Everest Base Camp Trek 2008

Everest Base Camp Trek '08

Trek Outline

Comforts & advantages

Physical fitness and experience

Dates

Daily programme

Maps of the route

Day by day description and photos

Join Ian Woodall, double Everest summit climber and four-times Everest expedition leader, in to unique trek through the Khumbu region of Nepal, home to the Sherpa people, to the base of the world's highest mountain, Everest.

Trek Outline:

Ian Woodall has walked this trail many times, and in 1996 he climbed Everest from this south side. This was the year of the notorious storm, about which Jon Krakauer’s best-selling book Into Thin Air was written, and the year the IMAX Everest film was made. Ian was there for all of it, and can tell you the stories behind the stories.

Subsequently Ian tackled Everest from its north side, reaching the top in 1999. He can give you to unique insight into what it takes to tackle the world’s highest mountain. He has led two further expeditions, to the north siFrom in 1998 and to the notorious east face in 2003.

Join Ian in exploring the exotic capital of Nepal, Kathmandu; in discovering the land of Sherpa, the most famous mountain people in the world; in walking in the shadow of the great Himalaya, highest peaks on the planet; and finally in ascending Kala Pattar, 5545 metres high, the famous viewpoint above Everest base camp.

Get in touch to find out more!

E-mail: ian@ianwoodall.com

Comforts and advantages:

A personal assessment of physical fitness and equipment needed with the trek leader.
Trekking with a guide and a team who between them have reached the summit of Everest six times.
Individual rooms in the hotel in Kathmandu.
Days specifically set aside for acclimatization.
Unlimited food and hot drinks throughout the trek, all included in the price.
You do not need to carry any equipment during the trek - everything is transported by porters.
Accommodation in lodges throughout the trek (there is no camping).
Loan of down sleeping bags and down jackets (the two most expensive pieces of equipment required).
Hot showers every day during the trek.
It it within the reach of any fit walker, whatever their age – people over 50 are particularly welcome.

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Physical fitness and experience:

The trip is open to any fit walker in good health. Age is not to barrier, providing you do not have heart or lung problems. The schedule is a gentle one, and is very flexible, to accommodate any problems with health or altitude.

You do not need any kind of climbing skills, nor do you need to have done to trip like this before. You will only be carrying a light day-sac, with the expedition equipment carried by porters.

Your most important asset is an adventurous spirit!

Dates:

From Friday 16 of May to Sunday 1 of June, inclusive. Top

Daily Programme:

Day 01: Departure from London Heathrow 22h35 (Gulf Air)

Day 02: Arrival at Kathmandu at 17h45- transfer to hotel

Day 03: From Kathmandu to Lukla (by plane) and walking to Phakding (2600m)

Day 04: From Phakding to Namche Bazar (3440m)

Day 05: Day of rest and acclimatization in Namche Bazaar

Day 06: From Namche to Tengboche (3860m)

Day 07: From Tengboche to Pheriche (4240m)

Day 08: Day of rest and acclimatization in Pheriche

Day 09: Day of rest and acclimatization in Pheriche / day walk

Day 10: From Pheriche to Lobuche (4887m)

Day 11: From Lobuche to Kala Pattar (5545m) to Pheriche

Day 12: From Pheriche to Namche

Day 13: From Namche to Phakding

Day 14: From Phakding to Lukla

Day 15: From Lukla to Kathmandu by plane - transfer to Hotel

Day 16: Day free in Kathmandu, departure from Kathmandu at 20h25 (Gulf Air)

Day 17: Arrive in London Heathrow at 06h25 Top

Get in touch to find out more!

E-mail: ian@ianwoodall.com

Maps of the route:

Right:
The location of the trek in Nepal.

Below left:
The route of the trek.

Below right:
Profile of altitude and height gain of the trek.

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Day by day description and photos:

Everest seen from a plane.

Conditions allowing, you may get this view on the flight in to Kathmandu. Otherwise, you can take the 'flight of Angels' on the last day of the tour, for a close-up glimpse of the mighty mountain and its neighbours, Cho Oyu, (6th highest, Lhotse, 4th highest, and Makalu, 5th highest).

