Everest Base Camp FAQ’s

Hiking up to Everest Base Camp not knowing what to expect can be slightly daunting. Simple things like knowing how much clothing is enough, or how much toilet paper should you bring suddenly seem like big issues. To ensure you have the best time and enjoy every day, here is a compilation of frequently asked questions to get you ready!

Q. Will it be cold?

A. This entirely depends on when you’re going but yes, expect it to be cold and sub-zero temperatures at Base Camp. I went in April which was sunny and warm when hiking during the day (wearing only long hiking pants and a singlet top). After Namche you will find yourself wearing a windbreaker or jumper during the day. From Dingboche to basecamp (last 2 days) I also wore a beanie, scarf and gloves and thermal top and pants. At night times you will wear every single layer you own. It reached -19 at Gorakshep during the night.

Q. What clothes will I need to bring?

A. Everyone has a different answer for this one, but I took with me

• 4 pairs sport socks and 3 pairs thick hiking socks (one pair I slept in only)
• new pair of underwear for every day
• long hiking pants
• thermal pants (also wore these as ‘casual’ leggings at night for dinner)
• sport bras
• 3 exercise, sweat-wicking shirts
• thermal top
• thermal/wool jumper
• exercise jumper
• big thick wool jumper
• wind-proof jacket
• 3 beanies, 1 pair ski gloves, scarf and a neck warmer
• hiking shoes and canvas shoes (great for walking around town after hiking or on acclimization days)
• PJ’s

Q. What toiletries do I need?

A. Getting sick while hiking makes for a very uncomfortable couple of days. I suggest taking everything you think you might need. You can’t shower after day 2 so don’t stress about washing your hair but pack

• panadol and ibuprofen
• gastro-stop or immodium based product
• Diamox (altitude sickness medicine)
• face wipes and moisturizer
• toothbrush and toothpaste
• baby wipes for a makeshift shower
• toilet paper (around 5 rolls for a couple for 8 days keeping in mind most people suffer a bout of gastro at some point)
• Hydralyte and Berocca – great for a kick of energy and some vitamins
• Menthol lollies

Q. Is it hard?

A. This depends on the person but I would say it is medium-to-difficult. The guide will ensure you walk quite slowly so you never feel over-exerted like you do when you go for a run or walk up a very long steep hill. As the pace is slow and breaks frequent most people should be able to manage providing they are of reasonable health and fitness. In our group ages ranged from 14-28 years old and in another group ages were around 55-65 and everyone completed it. The uphill and downhill can be tough on your knees and hips but otherwise every hill ends soon enough! It is mind over matter. Ignore the hard bits and push on. You’ll arrive exhausted but feel good to go again the next day.

Q. How much walking is there?

A. The trek takes eight days up and 4 days down. On the way up you’ll walk everyday ranging from 5-8 hours but on acclimatization days you only walk for about an hour to get used to the higher elevation and then can relax for the afternoon. Read a day-by-day guide here!

Q. What camera should I take?

A. The best one you have! This really is an incredible experience and the views are magnificent! Take the best camera you can get your hands on as you don’t want to miss out on taking some brilliant photos. I took a GoPro, proper big fancy camera and my Iphone 6s. I ended up forgetting my memory card for the GoPro so it didn’t work and I didn’t even end up using the fancy camera, just my Iphone. I was lucky enough to upgrade my phone right before I went so I had a great camera on it which took quality photos so I felt no need to bring out the big camera. However Iphones do switch of in the cold, below 0 degrees so if you’re going in winter be aware that you may need a proper camera which can handle the cold as an Iphone wouldn’t.

Q. What kind of food is there?

On the mountain expect plain food with a lot of rice, potatoes and bread. All the food eaten is either grown there or carried up so avoid all meat as it is not fresh and can be risky to eat. Common dishes are dal bhaat (rice, veggies and some sort of curry), momos (dumplings), curry, breads, porridge and a lot of potato and carrots. Often breakfast is eggs and toast or porridge and lunch and dinner is mostly rice based. Bring your own sweet snacks up like lollies and chocolate.

Q. Can you buy things on the mountain?

Yes you can buy pretty much anything and everything at Namche Bazaar (day 2). This is the last big market so anything you need it is wise to grab. Here I bought a water bottle, water purification tablets, lollies and toilet paper. You can regularly stock up on lollies and toilet paper on the way but that’s about it. I recommend taking anything you think you will need with you.

