Babai River Camp & Everest Base Camp (Helicopter Version)

Today we do some sightseeing in Kathmandu and surrounds. We will do a full tour of Baudhanath Stupa & Patan Durbar Square. You head to Bhaktapur, the best preserved of the Medieval cities of the Valley, its foundations around the Dattatreya Temple in the 9th century make for a casual walk through a fairly well-preserved though very much lived-in city, via ancient temples, some outstanding, others hidden via the Taumadi Square and it's great 5-storyed Nyatopola Temple to end in the Durbar Square with its monuments to the Malla Dynasty, responsible for the antiquity that surrounds.

We can lunch at a nice restaurant off the Taumadi Square, watch the daily life flow around and below.

We start early at dawn with a Jeep drive heading to Nak Dara, an excellent view point just in time to enjoy the sunrise and to experience nature waking up to a new day. This is also a good location to spot local Marsh Mugger crocodiles and other aquatic birds. On the way back we stop at Gaida Tal to look for the Asian one-Horned Rhino. Drive back to camp to enjoy a late cooked breakfast and few cups of fresh ground coffee.

We start early with a Safari drive up to Gaida Tal, and then head across the river to Thulo Shree as our pursuit of spotting the rare Royal Bengal tiger continues. After scouring the area for any signs of tiger activity, we drive back to camp for a much deserved breakfast. Leisure time at camp. After lunch we begin our drive to Ghuti for Elephant Safari through forest and grassland, followed by another Safari drive to Guthi Machan for spotting spotted deer, wild boar, rhino and wild peacocks. After a dramatic day in the wild we return to our camp to enjoy a full three course dinner and drinks.

Wake up around 6am. Warm water for washing, cooked breakfast. Today, the trail wanders past farmhouses and through rolling terrain that slowly ascends to reach the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park. An early lunch provides fuel for the 1,800-foot steep hike to the village of Namche Bazaar (11,300 ft). Namche is the largest Sherpa village.

Beyond Phakding, we pass several interesting villages nestled beside the river, cross the raging Dudh Kosi several times on the smart and the newly built suspension bridges, entering the Sagarmatha National Park at Jorsale. After lunch near the river under the pine trees, we leave the Dudh Kosi and climb the steps up to the Sherpa capital and administrative center of Khumbu, Namche 11,300 ft. At Namche we will be staying at the Zamling guesthouse run by a charming Sherpa family.

Trek: 6-7 hrs (10 km)

Day for acclimatization. Temple horns and yak bells may awaken us. Views include Kwangde 20,930 ft, Thamserku 21,679 ft, and Kangtega 22,240 ft. A slow ascent day hike to the Everest View Hotel 12,400 ft not only helps us with acclimatization, but can provide breathtaking views of Nuptse, Lhotse 27,883 ft, Ama Dablam 22,943 ft and Mt Everest 29,028 ft. We will visit the museum, the local town and the monastery. This is a day for acclimatization and here on Saturdays, they have a Bazaar – a market, which runs from 7am-9am.

An activity that has been taking place for so many years that this place has adopted the name ‘Bazaar’ permanently, known as Namche Bazaar. After this, we visit the park museum perched on the hill east of the town. A vantage point from where we can see the peaks of Kwangde, Thamserku, Khantega, Lhotse, and Everest. The museum has an excellent display of photographs on the mountaineering history of this region, the people, the culture and the flora and fauna of the area. Later in the day you can also visit the local town with its bakeries or send a postcard from the local post office.

Leaving Namche Bazaar, the setting is absolutely spectacular. The trail heads east high above the Imja Khola where along the slopes, above and below the trail herds of majestic Himalayan Thar, are seen grazing undisturbed by anyone passing by. Musk deer can be seen in the thicket of Rhododendron bushes and Impheyan Pheasants in the potato fields. In the south Thamserku and Khangtaiga dominate the horizon.

Pass the Tashinga Reforestation Center on the right as you descend to Pungi Tenga with its hydro powered prayer wheels and then ascend through a magnificent rhododendron forest, which will be in full bloom in April to the idyllic monastery complex of Tengboche 12,683 ft. From Tengboche, Mount Ama Dabalam 22,487 ft looks the grandest of all.

The trail first descends into the deep and shaded forests of Deboche 12,368 ft where Musk deer graze quietly on the forest floor or sometimes on trail. We proceed down a path through a really beautiful grove of rhododendrons the whole way to a lovely clearing where we stay for the night.

Walking: 5.5 hrs

Today, though we will only ascend a net gain of 1,900 ft, there will be, again, lots of ups and downs, resulting in an early camp at Dingboche 14,271 ft. We will have crossed, and will cross more, suspension bridges over roaring rivers fed by glaciers. We will pass the Dingboche monastery 13,030 ft, the oldest monastery in the Everest region.

The trail first descends into the deep and shaded forests of Devoche where Musk deer graze quietly on the forest floor or sometimes right on the trail. Then you cross the raging Imja river from where you can look up into this wonderful gorge and you will see Ama Dabalam peeking from the top. We pass the Pangboche village with its oldest monastery in the region and ascend gradually to Dingboche 14,271ft.

Trek: 5-6 hrs (8 km)

This day is the second day of acclimatization. There will be many yaks and trekkers coming by here. From this altitude onwards, we will be above the treeline, and the sharp edges of Ama Dabalam can be clearly seen here. We day hike to Chukung 15,548 ft to get the body exercised at the higher altitudes but still sleep at the same height, and for the views.

A day hike to Chukung that lies nestled under the terminal moraine of the Lhotse Glacier offers a spectacular walk and the opportunity to acclimatize properly. In this valley, you will find yourself surrounded by Tawoche and Cholaste in the ascending steadily to Chukung to explore the valley system, ascend a hill, have a hot lunch and then doddle back to Dingboche.

Trek: 5 hrs (7.5 km)

By this day, we will have trekked past the highest Sherpa permanent settlements, and we will see towers of black rock and white ice. The scenery continues to become more and more stunning, with views of Tawoche (21,463 ft), Cholatse (21,128 ft), Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Lhotse, and Lhotse Shar. This will be a great day to allow time for photography and absorbing the awesome scenery, and anticipating tomorrow.

Heading towards Lobuche 16,207 ft, the trail stays high above Pheriche, another Yarsa (Yak pasture) turned teahouse site, with it's Himalayan Rescue Aid Post. Snowy slopes surround us as we walk towards Dhugla and cross the Lobuche Khola. Then climbing north east to the ridge with the memorials. The path stays relatively flat to Lobuche, haven of the Tibetan Snowcocks, choughs and Pikkas.

Trek: 7-8 hrs (10.5km)

This is the much awaited day. The walk first involves crossing the terminal moraine of Khangri Glacier before descending to Gorakshep 16,962 ft - 'Place of the Ravens'. We stop for tea and prepare ourselves before setting out across the ice and rock of the Khumbu Glacier to Everest Base Camp. After exploring and learning much about the 'base camp life', we return to Gorakshep.

Trek: 7 hrs (10km)

Today we make a morning hike to Kalapathar (Black Rock) 18,190 ft, where we scramble around large boulders, and then photograph Everest clearly with ourselves in the picture. Your chance to see the best view of the highest point on Earth – Mt Everest, the Khumbu glacier and the peaks that surround and complement it since we are perched 800ft above Base Camp at this point. We congratulate ourselves, and start our descent back to Lobuche 16,207 ft.

Walking: 6 hours