Has anyone one here trekked to Everest Base Camp?

[Gizmosgremlins]

Random but really keen to hear if anyone on here has completed the trek to Everest base camp? It's on my bucket list but i suspect I'm rather naive about the limit of my own capabilites. There are plenty of FB groups about it but just wondered if anyone here has done it?

Not Everest but I did Annapurna base camp. Was brilliant.

Yes I’ve done it. I did it early in the season (March) during Covid (well the first time the mountain was open post covid - in the country I lived in we were allowed to travel) so it was AMAZING. We were basically the only tourists there, had all accommodations to ourselves, no crowds or ques.

It’s just a hike. The altitude makes it a bit trickier but you wouldn’t need to turn back with altitude sickness if you do the proper acclimatisation.

I was 30, generically fit (spinning, weight training) but lived in Dubai so never went hiking. It was fine. I got a chest infection which tbf did make bits of it difficult but all very manageable.

You can tag on an additional hike to Gokyo Ri to make it a longer trek which I hugely recommend.

That being said I don’t know if it would be fun when it’s super busy. Try to go as out of season as possible so it’s quieter - albeit obviously it’s much colder then (in early March it was fecking Baltic; I would need two down jackets at night although I am a cold cold human).

Yes. Many years ago.

I had plenty of time and took it slowly. Spent a week relaxing at Namche Bazaar. Met many people on organised tours who were in a rush and did get some altitude sickness.

Amazing experience

Annapurna base camp also - was amazing!

I’ve driven there…walked the last part. The Tibet side. I used to live in Nepal and wish I’d done it, but the time needed to acclimatise and trek there and back, it’s not really an option any more, sadly. I’d say go for it :)

Thank you everyone! I'll take a look at annapaurna base camp trek too and that add on trek from EBC. If I did do it it would be a bucket list item which I realistically wouldn't actually do for another 10 years yet until my kids are grown and flown (and fingers crossed I'm still fit and healthy then). Then i would hope to be able to do it at a more leisurely pace and add on a few days to keep at bay any altitude sickness.

I climbed Kilimanjaro and had pretty unpleasant altitude sickness. I definitely wouldn’t fancy going any higher.

I haven't been to base camp but I did a guided walk around the anapurna region which was amazing, saw beautiful mountains and didn't go high at all so no altitude sickness.

Yes, I have tried the Everest Base Camp trek, and you can also try the Everest Base Camp Trek! It’s an amazing experience that challenges you physically and mentally but rewards you with breathtaking views and unforgettable memories. Just make sure to prepare well!

We did it in October last year for my 50th birthday.

i trained and trained but it was harder than I expected. It’s the constant hiking day after day. It’s exhausting. The attitude was ok - everyone was taking Diamox which is easily available in Kathmandu. Also I got very sick of trekking through yak poo!

I suggest you go with a good guide company who also looks after their porters. I saw porters on the way that were carrying loads where they were struggling to walk.

Unfortunately we had unexpected averse weather - days of rain which then turned into a blizzard. We used intrepid and they were amazing keeping us safe and getting us through! Don’t underestimate that there can be danger involved.

But do some training, expect some hardship and you will be fine.

My partner did it last year end of March/early April. He loved it. He is physically very fit as he is a manual labourer but hadn’t done lots of hiking leading up to it - it’s the kind of hike where fitness is transferable. He did it in a group and 2 people dropped out 2 days in as it was too hard for them but they didn’t seem to have any fitness at all and a couple of pre-existing health niggles. The hardest part was that the poor visibility meant the flights to start the hike were not running for several days so they ended up driving on some very gnarly roads for hours on end and then having an additional 2 big hikes before they even properly started. DP took it ok but just didn’t expect the flights to be so easily disrupted as the weather itself wasn’t that bad and need to find an alternative route.

I did it years ago when I was in my 20s and absolutely loved it! It's hard at times but very doable even for an inexperienced hiker. I'd love to go back one day.

I did this trek with my teenage DC. We were in a mixed group and everyone had variable fitness levels. The hike really isn’t that bad, I think anyone of reasonable fitness could do it. It’s similar difficulty to Snowdon etc, but as if you are doing that hike for a few days in a row.

Thanks all! It sounds more feasible than I thought it might be. I've done a few multi day hikes before (west highland way e.g). Will get researching! Thanks

We did Annapurna - amazing!