Everest Base Camp Trek Heli Return - 10 days

Everest Base Camp Trek with Heli Return is quite a fun and challenging trek. So, to make your trek more fun and less challenging, it is better to prepare for it. Every trekker needs physical and mental preparation for the EBC trek. You need good physical fitness for the Everest Base Camp Trek with Heli Return. You will have to climb uphill and downhill. Similarly, the terrains are rough and vary. Similarly, the trail goes through suspension bridges, steep trails, glaciers, and moraines. You must be prepared to walk 5 to 6 hours on average while on trek.

Physical Preparation

To prepare for the trek, you can undertake training and exercises to build physical stamina and endurance. It would be best to try cardiovascular fitness, like running, cycling, and swimming. Similarly, you can take strength training that improves your overall strength. Other training sessions can include hiking practice, altitude training, and balance exercises. You can also prepare by hiking around your locality and carrying heavy backpacks to help you mirror the experience you will receive during the trek.

Mental Preparation

Preparing for the Everest Base Camp Trek also requires mental readiness. You’ll trek in remote, high-altitude areas with basic facilities and limited infrastructure. The long hours of walking in unfamiliar territory can be both adventurous and tiring. The rapid weather changes at high elevations add to the challenge. All these factors can put a strain on your mental well-being. Therefore, it’s important to research the trek route and its difficulties in advance. Planning your itinerary carefully can help reduce mental stress. Managing your expectations and maintaining a positive mindset while on the trek is essential.

Altitude sickness is one of the significant difficulties that the trekkers face during their expedition to the Everest Base Camp. The Everest Base Camp is at an elevation of 5364 meters, while Kalapathar sits at 5545 meters. Usually, the trekkers start to experience altitude sickness after crossing 3000 meters elevation. This is why there is a high risk, and trekkers must prepare for it before and during the trek.

The air has less oxygen at higher altitudes, making trekkers feel sick. Symptoms of altitude sickness include headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, shortness of breath, trouble sleeping, tiredness, and a fast pulse. It’s essential to take these symptoms seriously because altitude sickness has caused deaths among trekkers. During your trek, prevent altitude sickness by following proper acclimatization procedures. This is also why trekking agencies schedule at least one or two acclimatization days.

Resting helps your body adjust to the high elevation, humidity, temperature, and surroundings. Stay active during the day. Watch your diet while trekking. Drink at least 3 to 4 liters of water daily and eat meals rich in carbohydrates and protein. Avoid consuming too much caffeine, alcohol, chocolate drinks, and smoking tobacco.

Everest Base Camp Trek with Helicopter Return is twice as much fun if you plan the trek in the ideal season. Helicopter flight is far riskier if you are flying during the not-so-ideal conditions when there is constant rain, storm, thunderstorms, or snowstorms. Hence, here are some of the best seasons to visit the EBC trek with Heli’s return.

Spring (March to May)

Spring season in Nepal begins in March and ends in May. The majestic environment of the spring season also helps with helicopter transport from one place to another. The environment is covered with rhododendrons and magnolias, and flowers bloom during this season. This season is attractive, primarily for families with children who love chirping flowers, flowering jungles, and also clear views of the mountains and skies.

Autumn (September to November)

Another peak season for trekking is autumn, which is ideally suited for trekkers. This season begins in the middle of September and ends in November. The initial days of September receive rainfall since it falls under the post-monsoon area. Like the Spring season, Autumn also possesses ideal qualities for trekking, like the mild weather and temperature.

Monsoon Season

If you plan the trek to Everest Base Camp, avoid the off-season like Monsoon season. The Monsson season begins in the middle of June to August. During the monsoon season, trekking is not recommended due to heavy rainfall and difficult trail conditions. The wet and slippery trails make steep ascents and descents challenging to navigate, increasing the risk of injury. In addition, the moist surroundings attract insects and mosquitoes, and the region is prone to natural disasters such as floods and landslides. Therefore, it is best to avoid trekking during this time for safety reasons.

Winter Season

Winter season is another off-season for trekking the Khumbu region. This season begins in December and ends in February. The helicopter ride is also not ideal during winter as it is not the perfect time for trekking in the Himalayas. During this season, the teahouses and guest houses are closed, especially at the high altitudes, due to the risk of avalanches. There are several risks in trekking in the winter season; however, you will also see the stunning snowy mountain views.

Everest Base Camp Trek return via Helicopter is enjoyable but challenging, especially for beginners. So, if you want to enjoy your trek and minimize the challenges, there are specific tips for the EBC trek.

