Reddit reviews Trekking in the Everest Region, 5th: includes Kathmandu City Guide

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So spent a fair bit of time (4 weeks) wandering the Khumbu (Everest) Area a few years ago. I didn't climb any technical peaks, but I got up to 5800m on Chukkung Tse (it was a fairly easy walk to the top).

If you are a competent hiker/route finder/traveler, I would recommend going alone. There were some people who I met along the trail that had guides, they seemed hit or miss. Some were awesome and would help the clients do whatever they wanted, some were a bit too controlling for my tastes.

For costs I took a ~$5 bus to Jiri and walked into the Khumbu, very nice, cheap, tons of very friendly Nepalis and virtually no other trekkers, but not feasible if you've got limited time and/or a lot of gear. Daily costs were around maybe $10 a day. If you find a group of people you can negotiate prices (if the 6 of us eat here will you give us the room for free). Cost to fly in or out of Lukla ran about $200 one way I think, I flew out instead of walking out.

As for climbing, most of the 6000m+ peaks are called "Trekking" peaks. The most common one to climb is Island peak. From what I've been told it was super cool to climb those, but you NEED a guide. There are a lot more permitting issues than for a simple trekker like myself. You'll have to go through a local company. My suggestion if you are set on climbing one of those peaks is to hang out in Thamel (tourist region of Kathmandu) and find westerners who have dealt with local companies. You'll save a boat load of cash over booking through a western agency and you'll get to meet the people in charge before you put down money. If you get a bad vibe, just walk away. For guide companies, I would first suggest Ang Rita Trekking: http://www.angritatreks.com/. The manager, Mingma, helped organize the trek my parents met in the late 70s and became a family friend and helped me tremendously when I was there. It's also cool because he was born in the Khumbu and his son is now a guide. I never did an actual trek with them, but I can vouch they've been a stand up organization for 35+ years.

For the Everest Area the best guide book by far is Trekking in the Everest Region By Jamie McGuinness. Especially if you are just trekking on your own this guide is invaluable.

PM me if you have any questions

Hehe yes, seeing Everest is something everybody should do once in their lifetime, like going to the Galapagos.

The prices on the Jagged Globe website include flight from the UK, but you can fly on your own from the US and join them in Kathmandu, or maybe ask them to book a connection in London for you. Don't hesitate to get in touch with them with that kind of issues, they will be glad to help.

Except on summit days, we rarely do more than 5 miles a day and gain 1000-1500 feet at most, since going any faster would lead to altitude issues. Most people will be ok (though everybody will suffer to some extent) but some are just unlucky and come down with bigger health problems. One member of the group had to be helicoptered out as he had a very worrying chest infection that required immediate medical attention. It's quite rare, but it does happen.

You will probably like my photo essays from the trip (the Khumbu Diaries), it gives a day by day account of the expedition. I also strongly recommend getting Jamie McGuinness's guidebook, Trekking in the Everest region, as it is very thorough and informative.

There are not really any hidden costs, except maybe for tips (which you are told about at the beginning, and usually doesn't exceed 50-70 USD) but anything out of the regular meals will be very expensive in the mountains, and a soda or a candy bar can become very tempting after a long day. I burned through 300USD in a month without indulging too much, and could easily have spent double that amount.

Get the Lonely Planet like /u/the-invisiblefriend said. Also get this book, you'll be surprised how many walks there are that don't require a whole lot of fitness.

Also:

• Kathmandu gets much nicer once you get out of Thamel. That said, OR2K in Thamel is the shizzle, they do Nepali-Israeli food in a very funky environment.
  
  
• Eat Momos and chicken chili, both yummo!
  
  
• Visit Boudhanath and Swayambhunath.
  
  
• Check out Dwarika's Hotel and have a drink and/or a bite there. That place is incredible, it feels like you're stepping through a gate to another dimension. They actually do a BBQ on Wednesdays that'll cost you about 30 USD each and that's quite lovely.
  
  
• If you have the time/budget, visit Chitwan National Park and go bathe with the elephants. Pretty amazing experience.
  
  
• Always check the cost of flights to get from A to B. We flew to Pokhara and paid about 100 USD each. A bus would've been half that, but taken 8 hours or so.
  
  Now for some unhappier bits:
  
  
• DO NOT TOUCH ANY WILDLIFE WHILE THERE. Rabies isn't something you want to risk in a country as poor as Haiti! Should you get bitten/scratched by an animal (even superficially), go to a hospital immediately.
  
  
• Take your vaccination pass and go talk to your doctor about the journey, he/she will know what needs refreshing. I had refreshers on MMR, HepA/HepB, Tetanus and got something to reduce the incidence of Cholera.
  
  
• Have a water filtration bottle and a head-mounted LED lamp. The water quality ranges from 'ok' to 'factor 10 beyond the limits prescribed by the WHO for feces and bacteria' and power outages are a part of everyday life.
  
  Lastly, do enjoy your time. Nepal, despite being not the most user-friendly of places, is an amazing, amazing place with lovely people and stunning views. You'll be back! :-)