Preparation for EBC in Kathmandu

Day 01 – Arrival in Kathmandu & Settling Down

Hiya everyone! It’s been a while since I finished my Helpful Guides on Everest Base Camp Trek and as promised, finally got around to start on the journey itself where I’ll take you through virtually every crucial moment of this exciting trek to the base of the tallest lady in the entire world, Mt. Everest or the way I prefer calling her “Chomolungma”. If you still haven’t checked out the previous articles with tips and tricks, please do so and hopefully they’ll make your journey a pleasurable one.

I can’t stress enough on the fact that how much you gotta prepare yourself for this strenuous trek. This is an arduous journey, believe me you need to be physically fit but more than that, mentally fit and prepared.

“How come there are so many trekkers accomplish this every year then?” – You’re sure to ask me if you’ve already read some articles on EBC and are familiar with it.

“They do but not as pleasantly as one would want to” – I have to reply which means, when you embark on a trek, a memorable one as EBC, you should always try to make it a pleasant as well as an unforgettable journey. Not a journey which you manage to complete but not enjoyed as much, more like suffered through it just for the sake of reaching your destination.

Well, to make it clearer, I’m not referring to the physical exertion you undergo which is common among any trek. We must all be prepared to take the immense amount of demanding trekking which your body will have to endure day-in and day-out. It’s not actually suffering coz it’s part of the package. I’m referring to the dreadful experience of Acute Mountain Sickness or AMS or High Altitude Sickness which is, as far as I heard, worse than death. I wouldn’t know coz I was one of the the lucky few who didn’t have to go through it and hopefully if I ever set foot on the Himalayas, I won’t have to.

In my previous articles, I’ve written ton of things about AMS, its extreme sides and how to avoid it. So it’ll do a world of good and difference when you embark on this trek, or any trek for that matter, knowing the real dangers of it and prepare yourself to stay as further away from it as possible.

Most of us are hard-pressed for time, aren’t we? I know money is not easy to come by yet time is the crucial thing as almost all of those who attempt such long journeys have very little time to work with. Lemme tell you, if you’re on a tight schedule which things must go according to the letter, then you shouldn’t attempt a journey as uncertain as Everest Base Camp coz more often than not things don’t go according to plan and you must always have a bit of flexibility built into your plan. By that I mean, you must have a couple of days either side of the trek dedicated for preparation and emergencies. Believe me, you’ll be glad you had that extra time coz even if you’re one of those extremely few whose things go to the letter, it’d still be a pleasant experience to have extra time on your hands.

Ok, here’s my pre-trek experience at Kathmandu and how I spent it so that it’d give you an insight into how to get about it when you do that. In fact I got there 2 days before my departure to Lukla from Kathmandu and it was time well spent.

I landed at Kathmandu flying from Colombo via Mumbai on 05 Oct around 1.30pm feeling all sorts of variations of excitement, anxiousness, hope, etc.

3-hour wait at Mumbai all alone wasn't the best thing in the world

Things to note:

• It’s always a huge rush at Kathmandu Airport which is well below in terms of standards of a typical international airport. At least the staff there is friendly and helpful and most of them can handle English enough to get by. 
• Always try to get off the plane soon (not necessarily mean you gotta push yourself to the front and the moment the door open jump out of it) and join the first shuttle bus and the moment it takes you to the door of the terminal, try to make your way as fast as possible, without tripping yourself of course, arrival lounge which is very stuffy and hot. Mind you, air conditioning is not something Kathmandu Airport is accustomed to so brace yourself for the heat especially if you land in midday like I did. 
• There are machines where you have to fill in your details in order to obtain the on-arrival visa. I’d highly recommend getting it in your country if possible in order to avoid this mad rush at the airport. Unfortunately there are only a handful of machines and out of those; approximately half of them are working at any given time which is around 1-2. Mind you, they’re not the most user-friendly or superfast machines you’ve ever operated. 
• If you came by a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 (most commonly used single-aisle short haul aircraft in the world), you’d be one of more than 150 passengers. That is only your plane landed at that time. So your chances of getting to one of those machines varies from 1/50 to 1/75 which is not good especially on a non-AC terminal. Just to think what it would be if you came in a larger aircraft (thankfully no A380s fly to Kathmandu) makes my hair stand upright. 
• Therefore, when you get off, keep your things tidy and ready. All you need is your passport and the details of the hotel you’re staying at (name, address, and contact numbers) and the travel agent if you have any. Oh, don’t forget a pen which is very handy as they haven’t got any desk pens for use. Most of the time the tourists start looking for them when they get to the machines which means it’ll waste time of your fellow tourists. So keeping things ready and accessible not only make it easier for you but also for others.
• Once you’re done, go straight to the visa counter for payments and keep the exact amount ready on you. If you’re from SAARC countries and this is the first time you visit Nepal in that year, you’re one of the lucky sort coz you can not only get into the country free of charge but also a lot quicker. After the visa, you’re directed to the immigration queue and don’t forget your disembarkation cards to be filled and ready too at the same time.