• Choosing the best season is the first significant tip for enjoying the EBC trek. You can choose from the Spring or Autumn and avoid the winter and monsoon season.
• Even before the trek begins, improving your physical fitness and stamina is better. It is better to improve in the cardiovascular and strength-building exercises.
• Pack lightly, but carry all the necessary items, from clothing, gear, and equipment. Packing only the essential items and renting the equipment is also wiser than buying.
• Learn about the acclimatization before heading towards the trek and implement the acclimatization to avoid altitude sickness.

During your EBC trek, food and meals are the best things to consider, as they provide appropriate energy for the strenuous trek every day. During the EBC trek, you will have three meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast is the first part of the meal, and it is essential to cover the distance in the early part of the trekking day. Here are some of the menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Breakfast:

You can choose from oatmeal with milk and fruit, bread or toast with jam, honey, and butter, chapatti roti with omelets, pancakes with vegetable curry and fresh juice, and boiled, fried, or scrambled eggs. You can also try the delicious Everest Indian food, paratha.

Lunch:

For lunch, there are a variety of options for meals like

• Meals with Rice: You can choose Nepalese Dal Bhat with vegetables or meat, rice with curry, and fried rice.
• Noodles: You can have fried noodles or noodles in soup.
• Momo (Dumplings): Nepalese Everest momo is a popular local food in steamed, vegetable, and potato flavors.
• Pasta and Macaroni: There are various options for plain and flavored pasta and macaroni, which are great for dinner.
• Pizza: You can choose between chicken, mushroom, or mixed toppings.
• Sandwiches: Options include cheese, egg, tomato, or tuna sandwiches.
• Spaghetti: Although many other options are available, these are the most popular.
• Burger: The Everest burger is also a good choice for the trek.

Dinner:

The menus for dinner are similar to the lunch as well where the menus are similar. For dinner, you will have the chance to choose from Nepali, Dal, Bhat, and Vegetable Curry. There are also options for Western dishes like pizzas, burgers, dumplings, etc. You can also choose from desserts like apple pie, rice pudding, chocolate cake, etc.

The increasing popularity of trekking in the Everest Region has led to the creation of teahouses and lodges, providing the locals with a source of income. The teahouses are simple, comfortable, and equipped with basic facilities. In some areas of the lower Khumbu region, you can also access additional amenities like Wi-Fi, hot showers, and laundry for an extra fee.
Most teahouses in the area are owned and run by locals.

This allows you to interact with friendly residents, hear their stories, and learn about the local culture and lifestyle. Before booking a room, check for working electrical outlets, hot showers, and Wi-Fi availability. Remember that as the altitude increases, space and services may be limited, and you may need to share facilities. Respecting local customs and norms while staying in these places is essential.

Everest Base Camp with Helicopter Return is one of the moderate to challenging levels of the trek. For experienced trekkers, the EBC trek with Helicopter Return might be a moderate-level difficulty; however, for beginners, it can prove challenging due to different factors influencing the trek. Here are some of the factors that affect the Everest Base Camp Trek.

High Altitude

High Altitude is one factor that changes the difficulty level of the trek. During the EBC trek, you will trek at altitudes of over 4000 to 5000m, with a relatively high risk of altitude sickness. Furthermore, the weather changes constantly at high altitudes, meaning the trekkers will suffer from constant rainfall and snowfall, impacting their trek. So, to prevent the problem of altitude sickness, you have to learn acclimatization techniques.

Tough Terrains

One of the significant difficulties of the Everest Base Camp Trek is the different terrains that pass through various landscapes. At lower altitudes, the terrains are more accessible to cross; however, when you start climbing altitude, you will pass through rocky peaks, snowy mountains, and glacial moraines. So, for beginners who don’t have prior experience, trekking through these challenging terrains might cause some difficulty.

Long Distance and Duration

The average Everest Base Camp Trek takes from 10 to 13 days. Every day, you will be trekking for about 6 to 7 hours, which will cause colossal difficulty, especially for those not physically fit trekkers. This trek will relieve the trekkers as they don’t have to return to the same strenuous trek and can quickly land in Kathmandu via helicopter.

If you are trekking at a high altitude, it is wise to issue travel insurance to cover known or unknown medical expenses. Travel insurance helps protect travelers from unexpected events by covering medical and other travel-related costs. It is essential to ensure a comfortable travel experience. Make sure to get travel insurance that covers medical emergencies, luggage loss, theft, flight cancellations, emergency rescues, and high altitude.

However, be aware that there are certain things travel insurance won’t cover. Some of the things that travel insurance does not cover are expenses due to negligence, expenses due to drug abuse, prior medical conditions, acts of terrorism, loss of items, and expensive jewelry.

There are decent sources of drinking water in the Everest Base Camp. In the city areas, you will find mineral or sparkling water adequate for drinking. However, as you climb altitude and reach a high elevation, the source of drinking water is only taps and handle pumps, which are unsuitable for drinking water directly. So you may want to ask your teahouse for a filter and boiled water to store in your bottle.

