Everest Base Camp & Three Passes Trek
Everest Base Camp Trek
A little bit about the hike and some basic things to get you started.
October is a great time to travel to Nepal for the Everest Base Camp trek. However, after reading about how crowded it gets there this time of year, we picked a less known and more challenging trek - the Three Passes Trek. As the name suggests, it goes over the three passes in the Himalayas and includes a side trek to the Everest Base Camp. The recommended time for this trek is 20 days, but the hike is adjustable, and you can cut it short if needed. Our experience: it was the most demanding hike we've ever done and the most rewarding one. This Google Maps video sums up Nepal's spirit and hopefully will get you inspired about travelling to the Himalayas one day. I've put together a recap of our trek with some recommendations on places to stay, eat, and more, which you can read about here.
Everest Base Camp Weather
There are two seasons in a year that are considered good times to travel to the High Himalayas: pre-monsoon (February, March, April, May) and post-monsoon (late September, October, November, December). It is also possible to travel outside of those times, but you risk your view being swallowed by clouds and having a few rainy days here and there. My husband and I trekked in October as we found some sources suggesting this is the best month for its warmer weather and lack of rain.
And from our experience, the weather was perfect (except for the very last day of our trek in Lukla). The sun rises at about 5:35 am and sets at 5:45 pm or so in October, so you get an excellent trekking window if you start early. The clouds were rolling in like clockwork in the afternoon, blocking the view for the rest of the evening and then clearing sometime around 9 pm, letting us enjoy the gorgeous Himalayan night sky covered in stars thanks to zero air pollution. The weather conditions are quite pleasant, going up to about 14 C during the day (and when it's sunny, it feels like 20 C) and dropping pretty quickly after sundown to zero and to about - 6 C during the night. So a suitable sleeping bag and layers are essential.
Everest Base Camp Height (Nepal Side)
Everest Base Camp in Nepal on the Khumbu Glacier sits at 5,364 metres elevation at the food of Mount Everest. And for those only hiking up to the base camp, this elevation gain can be difficult to adjust to. My husband and I trekked the Three Passes Trek (a longer and newer trek coving more Himalayan ground) and we first crossed the Kongma La Pass (5,350 meters) getting acclimatized in the process. So if you are only doing the Everest Base Camp summit, both the Everest Base Camp (5,364 meters) and the Kala Patthar summit (5,643 meters) it may be challenging but doable, just remember to take it easy.
Everest Base Camp Trek Useful Tools
Aside from the blog post series on our experience in Nepal, below are some additional posts that you could find useful when preparing (or just planning) your trip to Nepal.
Everest Base Camp Packing List
A comprehensive Everest Base Camp Trek packing listing with essential and good-to-have items. Some we packed, some we really wished we did.
ReadAcute Mountain Sickness Guide
A summary of what AMS is and what to expect when you are in the mountains. Please note that this is purely an informational piece and not a medical advice.
ReadWhat to Expect from a Teahouse
A summary of what to expect from a typical teahouse on the Everest Base Camp and Three Passes treks in the high Himalayas (such as hot showers, and laundry).
ReadFrom Our Blog
What to expect from a teahouse on the Everest Base Camp Trek
October 8, 2020A short list of what to expect from a teahouse in Nepal when trekking to the Everest Base Camp or in the general High Himalayan mountain areas.
The Everest Base Camp Trek Packing List (no porter)
October 7, 2020This article covers the Everest Base Camp and Three Passes Treks questions packing list and basic information like the Everest base camp height, weath...
Everest Base Camp Honeymoon: Toronto -Kathmandu (Day One)
October 1, 2020Everest Base Camp trek day zero is all about the flights and accommodation in Kathmandu and the airline of choice.
Everest Base Camp Honeymoon: Exploring Kathmandu (Day Two)
September 30, 2020Day two of the trip is all about Kathmandu: what to expect, what to see, and what to watch out for.
Kathmandu to Lukla, Everest Base Camp Honeymoon (Day Three)
September 29, 2020After a day of running around Kathmandu to get all of our to-do items checked off the list on our second day of vacation, we were finally packed and r...
Thado Koshigaun to Namche Bazaar, Everest Base Camp Honeymoon (Day Four)
September 28, 2020After a forced stay in Thado Koshigaun we headed out to Namche Bazaar, the central trading town in the Everest region. This was a tough but rewarding ...