Everest base camp trek is 14 days trekking in Nepal. Being a high altitude trek, there are different challenges of this trek. In this article we included all the difficulties of EBC trek so that the trekkers who are planning this trek will know about the challenges. It helps to be well prepared for the trekking and minimize the consequences to make the trek successful. The mentioned difficulties are the similar to the challenges of Gokyo lake trek, Everest three passes trek and Gokyo Cho la pass trek. The major difficulties of Everest base camp trek are:

  • High altitude
  • Altitude sickness
  • Long duration
  • Long trekking distance
  • Limited tea houses
  • Unstable weather
  • Cold temperature
  • Limited food
  • Relatively expensive
  • Lukla flight

High altitude

Everest base camp is located at 5364 m above sea level. This altitude is a challenging altitude with thin atmosphere and low atmospheric pressure. Many trekkers feels uncomfortable in this altitude. We can not walk fast in this elevation. Thus, walking slowly is the best remedy to overcome the trekking on high altitude.

Altitude sickness

Altitude sickness is one of the major challenges of EBC trek. Being the location on high elevation many trekkers remain unable to complete the trekking due to altitude sickness. It is a sickness that occurs due to high altitude and low oxygen level in the atmosphere. There is high chance of altitude sickness above the elevation of 3000 m. The main symptoms of altitude sickness are:

  • Headache
  • Dizziness
  • Vomiting or nausea
  • Loss of appetite
  • Could not sleep properly
  • Shortness in breathing

How to prevent altitude sickness?

We can prevent altitude sickness by following the precautions:

  • Drinking plenty of water
  • Walking in a slow pace
  • Acclimatization
  • Return to low altitude after facing the symptoms
  • Using dimox tablet from low altitude

Long duration

EBC trek takes minimum 14 days from Kathmandu to Kathmandu. We need at least two days as buffer days to cover the extra time for waiting Lukla flight. It will not be sure that we would have Lukla flight on our date. The flight may be cancelled due to bad weather and we need to wait for another day. Therefore, long duration is required for this trekking.

Long trekking distance

The EBC trek begins from Lukla. We should cover 130 km distance in a round trek from Lukla to basecamp to Lukla which is a long distance and relatively challenging. It will be breathtaking for all trekkers. 

Limited tea houses

There are limited tea houses in Phungi Thanga, Lobuche, and Gorekshep. We will not get the rooms unless we book the trekking earlier. The room should be booked prior to the trekking. Also luxury hotels are not available in Lobuche and Gorekshep. Even we pay more amount, luxury service is not available in high altitude.

Unstable weather

The weather of Everest region keeps on changing. We may experience sunny day, cloudy day, and snow fall on same day. The weather can be bad even in best time of the year. Sometime, we will be unable to enjoy the scenic beauty of moutains due to fog and cloud.

Cold temperature

The night temperature of Everest region will always be cold. We may suffer form headache due to extreme cold nights. We need to wear windproof jackets on sunny day as well. The cold wind on day and cold temperature after sunset is a challenge on Khumbu region.

Limited food

There are varieties of food items available in low altitude but we cannot get best food on high altitude. Sometime we maynot get the food available in menu. There will be few food items we can get on off season. 

Relatively expensive

Everest base camp trek cost varies from 1200 to 5000 USD based on the services. The flight, accommodation, food cost in Everest region is expensive which makes the entire trip costly. Even the budget trek package cost 1300 USD and luxury Everest base camp Trek cost is 5000 USD per person . We can minimize the cost by limiting the services. 

Lukla flight

Lukla flight is completely dependent on weather condition. Flight does not occurs on bad weather. The flight is called thrilling flight due to its small size and movement or shaking in windy air. The small Lukla airport, small aircraft and high hills around the airport are challenges of Lukla flight. 

Conclusion

Everest base camp trek is one of the most popular trekking in the world. There are several difficulties that makes trekking more adventurous. Thousands of trekkers and climbers reach the base camp every year. We suggest to choose Mission Summit treks and expedition for your upcoming trek, we will provide you best plan and guide you to base camp successfully.