Nepal Part 2: Everest Base Camp
After a lot of research we decided to
do the the Everest Base Camp (EBC) trek on our own; we went without a
porter (to carry our stuff) or a guide. The best argument I could
find for hiring a guide is economical benefits to the local economy;
however, this region is much better off than the rest of Nepal and
the act of coming and being a tourist here will help continue this
positive trend for the region. We did not hire a porter because we
didn't want to watch someone carry all of our stuff up the hill for
us. That being said, 90% of the people we encountered had a porter
and a guide. If you want to do the trek all I can recommend is to do
research and see what you think best fits your preference. I would
discourage hiring western companies, they are over priced and don't
help the locals very much.
Why did I decide to do this? Nepal,
along with many of my past travel choices was chosen by looking at a
map and airfare prices. I always wanted to visit India and that was
my starting point when I came across Nepal as an interesting
destination that was nearby. The more I read about Nepal the more I
became interested in doing a trek. I invited my step dad, Rick, and
once he decided he wanted to go the rest just fell into place.
Was it hard? Yes. You walk all
day every day for a minimum of twelve days in high altitude and the
hiking itself is not exactly easy. Some parts are more difficult than
others but the high altitude and long distances makes the whole thing
pretty hard. It was harder than I expected, but not too hard for
anyone in decent shape.Anyway, here are some of my favorite
pictures.
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