I managed to go through the charade and ended up at over-crowded, noisy and stiflingly hot baggage collection area which is no better than a busy open market. After pushing my way out of many blockades and waiting anxiously I finally collected my baggage and wheeled the trolley (first thing you should do is to get hold of a trolley when you get to the baggage area coz they’re few and not easy to find) out to the scorching hot tarmac where the car park is and your travel agents are waiting.

Things to note:       

• Traffic in Kathmandu (KTM) is insane and there are times you have to spend hours just to go a few kms. That’s one reason why you have to keep plenty of time in order to avoid having to miss your flights especially.
• To make matters worse, KTM Roads are so dusty and you can see practically every citizen wearing face masks so I suggest you do the same when either walking about or going in an open window vehicle. You don’t want your lungs to filter tons of this polluted air full of dust particles.
• Taxi drivers are so stingy to operate the AC so make sure to agree before you get in and also agree on the fee. One piece of advice is even though they have meters; don’t go by that coz waiting time in the traffic will bankrupt you in no time. It’s best to agree on the price and let the driver do the rest. 
• Traffic in Kathmandu (KTM) is insane and there are times you have to spend hours just to go a few kms. That’s one reason why you have to keep plenty of time in order to avoid having to miss your flights especially.
• To make matters worse, KTM Roads are so dusty and you can see practically every citizen wearing face masks so I suggest you do the same when either walking about or going in an open window vehicle. You don’t want your lungs to filter tons of this polluted air full of dust particles.
• Taxi drivers are so stingy to operate the AC so make sure to agree before you get in and also agree on the fee. One piece of advice is even though they have meters; don’t go by that coz waiting time in the traffic will bankrupt you in no time. It’s best to agree on the price and let the driver do the rest. 

I had trouble locating my travel agent coz I was expecting one of the known people from my last visit but unfortunately he didn’t turn up so had to spend 1$ to make a phone call to my travel agent coz I had no Nepalese Rupees (NPR). Having reached the hotel (Kathmandu City Hotel) in Thamel around 4pm, having spent more than 2.5hrs from landing to getting there, I was so exhausted. So had a cold and hot shower, put the AC on full and slipped under the wraps. I was fast asleep before my head met the pillow and wouldn’t get up well past 7pm.

I met with my travel agent (Hari Khadka of Welcome NepalTours) and discussed the plan for the following day which is both a rest and preparation day before I left for Lukla on the day after. I indulged in a delicious dinner at a nearby restaurant called “Hello Kitty” which is highly recommended for its food, service as well as the price. The atmosphere there too is very good and an oasis among the always hustling and bustling Thamel.

Time for more sleep and I repeated my evening rituals in the same order in addition to brushing teeth and was sound asleep in no time. Tomorrow early morning I’m going to Boudhanath Stupa about 6km from the hotel. On a typically busy morning, it’d take anywhere between 1-2hrs to cover that short distance. Well, that’s tomorrow but now I’m going to dream about the lady in my heart, Lady Everest or I very fondly call her, “Chomolungma”.

Day 02 – Boudhanath & Kathmandu Preparation

I slept like a log and was up feeling fully refreshed and ready for the day. After a wash and breakfast, I met my guide, Ngima (pronounced Neema), who was such a wonderful soul. In fact he was the reason why I could successfully complete my EBC Trek. He’s got a wealth of knowledge and experience and you simply can’t go wrong if you get him to guide you.

