%20(1).png)
This blog provides links to useful trip reports and information on the Tripadvisor forum about the Everest Base Camp trek, videos of EBC treks and live webcams at Lukla and Namche Bazaar.
Click here to read my other blogs about the Everest Base Camp and Everest 3 Passes treks.
Contents
1. Tripadvisor Posts
My blogs on trekking in the Everest Region are based on my 2 treks there in May 2014 and May 2022. See my blog My Daily Reports on the Everest 3 Passes Trek.
I am also an active participant on the Tripadvisor forum for Nepal. I follow this forum every day and obtain a lot of useful and up to date information. I have included some of this information in my blogs.
It can be difficult to find relevant and useful posts on the Tripadvisor forum later on. I have therefore listed below some of the best posts regarding the Everest Base Camp trek. For easy reference the headings are linked to the posts on Tripadvisor. Some of the posts have over 300 threads and in such instances I have provided a summary of the most relevant and helpful postings.
This 2024 post highlights the problem from wild fires and pollution in Nepal during Spring. It wasn't the first year that this has happened but Spring of 2024 was particularly bad.
Internal flights were cancelled and this included flights to Lukla for trekkers doing the Everest Base Camp trek. Views on the EBC trek were affected by the pollution particularly at lower altitude.
The wild fires were put out by rain on 6th May 2024. In the past the pollution from wild fires hasn't been a problem from about this date.
This Thorntree post about the Everest 3 Passes trek was written by a Canadian lady in 2014. She had a bad guide and they got lost in bad weather on the Ngozumpa glacier near Gokyo. They spent the night on the glacier and she suffered frost bite as a result.
It is a fascinating report and highlights the risk in crossing the 2 glaciers on the Everest 3 Passes trek. In May 2022 I met several trekkers who had got lost on the Khumbu glacier after crossing the Kongma La. Luckily the weather was clear and warm.
See my blog Guides, Porters & Trekking Agencies in Nepal.
The Nepal Tourist Board unsuccessfully tried to ban independent trekking in Nepal from April 2023. This post provides up to date information on this matter.
This is a very interesting, and informative, Tripadvisor Forum post from a German trekker (aka Dharma Bum) who travels very lightly. He walks to Everest Base Camp from Dhap and does the Everest 3 passes trek.
His backpack weighed 4.26 kgs! He doesn't take a sleeping bag even though he trekked in November. He used the lodges' not so clean blankets and duvets. He is a fast trekker so take that into account when he mentions trekking times.
Before the trek he asked Tripadvisor forum members to critique his proposed itinerary for his Everest Base Camp trek. After the trek he posts trip reports for his 29 day trek. It ends up being a very long thread with 192 posts from himself and other trekkers, many of whom know the Everest region very well.
If you just want to read his trips reports these are the relevant links:
Post 114 - Day 1 (Dhap) to Day 3 (Junbesi)
Post 118 - Day 4 (Junbesi) to Day 8 (Namche Bazaar)
Post 125 - Day 9 (Namche Bazaar) to Day 12 (Pangboche)
Post 136 - Day 13 (Dingboche) to Day 16 (Lobuche)
Post 140 - Day 17 (Pangboche) to Day 21 (Gokyo)
Post 144 - Day 22 (Gokyo) to Day 27 (Namche Bazaar)
Post 153 - Day 28 (Namche Bazaar) to Day 29 (Lukla)
An entertaining, informative and well written live trip report from an American (Ling) based in Thailand. He has trekked in the Everest region numerous times but until now always in the winter months.
His Everest 3 Passes trek started on 30th March 2022 when the number of trekkers was fairly low due to Covid. There are 302 posts in this thread due to all the feedback from Tripadvisor forum members!
Post 1 - Day 1: Flight to Lukla & trek to Namche Bazaar
Post 21 - Day 2: "Rest day" in Namche and his day hike to Mong and Khumjung.
