After climbing Mount Kilimanjaro several years ago, I set the goal to hike to Everest Base Camp (EBC) when I turned 50. Well, that was this year and the goal has been accomplished! My epic trip took one month—three weeks in Nepal and one week in Bhutan – but many more to plan and prepare for. Chris and I would travel to Nepal and spend 2 days together. After that he was going to do his own thing for about a week before heading back to the USA. I was going to meet up with my friend for the EBC trek and once done, she and I would travel to Bhutan.
Table of Contents: Himalayan Trip
Planning
Fortunately I already knew which tour operator I was going to use for the EBC trek. Based on my Mount Kilimanjaro experience with them I chose MT Sobek (MTS) for their 19-day Everest Base Camp Trek tour and selected an October departure. Their itinerary followed the classic trekking route but with ample time built in to acclimate. I also liked that we would be following a slightly different route on our return. After making my deposit in November of 2021, I would hear from MTS every couple of months with updates on the trip and requests to provide or complete documentation (including a physician waiver). They provided a detailed planner that covered all aspects of what to expect (weather, accommodations, meals, etc.) and what to pack.
Organizing the Bhutan trip required a bit more work but given that I was already going to be in Nepal, it made sense to take advantage of the proximity and add it on. Flying to Bhutan from Kathmandu would be faster and cheaper than going through Bangkok, which seems to be the other main point of entry.
All travel to Bhutan, including finalized itineraries, had to be arranged and paid for in advance using one of several locally-based and licensed TCB tour operators. This was a prerequisite to getting an e-visa issued. Since I had to use a local operator I chose to go direct which allowed me to cut out the middle-man and save money. Based on positive reviews, I sent an email to a company called Bridge to Bhutan in June with my travel dates and shortly thereafter, heard back from Lotay who was conveniently located in New York. We had a brief call, where I learned that the country was still closed due to the pandemic but it was anticipated that restrictions would be lifted soon. He also explained that there was a major change planned in its tourism policy that would result in a higher daily Sustainable Development Fee (from USD65 to USD200). There was a possibility that we could be grandfathered in under the old rate.
It wasn’t until mid-September that our Bhutan itinerary was finalized and paid for. We got lucky on two fronts: first, we were grandfathered in and paid the lower daily fee, and second, Drukair added flights which allowed us to adhere to our original 7-night itinerary and maximize the number of days that we could spend in the country.
With both tours planned and paid for, it was now just a matter of getting ready—mentally and physically—for the journey ahead.
Preparing
Over the summer I had picked up a two books at Powell’s in Portland to read in advance of the upcoming trip. For Nepal, I had chosen Into Thin Air. Aside from just being a well-written account of one of the biggest climbing disasters in history, it provided a good backdrop for my own trip, reminding me of what it is that draws me (in my own small way), like many others, to the mountains and what makes Everest so alluring. While I certainly wasn’t planning to summit it, the book put me in awe of the people that try every year and what they endure to reach the highest point on Earth. The in-store selection for Bhutan was much slimmer, but I found a memoir by Jamie Zeppa titled Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan. I got a glimpse into this remote country with its deep-seated Buddhist traditions and would find it to provide an interesting counterpoint to my own experiences decades later.
I also trained diligently for three months leading up to the trip, even spending two weeks in Colorado, testing my ability to acclimate with hikes up to 12k feet. Once back home at sea-level, it was the mad dash to wrap up work, study for the Amateur Radio License Exam and finish packing.
Packing
Ahhh…packing. It was fortunate that my friend had already been in Nepal doing the Annapurna Circuit so I was able to augment MTS’s suggested packing list with her real world practical experience. I was also supposed to keep my EBC packed weight to 33 pounds which placed additional constraints on how much and what I should bring. Now having completed the trip, below is what I brought and would recommend.
Clothing
- Long-sleeved, quick-drying shirts
- Hiking pants
- Thermals
- Underwear
- Mid-weight fleece jackets
- Down jacket
- Down pants
- Waterproof pants and jacket
- Sun hat
- Wool beanie
- Neck gaiter
- Sun gloves (for hiking)
- Winter gloves
Given the cold nighttime temperatures, especially at the higher altitudes, and the unpredictable weather, don’t plan on doing any laundry other than the occasional underwear or pair of socks. Clothing won’t dry overnight in time unless you can snag a spot in front of the stove (and if your lodging happens to have a stove, you’re likely using it to dry out the clothes that you’ve already been wearing).This means synthetic, quick-drying layers and enough socks and underwear to last the trek.
I recycled through my Arc’teryx® Gamma LT pants (the water-resistant nature of the material meant that I could get away with not wearing rain pants on days when it was lightly drizzling) and Patagonia® long-sleeved Capilene® Cool Daily shirts, and wore a thermal top and bottom as my pajamas. I was glad that I brought my Montbell down pants for lounging in, especially for the last few places we stayed in (I primarily use them for snow camping.)
All of my clothing for EBC transitioned well to Bhutan, including the down pants which I needed for one night in Phobjikha Valley.
Footwear
- Waterproof hiking boots
- Slippers/booties for post-hike relaxation
- Sneakers
- Hiking socks
I hiked in a pair of older generation La Sportiva Nucleo High GTX boots. Mine started giving me hot spots and while I tested other brands, my La Sportiva boots just fit my feet well. Out of options, I put my faith in BodyGlide’s foot blister balm and started using it just on this trip. Wow, that stuff works! I did not have to wear sock liners, did not have to tape.
