Everest Region " A true trekking Paradise"

The Everest region is home to amazing mountainous landscapes and sceneries. It provides trekkers with a wide variety of trekking and climbing destinations. This region lies in the Sagarmatha National Park. Situated in the northeastern part of Nepal, covers an area of 1,148 sq km.

The highest point in the world Mt.Everest (8848) makes this park world’s highest elevated national park. Besides Everest, there are 7 more peaks higher than 7000m. Everest 8850, Lhotse 8516, Makalu 8481, Cho Oyu 8188, Ama Dablam 6812m, and Thamserku 6623 are among the major peaks.

The Everest Region consists of three major passes above 5000 m above sea level, namely Kong Ma La 5535m, Cho La 5420m, and Renjo La 5345m. Except for these passes, there are several points that are higher than the 5000 mark, among which Kalapathhar is the highest with an elevation of 5550m. Besides, the glaciers and the glacial lakes make this region even more tempting.

The longest Himalayan glacier Ngozumpa and the Khumbu glacier are the major glaciers in this region. The park comprises mountains, glaciers, deep valleys, river basins, and lakes. Apart from the natural heritage, the cultural heritage of the Everest region is well intact. Most of the people being Buddhists, have preserved and continued their traditions. There are abundant numbers of monasteries, stupas, and Chhortens all around the region. Mani walls and prayer flags are a frequent sight around the Sagarmatha National Park.

Sagarmatha in the Nepali dialect means the forehead of the sky. It was established as a National park in 1976 and in 1979 listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. The elevation of this region does allow only selective vegetations to grow. Juniper, rhododendron, and pine are among the major ones.

This Park is home to some endangered species like the snow leopard and the red panda. Musk deer, Himalayan black bear, Himalayan Thar, langur monkeys, and other animals are found in this park. Birds like Himalayan Monal and blood pheasant are among the important birds found in this area. Among them, the blood pheasant is the most significant as these birds will be encountered by everyone visiting this National Park Tourism in this region began in the 1960s, and currently this region is among the most visited tourist destinations in Nepal.

Peak climbing or Mountaineering. For the fact that the world’s highest peak lies in this region, there are about 350 permits issued per year for climbing Everest only. Apart from Everest, there are hundreds of mountain peaks to choose from. This includes peaks ranging from above eight thousand to other smaller mountain peaks such as Island Peak, Amadablam, Thamserku, and other peaks. Everest region is also famous for smaller trekking peaks, which cost a lot less as the royalty for climbing these peaks is as low as trekking fees. This region is an ideal place for climbers, from novices to experts.

Trekking is another major activity to undertake in this region. This region provides various options for breathtaking trekking routes. The high-altitude rough terrain makes this region a true hiking paradise.  No matter which corner of this National Park you are, from every corner the majestic views of the snowcapped mountain peaks are certain. Mostly during the high season which is during Spring and Autumn, the weather is clear and sunny.

 Out of which the most famous routes are the Everest Base Camp (EBC ), The Everest Three Passes Trek, and Base Camp Via Gokyo

Everest Base Camp or the EBC is the most favored trek in this region. Some adventure seekers even have this trek on their bucket list. This trek offers the experience of a lifetime in a minimum of 12 days. Those who are not willing to spend more than 2 weeks of their time in this National park opt to choose this trek. Another benefit of this trek is that it excludes the difficult and high passes of the region. This allows people to reach the Everest Base Camp with less chance of something going wrong. However, the highest altitude in this trek is the Kalapatthar (5550m), and the base camp is (5380m) above sea level.

Gokyo Lakes is a major glacial lake system situated at an elevation of 4800m above sea level. It is one of the 19 lakes in the region which are formed due to the seepages of the glacier. To visit the entire lakes one needs to extend the amount of time they want to spend in the mountains. However, if we add 3 more days to the same itinerary of the EBC trek, this lake can be explored. The lake is situated on the bank of the Ngozumpa glacier i.e. the longest Himalayan glacier in the World. Hike to Gokyo Ri (5360m) in the morning offers spectators a panoramic view of the Mahalangur Himalayan Range.

Three Passes Trek is another major trekking route in this region. The name itself suggests the difficulty of this trek. This trek is especially for hardcore hard witted trekkers. This route includes the three major passes in this region namely Renjo La 5340, Cho La 5420, and the Kongma La 5535m. This circuit trek starts and ends as the other treks but needs to be extended up to 19 to 21 days. This trek requires a certain level of dedication and preparation. This trek covers all the aspects of the EBC and the Gokyo trek with the addition of the two other high passes. This trek offers a view of the different mountain ranges in the Sagarmatha National Park from all different perspectives.

The people and culture of the Everest region are important aspects to explore. Well, when people talk about the Everest region everyone talks about the Sherpa people. They are among the majority of people residing in this region. However, there are people from other ethnic communities, who are the backbone of the tourism industry in the region. As most of the Sherpa people are well off from their businesses, people of other communities, especially the Rai ethnic community are the ones involved in the low-end jobs. However, in recent years, people of other ethnic backgrounds have settled in the Everest region establishing lodges and businesses to facilitate the tourists. Now, the situation is changing as the Everest region is becoming home and job for people from all over Nepal.