Our group of three seniors completed the EBC Trek as a private group with Nepal Hiking Team (NHT), and the service we received was excellent.
Even before the trek began, Mr. Ganga Raj Thapa was very prompt in answering all our questions over email. Upon arriving in Kathmandu, Mr. Ramakrishna, our trek guide from NHT, welcomed us at the airport and took us to our hotel, Hotel WoodApple.
Mr. Ganga Raj provided a detailed briefing of our trek itinerary and answered all our queries.
Throughout the trek, Mr. Ramakrishna was incredibly patient, keeping pace with me as I trekked slowly. He never rushed me by saying 'chalo' or 'jamjam,' and always gave me time to take frequent breaks. We encountered tough conditions due to sudden weather changes and trekked on snow for nearly four days. Ramakrishna stayed with us, offering helpful advice to manage the situation. We successfully reached Gorakshep and climbed Kalapathar, where we enjoyed stunning views of the mountains, including Mount Everest. Unfortunately, the EBC point was closed due to five feet of snow.
When one member of our group decided to take a helicopter ride back from Gorakshep, Mr. Ramakrishna arranged everything efficiently.
The return trek, which took three days, felt quite long, as we had to cover considerable distances each day. To help with walking on hard snow, we bought crampons at Gorakshep. Ramakrishna suggested that we push to reach Pangboche on the first day of our return, making the second day more comfortable. Thankfully, the skies cleared during our return journey, giving us the beautiful views we had missed earlier.
The tea house at Namche Bazaar was the best we stayed at, and the other accommodations along the route were reasonable. Though some locations had shared toilets, they were always within the tea houses. The food was generally good, and as vegetarians, we mostly ordered Dal Bhaat and bread.
Ramakrishna ensured that all our accommodations and meals were well taken care of throughout the trek—we only needed to decide what to order at the tea houses. He also helped us navigate difficult sections of the trail and was always patient with our slow pace and my husband’s frequent photo stops. We are very grateful for his support and guidance.
After the trek, Mr. Ganga Raj met with us for a debriefing session, reflecting the customer-focused approach of NHT.
We stayed at Hotel WoodApple, a three-star hotel in Kathmandu, for two nights before and two nights after the trek. The hotel was well-located, with good room quality, cleanliness, and service. One of the highlights was enjoying a leisurely lunch at the rooftop restaurant.