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Why the Everest Base Camp Trekking without flying is much more fun


Twelve months ago Daisy and I had 3 weeks that made a memory that will last forever: the Mount Everst Base Camp Trekking. Most people choose to take a small plane and fly to Lukla (2860 meters). Our ambition to fly as little as possible during our world trip made us decide otherwise. The trekking started in Jiri and lasted 8 more days. An unforgettable experience that we absolutely do not regret! These are the 11 reasons why the Everest Base Camp Trekking without flying is much more fun!

1. Follow the footsteps of Edmund Hillary

On May 29th 1953, Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay created history. They were the first people ever to climb the highest mountain in the world: Mount Everest. They weren’t dropped at 3000 meters by a small plane. No, 70 years ago the trek started in Jiri. Daisy and I start in the same city but don’t climb all the way to the top. The challenge to make it to Everest Base Camp without flying is big enough.
 
EBC trekking jiri Nepal

2. Rugged paths without tourists

The days before reaching Lukla are not the easiest of your adventure. You climb steep paths dotted with large rocks. You descend into dense forests and if you’re unlucky you’ll meet hundreds of donkeys carrying goods up the mountain. The big advantage is that you won’t come across a lot of other tourists. In the busiest months of the year, up to 1500 tourists a day land at the small airport in Lukla. From Jiri there are only a few dozen crazy people starting the trek. Even in the busiest periods. You have to decide for yourself if that is worth the extra effort, but it’s a unique experience to walk the Everest Base Camp Trekking without flying.
 
EBC donkeys trekking

3. See Mount Everest from different perspectives

The first time you are able to see Mount Everest well when you start from Lukla is in Namche Bazaar. A quiet walk up during your rest day helps you to get used to the 3500-meter mark that you pass at Namche. Then enjoy a cup of coffee at Hotel Everest View, from where you can clearly see the mighty Everest. But if you start in Jiri you’ve seen it at least twice by then! On the fourth day, the mountain shows itself for the first time. Looking out over an endless valley, behind huge peaks, you’ll see the famous peak that is higher than any other. A breathtaking view, which cannot be compared to everything you see after Lukla.
 
Mount everest view

4. Reduce the risk of altitude sickness

Altitude sickness is the main reason why climbers are flown back to Kathmandu by helicopter. Sometimes even before they reach basecamp. This has nothing to do with your condition or your age. Your body must be given the chance to get used to extreme conditions. Rest days are very important. Gradually getting used to altitude helps to prevent altitude sickness. When you start from Jiri you start lower and on the third day you pass 3500 meters, before descending again for two days. The result: your body gets used to the altitude more easily and you reduce the risk of altitude sickness.

Read more: outdoor blogger Antonette shares 5 things nobody tells you about hiking the EBC.

5. Take an extra rest day and visit a special monastery

Day three was the hardest day for Daisy. Our guide adviced us to stay in the small village of Junbesi for a day. So Daisy can find her strength. After a good night’s sleep it’s time for a short hike. “You have to keep moving on your rest day”, says our guide Ringi. Together we climb up to the Thupten Choling monastery. This monastery was built in 1970 by a Tibetan refugee lama called Trulsik Rinpoche. In the ’90s the monastery was renovated and hundreds of monks worship the now deceased holy Rinpoche. A special experience, which is a nice addition to the experience, if you take an extra day of rest during your Everest Base Camp trekking without flying.
 
Junbesi EBC Thupten Choling klooster

6. Eat even more dahl bhat for lunch and dinner

Before you leave the tourist district of Thamel you can’t ignore it: t-shirts with the text ‘dal bhat, 24-hour power’. This statement is not taken very seriously by many tourists (including us). After a few days of hiking through the high mountains, you think differently. Around lunchtime and just before dinner you long for a well-filled plate of dal bhat. The combination of lentil soup, rice, vegetables, potato curry and chutney help you to get your energy level back on track. The best thing about dal bhat is that you can always ask for a second round. Tasty and filling!
 
Nepal EBC Trekking

7. Enjoy a trained body in the days after Lukla

The first steps are always the hardest, is a familiar statement in a lot of countries. This also applies when you start a hike like the EBC. You have to get used to walking on the steep slopes and slippery paths. Your body gets a lot to endure. But if you start in Jiri you have a big advantage. By the time you reach Lukla you are used to the long days and walking for hours. The climbers who get out of the plane at the little airport, start panting and puffing at the first climb. And you? You walk past them with a smile! Wish the good luck if you do. They can use that in those first days.

