch is the main course of the meal for the whole day in Nepal. We will stop at one of the tea houses for lunch. For Lunch, we will have the popular items in the upper Himalayan region of Nepal such as Nepali food including Dal, Bhat, Tarkari, and Achar. Cooked meat and dry meat are other options here. Besides, noodles, Thukpa, momos, and pasta, are other lunch options.

 

Dinner: The dinner time will be around 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.  You can have dinner outside in the campfire. For dinner, you will again have the traditional Nepali food, Dal Bhat Tarkari Achar. You can even try some other dishes and soups for dinner.

 

 

Health Facility

The Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) has set up medical clinics at Manang and Pheriche. The clinics have been in operation since March 01, 2004, with the opening of the Everest base camp on April 01, 2004. The Manang Clinic is run by Dr. Alexandra Halina Dunin Bell and Dr. Michael Kai Chin whereas the Pheriche Clinic is manned by Dr. Suzanne Christinne Boyle. Also, the medical setup of the Everest base camp is at the height of 5,340 meters which will be looked after by Dr. Lauanne Freer and Dr. Denise Meritt and assisted by the HRA staff.

These clinics are established to reduce casualties in the Nepal Himalayas. 

 

 

Local people’s assistant expectation

The local people in the Everest region are warm and friendly. The people in the Everest region are mostly sherpas and chores. And by profession, they are engaged in mountaineering and guiding. Likewise, all of our guides, assistant guides, and porters are local to the Everest region and are highly experienced in their field. They are the key to connecting with the local people, food, landscape, and culture. The locals of Namche will welcome you warmly and offer you cultural and local performances. Also, if you are willing to do a solo trek the locals will assist you as much as they can. 

 

Challenges

Flight delay and cancellation

Lukla airport is huddled into the Himalayas, with an extremely short runway and mountain walls which makes its take-off and landing difficult.  Also, the number of flight operations in Lukla is limited because of the unpredictable weather in the mountainous region. High winds, low-lying clouds, and poor visibility are the major climatic causes that result in Lukla flight delays/ cancellations. 

 

Altitude sickness

While trekking to the high Himalayas, the decreasing amount of oxygen at higher elevations may affect you to some extent. Altitude sickness starts at an elevation above 2500m. However, not everyone suffers from altitude sickness as the ability of the human body to cope with new surroundings differs among individuals. Some common symptoms of altitude sickness are weakness, dizziness, giddiness, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, insomnia, and shortness of breath. Therefore, one should be careful during the high-altitude trek where the level of oxygen is extremely low.

 

Occupied Tea house and Lodges

Everest Base camp trek is one of the busiest trekking trails in Nepal so, it is obvious that there is a crowd everywhere during peak season. Because of the high number of trekkers, the guest house gets limited and easily occupied. So, you might have difficulties finding a teahouse and lodges for accommodation. Similarly, one has to wait in queues for the food. Therefore, you have to pre-book the teahouse and lodges. However, you may have to share the room with another person of the same gender. 

 

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