Post 29 - Day 3: Namche Bazaar to Phortse
Post 117 - Day 4: Phortse to Dingboche
Post 148 - Day 5: Dingboche to Chukhung
Post 170 - Day 6: "Rest day" in Chukhung
Post 175 - Day 7: Chukhung to Lobuche via Kongma La Pass
Post 180 - Day 8: Lobuche to Dzonglha
Post 198 - Day 9: Dzonglha to Gokyo via the Cho La Pass
Post 211 - Days 10 & 11: "Rest days" in Gokyo
Post 232 - Day 12: Day hike from Gokyo to Renjo La Pass
Post 256 - Day 13: Rest day in Gokyo
Post 272 - Day 14: Gokyo to Namche Bazaar via Renjo La Pass
Post 292 - Days 15–18: 3 Rest days in Namche Bazaar & the walk back to Lukla
Another trip report by Ling for his second Everest 3 passes trek in 2022!
Post 7 - Day 1: Kathmandu to Namche Bazaar
Post 9 - Day 2: Rest day around Namche Bazaar
Post 24 - Day 3: Namche Bazaar to Phortse
Post 41 - Day 4: Phortse to Dingboche
Post 53 - Day 5: Dingboche to Chukhung
Post 58 - Day 6: "Rest day" in Chukhung with a stroll up Chukhung Ri
Post 69 - Day 7: Chukhung to Lobuche via the Kongma La Pass
Post 77 - Day 8: Lobuche to Dzonglha
Post 81 - Day 9: Dzongla – Cho La Pass - Dragnag
Post 96 - Day 10: Dragnag to Gokyo & Climb up Gokyo Ri
Post 111 - Day 11: Hike to Gokyo Fifth Lake & Scoundrel's Viewpoint
Post 132 - Day 12: Gokyo to Thame via the Renjo La Pass
A trip report of an extremely exploratory trek in the Everest/Khumbu region. A lot of what he did is beyond the capability of the average trekker. That definitely includes me!
The posts of interest to the ordinary trekker, looking to do side trips, are:
Post 142 provides details of a very scenic route that runs from the Pyramid Lodge (north of Lobuche) towards Gorak Shep. It runs above, and parallel to the main Everest Base Camp trail. The trail is very scenic and not difficult. It is also possible to walk westwards from this path up a grassy slope to about 5,300 metres.
Post 4 is by Ling again and he details all the daily meal and beverage costs he incurred during his December 2021 trek. Costs will have increased since then!
This Tripadvisor forum post provides pre Covid information on the trek from Dhap to Namche Bazaar. It is a thread of 20 posts with contributions from some trekkers who have done a lot of hikes in Nepal.
Another more recent Tripadvisor forum post on the Pikey Peak trek from early 2022. It is a thread of 59 posts.
This post provides a lot of information on accommodation, restaurants and what to see at Boudhanath.
A trip report for Ling's Everest 3 passes trek in December 2023. In post 138 (written on 4 January 2024) he recounts his near fatal fall while crossing the Ngozumpa glacier near Gokyo!
Information about alternative trails and day hikes when doing the Everest 3 passes and Everest Base Camp treks.
2. Vlogs
There are quite a few interesting vlogs covering trekking in the Everest/Khumbu region. Watching one or two will give you a feel for the scenery and what to expect. I find that they usually provide little factual information and are not that useful for planning the Everest Base Camp trek. I have provided links to a few of the better English speaking ones.
This is a vlog by an Australian couple who were driving from Australia to Europe. They drove from Kathmandu to Salleri in their vehicle and then did the Everest 3 Passes trek in 21 days. They were later arrested and imprisoned for almost 3 months in Iran for flying a drone!
This is a video by a Nepalese couple who ride a motorbike from Kathmandu to Tham Danda, which is north of Bupsa. It gives a good idea of the road if you want to drive in rather than fly to Lukla.
The road appears better than I thought it would be, but after rain it would probably be a mess. After walking to Namche Bazaar they take the standard route to Everest Base Camp. The only thing I disagreed with was they took a helicopter back from Gorak Shep.
The trekker is German so there is also a German version of this vlog. It covers the first part of his trek to Gokyo. He first hiked to Ama Dablam Base Camp to acclimatize.
This video is of his trek up the Gokyo Valley to Gokyo and then back to Namche via the Renjo La and Thame.
3. Webcam Live Nepal
This YouTube site has links to several webcams set up in the Khumbu. There are webcams at Lukla airport, Namche Bazaar, the Everest View Hotel above Namche Bazaar, Khumjung and Pheriche.
This is very useful when you are sitting at Kathmandu or Ramechhap airport wondering if the weather will improve in Lukla so your flight can take off!