A view of Kathmandu from the team hotel, the Harati. The hotel is close to Thamel, the old part of Kathmandu, where all the great bookshops and clothing, carpet and jewellery stores are.

Swyembanath, 'the monkey temple', is situated on the hill in the distance (to the west of the Harati). It is about a 40 minute walk from the hotel.

Bodinath, the largest stupa in Nepal. This is the most magnificent of the many Buddhist stupas in Kathmandu. As with Swyembanath, the eyes of the Buddha can be seen looking out across the city, and the stupa is draped with colourful Buddhist prayer flags.

While in Kathmandu, optional tours can be arranged, or Ian can advise you on the best areas to explore at your leisure.

Patan city square, the beautifully preserved village kingdom next door to Kathmandu. With a few minutes of travelling, you step back a century or more in time.

The team will fly from Kathmandu to Lukla in light aircraft. Once there, porters take the equipment, and the trek begins along the ancient trade route to Namche Bazar.

Mani stones, stones carved with Buddhist symbols and prayers, are common on the walk from Lukla to Phakding. You always walk round mani stones and prayer poles to the left, ie clockwise.

Porters carrying wood for building in Namche. Once past Monjo (on day 2 of walking) the team is in the Sagamartha National Park.

Sagamartha is the Nepalese name for Everest, and the region around the mountain is a national park, with all natural resources protected.

The trail follows the banks of the Dudh Kosi, the mighty river that originates in the glaciers of Everest.

Walking from Namche to Tengboche, passing through the village of Khumjung. This is the land of the Sherpa people, who have lived in the shadow of Everest since fleeing Tibet in the sixteenth century.

Symbols of their Tibetan Buddhism are everywhere, like this ancient stupa.

Crossing the Dudh Kosi, the river that runs down from Everest base camp. This crossing is at the bottom of the great valley between Namche and Tengboche.

In a land that has no roads, all commerce and travel happens on foot, using porters or pack animals. The mighty rivers that carve the great gorges of the Himalaya are crossed by many wooden suspension bridges, such as this one. The bridges are always decorated with prayer flags and prayer scarves.

Tengboche, a beautiful and fully functional Buddhist monastery high in the Sherpa lands. This is one of the places where the team will spend the night.

The first view of Everest (the distant peak on the left).

To the front of Everest is Nuptse, and to its right is the south face of Lhotse, the world's fourth highest mountain.

Amadablam, often called the most beautiful mountain in the world.

This peak dominates the day's walk from Tengboche to Pheriche. On this day the team will leave the forests and lush river banks to enter alpine scenery.

Breakfast at Pheriche (4240m), basking in sunshine while surrounded by the great peaks of the Himalaya.

This is a crucial height for acclimatization and the team will spend two full days here. The energetic can explore the valley up towards Island Peak.

There is a well-stocked medical post at Pheriche, specialising in treatment of altitude sickness.

The memorials to Sherpas who have died on Everest and surrounding peaks.

These are built on the snout of the great Khumbu glacier which runs down from Everest. The team will encounter the glacier a few hours beyond Pheriche. From now on the trail runs up the side of the glacier.

A train of yaks coming down the edge of the Khumbu glacier.

This is on the trail between Lobuche and Gorak Shep. In April there will be many trains of dozens of heavily loaded yaks, carrying equipment to stock the expedition teams at Everest base camp.

Yaks, and the yak-cow crosses called zopkioks, are the most common form of load-carrying transport in the Himalaya. With sweeping horns, and a sulky attitude, yaks always have right of way on mountain trails!

The classic view of Everest, seen from the Kala Pattar viewsite.

Ian successfully led a team up the right-hand skyline ridge, the famous south-east arete, first climbed by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.

To the left is the west ridge of Everest, to the right the flanks of Nuptse. Spilling out at bottom left is the massive Khumbu glacier.

This is the literal high-point of the trek, at 5545 metres. The team will also be able to look down on Everest base camp, where many teams will be in the middle of their summit bids at the end of the spring season of climbing.

Everest base camp, looking up at the Khumbu Icefall, start of the Everest climb, and the most dangerous area on the mountain.

The icefall is nearly 3000 feet high and a kilometre deep, and the climbing teams follow a treacherous route through its ever shifting ice cliffs and crevasses.

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