Ever since it was established that Mount Everest is the highest peak of the world, the mountain, known as Sagarmatha in Nepali, has captured the imagination of people around the world. Everest and its surrounding region have gained iconic status among trekkers, mountaineers and travelers around the world. Everest Base Camp Trekking will take you along one of the world’s best trekking regions and by the end of the trek you will realize that trekking in the region has so much more to offer than just the stunning view of Everest.
The Great Himalayas have always fascinated me but anyone who has been to Nepal will attest to the fact that Nepal cannot be reduced to its famed mountains. Back in early 2001, one of my foreign friend made his first trip to Nepal and almost instantly, he found something charming and captivating about the place and its people. Back then, he backpacked his way through Annapurna Base Camp, which was quite a rage among trekkers at the time. He found out that it still is one of the favorite's routes for many trekkers. For some reason, something held him back from traversing through the Everest region. Now that he think of it, maybe he was too blown over by what he had experienced in the Annapurna region or it could be that he was simply saving Everest for another time when he would feel the urge to explore the Great Himalayan region again.
Well, he finally did come back to the place almost one and a half decade later and the place still retains that quaint charm that he fell in love with the first time he landed here. After a two day stay in Kathmandu, he was all pumped up to make his trip to the Everest Base Camp region. A half an hour mountain flight took him to Lukla, a small town often used by travelers, trekkers and mountaineers for acclimatization. It was in Lukla that he met his trekking guide, a local Sherpa, arranged for by Regulus Treks, the trekking company from Kathmandu that had arranged for this whole trip. Mount Everestfalls in the Khumbu region, which is home of the Sherpas. Nobody understands the mountains and the terrains of the Khumbu region better than the Sherpas. They have lived here for generations and know the place like the back of their hands. Most people would never have been able to make through the mesmerizing but arduous routes of the Khumbu region without the assistance of the indefatigable Sherpas. His guide was the friendliest, most knowledgeable and loyal person he could have asked for.
As he made his way towards Namche Bazaar from Lukla, he got his first glimpse of Everest. While Everest occupies a special significance for all the trekkers of the route, the glorious Ama Dablam is an equally fascinating sight to behold. We came across sparsely populated villages along the way. The sights of yaks are quite common. The monasteries, stupas and the Buddhist prayers flags fluttering atop the stone houses of the local Sherpa community gave a spiritual vibe to the whole trek. My guide recounted some of the most fascinating stories and myths the locals have associated with the mountains. These are the people who have lived here for generation and the special relation they have with their mountains and their surrounding was so obvious even to his foreign eyes. With these thoughts in his mind, he reached Namche Bazaar, also known as the gateway to Everest.
It is from Namche Bazaar that the serious part of the trek really started. He made some serious uphill climbs and gained serious altitudes. He walked through valleys, narrow suspension bridges; alpine forests that offered him plenty of sightings of pheasants and rhododendrons, while the sound of the raging Dudh Koshi was almost like natural music. Of the many overnight stops he made Tengboche was one notable overnight stop. The place offers spectacular view of the surrounding mountains and has the biggest gompa of the Khumbu region in Tengboche Monastery.
While the route cannot be called easy by any means, the spectacular views, the amazing people he came across the route and their culture never let him feel like he had reached altitudes above 5000 meters. His guide takes much of the credit for making this arduous route so easy to negotiate. The entire trek lasted for eleven days but the memory he have of this place will live with him forever.He feel lucky that he recruited the services of a trekking company that always looked for the best of hi interests and provided him with an amazing guide. Regulus Treks and Expeditions Pvt. Ltd. takes much of the credit for this once in a lifetime trip to Everest Base Camp.
