To Visit Everest? 2010
In October 2010, Rena and I returned to Nepal after an absence of 16 years. Our goal was to do a 20 night "teahouse trek" or lodge trek in the Khumbu region where people go to see Mt. Everest. On our previous trips to Nepal, we traveled with people on "full service treks", where you stay in tents, have a kitchen crew, eat in a dining tent, and are entirely self-sufficient. By opting for a lodge trip, Rena and I had the flexibility to go at our own pace and stay in the numerous lodges along the way. Lodge trips don't require much gear so you can carry your own pack or you can hire a porter to carry your gear. Many people also hire a guide but getting lost in the Khumbu is practically impossible. Seeing Mt. Everest was not as important to us as it was for many of the trekkers we met, since we had seen it previously on other treks from different directions and also from Tibet.
Visiting Mt. Everest has become extremely popular in recent years. Hundreds of commercial companies all over the world offer trips there. You begin by flying to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. It is a densely populated country with about 2.5 million of the 30 million people residing in the Kathmandu Valley. In contrast, the nearby country of Bhutan, about equal in area to Nepal, contains less than one million people.
Most Everest visitors start by taking a 40-minute flight to the small Lukla airport (on a cliff surrounded by mountains) using 16-passenger Twin Otter aircraft. The runway slopes up about 15 degrees and the planes have to apply the brakes quickly to avoid a wall at the end. We saw a plane over to the side with a damaged nose waiting to be repaired. It is one of the most exciting landings in the world! After arrival, everything is done on foot as there are no roads or vehicles in the Khumbu. Not even a wheel! The major destination of people wanting to see Everest close up is Kala Patar, a 18,300 foot high, non-technical hill, with a great vantage point. Although not far in distance, it is prudent to take 8-10 days to walk there to avoid altitude sickness. Many also hike to Everest Base Camp. People with more time often visit nearby Gokyo with another great viewpoint, by crossing the high Cho La Pass. This is not difficult when the weather is good. Rena and I were visiting in the prime season of October when the monsoon rains have stopped, the weather is usually stable, and good views are common place.
This was the plan. But as the trip progressed, we learned that a relaxing lodge trip in the Khumbu was a thing of the past. Most people who visit Everest come in large groups. People who arrange trips with international companies will pay as much as $300 a day. (Independent trekkers pay about $25 per day ). There are some advantages to going with such a group. The lodges in the Khumbu do not take reservations. However, the groups have the clout to take over entire lodges, leaving little space for independent travelers. The overflow is often relegated to sleeping on benches in the dining room and when that fills, the floor. We talked to people who shared the floor with 30 people and to others who were sent away because even the floor space was full. There are only a few locations where space is limited, but they are places at high elevations where it is very cold at night and there are few other options. Then what do you do?
The concept of fighting for a place to sleep was not very appealing to us. While we were considering our options, the decision was made for us. On around the 8th day after we had done a day hike up Chukhung Ri at 17,700 feet, I developed a painful sore throat and cold. More important, I had very little energy making it very difficult to walk uphill at elevations above 16,000 feet. Rather than continue to climb higher toward Kala Patar and Everest Base Camp, we opted to descend a bit and take a rest day. Our revised plan was to take an alternate route toward Gokyo that would avoid the more crowded lodges. But my energy didn't return and Rena developed the same malady. So we changed plans again and descended back to Lukla, arriving 6 days ahead of our flight reservation.
In good weather, flying in and out of Lukla works OK. There are a lot of planes available, and when they fly all day, everyone will get on a flight. If weather causes you to miss your flight, the next day you have to wait until all the people who have reservations on that day are accommodated. With the large number of people flying in and out of Lukla, this can take all morning and part of the afternoon. When the weather is unsettled, low clouds often stop the flights in the afternoon. So you are stuck! We had weather like this for several days. Shortly before we came back to Lukla, some travelers waited in Kathmandu for 4 days and failed to get on a flight. In Lukla, we met stressed out travelers who had already been waiting for several days. Some of them missed their international flights out of Kathmandu. Again, being part of a big group seems to work miracles. Commercial groups are usually scheduled early in the morning and somehow are the first to leave even after being delayed. But they can also get stuck if no planes are flying which is always a possibility even in the best season. We were lucky. We got on a 2:30 PM flight to Kathmandu after spending 2 nights in Lukla. We just made it through a break in the clouds. We had almost given up for the day when we heard the sound of planes approaching.