Staying hydrated is crucial during a high-altitude trek like the Everest Base Camp. Dehydration can cause significant problems such as altitude sickness, so it is wise to keep storing water in your bottle. Furthermore, always carry the water purification tablet to purify the water any time. During the trek, you can monitor your hydration level using your urine. Clear or light yellow urine means you are adequately hydrated, but you might have to drink lots of water if your urine is bright yellow.

Everest Base Camp Trek falls in Nepal’s remote and isolated region, so communication is essential. During the high-altitude trek, there will be some disturbances to the connection due to the lack of towers. In an altitude tour like the Everest Base Camp Helicopter tour, you can depend on two types of communication. They are Mobile connectivity and Satellite Phones.

Mobile Connectivity

Mobile phone coverage is generally good in the Khumbu region, especially at lower altitudes. However, as you climb the altitude, the mobile coverage becomes thin and inappropriate for communication. In Nepal, you can take it from the two primary mobile networks, NTC and Ncell. They are the go-to communication options; you can choose the local SIM Card option if recommended. If you also use mobile phones for communication, ensure your teahouses have charging spots.

Satellite Phones

Satellite phones are another means of communication other than mobile phones. Trekkers can’t rely solely on mobile phones in higher altitudes due to the weaker coverage, so it is wise to take satellite phones as they provide coverage even at high altitudes. These satellite phones are costly since they are so helpful in the Himalayas. Furthermore, it is wise to keep satellite phones for emergencies instead of using them all the time.

There are no age limitations for Everest Base Camp Trek Helicopter Return. However, the trekkers experiencing the adventure must know their physical fitness and ability to withstand the dynamic weather, extreme cold climate, and low oxygen surroundings.

Children below seven and trekkers above 60 will experience some difficulties on the trek.  However, compared to other treks, since the trekkers will be returning via helicopter, the trek’s difficulty is less than that of other treks in which you will be returning the traditional way.

Moreover, if trekkers have prior conditions for breathing or other high altitude problems, they might have to take the doctor’s advice before trekking. Remember that there is no fixed age limitation for such medical conditions, and you should avoid the high Himalayas if the condition is severe.

To board the flight, the helicopter’s maximum weight per passenger can only be 25 to 30kg. The Everest Base Camp Heli Trek takes place at a high altitude in the Khumbu region. Since the trek is very challenging, carrying all the necessary clothing, equipment, and gear is essential, so you must carry luggage according to your needs.

However, in this trek, the trekkers will also take helicopter flights, which is why there are specific guidelines they have to follow. You will carry a small handbag with snacks, water bottles, passports, and other luggage. It is always wise to pack light and only carry luggage with all the necessary items. You can also carry compressing luggage that will reduce the weight of your items.

Everest Base Camp Trek falls in the Khumbu region, and the trekkers have to pass through Sagarmatha National Park. To reach the Everest Base Camp, trekkers must issue a few permits. The trekkers do not need any license for the helicopter tour itself, but they must issue one for the place they visit. Here are some licenses trekkers need for the EBC trek with Heli return.

Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Municipality Permit

When trekking in the Khumbu region, you must obtain a permit from the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Municipality. This permit is mandatory for all visitors to the area. If you start your trek from Lukla, you can get this permit at the Lukla Checkpost (Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Office) on your first trekking day. If you’re trekking through Jiri or Salleri, you can obtain the permit at the Monjo checkpoint. The cost of the Khumbu Municipality permit is approximately $16.

Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit

To trek in the EBC region, trekkers must get a permit for Sagarmatha National Park. The park is home to many endangered plants and animals and a Ramsar site. You can buy the Sagarmatha National Park permit in Kathmandu or Lukla and the Sagarmatha National Park Entrance Permit in Monjo. The cost of the permits is NPR 2000 and NPR 3000, respectively. For SAARC nationals, the permit cost is NPR 1000 and NPR 1500, respectively.

Gaurishankar Conservation Area Permit

If you plan to travel to Everest Base Camp from Jiri, you will need a Gaurishankar Conservation Area Permit. Start your journey by taking a bus or a private car to Jiri from Kathmandu. The trip takes 7 to 8 hours. Upon reaching Jiri, obtain the permit, then begin your hike to Everest Base Camp. You can purchase the license in Shivalaya or the Nepal Tourism Board in Kathmandu. A Gaurishankar Conservation Area permit costs $16 or NPR 2000.

Tims Card (Optional)

The TIMS card, or Trekkers Information Management System Card, helps track all trekkers visiting a specific region of Nepal. Previously, trekkers had to get this card, but now it’s optional after introducing municipality permits. While you might not need this card for the EBC trek, you may need to show it at certain checkpoints if you plan to trek in other regions without region permits.