After a day of hiking, I switched into a pair of heavy socks and OOFOS slides for lounging around the lodges. Other people wore booties or sandals but the slides worked fine for me. Also, I didn’t have to worry about them getting wet or dirty.
I had brought sneakers with me, but never used them. I was always either in my hiking boots or slippers. However, for Bhutan, I traded my hiking boots for my Altra trail runners. For the various hikes that we did, the sneakers were fine, although the hiking boots probably would have given me better traction on some of the downhills.
Accessories
- Trekking poles
- Hydration bladder (with insulated hose)
- Nalgene wide-mouth bottle (for use hot water bottles to warm bed)
- Power adapter (Type C, D and M. Type D is what I primarily used.)
- Camp towel (for lodges with communal sinks)
- Body wipes (for lodges that don’t have showers or hot water)
- Toiletries and sunscreen
- External power bank (for lodges that don’t have in-room outlets or when the power goes out)
- Nuun electrolyte tablets
- Sleeping bag liner
- Snacks
- Toilet paper rolls
- Headlamp
I chose to use the sleeping bag provided by MTS so opted to only bring a liner. It also provided extra warmth which was needed at the higher elevation lodges. Not all of the places we stayed at provided toilet paper. While you can buy them at the lodges, the price also becomes exponentially higher with the elevation. We purchased a roll in Pheriche for 200 Nepalese Rupees and one in Gorak Shep for 600. Many of the lodges rely on solar power or generators which they turn off at night, so having a headlamp and an external power bank came in handy for when electricity became spotty.
Arriving in Kathmandu
With all the planning, preparing and packing done, it was just a matter of waiting for travel day to arrive and officially start the trip.
We flew Qatar Airways to Nepal. This was my first time on Qatar Airways and probably one of my better experiences in economy class. The Airbus A350-1000 configuration of 3-3-3 made it feel a bit roomier. We were provided with a toiletry kit (socks, eye mask, toothbrush and toothpaste, ear plugs), had multiple meal options and a fantastic range of in-flight entertainment.
Fifteen hours later—after three movies, a few hours of sleep, dinner and breakfast—we arrived in Doha. It was a quick transfer and then another four hours to Kathmandu. While flying time plus waiting for our connection added up to about a 21-hour flight, the time difference of 12 hours and 45 minutes meant that we had been going for more than 30 hours by the time we landed in Kathmandu at 1:45 A.M.
Upon arrival, we had to first stand in line to show our proof of vaccination record and then wait for a kiosk to fill in our visa application online. After taking a photo of the completed form, we went to another line to pay for the visa. I got a 30-day visa for USD50. Then we stood in line to go through immigration. By the time we collected our bags, got a taxi to our hotel and climbed into bed, it was 4:30 A.M. Just in time to get some sleep and ready ourselves for a weekend of sightseeing!
Short on time in Kathmandu? Read about our 2.5 day sightseeing itinerary here.
Wondering what the trek to Everest Base Camp entails? Find details on my 16-day trip here.
Curious about the kingdom of Bhutan? Read about my magical 8-day tour here.
Coda
I enjoy the planning part of a trip almost as much as actually taking the trip itself. For certain types of trips, especially where the logistics are more complicated and/or where health and safety are important factors, I’m happy to turn the planning over the someone else.
Both legs of my trip—Nepal and Bhutan—were amazing and I did not encounter any issues. The only thing that might have been nice to know in advance was the true state of accommodations and meals on the EBC trek. As I’ve now learned, in general, the higher up one goes the more basic the accommodation and the less variety for food.
Several nights we stayed in lodges that were part of the Everest Summit Lodges brand. Luxury is all relative. The lodges we stayed at in Lukla, Monjo, Pangboche and Tashinga were certainly better appointed compared to where we stayed in Lobuche and Gorak Shep. All four Everest Summit Lodges had a stove in the dining room, which was the only source of heat. Our rooms were not heated but the beds had electric mattress pads. They had en suite bathrooms with flushing toilets and a shower. The availability of hot water showers varied—some lodges relied on solar, others used gas which meant it was important to vent the bathroom (thus letting in lots of cold air).
In Pheriche we stayed in a lodge where our room only had an attached toilet. There were shared showers but I don’t think anyone in our group used them. The “lodges” in Lobuche and Gorak Shep were the most basic, just sheets of plywood nailed together with cut-outs for a door and window. Toilets, sinks and showers were shared. No toilet paper. For these 3 lodges, MTS provided us with a sleeping bag and a hot water bottle (to use in addition to our Nalgene bottles) to stay warm.
A word of caution on the toilets. The higher we got the greater the prevalence of squat toilets. In Gorak Shep, neither the squat not the western-style sit toilets flushed and things got pretty gross quickly. So just be prepared!
Additional Info
- Trekking in the Fall means going after the monsoons. This applies to trekking in both Nepal and Bhutan. Early October still runs the risk of some cloudy, wet weather and while late October into November might mean bluer skies, the trade-off is lower temperatures, possibly even more snow. Another advantage of doing EBC in the Fall is the trails and towns are less crowded as most expedition teams are attempting their summits during the April-May climbing season. However, if your goal is to see EBC buzzing with all the activity of the expedition teams, then you will want to go in the Spring.
- I booked our flights between Kathmandu and Paro myself directly on Drukair’s website.