My Everest Base Camp Trek Experience
In early November 2011 I headed over to Nepal to embark on the adventure of a lifetime; Trekking up to Everest Base Camp!
We were lucky enough to be hosted by both Peregrine and Geckos Adventures who are the biggest and longest serving trekking companies in the Himalaya’s and they definitely lived up to their name! They are both small group companies and will only take a maximum of 15 travelers, which allows for a much more intimate experience and is more like a group of friends travelling together than a traditional tour group.
We arrived into Kathmandu and stayed at the Gecko’s property the Hotel Shakti which was a comfortable 3 star standard, in an amazing location, just a short 3 minute walk into the main shopping area of Thamel. It was here that we met our incredible local tour leader Norbu. The following morning we were on one of the first flights out to Lukla airport which is the gateway to the Himalaya’s. We had a perfectly smooth flight and the landing onto the small, angled runway in the middle of the mountains could not have been better!
We went to one of the lodges alongside the airstrip for lunch and met up with the rest of our trekking team. As there were 8 of us trekking we had 2 Sherpas in addition to our leader Norbu and 4 porters to carry our luggage.
November is peak trekking season due to the dry conditions and the warmer weather. We had perfect weather for our whole trek with only 1 afternoon that wasn’t clear and sunny. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking and it seemed to get prettier the higher we climbed. We stayed in lovely family run lodges the whole way up with private twin rooms and lovely meals. It was great to mix with the locals and get a feel for the culture as we went along.
Peregrine and Gecko’s have been hosting these trek’s for 38 years so they know exactly how much time people require to complete the trek in the safest possible way. To allow our bodies to adjust to the increasing altitude we took it quite slowly and every few days after a big increase in altitude we would stay in the village for two nights instead of one to allow for proper acclimatization. We were encouraged to stop for lots of photos or just for a rest when we needed. There was never any hurry to get us to our overnight stop so we were able to relax and enjoy the experience.
Trekking with Geckos is a very relaxing experience with most morning’s starting around 7am. We would be on the trail by 8.30am and depending on the length of the day would stop for lunch after a few hours. We were usually at our destination by mid afternoon. Dinner was around 6pm and after a few card games and a bit of reading we were usually in bed by 8pm!
On the 17th of November at 12.45pm we reached Everest Base Camp at a height of 5364m. Our entire group made it successfully and it was the greatest feeling of achievement I have ever experienced. We only have our amazing team to thank because without our leader Norbu, our Sherpas Tilak and Passang and our porters there was no way we would have been able to make it. They would do anything for us to make sure we were comfortable and well. Geckos employ only the best local guides and our boys were definitely a credit to the company.
After the completion of our 13 Day trek we had to say a sad goodbye to our Sherpas and porters in the morning and return with Norbu to Kathmandu to stay at the Peregrine property the Shangri-La Kathmandu. The 4 star resort is located about a 15 min walk into Thamel and was a welcome luxury after the simple lodges we had been staying in for the last 2 weeks!
I could recommend this trip to anybody who is motivated, fit and open to new cultural experiences. I returned with a whole new passion for Nepal and its people and I will definitely be returning to experience some more of the country as soon as I can! Both Peregrine and Geckos Adventures are amazing and I can trust and recommend them both highly not just for Nepal but for all area’s that they travel to.
If you are feeling inspired to embark on this adventure or any others that Peregrine & Gecko’s offer to India, Nepal, Africa, Latin America, North America, Middle East, Europe, Asia or China feel free to contact me and together we will help you get away on the trip of a lifetime!