A nice breakdown of the walking days is an important part of the Everest Base Camp Trek. The Everest base camp trek itinerary has certain technicalities in breaking it down to suit the elevation and difficulty. The itinerary breakdown is certainly the most important part of the trek if you want the adventure to be smooth and safe.
So, here is how to breakdown the Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary.
As the trek goes higher than 5,000 meters to reach the base camp, it needs enough mandatory days to acclimatize along the trail. Normally when you are heading to an elevation of 5,000 meters and above, you will need two acclimatization days in between. Taking acclimatization break prepares you to trek to the higher elevation without having much trouble to adjust in the climate.
The First Acclimatization Break
Once you land in Lukla, the trek to Everest base camp starts. As you fly straight to the elevation of 2,860 meters above sea level at Lukla from 1,400 meters of Kathmandu, you will need an easy-paced walk to adjust in the climate. The walk for the first day to Phakding is a short walk of about four hours that takes you to the lower elevation than Lukla.
But the second day of the walk takes you over 3,000 meters above sea level. The walk to Namche bazar from Phakding will gain about 800 meters of elevation. As Namche bazar is the first overnight place on the trip that is above 3,000 meters, it is also the first place to take acclimatization break. You will need to spend two nights at Namche bazar before you continue higher towards the base camp.
The Second Acclimatization Break
Another two days of the trek from Namche bazar takes you to Dingboche that is at the elevation of 4,410 meters above sea level. The first overnight place above 4,000 meters is another place to stop over for acclimatization break.
It is also a carefully planned walk. To cover the elevation of about 1,000 meters, it takes you two days so that you have enough time to reach and explore around the overnight destination for each day. The first overnight destination from Namche bazar is Tengboche that is below 4,000 meters. And the next day takes you to Dingboche where you will need to spend two nights and get used to with the thinning oxygen level in the air.
Trekking Hours
The trekking adventure at this elevation is certainly a difficult task. Walking for long hours can be extremely challenging. So, the overnight plan also has to be well-organized looking at the terrain you cover.
The breakdown of walking hours and days on the Everest base camp trek is certainly a well-thought over the plan. You will find the overnight places in perfect places along the trail.
Although the walking hour varies every day, you can average it to be around six hours. You might need to walk long hours but just a few days. You will walk anywhere between 4-8 hours. Determining your walking hours along the trail to the base camp also depends on your pace and fitness level. There is no exact walking hour that fits all.
More Days Walking Up
You will certainly need more days to walk up to the base camp than walking back down. As you gain the elevation, the walking pace will automatically be slower than in the lower elevation. The body certainly listens to the challenges put forth by the increasing elevation and the wilderness of mountains.
So, the trek towards the base camp will normally require 8 days to reach the base camp from Lukla while walking back down will need only 3 days.
Here is a brief outline of the Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary that shows you how the breakdown of the walking days’ works
1st Day: Lukla – Phakding (2,610m)
2nd Day: Phakding – Namche (3,440m)
3rd Day: Namche (3,440m)
4th Day: Namche – Tengboche (3,860m)
5th Day: Tengboche – Dingboche (4,410m)
6th Day: Dingboche (4,410m)
7th Day: Dingboche – Lobuche (4,910m)
8th Day: Lobuche – Gorakshep (5,164m) – Everest Base Camp (5,364m)
9th Day: Gorakshep – Kalapatthar (5,545m) – Pheriche (4,371m)
10th Day: Pheriche – Namche (3,440m)
11th Day: Namche – Lukla (2,860m)
Following this breakdown of the itinerary will make your adventure safe and enjoyable. Have a nice trip!
