Bill Tillman, the enigmatic explorer and mountaineer led the first commercial trek to Everest Base Camp (EBC) in 1952, which has since become a ‘right of passage’ for the many thousands of adventurous trekkers who regularly hike the 92km round trip from Lukla to Gorak Shep in the Nepalese Khumbu Valley to marvel at the breath-taking views and tread the hallowed ground that is EBC, now known throughout the world as the Everest Base Camp Trek.
Mount Everest was first climbed in 1953 by the much revered and celebrated pioneers of high altitude mountaineering: Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa. The mountain has captivated the hearts and minds of climbers and trekkers throughout the World ever since, and will continue to do so for a very long time to come.
Hilary and Norgay’s legacy has lived on in the Everest region ever since that momentous first ascent in the form of countless educational, medical and recreational facilities, along with numerous other projects and schemes all funded by their ‘Himalayan Trust’ charity, a payback for the joy and pleasure that Mt Everest and the Himalayan people gave to them during their many visits to the region. Everest remains the jewel of high altitude mountaineering and is still the ultimate challenge for the hundreds of would be summiteers who attempt to scale its grandiose slopes each year in pursuit of the ultimate prize, and the lasting admiration that success invariably brings.
To trek to EBC is in itself an awesome experience. It takes you into the heart of the Himalayan massive, a journey that hundreds of trekkers make daily during the pre and post monsoon trekking seasons. The EBC starts at the relatively modest altitude of 2850m at the small, but always busy, Lukla airport, and goes to the dangerously ‘high altitude’ destination of ‘Gorak Shep’, which is the final primitive outpost on the Base Camp trek before the two plum objectives of EBC and the lofty viewpoint of Kala Patthar at 5540m are reached. It passes through lush valleys and high mountain passes before eventually arriving at the ever-changing beauty of the Khumbu Valley, with its towering snow and ice capped summits, and its expansive glaciers, which carve through the landscape like icy dragons as they force their way between the soaring summits of the Mount Everest (Sagarmatha to the locals) National Park.
Most ‘first time’ trekkers to the Mt Everest National Park follow the same well-practised and relatively safe routine of a slow and gentle acclimatisation plan that takes approximately 7-8 days of upwards trekking before making the high mountain pilgrimage to EBC and the energetic and breath sapping climb up to Kala Patthar at 5540m, before commencing the return journey back to Lukla, and Kathmandu in a spritely 5 days or so, eager to return to comparative civilisation and the reward of a hot shower and a well deserved celebratory meal and beer or two.
Whilst the majority of trekkers complete this hike with little more than an inconvenient ‘high altitude’ headache, the dangers should not be taken lightly, and without a robust acclimatisation programme and good sanitary discipline, numerous trekkers still succumb every year to the ever present dangers of ‘Acute Mountain Sickness’ (AMS), and the nemesis of all adventure trekkers in developing countries: diarrhoea and vomiting! Both of these illnesses can be prevented with a little knowledge, and constant vigilance to personal hygiene and diet throughout the trek.
Those ambitious outdoor enthusiasts with aspirations to the longer and more adventurous high altitude treks and trails should find EBC a very rewarding challenge with a real sense of achievement despite its justifiable popularity and relative ease of access. Using the unique Nepalese institution of the ‘Tea House Lodge’, trekkers can travel light and enjoy the great hospitality and company of other trekkers that the ‘Tea House’ culture brings.
No specialist clothing or equipment is required for the EBC Trek, although a good down or synthetic jacket will afford a degree of added comfort during those chilly evenings and morning periods before the sun clears the mountain ridges, and additionally whilst enjoying the views from Kala Patthar and EBC, additionally a good 4-season sleeping bag will be required to ensure a comfortable night's sleep, especially when higher up the Khumbu Valley.
Most Tea Houses offer a full board service with hot showers, shop facilities, laundry, Internet and telephone readily available, albeit at a premium.
How hard is it? - Trekkers should be capable of walking for 6-7 hours over undulating terrain on a variety of surfaces in varying temperatures at altitude, although most people with regular UK hill walking experience will have little difficulty in completing the trek.
This article was brought to you courtesy of www.impadventures.com as part of a charity trek in aid of the Veteran’s charity Help for Heroes.
In 2012 a group of ex-service personnel led by Damon Blackband of Imp Adventures will be attempting to climb Mt Everest via the notoriously difficult North Ridge in aid of the Help for Heroes charity. To find out more about this attempt and to offer support please visit www.everest4heroes.com