Q. Is it worth it?

A. It is tough but it is completely and utterly worth it. You will be challenged both physically and mentally, you’ll have to talk to yourself and tell yourself “one more step” a million times, you’ll have to walk when you don’t want to, struggle to breathe and climb over rocks but each time you stop remember to look up. The glorious mountain range which ebbs different hues of blue, from grey-tinged blue, to dusty-blue, white-speckled blue, dark blue outlines and a brilliant royal blue sky. Nature here is truly incredible and will take your breath away more than once. Enjoy the silence, enjoy every rock you clamber over, enjoy the large mountains that start to look small and enjoy the trek to Base Camp as it is one of the most inspiring and beautiful hikes you may ever do.

Thinking of doing it and have another question? Ask away!

 

Your guide to trekking Everest Base Camp: part 3

Day 7 – Dengboche to Laboche

Today we lost a member of our group, she was too sick with gastro and altitude sickness and was medically evacuated. We are now a group of 5. Luckily Alex and I still feel fine, but we are warned altitude sickness will start to kick in around this height, 4,410m.

Today is tough. Super tough. The wind is batting against us and it is -5 degrees. It snowed last night and we wake to a blanket of white and grey skies. The path is somewhat flat with a little uphill but every step is a battle against the wind. My fingers are numb despite the ski gloves I am wearing. My nose is so cold I can no longer feel it. I’m wearing ear warmers and a beanie, scarf, jumper, windbreaker, hiking pants and a pair of normal socks and thermal socks. I keep thinking about yesterdays hike and how every step is worth the view, but it is still a mental game of pushing your body forward. After lunch we pause at the memorial to all those who have passed away while summiting Everest. It is a somber reminder of just how difficult this mountain is. Today is all about lollies and chocolate. A couple of snakes and a square or two of chocolate is needed to tackle the ever-prominent hills.

Day 8 – Laboche to Gorakshep then Basecamp

My body is so exhausted; each step is like walking trough treacle. Slow and steady, one foot after the other. Breathing is incredibly tough, the air is so thin no matter how quick I breathe it is not enough. We all sound like mini trains we are drawing air so hard. Today I start to experience my first signs of altitude sickness. My head is pounding and while panadol at the start of the day helped ease the pain, by the end of the day it does nothing. About halfway we see tiny spots of orange; base camp tents! This gives everyone the push they need to keep going.

Gorakshep is a miserable small town that hovers around -19 degrees at night. It is so bitterly cold. Appetite loss is common at high altitude and I have no stomach for any food. Instead I soldier on to base camp, another 2 hours from Gorakshep. Nausea kicks in, another effect of altitude and combined with my headache each step is laborious. Base camp is in view and slowly I push on.

Reaching base camp and touching my hand on the rocks is like being hit with a tidal wave. The feeling of relief and euphoria is immense. I am so proud of myself. Despite every big hill, endless stairs, no air and struggling to breath, I have just hiked 8 days to reach this exact spot. Huge silly grins are plastered on all of our faces. There’s a lot of hugging and high-fiving. The headaches are all but forgotten.

We leave after 15 minutes, which feels weird since we spent 8 days hiking to get here, but after 2pm the wind starts to furiously pick up so our guide decides to head back to Gorakshep. On the way we see people still struggling to make it, one young blonde girl has her arm draped over a porter struggling to make it up the hill she looks dizzy as he supports her and half pulls her up. We push on and climb the trail. At this point the adrenaline of reaching base camp has faded and my headache returns with a vengeance, I feel sick and stop to catch my breath many times. By the time we return to camp I head straight to bed and Alex not only feels the same, but it also dealing with Gastro. We don’t get up till 7am the next morning having a solid 15-hour rest. Unfortunately we don’t make it down the hill and instead are flown down in a heli bringing the Everest trip to an end. But we made it to base camp and that was the most important thing.

Your guide to trekking Everest Base Camp: part 2

Day 4 – Namche bazaar to Tengboche

Before lunch the walk is an easy relatively flat hike but after lunch its all uphill. A steady 3 hours of steps and hills brings us to the Tengboche monastery. The towns are getting fewer and fewer and toilets are turning into rocks with trees. At this point we are around halfway and starting to notice the lack of air. Breathing is slightly harder and quicker as your body attempts to draw in more oxygen. Lucky for me I have no side effects from taking Diamox, however others have tingly hands and feet and their bathroom usage has quadrupled. We all take of our shoes and sit in on a ceremony at the monastery, blessing those who are summiting Everest. I sit cross -egged on the cold floor staring at the summiting groups. They also sit cross-legged, their eyes closed and heads slightly down. The monks hum in different tunes creating a deep reverberating sound that rocks itself into your bones. I can’t help but stare and wonder why they want to ascend nearly 8,800m above sea level, their bodies shutting down at 7,000m literally dying as they reach the highest point in the world.

