The EBC Trek & Luboche Climb

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Climbing Luboche is very physically challenging, and climbers do need to have previous mountain climbing experience, including the use of crampons, ice axe, and rope/harness systems. The following mountains are examples of prerequisites to be ready to climb Luboche:

• Winter Colorado 14ers
• Pacific NW volcanoes such as Mt. Rainier and Mt. Hood
• Ecuador volcanoes (Chimborazo and Cotopaxi)

Our philosophy is, you never want your lack of physical fitness or technical skills to prevent you from reaching your dreams.  On this climb, a lack of physical fitness could force you to have to turn around early and head back down to Luboche Base Camp.

Strong physical fitness will allow you to enjoy the climb even more and can help with the acclimatization process.  Remember you will be hiking all the way up to EBC first, so you will need the endurance to climb a challenging peak after 10 days of hiking mostly uphill.  You'll need to be prepared for a 10-12 hour summit day climb and descent, carrying a 20-25 lbs pack.  

Ultimately, you'll want to be in the best shape of your life to be ready for this peak.

How can you prepare and train for the Everest Base Camp Trek?  

• Contact us for training advice (which is included in the climb price). 
• Sign up for our customized daily Personal Adventure Training program. 
• Come to Colorado to train 1-on-1 with Dr. Jon in the Rocky Mountains in the winter, where you will train on terrain that's similar to the climb.
• You'll want to do a consistent regimen of aerobic (running, hiking, cycling, etc.) and resistance (weight training, balance, core, etc.) training to sufficiently prepare you for the amount of time you'll spend your on feet during the trek, the amount of elevation gain, the uneven terrain, and the altitude.
• We hire porters to carry most of your gear other than the daypack you carry each day with food, water, and layers, so your pack should only weigh 10-15 lbs each day.    However, we recommend preparing by doing at least one multi-day backpacking trip before you go as a great way to train for hiking several hours a day for consecutive days, and getting comfortable living out of a backpack.  

In terms of acclimatizing to high elevations, getting up to and above 10,000 feet will certainly be helpful in the weeks leading up to your climb, but it isn't necessary.  We have a tried and tested method for safely gaining altitude on this trek and taking appropriate rest days to allow our bodies time to adapt and produce more red blood cells.  We monitor our climbers pace and physical health to ensure they are moving at the correct pace for them to avoid the issues and symptoms that signify altitude sickness.

With the exception of a few meals in Kathmandu at the beginning and end of the trek, most meals are included in the trip cost.  We usually do a welcome dinner together as a team in Kathmandu the day after your arrival in Nepal, and a celebration dinner on the back end of the trip before you fly home.  

Once on the trek, we eat all meals together at the various teahouses, lodges, and restaurants we stop at along the way.  We take care of all those details, all you have to do is sit down and eat!  The food in the Khumbu region is very tasty, and we'll be eating a combination of traditional local cuisine as well as common foods you eat at home, such as pizza, eggs, toast, soups, rice, and cake.

You will want to bring your own snacks and sports drink (in powdered form) for hiking, to maintain your energy levels.  You'll be burning more calories than your normally would at home, so those snacks are very important for maintaining your strength. 

Meals are also provided at Luboche Base Camp, but you'll want to bring your own climbing snacks.

Also, motivation and attitude tend to go down with energy level, so follow the adage "When you feel good, eat."  (Meaning that if you aren't feeling good, you are likely also behind on your calories and need to catch up, so eat while you feel good and avoid that situation.)

We provide an expedition water filter, so no need to purchase bottled water.

Once you are registered, we will provide you with a list of gear needed for this trek and climb.  It's best to buy everything you need several months in advance of your trip so you can test everything out multiple times on training hikes.  Getting a blister from new boots on day 1 of your trek is not fun and can ruin the experience.

Remember, not all gear lists are perfect or comprehensive. Our gear list will have suggestions of the major items you will need. Part of the reason why there are so many gear options out there is that we all have slightly different anatomy.  What works for us may not work for you.  Go out on your own mini-expeditions and train in your gear to break it in and determine if it will work for you. If you get blisters at home in a pair of boots, you’ll get them on this climb too.

You will need mountaineering boots, crampons, ice axe, and harness for this climb.

Scroll down for the typical daily itinerary of our Everest Base Camp Trek with Luboche climb.  

