Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The trekking season in the Everest region extends from April to late October. The trek
up from Everest Base Camp to more advanced camps at the foot of the mountain requires
much time for acclimatisation. This is a very difficult high-elevation region with altitudes
ranging between 5400m and 6400m. Subfreezing temperatures occur all year round in this
rarified world of ice and hoar.
Expeditions beyond Base Camp are only for those very experienced in trekking and
mountaineering. Being highly fit combined with careful preparation and the right gear are
imperative. It's all too easy, once you have reached Base Camp, to succumb to the tempta-
tion to push further up the mountains. Do not do so without spending a couple of days ac-
climatising in the Rongphu area and doing day hikes to higher altitudes.
For properly prepared groups, with the right permits from Lhasa, it's possible to trek
beyond Base Camp as far as
Camp III
. Including time for acclimatising, you would need
to allow at least one week for this trek. The route skirts the Rongphu Glacier until
Camp I
and then meets the East Rongphu Glacier at
Camp II
. This glacier must be crossed in or-
der to reach Camp III (6340m). Those reaching Camp III stand before the north face of Mt
Everest, a close encounter between the stupendous and the seemingly insignificant. For de-
tailed information on reaching the advanced base camps, see Gary McCue's
Trekking in
Tibet
.
Everest East Face
Follow a river conduit breaching the Himalaya to the spectacular forested east flank of Mt
Everest. Small lakes and fantastic camping make this a most attractive trek. Drive to
Kharta
, with its alpine hamlets, some 90km from Shegar on the Friendship Hwy. Budget
at least 10 days for the trek. There are two main passes accessing the east or Kangshung
side of Everest:
Langma-la
(5330m) and
Shao-la
(5030m). The huge
Kangchung Glaci-
er
reposes on the west end of the Karma Valley. For detailed information, see
Tibet Hand-
book
by Victor Chan and
Trekking in Tibet
by Gary McCue.
