Trekking to Everest Base Camp is wonderful as it takes you to one of the highest places on the earth. The heavenly beauty of this journey is splendid and astounding that surely leaves every visitor spellbound. The trek is indeed beautiful and brings the pleasure of exploring the highest mountains in the world, nonetheless the journey somewhat comes with certain responsibilities. The responsibilities lean towards the safety and risk factors that trekkers should avoid while doing EBC trek. Similarly, there are certain criteria that trekkers should fulfill before making their way towards the Himalayan Heaven. Here in this blog, we are going into details on what permits are needed for doing Everest Base Camp Trek. At the same time, we highlighted the difficulty factors of the trek. Trekking in Nepal is a pleasant activity to endeavor while in Nepal. But to do this specific activity, trekkers are required to purchase trekking permits and should know details about the trail as well. So without further ado, let's explore these topics in the following segment.
Permits for Everest Base Camp Trek
For trekking in Everest region or Everest base camp trek, you will need to purchase Khumbu Pasang Lhamu rural municipality permit and Sagarmatha national park entrance ticket. Before October 2018, trekkers were obliged to purchase 3 permits: Sagarmatha national park, TIMS and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu rural municipality. Before the mentioned date, the trekkers were required to purchase three permits cards to trek in this Himalayan region. But as of October 2018, trekkers are not required to purchase a Trekkers Information Management System (TIMS) card for trekking in any trail of this region. It used to cost USD 20 for independent trekkers and USD 10 for group joining trekkers. And for citizens of SAARC countries, it cost NPR 300 for group joining trekkers and NPR 600 for independent trekkers.
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu rural municipality entrance grant is NPR 2000 for every individual. Trekkers can get the permit in Lukla if you are following the standard EBC trek route. In the standard EBC trek route, you will first fly to Lukla from Kathmandu. And if you are following the classic EBC trek route, which is from Jiri to Salleri, then you can obtain the entrance permit at any village you first enter in Khumbu region.
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu rural municipality entrance permit is not available to purchase from Kathmandu.
Furthermore, the next permit you will need is the Sagarmatha National Park entry ticket. Unlike the first permit, you can get the Sagarmatha National Park entry ticket in Kathmandu as well as in Monjo. Henceforth, it does not matter where you decide to obtain your permit from. It cost NPR 3000 per person for foreign travelers. And, for the citizens of SAARC nations, it cost NPR 1500 for every individual. You can get the Sagarmatha national park entrance ticket from the Nepal Tourism Board in Kathmandu.
And if you take the classic EBC trek route from Jiri or Salleri, then you need to obtain another trekking permit. Trekkers will have to purchase the Gaurishankar Conservation Area entrance permit. It cost NPR 3000 per foreigner.
You can obtain the Gaurishankar Conservation Area entrance ticket in Kathmandu office of Nepal Tourism Board.
Documents required for buying Trekking permits
For Khumbu Pasang Lhamu rural municipality trekking permit and Sagarmatha national park entrance ticket, you simply need to give passport details. And for the Gaurishankar conservation area entrance ticket, you will need two photographs and will have to fill up a small form.
Difficulty Factors of Everest Base Camp Trek
The maximum height you will reach in Everest Base Camp Trek is 5545m above sea level at Kala Patthar. And climbing to this altitude is not an easy task, neither the most difficult thing to do. The EBC trail is rugged, rough, narrow and sometimes steep. The total number of the trek is 11 days if you follow the standard 16 days Everest Base Camp trek itinerary. And the average walking hour per day in the high altitude area is 5-6 hours. Similarly, you will gain 500-600m altitude per day. Henceforth, the concerning factor of EBC trek is not its trail, but the height of the trekking area. While trekking in Nepal, one should always be conscious of the height of their trekking destination. Nonetheless, to be able to trek in the Himalayas of Nepal, nobody has to be a distinguished trekking expert. People with no prior training or experience can also enjoy the Himalayan trail of Nepal.
In Everest Base Camp trek, the strenuous day is the one where you will hike to Kala Patthar in the morning and trek down to Pheriche from Gorakshep. This is after the day of visiting Everest Base Camp Trek which is also quite a challenging part of the trek. Besides these two days, the journey regardless of how narrow or steep the trail is, it is interesting and not that difficult on the legs. You will just have to follow the tips of the guide and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. One of the easiest ways to get mountain sickness during the trek is through dehydration. Similarly, you will also easily get altitude sickness if you rush the trek. So it is imperative to gradually move toward the trip and utilize all the days set for acclimatization. Subsequently while hiking to EBC, keep in mind that trail is not difficult but it will be if you are not careful. Approach the trek responsibly and steadily so that you will complete the trek without suffering any glitch.
Moreover, the trek is doable for both newbie trekkers as well as experienced trekkers. Nonetheless, what experience you hold regarding trekking, it is very necessary to be fit and healthy to do Everest Base Camp trek. So, trekkers who are rookie or experienced thinking of doing EBC trek, they should do training and exercise before opting for the trek. Trekkers can engage in activities like swimming, brisk walking, occasional hiking, cycling, or any other workouts that increase your cardiovascular capacity. Trekking in Nepal will test your endurance level.
On the whole, it is important to note that you are walking continuously for 3 or 4 hours in the high altitude area so remember to take a break and drink water. Similarly, if possible avoid eating non-veg meals while trekking. Instead of non-veg meals, try to go local and veg and drink plenty of soup.
So this is some information regarding hiking to Everest Base Camp which every trekker should know before starting the hike. We hope it has been helpful to the reader. By the same token, we hope it has been helpful in planning and preparation for your next adventure. If there are any other concerns related to Everest Base Camp Trek, feel free to reach Nepal Hiking Team. We shall assist you regarding your query.
