Photo credit: Göran Höglund (Kartläsarn)
The tallest mountain in the world. Reaching the summit of Mount Everest is a bucket list adventure only about 4,000 people have achieved since the peak was first conquered by Sir Edmund Hilary and Sherpa Tensing Norgay in 1953. Climbing to the top of the world’s most legendary mountain peak means putting your life and your wallet in serious danger, with guide services costing more than $45,000, and no guarantee that you’ll make it back down alive.
But that doesn’t mean you should cross Mount Everest off your bucket list entirely. In fact, reaching Everest Base Camp is an affordable, safe and undeniably thrilling alternative. There’s no adventure in the world quite like trekking through an area that has been attempted by so many of mountaineerings greatest legends. The Everest Base Camp trek is considered one of the top treks in the world, and conquering it is more attainable than many travelers think.
These are three reasons why no hiker should skip this adventure of a lifetime.
1. It’s More Than a Trek
Photo credit: valcker
The trek to Everest Base Camp isn’t just your average hike in the mountains. The 14- to 16-day journey with Everest Base Camp Trek Guide includes jaw-dropping views of Everest’s peak, a visit to the Namche Bazaar Sherpa market town, a possible journey through an ancient Tibet-Nepal trading route, a stop in Periche, a visit to the highest permanently inhabited village in the world (Gorak Shep), and reaching the peak of Kala Patthar (18,044 feet). While the goal is to experience the base camp that has served as a safe haven for a number of history’s greatest mountaineers, the places you’ll visit and people you’ll meet along the journey may be the highlights of your hike.
2. It’s Affordable
Photo credit: Stefanos Nikologianis
Hiking to the summit of Mount Everest is arguably only for the wealthiest mountaineers, or those who are willing to set a year’s salary aside for the journey. The average quote from EBC Trek is between $2,500 to $3,500 including flights, visas, permits, insurance, equipment and more. The Everest Base Camp trek can be experienced for less than the typical Caribbean resort vacation, and the experiences along the way are invaluable.
3. You’ll Experience Mountaineering History First-Hand
Photo credit: cksom
It could be argued that no mountain in the world offers as many iconic stories at 29,029-foot-tall Mount Everest. Earth’s highest peak made a name for itself long before Hillary and Norgay’s ascents were recorded in 1953. In fact, Everest was officially titled the king of the world’s tallest peaks in 1852, and it is believed that, in 1924, George Mallory may have reached the summit before dying on his descent. History tells that he and his teammate Andrew Irvine carried a camera, but it and Irvine’s body have yet to be found.
Experiencing the Everest Base Camp Trek means you experience much of the mountain’s history first hand. In fact, on day eight of your journey, you’ll pass the Khumbu Glacier and several memorials for the mountaineers and Sherpas who died on the journey to or from the top. One of the memorials is for Scott Fisher, an American mountaineer and guide known for conquering many of the world’s top peaks without oxygen.
It’s not a matter of if you should conquer the Everest Base Camp Trek, it’s a matter of when, and with airfare to the region at an all-time low, there’s no better time to plan your unforgettable Everest adventure than now.