A security deposit of 25% of total trip payment is due 120 days prior to trip start date.  Final payment is due 90 days prior to the trip start date.  Payment can be made by check, credit card, Venmo, Zelle, or Paypal. 

Our cancellation policy is: 

• Full refund of your payments (minus 5% cancellation fee) if you cancel 121 or more days prior to your trip start date.
• Refund of everything you've paid except your security deposit if you cancel 91 days prior to trip start date.
• If you cancel less than 90 days we won't be able to refund anything because we've spent the money securing permits, porters, base camp logistics, etc.   We'll discuss offering you a credit on a future expedition or trip with us.  

While the trek is not dangerous in terms of risks of falling down exposed ridges, it can still be dangerous due to the high elevation of Everest Base Camp and Luboche Peak. Other risks to consider are weather-related travel delays, traveler’s diarrhea, high altitude coughs,  Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE) and exposure to cold temperatures.

On Luboche, there is a risk of falling, which is why we rope up.  

To minimize the risks associated with weather-related delays, we fly to Lukla from Kathmandu by helicopter rather than airplane. It’s more expensive but in general helicopters can fly in more types of weather than airplanes, considering what the Lukla airport is like.

Everyone reacts differently to higher altitudes, depending on their fitness, genetics, and the elevation at which they normally live. We mitigate this risk by following general procedures of not increasing elevation gain by more than 500m per day once we reach Lukla. We also take two separate rest days during the trek to let your body adjust and manufacture more red blood cells. This is extremely important and not something that can be cut out of the trek to reduce the number of days.

If a member does start showing signs of altitude sickness, we have numerous resources available to assist them, including medications such as Diamox. We also have extra guides that can stay behind in a village with a member who is having difficulty, to give them extra acclimatization time.

A member of our staff will stay with a sick trekker when they cannot remain with the group. We recommend medications to bring for common ailments and have extras with us. In an emergency, a helicopter can be hired to transport a sick trekker back down to a hospital in Kathmandu. The Himalayan Rescue Association is our partner in the Khumbu with clinics in several of the villages, so we can take a trekker to those clinics if necessary, and we ask that trekkers join the American Alpine Club for medical insurance through their partner Global Rescue,  which provides for free medical care the entire trek.

To avoid traveler’s diarrhea, we bring water treatment and filtration devices and also purchase bottled water for our trekkers. If someone were to experience stomach distress, we also have medication to help them.  Staying in the cleanest and best hotels, lodges, and teahouses mitigates this as well.

We will constantly emphasize the following safety protocols:

1. Stay well-hydrated and caught up on calories. Appetite tends to decrease at higher elevation, so eating can become more of a necessity rather than a pleasurable activity. 
2. Go slow while hiking and keep the heart rate low. No need to rush, enjoy the beauty.
3. Bring adequate layers as the weather can change rapidly in the mountains.
4. Everyone stays with the group.

Trekkers can fly into Kathmandu, Nepal from their home country.  We ask trekkers to arrive a minimum of 1 day prior to the trek start date to allow for time to adjust to jet lag and to purchase any last minute items in the big city.  

Upon arrival at the Kathmandu Tribhuvan Airport (KTM), we will have a staff member there to transport you by private vehicle to your hotel in the city.  All trekkers on the team will be staying at the same hotel.  We will assist you in booking your roundtrip flights (the only transportation you arrange on your own and pay for out of pocket) so that you arrive at a similar time as other team members.

Once in Nepal, all your transportation is prearranged and covered.  We fly by airplane or helicopter up to Lukla to start the trek. 

Travel insurance is required for the trek and should include coverage for trip cancellation or delay, baggage loss, medical expenses, and evacuation .  There are many options in the marketplace.  Another current requirement is that the travel insurance cover you for COVID-related contingencies (cancellation, testing, and treatment).  We will help you select the right insurance for you as part of our inclusive pre-trip planning services.

For information on travel advisories and restrictions in Nepal, go to the U.S. Embassy website.  In addition, we check in frequently with our staff in Nepal on what's happening on the ground in the country (regarding testing, quarantines, etc.) and keep our members updated as their trip approaches.

A valid passport is required for entering Nepal.  We will assist you on applying for and securing your visa upon arriving in Nepal.