Read More: Cost for Everest Base Camp Trekking Permit

Every foreign trekker who is not Indian requires a Visa for the EBC Helicopter Trek in Nepal. Tourists planning to trek or tour Nepal can obtain an arrival visa from the following places.

• Birganj, Parsa
• Kakarvitta, Jhapa
• Jamuna, Nepalgunj
• Belhiya, Bhairahawa
• Gaddachauki, Mahendranagar
• Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu
• Mohana, Dhangadhi
• Kodari, Sindhupalchowk

The cost of the visa for the Nepal trek is $25 entry for 15 days, $40 for 30 days, and $100 for 90 days. Remember, you must pay the amount in the local currency, the approximate amount of the said USD. It is always wise to check the latest visa requirements, although the process is not very difficult. You have to submit some documents like a passport, a blank visa page, a visa fee, and two photos. After about 1 -2 hours, your visa will be ready.

Acclimatization is essential for high-altitude treks like the Everest Base Camp Trek. You will pass through some majestic places and experience some of the best views. However, in the euphoria of the Himalayan adventure, you must not climb the altitude quickly. The best practice of acclimatization is to trek high and sleep low.

Acclimatization is getting used to the weather, climate, and oxygen levels. So when the trekkers trek at a high level but climb to sleep, their bodies will be accustomed to the oxygen level. Another way of acclimatization is by taking plenty of rest throughout the day. The trekking agency schedules an acclimatization day for this purpose. Still, if there is not a single day for acclimatization, trekkers have to adjust by resting on the trekking day.

In this trek, the trekkers must reach an altitude of over 5000m. When returning, they must board a helicopter that will take flight at the same height. Hence, the risk of altitude sickness is always there, so it is better to acclimate, which will help reduce altitude sickness.

Everest Base Camp Helicopter Trek is a unique and luxurious trek that takes you to the top of the Khumbu, where you will witness stunning views of the Himalayas. However, this trek differs from others as you will reach Everest Base Camp and return to Kathmandu via helicopter. Here are some of the factors that make this trek different from others.

Time Efficiency

In a traditional trek, you will trek to Kala Patthar for 8 to 10 days and return the same way, adding similar days to your itinerary.

However, on this trek, you will return from Kala Patthar to Kathmandu in a helicopter, which takes about 1-2 hours maximum, saving you multiple days. Trekkers with time constraints can choose the Everest Base Camp Trek to return by helicopter to manage their time.

Birds Eye Views

While the traditional trek provides stunning views of the mountains and the surrounding places, it won’t offer bird’s eye views. When you return from Kala Patthar via helicopter, you will see some stunning birds-eye views of the mountains, skies, and the isolated settlements of the Khumbu region. This unique experience is a lifetime experience for every trek lover.

Cost

The EBC trek with helicopter trek is a luxurious experience for trek lovers; hence, it is one of the costliest treks in Nepal. Along with other regular trek costs, the helicopter return alone is more expensive than the regular trek that the traditional trekkers experience. So, this trek is not for budget-friendly lovers but for those who want to experience a luxurious adventure.

During your Annapurna Circuit Trek, you want to take out clothing, gear, and equipment to make your trek easier.

Here are some of the essential items you can pack.

For Head and Body

• Neck warmers, cowls, or scarf
• Woolen gloves, windproof/waterproof gloves
• Fleece jacket
• Insulated trousers, woolen trousers
• Woolen sweater
• Cotton pants, hiking shorts
• Insulated inner wears
• Down jacket
• Lightweight gloves
• Waterproof/windproof trousers
• Warm thick shirts
• Light shirt, t-shirt
• Sunbrim/sunblock hat, sports cap
• Beanie, woolen hat, insulated hat
• Shell jacket, windproof/waterproof jacket

For Feet

• Sports or trainer shoes
• Lightweight moisture-wicking socks
• Crocks or sandals for teahouses
• Ankle support
• Woolen socks, insulated socks
• Trekking boots (break-in first)
• Waterproof leg gaiter

Personal Care/Hygiene

• Soap, shampoo, conditioners
• Toilet paper
• Foot powder
• Dental floss
• Bug repellent
• Shaving kit
• Hand sanitizer
• Tissue paper, wet wipes
• Quick-dry travel towel
• Sunblock cream and body lotion
• Lip protection
• Personal medications
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Mirror and nail clipper
• Female hygiene products

Equipment/Gear

• Earplug and sleeping mask
• Camera and binoculars
• Trash bag
• GPS device
• Books and magazines
• Powerbank
• Trekking poles
• Card games, board games
• Dutctape
• Pen and journal
• Packing sack
• Map and compass
• Rain cover
• Sleeping bag/ sleeping pad
• Deadlamp/ flashlight
• Travel pillow
• UV protection sunglass