We were told no more running water but when we arrive at Tengboche our lodge not only has indoor toilets but also has running water. Our guide also tells us not to eat any meat or eggs as because they have to be carried up they’re not safe to eat by the time they arrive. Instead we tuck into the usual; rice or noodles.

Day 5 – Tengboche to Dengboche

Today is easy, the path is relatively flat or as the Nepalese like to say its Nepali flat, little up and little down. I’ve come down with a head cold and feeling congested which makes breathing even harder. Every breath is laboured and strained. It is steadily getting colder during the day and from time to time I switch between my jumper and windbreaker.

Unfortunately gastro makes its first appearance for everyone and we’re all popping gastro-stop. There are no toilets on the track and even when we hit a small village the only available toilet is a hole cut into the wooden floor of a small square wooden cube. The landscape has drastically changed, trees are few and far between, shrubbery is disappearing and it’s starting to look barren. It is so silent and serene, the only noise is the slap of my feet on the ground, the tinkling of a loose rock and my haggard breathing.

Day 6 – Acclimatization day

This morning we get a sleep in till 8am before tucking into warm porridge for breaky then we start our acclimatization hike. A strenuous, steep and difficult hour climb which is almost vertical it is so steep. Sadly, a girl in our group has severe gastro and is stuck in bed all day, the rest of us are fine and soldier on. The only thought running through my mind is just one step, just one more step. It is cold and windy, I am bundled up in a jumper, windbreaker, beanie and gloves. My neck is bunched down and my face towards my feet as I concentrate on placing my feet between the rocks and push onwards and upwards. I concentrate on breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth, struggling to get enough air in. My breathing is loud as I hit the top and slowly, between gulping down water, I managed to control it enough to stand with my mouth agape at the glorious view.

It is like a sea of rocky hills, each one ascending and descending creating a jagged line in the blue sky. White-topped, the ice dribbles down into crevasses, the wind whips against my face drowning out the sound of my breath and a black long-winged bird floats in sky letting itself be carried before swooping down, soaring back up again to float, starting the whole process again. We all stand there smiling at the earth’s beauty. This is why I am climbing to base camp, to see pictures like this. It’s real, raw and incredible.

Hiking the Norwegian fjords

If a picture speaks a thousand words, then photos of the incredible, majestic and inspiring fjords speak volumes. Fjords are long, deep and narrow inlets of water that run between towering cliffs. They create epic views; if you can manage the hike up. Restrained by weather, the ‘easiest’ of the hikes to Preikestolen or Pulpit Rock in english was the only hike open and I was not leaving Norway without seeing its stunning scenery.

4km uphill across man-made wooden paths, steps carved out of the rocky face, small streams and flourishing green shrubs to an icy climb that left our feet wet and hands grazed from slipping over. It was comparable to Narnia; a white-washed winter land that took your breath away. Was it worth it?

The answer is in the photos: Yes.

     

Our picturesque trip to Cinque Terre

Want to swim in aqua coloured water so clear you can see your toes? Or hike up lush mountainside to reward yourself with awe-inspiring views of a deep blue ocean stretching out in front of you with the sun casting its golden glow across the water? If none of them sound appealing, how about trying focaccia in its birth town, or munching on some of the best pesto pasta you’ve ever had.

A string of 5 towns on Italy’s rugged coastline is becoming well known for its beauty and is a perfect place to relax. Known as Cinque Terre it is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. The 5 towns stretch up the ragged coastline, having been built into the rocks. Each one is quite small, consisting of one main street that runs on a vertical hill into the mountainside, and away from the water. Connecting these towns is a series of both coastal walks and mountain walks as well as trains. Trains run regularly enough and are incredibly packed but make an easy way to get around.

Four out of five of the coastal walks were closed due to landslides taking out the paths, however the mountain walks were all open. To walk the coastal walks you need to purchase a walking pass for €8 or a walking and train pass for €12. The lady at the information center in Riomaggiore, the first town, told us the mountain walks were too hard, she shook her head and muttered in heavily Italian accented English ‘no no, straight uphill, 1 hour of stairs, too hot, too hard, can’t do it’. And that was the first walk, which was meant to be the easy one! Feeling put off and not keen to walk an hour up stairs in Italy’s summer heat we bought the double pass for the train and coastal paths.

