Everest Base Camp Difficulty: Is It Safe for Beginners?

The trek to find Everest Base Camp is one of the most frequently trekked locations worldwide. It’s in a very beautiful part of the world (Himalayas) and hundreds of thousands of people travel there each year, looking forward to standing at the base of the highest mountain on earth, Mount Everest. One of the most common queries that I get from many new trekkers is whether the trek will prove to be incredibly challenging, and whether or not they’re sufficiently fit to finish the trek in a safe manner.

Over-exaggerating how challenging the Everest Base Camp trek, will keep many potential trekkers (including those with little or no previous trekking experience) from achieving their pilgrimage to the Everest Base Camp. The trek is certainly an option to challenge your strength and stamina; however, you can successfully finish the Everest Base Camp trek, simply by preparing for your trek prior to departing, pacing yourself properly while on the trek, and paying close attention to signs of altitude sickness and how it affects your performance.

When you understand what it takes to complete the Everest Base Camp trek, you will be better able to plan your training, which will give you a far greater chance of having a safe, enjoyable and fun trekking experience to the Everest Base Camp.

Everest Base Camp Trek Difficulty level:

The overall level of difficulty trekking to Everest Base Camp is Moderate to Difficult. The trek does not require any technical (non-technical) climbing skills such as: Climbing Ropes, Ice Climbing or Formal Mountaineering Skills.

However your level of endurance, patience and endurance will determine whether or not you will complete the trek successfully or not. Most trekkers will spend approximately 12 to 14 days in the mountains covering multiple miles starting with their flight to Lukla which is PROBABLY the World's Most Popular Mountain Airstrip. The trek also includes all of the Sherpa Villages (rather traditional) on your way to the Everest Base Camp such as Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, and Dingboche.

Trekkers should be prepared to hike from several hours everyday for multiple days with steep ascents along a variety of trails as well as many flights of stone steps and many foot bridges where your hike may be difficult due to other trekking being done along this same trek.

Acute Mountain Sickness

Many people that trek up Everest Base Camp find their most difficult challenge is the difficulty of being at a high altitude as opposed to just the physicality of walking that far. The elevation of Everest Base Camp is 5364 m/17598 ft and at that height, there is less available oxygen than there will be at lower elevations along the trek up.

All trekkers will eventually need to adjust to the decreasing amount of available oxygen the higher they climb in the Khumbu Region. If they climb to base camp too quickly, then any trekker can start showing symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Some common symptoms of AMS are headaches, dizziness, nausea, lack of energy and appetite, and difficulty sleeping.

So while altitude sickness cannot be avoided by any one individual, it can be avoided for all individuals by correctly acclimatizing to the altitude long before they get to Everest Base Camp. The itinerary of each trekking group will include time for acclimatizing at certain locations as they progress through their journey to base camp.

Some examples of those sites are: Namche Bazaar and Dingboche. Also, each group will spend at least one day acclimatizing at various locations, giving them the opportunity to hike to a higher elevation, then descend back down, to allow their bodies to have time to adjust to the new elevation prior to hiking higher.

Physical Fitness Requirements for the Trek

While you don't need to be an expert climber for the Everest Base Camp trek, you should have a moderate level of physical fitness. An average trekker will spend 5-7 hours hiking each day, covering distances of approximately 10-15 km per day. The trail is steep with a lot of ups and downs, as well as varying terrain (e.g. rocky paths) which will be physically demanding on your body day after day.

To enable you to trek comfortably, you need to be in good cardiovascular condition (two examples: running and cycling). The best ways to get into shape for a trek are by hiking, running/jogging, cycling, climbing stairs, and long-distance walking. Getting your legs and tummy muscled so that you have more help with balancing and stabilizing yourself on the steep trails will also help to prepare you for this trek.

Many professional trekkers suggest beginning a training program at least 6-8 weeks before your trek starts. You should always include hiking with an appropriate sized pack in your training program, and try to find trained individuals to help develop your skills in uphill walking.

Trekking Terrain and Trail Conditions

Trekkers on their way to Everest Base Camp trek through multiple types of land, from thick forest to barren mountain ranges. Most of this trek will be through Sagarmatha National Park, which is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its picturesque landscapes, massive icefields and the highest mountain peaks in the world.