Think carefully about going on an Everest trek in prime season. Next year, 2011, is being promoted as the "Year of the Tourist" in Nepal. It doesn't take a genius to predict that even more people will opt to view Mt. Everest. On our trip, there were usually hundreds of other trekkers in sight as we walked along the trails. One answer is to go in the off-season. This will solve the problem of lack of space at the lodges, but perhaps increase the probability of a problem with weather conditions and flying in and out of Lukla. In the future, expensive trips organized by large international companies will also have problems finding space and flights unless Nepal starts to limit the the number of groups coming to the Khumbu. Not likely. In my opinion, the Everest Trek (as well as the Annapurna Trek) has gone the way of the Inca Trail in Peru. They are so crowded that the original allure is gone. Better to opt for a quieter, less hectic experience in other areas before they also become spoiled.
Kathmandu has also changed over the years. There are now more automobiles and motorcycles on the small, narrow streets that were not designed for vehicles. There are more people and increased pollution. But Rena and I found that when you leave the tourist area in Thamel and walk down the narrow streets frequented mostly by locals, not much has changed for centuries. At every corner or square you find small temples with people making offerings. The wonderful World Heritage Sites such as Durbar Square, Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, Bodhnath, Braktapur, and Patan now have a small entry fee but they retain their charm. Nepal is primarily Hindu but Buddhists predominate in the mountains where most visitors spend their time. In Kathmandu, you find Hindus and Buddhists often sharing the same holy sites. I still vote for Kathmandu as the most exotic city in the world.
This was my 8th Nepal trek. The earlier ones were in less traveled areas and resulted in wonderful cultural interactions with local people who did not see westerners every day. Although most of the treks in Nepal are becoming more crowded, it is still possible to visit areas infrequently visited. It may cost a little more and take more time but it is worth it. Seeing the tip of Mt. Everest poking out over a ridge will probably not cause your life to change. There are hundreds of breathtaking views of 20,000 foot high snow capped peaks in the Nepal Himalaya and it is hard to find an area that doesn't have great scenery. My experience has been that the most picturesque areas of Nepal are the villages you pass through between 6 and 8 thousand feet in the less traveled areas, which provide a wonderful foreground to the big peaks beyond.
So my advice is to avoid the lodge treks and go on a full service trek to more remote places with a group of friends. Book the trek directly with an outfitter in Kathmandu. The cost for such a trip starts at about $50-60 per day, depending upon how many people you have. It is more expensive than a lodge trip, but more relaxing, and you won't have to move people aside on the trail to take a photo. I can recommend outfitters in Nepal, if you want more information.
Read MoreVisiting Mt. Everest has become extremely popular in recent years. Hundreds of commercial companies all over the world offer trips there. You begin by flying to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. It is a densely populated country with about 2.5 million of the 30 million people residing in the Kathmandu Valley. In contrast, the nearby country of Bhutan, about equal in area to Nepal, contains less than one million people.
Most Everest visitors start by taking a 40-minute flight to the small Lukla airport (on a cliff surrounded by mountains) using 16-passenger Twin Otter aircraft. The runway slopes up about 15 degrees and the planes have to apply the brakes quickly to avoid a wall at the end. We saw a plane over to the side with a damaged nose waiting to be repaired. It is one of the most exciting landings in the world! After arrival, everything is done on foot as there are no roads or vehicles in the Khumbu. Not even a wheel! The major destination of people wanting to see Everest close up is Kala Patar, a 18,300 foot high, non-technical hill, with a great vantage point. Although not far in distance, it is prudent to take 8-10 days to walk there to avoid altitude sickness. Many also hike to Everest Base Camp. People with more time often visit nearby Gokyo with another great viewpoint, by crossing the high Cho La Pass. This is not difficult when the weather is good. Rena and I were visiting in the prime season of October when the monsoon rains have stopped, the weather is usually stable, and good views are common place.
This was the plan. But as the trip progressed, we learned that a relaxing lodge trip in the Khumbu was a thing of the past. Most people who visit Everest come in large groups. People who arrange trips with international companies will pay as much as $300 a day. (Independent trekkers pay about $25 per day ). There are some advantages to going with such a group. The lodges in the Khumbu do not take reservations. However, the groups have the clout to take over entire lodges, leaving little space for independent travelers. The overflow is often relegated to sleeping on benches in the dining room and when that fills, the floor. We talked to people who shared the floor with 30 people and to others who were sent away because even the floor space was full. There are only a few locations where space is limited, but they are places at high elevations where it is very cold at night and there are few other options. Then what do you do?
