13 Day Everest Base Camp Hike In Winter

What a great way to start the New Year. Waking up at 4.30am to catch a flight to the world’s most dangerous airport and begin the challenging journey to Everest Base Camp (5364m) with Intrepid Travel.

Crossing glaciers, forests, valleys and high peaks in order to reach base camp gave me an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. The scenery was indescribable and I couldn't stop admiring the mountain peaks.

It was mentally and physically challenging, especially as it was the middle of winter. I’m glad I did this trip in January as it wasn’t busy and the air quality/visibility was good. The pace of the group was steady and slow, allowing us to absorb the scenery and to ensure everybody made it to base camp.

We stayed at small teahouses along the track and sometimes we were the only group. Most evenings/nights consisted of exploring the village, playing card games, eating, taking photos and reading.

The food at our accomodation was better than I expected. Due to the amount of exercise, I lost 5kg. Options for breakfast would include pancakes, eggs and porridge. Lunch and dinner would generally consist of high carb meals including rice, pasta, potato chips, curry and momos. My favourite desserts were deep fried snickers and fried apple momo’s. For most lunches, we would look at the menu before we arrived. One of the porters would go on ahead to order for us so we wouldn't have to wait for our food.

Throughout the day yaks, cows, horses and porters would pass us carrying extraordinary loads. Some people would be carrying twice their body weight. I saw wildlife I had never seen before including mountains goats, snowcocks and pheasants.

Even though it was extremely cold overnight, if the sun came out when we were walking I would strip down to a t-shirt and shorts. When we had rest stops I would cool down rapidly. I was constantly taking off and putting on layers.

Along the track, we passed spinning prayer wheels and large boulders. It's tradition to walk to the left of the large boulders. Intricate mantras had been carved into them. In Buddhism, prayer wheels accumulate good karma and purify negative karma when spun clockwise.

We learnt phrases such as ‘jam jam’ which means ‘let’s go’. ‘Namaste’ was the most used phrase which was said to nearly all the people we passed, including this cute kid.

Through the guidance and assistance from our guide Prem, assistant guides and porters everyone was able to make it to Base Camp.

Day 1: Kathmandu to Phakding (2610m)

We got our first glimpse of the Himalayas as the sun rose on the flight to Lukla. We were lucky with the weather as poor conditions can delay flights for days.

I was glad to escape the chaos of Kathmandu and head to the peaceful environment of the mountains.

After meeting the porters we descended to Phakding, arriving in the afternoon. I went on an optional trek to a small remote monastery. There, we sat and watched the ceremony which including spine-tingling music and chants.

Day 2: Phakding (2610m) to Namche Bazaar (3440m)

It was a very long day through many different terrains. The altitude gain of 830m was the greatest on the trek. We crossed the highest suspension bridge on the trek. It gave me a massive adrenaline rush as I looked down as the bridge swayed from side to side.

In Namche we were amazed at the size of this village, built on the mountain slope. I was very happy to get a view of the town from my room. A group of us set up our cameras on tripods and tried to capture a long exposure night photo of the town. 

Day 3: Acclimatisation Day at Namche Bazaar

We had another day in Namche for acclimatisation. This meant we had to trek up a mountain and come back down to sleep. It was a steep zig-zag track. Along the way we had some epic snowball fights.

Following the day hike, we visited the Sherpa Museum and the Tenzing Norgay statue. It was interesting to learn more about the Sherpa culture and nature of the region.

In the afternoon we watched a Mount Everest documentary at The Irish Cafe.

Namche was the last chance to purchase any equipment and enjoy a variety of food. After Namche wifi and power was non-existent or you had to pay. If you have cameras I suggest getting a portable charger or bringing spare batteries. I suggest keeping the batteries and liquids inside your jacket pockets next to your heart and in your sleeping bag overnight so the cold doesn’t drain them.

Day 4: Namche Bazaar (3440m) to Tengboche (3840m)

There was so much snow that we couldn’t take the Phortse route as we wouldn’t be able to see the track. Therefore we took the Tengboche route which took us around the side of the mountains with spectacular views. We passed several temples on the mountain edge.

The last part of the trek was a steep zig-zag track that seemed to be never-ending. Tengboche was located on an exposed ridge and the surrounding mountains cast a shadow over our accommodation. As we arrived many including me, went to their rooms to warm up in their sleeping bags.

The Tengboche Monastery is the largest in the Khumbu region and open to visitors.

From this point, it was so cold that I rarely changed my clothes until we were back in Namche about 7 days later.

After dinner, we were alerted that the clouds had cleared and we got our first glimpse of Mount Everest. From my room I set up my camera on the tripod and took a long exposure of the highest mountain on earth.

Day 5: Tengboche (3840m) to Dingboche (4410m)

I realised how cold it was when I tried applying frozen sunscreen. All the toilets and pipes had frozen.

The day started with a walk through the Rhododendron Forest in the valley below Tengboche.

A group passing us on their way down didn't reach base camp because of too much snow, this made us very nervous.

For lunch, we stopped at a remote house that had unobstructed 360-degree mountain views.

Along the trek, we would occasionally have random dogs following us. My favourite was a little puppy we called ‘Snickers’.