Trekkers continue through rhododendron trees on long suspension bridges over deep gorge and climb stone stairs made from natural rock table on the mountains. The trek climbs gradually through the air, and as it does so the plant life disappears and jagged rocks and glacial moraines appear.

The trek can be rocky and steep, but the vast majority of all trekkers trekking to Everest Base Camp will be able to complete the trek due to the tremendous number of people who trek to Base Camp. Due to this tremendous amount of trekkers, there is usually a clear, well-maintained trail to use while trekking in from the current base of the mountain to Base Camp, meaning most novice and intermediate trekkers with limited previous experience (who have basic hiking experience) could complete the trek to the camping location.

In addition to good trekkers’ footwear and trekking sticks, it is necessary for all trekkers to have a good foot position (the heel and toe of both feet must be flat on the earth) when they are using their trekking poles with their trekking boots.

Weather Conditions and Temperature Challenges

Weather conditions have an impact on trekking in the Everest region. Air temperatures become progressively colder as trekkers move up to higher altitudes, becoming extremely low at night, especially when trekkers exceed 4,000 metres in altitude. An example of how cold it can get at night while trekking will be when trekkers trek to Gorak Shep (the last village prior to trekking to Everest Base Camp), where ice may develop on their water bottles.

The ideal months to trek in the Everest Region are from March to May and from September to November. These months are typically seen as having generally stable weather conditions with clear vistas that allow for maximum enjoyment of Himalayan Peaks (e.g., Ama Dablam, Lhotse, etc.), including Mount Everest.

Although March to May and September to November generally offer a fair weather opportunity for trekking; regular caution must be taken for "expected" weather elements. Higher elevations will enhance wind velocities and any time of year snow fall can occur. As such, trekkers must prepare for clothing/accessory choices that allow them to maintain their body temperature (e.g., layered clothing, thermal, gloves, insulated jackets, etc.) and to keep dry.

Safety and Trekking Infrastructure

There are many common myths about hiking to the Everest Base Camp. For example, many people believe that this trip is dangerous and unsafe; this couldn't be further from the truth. The truth is that the Everest Base Camp hike is one of the safest hikes on earth, even when hiking at such high elevations. The growing popularity of trekking in the area has led to an influx of many new teahouse style accommodation and trekking companies.

Namche Bazaar is one of the largest settlements on the route to Everest Base Camp, and as a hub for trekkers, it boasts numerous restaurants, bakeries, shops, supplies, medical facilities and many other amenities. Accessing helicopter evacuation services if needed for injury or altitude sickness will also occur within Namche Bazaar.

If you hire an experienced guide or porter for your Everest Base Camp trek, they will assist you in making this journey as safe and as easy as possible. An experienced guide can direct you where to go, as well as help you to identify the symptoms of altitude sickness and provide you with important information related to local trekking.

Your journey to Everest Base Camp will require you to overcome a number of both mental and physical hurdles; some common emotions you may feel after having completed several days of hiking are self-doubt, frustration, homesickness and helplessness.

The Himalayas’ natural beauty, the welcoming culture, and the sense of accomplishment felt by the trekkers will help to motivate them throughout their trek. Many trekkers believe that their trek to Everest Base Camp will help them to grow as people by pushing them out of their comfort zone and introducing them to new experiences.

Hiking to Kala Patthar for its stunning views of Mount Everest and other surrounding peaks at sunrise is another highlight of the trek. There are few better places in the world to see Mount Everest than from this viewpoint, and many trekkers consider watching the sunrise over the mountains to be one of the most memorable moments of their entire trek.

Conclusion

A first-time trekker may find that the trek to Everest Base Camp seems daunting when viewed objectively; however, with proper preparation, training and an organized itinerary, the trek can be done. Some of the most challenging aspects of the trek (including altitude, long days of hiking and cold weather) can be managed through a slow and steady acclimatization, properly conditioned body before trying the trek and displaying good trekking etiquette throughout the trek.

Each year thousands of first-time trekkers complete their trek to Everest Base Camp.