Good morning Kathmandu! Even though the view from the rooftop is not so appealing

We left for Boudhanath around 7am, before the morning rush hour which starts around 8.30am, and bought tickets to visit the largest Buddhist Stupa in Nepal. It was such a wonderful place and this huge stupa was a treat to the eye. I also visited the Boudhanath Monastery in the same square as the stupa which is typical of all the Tibetan Monasteries I’d visited before, notably in Ladakh, Northern India. I felt so peaceful and at ease while sitting inside those cool image houses looking at the calm and serene Maitreya Buddha Statue. I came to Boudhanath not for mere sightseeing but to try and cleanse my head and invoke blessings for the upcoming journey to the Himalayan wilderness. I really was glad I could make it as it gave me so much inner strength to face the challenges which laid ahead.

Well I guess I’ll let you enjoy a video of the Boudhanath Stupa now before moving onto a few pics as well.



Well, for those who couldn't get enough of that beautiful stupa, here's another video. I'm sure you'd love this one too.



All right folks, I'm gonna let you enjoy the pics of this masterpiece as they’d be far more interesting than me trying to explain everything in detail.

Boudhanath Stupa - Gosh what a sight!

I was so lucky to witness this color combination. 

This really was a wonderful creation. Couldn't get enough of watching it

Up close and personal. This unique feature is only found on Tibetan styled Stupa

They were being fed by the visiting tourists

Selfie craze is all over the world. 

He was standing so still I thought this was a statue

Top of the Monastery.

Such serene look on the Maitreya Buddha Statue. I just felt so calm and peaceful

I'm sure you'd want to see a video of the inside of the Monastery as well. How can I disappoint you know? I actually read your mind and took a video and here it is. See how wonderful it looks inside.

After a good hour or so, we decided to get back to Thamel where we planned to rent our stuff for the trek. The tour operator promised to include a Duffel Bag, Down Jacket, Sleeping Bag and Walking Stick for me in the package. So we got back to Thamel and went to a shop known to Ngima where we rented the top quality trekking gear. Thamel is like a heaven for the trekkers with hundreds of trekking gear shops which caters for all sorts of trekking. Therefor you’ve got nothing whatsoever to worry or panic should you happen to leave anything behind in your own country.

I was wondering what to choose.

Catering for everyone. 

Not only Thamel has all sorts of gear but also they’re very cheap compared to the top of the range branded stuff. Does it mean they’re low in quality? No quite, especially if you have a reliable guide like Ngima to help you.

It's always a good idea to have a coffee but not while trekking in the Himalayas, at least not until you get properly acclimatized. 

Afterwards it was time for a good lunch and I returned to Hello Kitty where I had a sumptuous meal before heading back to the hotel for an afternoon nap.

In the evening, I packed everything with into the duffel bag and the most essential items into my carry-on rucksack. You may read my article on “Things to Carry on Your EBC Trek” which will be quite useful when planning what you’d need. Remember, the golden rule is you should neither take too much nor too little. I know it’s hard to decide on the exact things you would need but if you have a well-prepared checklist and read plenty of other trekkers’ ideas, I’m sure it wouldn’t be that difficult.

The dinner was light and delicious which would be the last time I ate any meat coz I planned to remain vegetarian until my trek was over. The reason is that they don’t get fresh meat in Khumbu Region as butchering is not done there by Sherpa people. So remaining vegetarian will help you avoid dreadful diarrhea and tummy aches. Oh I forgot, try and stay away from alcohol too during the trek coz it’d be easier to acclimatize if you stay away from it. Read more about it on “Useful Tips & Tricks for Your EBC Trek”.

Well folks, I guess it’s time to go to bed and end this article coz tomorrow is going to be the first of my big journey and also the start of a 16-day arduous journey in an alien environment. So I want to get as much sleep as I could.

Did a couple of videos and now I'm all sleepy.
Oh, that's a typical Sherpa hat I'm wearing which is great to keep you warm.

So this is Sri signing off for now and stay tuned for the rest of the trek with daily accounts. Until then stay safe and travel safe!

Sri Abeywickrema – Trek with Sri…

P.S. Do comment with your feedback and questions if you have any and I’ll try my level best to answer them.

Related Articles: Everest Base Camp Trek | How to Plan Your EBC Trek | Detailed Itinerary for EBC | Useful Tips & Tricks for Your EBC Trek | Things to Carry on Your EBC Trek

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