How hard is it to trek to Everest Base Camp?
The difficulty level of the Everest Base Camp is moderate. The trekking time often requires two weeks. Even though the EBC Trek requires no prior trekking expertise, it is suggested that the trekker should be determined and be physically fit.
You should build up to being able to walk or hike for 5-6 hours with minimal breaks. If you don't have significant hills or mountain terrain in your area walk hill intervals on a treadmill and stair stepper 2x per week. Most people will also benefit from completing full-body strength workouts twice per week.
About 65% of people make it to Everest base camp 5,364m/ 17,598 feet and back to Lukla. The number of people helicoptering out of Gorak Shep shows the challenge of trekking to Everest.
Everest Base Camp Trek with Helicopter return is the best quickest way to Everest Base Camp. It combines both trek and helicopter ride and makes the EBC Trek a luxurious tour. That is, half of the EBC journey will be done by trekking and the other half will be via a helicopter ride.
Everest Base Camp has a success rate of around 90%. Kilimanjaro's average is only around 45%!
It is usable as an effective preventative measure when trekking to the Everest Base Camp. Even so, we still recommend consulting your doctor before deciding to take it. While you may not need a prescription to buy it in some countries, we recommend seeking medical advice before taking it.
While reaching the summit of Mount Everest is a serious feat of physical accomplishment, beginners can trek to Everest Base Camp with (relative) ease. Of course, that doesn't mean it's an easy trek!
Altitude Sickness on Everest Base Camp Trek
At Gorakshep, most clients showed symptoms of mild AMS- headache, difficulty breathing, and some mild nausea. This is normal enough at this altitude.
The Everest Base Camp Trek requires no technical expertise or mountaineering skills as it is basically a long hike at altitude. Generally, the most off-putting aspect of the trek is its duration – around 12 days (14 if your include a pre and post night stay in Kathmandu).
Everest Base Camp Trek Difficulty
For beginners, it can be a very difficult and challenging task as they have to walk for 6-7 hours a day on rough, slippery, sloppy trails and also there are high chances of getting altitude sickness.
How long does it take to trek to Everest Base Camp?
EBC is a high-altitude path that requires considerable acclimatization over a good distance. You'll typically need 12-14 days of full-on trekking (that's right, your “rest days” involve walking too!) to complete the 80-mile (130km) roundtrip that starts from Lukla.
Uhuru Peak is 5,895 m (19,341 ft) above sea level and Everest Base Camp is 5,364 m (17,598 ft). So you climb half a vertical Km higher on Kilimanjaro to reach to the Summit making it harder than Everest base camp.
Given its increased popularity in recent years, the Everest Base Camp trek route can be quite crowded during peak seasons. As many as 30,000 to 40,000 people trek to Everest Base Camp each year! During peak seasons, as many as 500 individuals can set out on the trek route each day.