Feeling excited we were about to set off when three kiwi women overheard our conversation and told us they had done the mountain walks and were worth it. They exclaimed “If we could do it, you young kids can walk it to’… Needless to say we felt pretty lazy at this point. If middle-aged women were hiking up some stairs two 22years old should be able to as well. But we decided to do it the next day and start off early to avoid the blasting sun.

We are staying in the first town, Riomaggiore and from here catch the train to the 2nd town, Manarola. The narrow road from the train station snakes its way down to the port, which is not ideal for swimming, however there’s a small restaurant on the right that serves the most divine seafood pasta I’ve ever eaten. From here we catch another train to the 3rd town, Corniglia, which is 365, steps up from the train station. The next town is a minute ride away, Vernazza that was hit by a flood a few years ago and shows signs of the destruction still.

The only coastal walk open today was the walk from town 4 to 5, Vernazza to Monterosso al mare. It’s a relatively easy 1-hour walk along uneven terrain and winds its way along the cliff. The track is popular however not over crowded and overtaking slow walkers is easy enough. The walk offers gorgeous views of the coastline, and you can smell the salt in the air and hear the aqua water bashing against the rocks below. There are tiny deserted coves that poke out from the cliff face that would make a perfect private beach if you could ever reach them. The walk takes around an hour and a half and as the sun rises and burns the back of our necks we ache to pull off our sweaty clothes and go for a dip in the wondrous blue water.

As the path ends it widens to a road that leads down to the 5th town, Monterosso al mare, and we both start stripping off our shorts and tops and dive into the cool ocean. The water is clear and you can see every speck of honey-coloured sand. I duck dive again and again and again, relishing the cool water flowing over my hot body. The water darkens to a light blue, aqua then deep blue until you can no longer see the bottom. Pretty soon the hunger kicks in and we’re off in search of a classic Italian dish: pizza!

Most of the restaurants serve pizza and in a little alleyway are rows of tables and chairs stacked neatly against the stone wall. We take a seat and order a classic margherita. It’s so good it’s hard not to lick our fingers as we happily munch our way through an entire pizza while watching all the tourists walk through town. We spend the rest of the day exploring town, eating gelato and lounging by the water.

Pesto is famous here and for dinner we make mushroom flavoured pasta with a fresh homemade pesto sauce bought from the local market with some fresh seafood. We sit eating it in our apartment, which has a view over the whole town, and boy it is delicious! Fresh pesto just bursts with flavour.

The next morning we’re up early to start off on our mountain walk. We start at Riomaggiore, town 1 and walk to Manarola, town 2. Turns out the lady at the info center exaggerated and the walk takes us 40 minutes up and down! Not too hard at all. The view is spectacular from the top and we can look down on Riomaggiore, spotting the locals in their gardens, restaurants packed with tourists and people jumping into the water from the rocks. There’s a slight breeze that cools us down and the faint sounds of birds and rustling leaves echo around us.

 

Feeling inspired we decide to tackle the next walk to Corniglia, town 3 and set off. This one is a lot harder. We descend up hill, walking step after step for 45 minutes. Our legs are burning and shaking and sweat is dripping off every visible body part. All I’m thinking is what have we done to ourselves.. The slight breeze we felt before is gone and the near-midday heat is blasting down. After what feels like forever the path finally flattens out and we reach a small town. Following the directions we go around the left of the town, past a small church where other walkers sit in the shade catching their breath and continue along the small well-trodden path. We snake along the cliff face, with locals tending to their vineyards on either side of us. The mountainside is dotted with vineyards and lemon trees that give off a wonderful citrus smell. We weave through people’s property admiring the view of the great big ocean against the grey cliff face and lush green mountainside. Birds fill the air with small chirps and the wind sweeps up the cliff face. This view is worth the steps up and is my favourite walk of them all.

Overall it takes us 2.5 hours to climb up, along and then down to Corniglia. Our legs shaking, we perch on a ledge overlooking the water on the edge of town to rest and have a drink. Below us looks like a totally different place, it’s lush and green. Trees and shrubs have taken off and cast a lively green glow that stretches all the way to the water. It is so serene and so beautiful. For us the day is over and we catch a train back to Riomaggiore to spend the afternoon swimming and reading in the sun – our slice of paradise.