The concept of fighting for a place to sleep was not very appealing to us. While we were considering our options, the decision was made for us. On around the 8th day after we had done a day hike up Chukhung Ri at 17,700 feet, I developed a painful sore throat and cold. More important, I had very little energy making it very difficult to walk uphill at elevations above 16,000 feet. Rather than continue to climb higher toward Kala Patar and Everest Base Camp, we opted to descend a bit and take a rest day. Our revised plan was to take an alternate route toward Gokyo that would avoid the more crowded lodges. But my energy didn't return and Rena developed the same malady. So we changed plans again and descended back to Lukla, arriving 6 days ahead of our flight reservation.
In good weather, flying in and out of Lukla works OK. There are a lot of planes available, and when they fly all day, everyone will get on a flight. If weather causes you to miss your flight, the next day you have to wait until all the people who have reservations on that day are accommodated. With the large number of people flying in and out of Lukla, this can take all morning and part of the afternoon. When the weather is unsettled, low clouds often stop the flights in the afternoon. So you are stuck! We had weather like this for several days. Shortly before we came back to Lukla, some travelers waited in Kathmandu for 4 days and failed to get on a flight. In Lukla, we met stressed out travelers who had already been waiting for several days. Some of them missed their international flights out of Kathmandu. Again, being part of a big group seems to work miracles. Commercial groups are usually scheduled early in the morning and somehow are the first to leave even after being delayed. But they can also get stuck if no planes are flying which is always a possibility even in the best season. We were lucky. We got on a 2:30 PM flight to Kathmandu after spending 2 nights in Lukla. We just made it through a break in the clouds. We had almost given up for the day when we heard the sound of planes approaching.
Think carefully about going on an Everest trek in prime season. Next year, 2011, is being promoted as the "Year of the Tourist" in Nepal. It doesn't take a genius to predict that even more people will opt to view Mt. Everest. On our trip, there were usually hundreds of other trekkers in sight as we walked along the trails. One answer is to go in the off-season. This will solve the problem of lack of space at the lodges, but perhaps increase the probability of a problem with weather conditions and flying in and out of Lukla. In the future, expensive trips organized by large international companies will also have problems finding space and flights unless Nepal starts to limit the the number of groups coming to the Khumbu. Not likely. In my opinion, the Everest Trek (as well as the Annapurna Trek) has gone the way of the Inca Trail in Peru. They are so crowded that the original allure is gone. Better to opt for a quieter, less hectic experience in other areas before they also become spoiled.
Kathmandu has also changed over the years. There are now more automobiles and motorcycles on the small, narrow streets that were not designed for vehicles. There are more people and increased pollution. But Rena and I found that when you leave the tourist area in Thamel and walk down the narrow streets frequented mostly by locals, not much has changed for centuries. At every corner or square you find small temples with people making offerings. The wonderful World Heritage Sites such as Durbar Square, Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, Bodhnath, Braktapur, and Patan now have a small entry fee but they retain their charm. Nepal is primarily Hindu but Buddhists predominate in the mountains where most visitors spend their time. In Kathmandu, you find Hindus and Buddhists often sharing the same holy sites. I still vote for Kathmandu as the most exotic city in the world.
This was my 8th Nepal trek. The earlier ones were in less traveled areas and resulted in wonderful cultural interactions with local people who did not see westerners every day. Although most of the treks in Nepal are becoming more crowded, it is still possible to visit areas infrequently visited. It may cost a little more and take more time but it is worth it. Seeing the tip of Mt. Everest poking out over a ridge will probably not cause your life to change. There are hundreds of breathtaking views of 20,000 foot high snow capped peaks in the Nepal Himalaya and it is hard to find an area that doesn't have great scenery. My experience has been that the most picturesque areas of Nepal are the villages you pass through between 6 and 8 thousand feet in the less traveled areas, which provide a wonderful foreground to the big peaks beyond.
So my advice is to avoid the lodge treks and go on a full service trek to more remote places with a group of friends. Book the trek directly with an outfitter in Kathmandu. The cost for such a trip starts at about $50-60 per day, depending upon how many people you have. It is more expensive than a lodge trip, but more relaxing, and you won't have to move people aside on the trail to take a photo. I can recommend outfitters in Nepal, if you want more information.
