Everest Base Camp Trek itself can be a dream place to visit for many adventure lovers as it is the base camp of the World's tallest mountain Mount Everest. There are thousands of visitor enters Nepal every year to trek to Everest Base Camp. There is no age, gender, weight or any other restriction for trekking to EBC. As there is no restriction for trekking to EBC, some trekkers prefer trekking with a group while others prefer trekking solo. All the trekkers are free to choose whether they want to trek with a group or alone. There is both good & bad side to trekking solo or trekking with groups.
Trekking to Everest Base Camp Solo vs Group
Trekking Solo
Trekking solo to EBC or any other place is definitely a good thing to consider if you’re an experienced trekker & want to have some alone time to heal your mind, body & soul. But if you’re a beginner without any trekking experience then, trekking solo might not be the best option for you. Safety always comes first along with enjoying the trek. So for beginner trekkers, trekking with a guide & porter will add more safety & improve your experience, knowledge & understanding of the mountains, culture & lifestyle of Nepal. Trekking solo can be problematic sometimes in case of facing injury & illness during your trek.
If you’re considering trekking solo then you’ll need to prepare quite a lot for yourself before your trek. Things you’ll need for trekking to Everest Base Camp are;
Permits for Everest Base Camp Trek
Most of the trek in Nepal requires a permit & in the case of the Everest Base Camp trek, two permits are needed. They are; the Trekkers Information management system(TIMS) & Sagarmatha National Park permit. You can get a TIMS card once you arrive in Kathmandu from Nepal Tourism Board which will require some paper documents & cash in NPR. As for the Sagarmatha National Park permit, You can get that along the trail to EBC. It requires a TIMS card & cash in NPR.
Base Camp Everest Itinerary
Another thing you must have to trek to EBC is Itinerary. Since you won’t have any guide, porter or trekking partner if you trek solo, you’ll have to do quite some research about trekking to EBC, its weather condition, altitude, accommodation & food facilities etc. Keeping all the above things in mind, you can design an itinerary for your Everest Base Camp trek which will help you to have a much easier & enjoyable time during your trek.
Base Camp Everest Packing list
You’ll have to spend some time preparing for your trip researching what is needed for your trek. You’ll have to pack the following things for your trek to EBC; Trekking clothes, Teahouse clothes, Trekking gear, Toiletries, First aid, light foods & your personal items. You can check the details for the packing list in our other blog.
Trekking with Group/guide/porter
Most trekkers prefer to trek with a group, trekking partners or guide & porter for safety purposes. If you book with our company or any other travel company, a guide & porter will be provided to you by us. All your accommodation, food & transportation facilities will also be provided by us which will be included in the original price you pay us. We’ll also take care of all your permit cards. Trekking with a group is definitely a better option for trekkers without any previous experience in trekking. You won’t have any problem finding trails, hotels, guesthouses and tea houses while trekking with the group. Trekking with the group also means that you’ll have full safety during your trek, as there will be people around you to look for you if you get injured or have any illness. Hiring a guide & porter is the best thing to do if you want to learn more about the mountains, history, culture & lifestyle of Nepal & the Himalayas.
