EBC Trek and Fly Back by Helicopter Faqs

EBC trek and fly back by helicopter, as the name suggests, is a wonderful trek up to the base camp of the world’s highest mountain where trekkers need to walk one way up. After reaching the base camp, hikers need not walk back down rather will fly back on a thrilling helicopter ride, either to Lukla or Kathmandu, based on their demands. Normally EBC trek is a moderate or demanding trek which does not require any technical expertise of mountaineering. It is basically a long hike up to an altitude of 5,364m (17,599ft.) and it seems difficult only because you need to walk for 7 to 9 days all the way up to the base camp on varied terrains.

EBC Trek and fly back by Helicopter is best done in pre-monsoon season i.e. from March to May and post-monsoon season i.e. from late September to December. It is also possible to do this trek in February and early September but the trek is best preferred during the above months.

Absolutely yes! Under normal circumstances, our booked trips are guaranteed to run. You will still be doing your trek even if other trekkers cancel their trip. This is the reason why Himalayan Glacier is different from other agencies, who usually cancel their whole trip a month or even a week before the trip date. We are a tailor-made company and the number of participants does not stop our operation. If your trip has been canceled by your operator and you are in a last-minute stress, remember to find us to sort out your trip decisions. Please feel free to book your stress-free holidays with us. Unless there is a situation which is out of control such as a political riot, natural disaster, pandemic, epidemic or weather catastrophes, our trips are 100% guaranteed to run.

Himalayan Glacier offers a lifetime deposit policy which allows you the flexibility to transfer your deposit to anyone or any other trip. If you wish to cancel your booked trips, certain cancelation charges apply. Please visit our booking terms and conditions for detailed information.

Rest assured that you will be in good hands with our experienced trek leaders, who have multiple years of experience trekking in Nepal. All of our guides, known as Himalayan Glacier dedicated Guides, are locals with a deep understanding of the mountain, its people, culture, health, hygiene, and most importantly, your safety. They are fluent in English and will be able to communicate effectively with you throughout the trek. Our guides are passionate about their work and will ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable trekking experience.

At the end of a long day’s hike, a relaxing, unwinding and a night of comfortable sleep are essential for the following day’s walk. You will be sleeping at some of the best lodges with two beds in each room including western toilet facilities. The beds will be clean and comfortable with an electric blanket (wherever available) and attached bathroom on most nights. Usually, the room’s temperature will be maintained at 10-12°C / 50-53°F.

Yes! It is our regular Everest Base Camp Trek only differing in the fact that after reaching the highest point of the trek, instead of walking back all the way, you will fly back on a helicopter from Gorak Shep either to Lukla or directly to Kathmandu.

Yes, absolutely! The trek follows the normal base camp route like the 14 Days Everest Base Camp Short Trek, 16 Days Everest Base Camp Trek or the 15 Days Everest Base Camp Luxury Lodge Trek. This trek with a flying back option is recommended for trekkers who wish to avoid walking back down the same route and for those who have a limited vacation period.

It is very obvious that using a helicopter to return back is an expensive add-on over the regular trek price. The cost also depends on the number of persons sharing a helicopter while returning. Generally, from Gorak Shep a helicopter is permitted to carry only 3 persons owing to the thin air in the atmosphere. The costs also varies depending whether you wish to fly back to Kathmandu or just up to Lukla and then continue with the regular flight onwards.

Yes, on general terms you will be flying back to Kathmandu from Gorak Shep after your trek. But, in case you wish to minimize your cost, you have an option to fly back on a helicopter just up to Lukla and then continue with the regular flight to Kathmandu.

The price you pay for the helicopter depends on various factors as stated earlier. You need to be prepared to shell out anywhere between US$700 to 4500 per person for a helicopter ride back. The cost will vary depending on how many persons will actually be sharing a chopper. Also, it depends whether you will fly back to Kathmandu or just up to Lukla to continue onward on a regular flight.

You will enjoy 3 hearty meals each day. Generally, you will have your breakfast and dinner at the same lodge you will be staying. Lunch will be provided at tea houses or small restaurants along the trail.  The meals contain fresh fruits and organic ingredients sourced from Kathmandu or local villages throughout the trek. The meals include a balanced diet of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats designed by the nutritionist. The chefs are trained in hygienic food preparation. If needed, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and kosher diets can be arranged with prior notice.

