A Little Extra Adventure — Extended Everest Base Camp Treks to do!

1. A Little Extra Adventure — Extended Everest Base Camp Treks to do! We have all grown up reading about the grandeur of Mt. Everest, the highest mountain in the world. And it never ceases to amaze or mesmerize us. Trekkers from around the world have it on their bucket list and dream of trekking the majestic mountains one fine day! The experience at the Everest Base Camp Trek is divine and like no other. The beautiful and breathtaking flora and fauna together with the thrill of scaling the highest peak in the world together with several other high peaks are indescribable. There is a lot of natural beauty to explore on the way. The trek passes through the immensely beautiful Khumbu Valley that is surrounded by the Sagarmatha National Park. The trekkers also get a close view of Mt. Everest, Mt. Makalu, Mt. Lhotse and Cho Oyu that form 4 of the highest peaks of the world. Since the Everest Base Camp Trek is a Tea house trek, the trekkers get a chance to stay in several villages en route and explore the local culture and traditions of the place. A major highlight of the EBC Trek is the Kala Patthar at a height of 5500 m. The trekkers get a chance to ascend this and enjoy some spectacular views of the Mt. Everest from here. The standard EBC Trek route has a variation to it. The deviation is from Gorak Shep towards North to reach Kala Patthar where the trekkers can enjoy some splendid views of the majestic Mt. Everest and other high peaks surrounding the area. The trekkers can choose to have a classic trekking route or add a little extra adventure and have an extended Everest Base Camp Trek. The most standard route that takes to the Everest Base Camp starts from Lukla and moves north to Namche Bazaar and then further to Pheriche or Dingboche. The trail goes further to Lobuche and to Gorak Shep. The Everest Base Camp is further east from here while Kala Patthar is towards the west. For all those of you who cannot have enough of adventure and long for more, there is a variation to this route. The Gokyo Lakes Trek, often called the extended Everest Base Camp Trek also starts from Lukla, heads to Phakding, then west to Namche Bazaar, to Phortse Thanga, Machhermo, Gokyo and Dole. The alternate route is often taken to avoid the crowded route of Kala Patthar and explore the village of Gokyo that is beyond beautiful. Another major attraction is the Gokyo Lake with its emerald green water and surrounded by Yaks that make for a picturesque location.

2. The other popular variation is the Three Passes Trek. The trek is much more challenging and more comprehensive than the Everest Base Camp Trek. It involves crossing the three passes— Renjo La, Cho La, and Kongma La pass, each of which are over 5000 meters. The route remains the same till Namche Bazaar as in the standard trek. The trail then splits towards Dudh Koshi Valley where the trekkers encounter Renjo La pass. From here, the trail descends towards the Gokyo Lakes and then to the Gokyo Village. Moving to the east, the route crosses the second pass-the Cho La Pass. From here you can ascend the Kala Patthar where you can enjoy some spectacular views of Mt. Everest and surrounding peaks. The Kongma La Pass or the final pass crosses the route on the way back to Lukla. The Everest Base Camp has always had a special significance among the trekkers and climbers alike. The fact that almost 400 people visit the trail every day during the peak season is enough to justify its popularity among the trekkers.