We arrive in the morning and are taken to the hotel.

The 40-minute flight from Kathmandu to Lukla is one of the most spectacular flights in the world. A sixteen-seater Twin Otter takes us eastward, into the heart of Sherpa country, giving us views of all the peaks of the Khumbu region, including Everest and Ama Dablam (remember to sit on the left-hand side of the plane!). The landing on the tiny airstrip at Lukla is, to put it mildly, exciting. Soon after landing, we set off, along the renowned trail to Everest Base Camp. From Lukla (2,800 m), we walk north-west and descend to the river at Phakding (2,652 m), where we camp for the night.

Setting off early in the morning, we follow the river before climbing the steep hill to Namche Bazaar. Hopefully, we get our first views of Everest and Lhotse as we approach Namche. We reach the town after about six hours of walking. Namche is the most prosperous and largest settlement in the Khumbu region. It is the capital of the Sherpa population, a people who closely resemble Tibetans in appearance and culture. Namche is a vibrant town with many shops and several restaurants and lodges.

Today, team members have the opportunity to look around Namche and walk to the Everest View Hotel (3,900m).

From Namche, the well-worn Everest trail contours around the side of the valley, high above the Dudh Koshi. As we follow the path, we will get our first really good views of the great peaks of Khumbu: Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam. Passing by several villages and numerous tea shops, we will cross the Dudh Koshi river and make a steep climb to Thyangboche, home of an impressive and recently rebuilt monastery. We have plenty of time to look around Thyangboche and have cake at the bakery before dropping down to the river and the village of Deboche (3,700m) a little further along the trail, where we will stay in a relaxing lodge.

It’s a 1.5 hour walk further up the trail to the village of Pangboche (4,000m). Pangboche is situated directly below Ama Dablam and many of the Sherpa’s who work on the mountain every season are from this village.

To ease our acclimatisation, we can walk up the slope towards Nangar Tsang (5100m) for great views up the Khumbu and Imja Valleys.

We trek back down the trail to the bridge at Pangboche and cross the Dudh Kosi before climbing up the far side of the river and follow the trail and ridgeline up to the base camp (3.5 hours from Pangboche). The base camp is an idyllic spot from which the majority of the route is visible. At an altitude of about 4,570m it provides a comfortable escape from the rigors of the climb. Our porters deposit their loads and leave us here for the next 3 weeks, with only our Sirdar, Sherpa and Cook staff remaining.

We do not provide a prescriptive day-to-day itinerary for the climb, as this will be decided by the expedition leaders. They will take a flexible approach based on their own experience, previous EST expeditions to the mountain, and the make-up of the team. Typically, the team will spend a few days at base camp organizing provisions, practicing rope skills and acclimatising before moving above base camp. It is normal to ‘tag’ or spend at least one night in Camp 1 (5,700m) as part of any acclimatisation schedule, before returning to base camp, resting and preparing for the summit push.

Trek to Lukla

Flight Lukla to Kathmandu

Leisure time in Kathmandu or departure day‚ depending on your return flight ticket.

Transfer to the Kathmandu airport for your flight home.