We arrived in Dingboche just in time for a beautiful sunset.

Day 6: Acclimatisation Day at Dingboche

For our second acclimatisation day, we had a day trek. This was the steepest mountain on our trek. There wasn’t a path so we hiked over the barren landscape. The pace was very slow and I definitely noticed the thinner air. The views were very rewarding and it was worth the exhausting hike.

Day 7: Dingboche (4410m) to Lobuche (4900m)

We stopped at the Everest Memorial to pay our respects to the people who have died on Mount Everest.

It was a short trek to Lobuche. Therefore, in the afternoon we walked higher than our accommodation and back down for acclimatisation purposes.

Once back in the comfort of the teahouse some of us prepared white triangular prayer flags with writing on them to leave at Base Camp. Mine read ‘Amazing experience! Best scenery, awesome food and so cold. Haven’t showered this year!’

Day 8: Lobuche (4900m) to Everest Base Camp (5364m)

We woke up at 6am and began our trek in -15°C. Any exposed hair froze. My facial hair turned white and the snot inside my nose froze.

We arrived at Gorak Shep at around 10 am and had a small feed to give us the energy to make it to base camp.

We followed the glacier all the way up to Base Camp. As we approached we could see base camp and the Khumbu Icefall (way up to Mount Everest). As we crossed onto the glacier there were sections of slippery ice so we had to be careful.

We timed our arrival perfectly as we were the only group there. Everyone was so joyful to have made it and there were high fives all around. It was windy and freezing so we only had about 40 minutes at base camp. I was so excited that I didn’t realise how cold or exhausted I was until I started descending.

Back at Gorak Shep we sat around the yak poo fire indoors and shared our experiences with others from around the world.

Day 9: Gorak Shep (5140m) to Kala Patthar (5545m) and Pheriche (4371m)

Attempting to summit Kala Patthar for sunrise was the craziest thing I’ve experienced.

We awoke at 4.30am, to commence hiking at 5am. The wind, cold and darkness didn’t deter the 6 of us. I tried to cover up any part of exposed skin before we entered the -18°C blizzardous conditions which were -30°C wind chill.

My headtorch died in the cold so I followed the light from the person in front of me. The further we ascended the windier it got, almost putting me off balance. The group started to sprawl out and some turned back with a guide. All I could think about was putting one foot in front of the other and follow the light along the undefined path.

It was so cold, my steel water bottle that hung off my shoulder strap exploded as it expanded when the water froze.

Our guide only had one glove, switching hands when it got cold. I didn't understand how he was able to do that without getting frostbite.

We stopped about 100m from the summit and huddled together. The guide yelled above the howling wind ‘only crazy people would continue to the top'. It would be more exposed at the top so we took his advice and descended.

We had made it to a higher altitude than base camp and had our best view of Mount Everest and surrounding peaks. I took out my camera and tried to take a few photos. After a couple of shots, my camera froze and stopped working.

I couldn't feel my hands or feet and I wanted to get off the mountain as quickly as possible.

It was such a relief to arrive back at the teahouse and warm up beside the fire. My whole body tingled as I warmed up. I was completely drained and didn’t want to move from the fire.

But we had to descend through the valley to Pheriche. The conditions improved and my altitude sickness symptoms decreased. We passed little stone houses that were surrounded by towering peaks.

This was the toughest day as Kala Patthar had zapped all my energy. I was so happy to arrive in Periche, the accommodation at Pumori Lodge was a bit better than previous stays and they even had a TV which we watched cricket on.

Day 10: Pheriche (4371m) to Namche Bazaar (3440m)

This was the longest day and mostly downhill. We started at 8 am and arrived in the dark at about 6 pm. At sunset, we got amazing views of Mount Everest, close to Namche Bazaar.

It was the first night in a week that it wasn’t freezing so I changed out of my smelly clothes.

The group’s mood improved at dinner and we rewarded ourselves with some rum. At altitude, I reckon I felt the effects of alcohol more.

Day 11: Namche Bazaar (3440m) to Phakding (2610m)

After crossing back over the highest suspension bridge we stopped at the river and had a competition at who could hit a target with a rock.

In the afternoon we had a few celebratory beers at a cool bar called Liquid. We played several games of pool and watched soccer on the TV. 

Day 12: Phakding (2610m) to Lukla (2860m)

The finishing point of the trek was a concrete archway. We walked under it as a group and celebrated as we did when we reached Base Camp.

In Lukla, we knew we were back to civilisation when we saw a Starbucks. Instead of McDonald’s, they had a ‘Yak Donald’s’. We went to an underground Scottish Pub for a few drinks and a game of pool.

We had a farewell dinner for the guides/porters. It was such a fun night with plenty of beer and rum. The porters taught us traditional Nepalese dancing. The guides/porters did such a good job that all of us put together tips and gifted it to them.

Day 13: Lukla (2860m) to Kathmandu

We waited at the small busy airport as we watched planes continuously land and takeoff on the small runway. The short runway on a downhill angle made everyone nervous.

We arrived back at Kathmandu Guest House with everyone rushing to the shower. We had not showered on the trek so everyone emerged as a new person.