EVEREST BASE CAMP..... GO FOR IT !! My 2nd trekking excursion to Nepal, the first was Annapurna Base Camp,(ABC) 10 days round trip, up to 4130 meters (13,550 ft) That was enough to energize my batteries to go higher, for I've been near or at 14,000 ft on 3 occasions without any AMS symptoms.
I was anticipating Everest Base Camp (EBC) to be the trek that let me experience some AMS symptoms, however my pre-trip training (indoors at sea level) had my legs in shape and genetics most likely had a lot to the NO AMS, along with the gradual acclimatization in the trek was very well planned and organized. The research I have read says no one can predict who will get AMS, and genetics has a lot to do with it per some mountain guide I knew in Alaska.
AS for the conditions in Nepal, well..... I am used to "ROUGHING" it in the bush of Alaska for over 25 years, so the TEA HOUSES are luxurious compared to the bush of ALASKA. SO if you are a pampered city slicker and not used to roughing it, YES, it will be a shock as Michelle M stated in the review before me.
REMEMBER your training, and expect the worst, and hope (and Pray) for the Best. SUKMAN and the assistant guides were beyond fabulous, we all owe a debt of gratitude to them for getting us up that 5545 meters the last day for a SPECTACULAR view of the "TOP of the WORLD"
CHEERS and BEERS from JW in ALASKA. THANKS SUKMAN.
Smooth and memorable trip! Even though I didn't make it to the Mera Peak summit successfully due to altitude sickness, the experience I had with this local travel specialist was great. Airport pick-up went smoothly and they even let me buy a few clothing items in Thamel before dropping me off at my hostel. After the trek I spent another week in Nepal and I assumed the return to airport wouldn't be included since I wasn't going immediately after the trek as this has been the case with other companies I've done tours with. But no, they told me they'd be happy to take me to the airport whatever day my flight was. Pretty awesome. The drivers were all very friendly, helpful, and spoke excellent English which made for nice rides. The guide and porter I had for the trek were both very kind and well-qualified for their positions. If I had felt better, I have no doubts that my guide would have gotten me to the summit. My only criticism is that I would have preferred to have had a guide that spoke better English. My guide spoke well enough for purposes of the trek, but I couldn't really have conversations with him about his culture, life, etc because he didn't understand what I was asking. Obviously, this is a non-essential, but it is something that would have added to my experience. He was also a bit young and so didn't always know how much longer it would take to reach the next lunch spot or teahouse. I think in time he'll have a better idea of the pace of his group and will be able to accurately give a time estimate. Other than that, great experience!
Awesome trek, great guide, solid company. We had a great time on this trek. The organization was solid, the guide (Raju) and the porter (kaju) made us feel lucky to have signed on with this company. The trek itself we highly recommend, and this company seemed to do their best to make this trek the best experience possible.