Sample Menu

Breakfast

• Beverage: black tea, milk tea, ginger lemon honey tea, lemon tea, hot lemon with honey, black coffee, milk coffee, hot chocolate
• Toast with jam or honey, toast omelet, pancake, Tibetan bread, porridge/ muesli
• Eggs on your choices
• American breakfast or Continental breakfast

Lunch

• Rice item: veg fried rice, egg fried rice, mixed fried rice, dal-bhaat
• Noodle item: vegetable fried noodle, mixed fried noodle
• Potato item: chips, fried potato, hash brown potato, veg fried potato, boiled potato
• Burger: veg burger, chicken burger, veg sandwich, chicken sandwich
• Pasta: spaghetti tomato sauce, macaroni cheese sauce
• Pizza: veg pizza, tomato cheese pizza, chicken pizza, mushroom pizza
• Momo (Nepali style dumplings): veg momo, chicken momo
• Meat item: chicken sizzler, chicken steak, yak steak
• Beverage: black tea, milk tea, ginger lemon honey tea, lemon tea, hot lemon with honey, black coffee, milk coffee, hot chocolate

 
Dinner

• Soups: vegetable soup, mushroom soup, chicken soup, chicken noodle soup, Rara noodle soup, French onion soup, pumpkin soup, potato soup

Main Meals

• Rice item: veg fried rice, egg fried rice, mixed fried rice, dal-bhaat
• Noodle item: vegetable fried noodle, mixed fried noodle
• Potato item: chips, fried potato, hash brown potato, veg fried potato, boiled potato
• Burger: veg burger, chicken burger, veg sandwich, chicken sandwich
• Pasta: spaghetti tomato sauce, macaroni cheese sauce
• Pizza: veg pizza, tomato cheese pizza, chicken pizza, mushroom pizza
• Momo (Nepali Dumplings): veg momo, chicken momo
• Meat item: chicken sizzler, chicken stake, yak stake
• Dessert: apple pie, chocolate cake, carrot cake, apple fritter, canned fruit
• Beverage: black tea, milk tea, ginger lemon honey tea, lemon tea, hot lemon with honey, black coffee, milk coffee, hot chocolate

Yes, cell phone networks can be found on the trek. Most of the places get cell phone coverage either by NCell or NTC networks. However, at certain areas, there may be no coverage at all.

The weather in the Everest region varies differently in different seasons. The Himalayan region is never really hot, not even during summer. The maximum temperature during the day reaches up to 25°C / 77°F while during the night it reaches as low as -20°C / -4°F or even lower.

There are few things to keep in mind if you plan on conquering Everest Base camp without any trouble relating to altitude sickness. Here are a few tips from our experienced guides and travel planners to avoid altitude sickness during Everest Base Camp trek.
• Slow ascend with proper rest and enough acclimatization
• Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated
• Eat enough and balanced food
• Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, tobacco during the entire trek
• Be head-strong and mentally prepared
• Train your body to cope with uphill hikes with enough cardio or gym workouts 3 months before the start of
the trek

No. Normally, oxygen is not required for the trek as our itinerary is designed in such a way so that it allows enough acclimatization. In addition, we provide Diamox, a medication that suppresses altitude sickness symptoms, from the beginning to prevent falling sick. However, in case of severe altitude sickness, we will descend to a lower altitude immediately.

Generally, the first symptoms begin to show 12-24 hours after arriving at high altitudes. Different levels of altitude sickness have different symptoms. Symptoms of mild, short-term altitude sickness are dizziness, fatigue, loss of appetite, sleep problems, loss of energy, and shortness of breath.

Yes, you absolutely need to take Diamox on your Everest Base Camp trek. Diamox is taken as prevention for altitude sickness but not to cure its symptoms. After the symptoms begin to show, the only option you will have is to descend to a lower altitude.

During your trek to Everest Base Camp, you will have access to electricity to recharge your electronic devices such as phones, laptops, and iPads. This is made possible through micro-hydropower and solar panels, which are available for a fee. However, it is important to note that Wi-Fi hotspots are scarce along the trekking trail after Namche. The only two places that offer free Wi-Fi are Starbucks Coffee in Lukla and Everest Bakery in Namche. At higher elevations, you will need to pay for internet services, and the cost increases as you climb higher.

For a more in-depth understanding of the internet situation during the Everest Base Camp Trek, we recommend reading the “Internet at Everest Base Camp Trek” article.

Himalayan Glacier has a competent team of trekking leaders and mountain crew who are highly skillful in combating the difficulties or any kind of emergencies that might come up during the trip. If you feel sick with the altitude, in the first place you must let your leader know about it so that he knows just what to do. With all the years of experience, he can sense the intensity of the seriousness and respond accordingly, either by bringing you down to a lower elevation or rescue you using a helicopter. If the helicopter is unable to fly due to any reasons, we will use our local staffs and contacts to coordinate an alternative rescue and treatment procedures, which could mean using horses or stretchers to carry the sick person off the mountain to the nearest health post or safe helicopter landing spot.

In general, crampons are not required for this trek if you are trekking during the season. But if you want to do the trek during mid-winter or monsoon season then crampons may be required. You will really not know what conditions you will encounter on the trekking trail until you get there, so it is better having your crampons and not using it rather than needing it and not having it if required.

Caffeine might contribute to altitude sickness as it could lead to dehydration triggering altitude sickness. Caffeine, on the contrary, is known to stimulate your brain, kidneys, and breathing, all of which are helpful at high altitude. For people who are into caffeinated beverages for a long time period and abruptly stopping to consume them on the trek may trigger profound headaches in them.