8. Have fun with your guide and your porter

Many climbers walk without a guide. There are many reasons why hiring a guide is a good idea. One of the best reasons is that (if you hire Ringi at least) you’ll have a lot of fun. Sometimes, our very happy guide was a bit difficult to understand. But as soon as he started laughing loudly at his own joke, we laughed just as loudly with him. Our shy porter also turned out to be a talented Dutch student. After a few days, he started every morning asking us how we were doing in Dutch. And he effortlessly counted up to twenty in Dutch. While I never got passed counting to 5 in Nepali. The extra days with our top guides was more than worth the investment.

Read more: 6 shocking facts you need to know before you go hiking in Nepal
 
guide mount everest trekking

9. Let the people before Lukla benefit as well

Because more and more tourists choose to fly, there are fewer and fewer hikers passing the villages between Jiri and Lukla. As a result, the shops, restaurants and lodges on the original Mount Everest route have less income. Your choice to take an extra few days of walking will not only make sure that you have an unforgettable experience, but it will also help the locals. Spend your money well and eat delicious local dishes. Occasionally the vegetables for your valley will be pulled out of the vegetable garden in front of you. Always fresh, seasonal and tasty. Eat tastily and sleep well!
 
Junbesi EBC trakking jiri

10. Extend your holiday! That’s sustainable and fun

Not all aspects of your holiday are sustainable. The flight from home to your destination accounts for a large portion of the impact. That’s why it’s better to go on holiday once a year instead of several short holidays. A longer stay in Nepal in combination with an unforgettable Everest Base Camp Trekking without flying is more sustainable than planning a short holiday, in order to save holidays for the next trip. The emissions of your flight can be spread over more days and the impact of your holiday as a whole is less.

11. The EBC trekking without flying is less harmful to the environment!

There are many reasons to start in Jiri. Although the Everest Base Camp trekking without flying is not always easy, it’s not the most comfortable route and it takes longer, we believe this adds to your experience. But for us, the most obvious reason was the most important: not flying is less harmful to the environment!

Read more: Why we choose to travel around the world without flying

 
Mount Everest Hotel View
 

Did you enjoy this article? Then you will like this too!


1. The Do’s and Don’ts of the Mount Everest Base Camp Trekking
2. Ecolodge: Discovering the Treasures of Inle Lake, Myanmar
3. This is how we travel the world without buying plastic bottles of water
4. Rajasthan: hospitality, peace and an incredible story in India
5. How to make tempeh! We found the best workshop in Indonesia + video

Patrick
About me

Meet Patrick, a lover of reading and writing. He quit his job in the Dutch book trade to realise the dream of his Daisy: an around the world tour. Now, however, Patrick jokes that: “It has also become my dream," when a British tourist asked if he wanted to go home already. Patrick has changed his life thanks to Daisy and learned a lot about food waste and sustainable travel. He believes in the message that Daisy propagates and helps her to reach a large audience. Because everything Patrick learns he wants to also teach to others.

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4 Comments

Dil Gurung
Reply 8 January 2020

Your article inspire other travel skip Lukla flight and travel from Jiri. I'm sure lot people does not know these hidden gems of Lower Everest region. I really like your picture of Lamjura pass and Thupten Choling monastery. I still think you have missed some places in lower route like Pikey peak and Chiwan Monastery

    Daisy
    Reply 9 January 2020

    Hi Dil,
    Thank you for your comment. We loved doing the whole trip starting in Jiri! Best decision ever.
    I'm sure we missed tons of things during our walk. We took 24 days for the EBC and still haven't seen enough. Good reasons to come back!

Javier
Reply 2 March 2020

Did you have any problems with the maoist guerrilla? I have been told that people who start in Jiri are "inivted" to pay 5000 rupee to cross the region they control. Is it still like that? Thanks!

    Patrick
    Reply 3 March 2020

    Hi Javier,

    I've never heard of any problems with maoist guerilla in this area. I believe we have never paid anything. Even though it's not 'the touristy' route, it's pretty common amongst trekkers to start in Jiri. I've heard nobody about any kind of guerilla movement. Where did you get this information?

    Patrick

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