What can be said about the world’s highest mountain? There’s only one, and this is it. It’s not easy to get to in terms of permits and travel, but it is worth it once you reach Everest Base Camp. You will never forget the day that you stood in Base Camp at 17,000+ ft and looked up at the 29,000+ ft mountain in front of you. A bonus to the trip is the 3-5 days of spectacular Tibetan scenery that surrounds you. It’s about a three-day drive from Lhasa to Everest Base Camp via Land Cruiser with a hired driver and Guide (5-6 day round trip). You must have an approved Guide and driver … you cannot get a permit without it, and you cannot do anything in Tibet without an advance permit to each area. The drive is not relaxing; it’s pretty tough, so be prepared for lots of bouncing and switchbacks. When you get to Everest you may choose to stay at the Everest View Guesthouse (8 km from Base Camp) or at Rongbuk (also 8 km). The other (longer) option is to drive more than 3 hours all the way back to Tingri (old Tingri), but check your permit. You may get only one entry into the Everest Park Area, and if you exit you may not be permitted to reenter. All of the accommodations are quite basic (squat toilets, etc), with no luxury to be found. But let’s face it … going to Mt. Everest is an adventure, not a relaxing vacation! Remember that the government permit currently limits you to stay only about an hour at Everest Base Camp (yes, that’s correct!), so check the cloud situation before you use your permit to go there. You get one visit to Base Camp, and one only. If it is cloudy when you get to Rongbuk or Everest View (as it was when I arrived), wait until the next day to visit Base Camp. The next day was nearly cloud free for our group, as you can see from the photo.
Gallery Slideshow Photos for the Drive to Mt. Everest from Lhatse in Tibet:
*** NOTE: Click on “Show as Slideshow” to Display these Photos as a Slideshow at the Bottom of the Page. When the Slideshow Begins, place the Curser at the Bottom Center of the Photo to View the Slideshow Navigation Bar. The Title of each Slide is in the Center of the Navigation Bar. To Pause the Slideshow on a Photo, click on the Slide Number. To Mute and Unmute the Music, click on the Speaker Icon that is Second from the Right. To Display the Slideshow in the Full Screen Mode or in a Smaller Window, click on the Display Icon at the Far Right End of the Navigation Bar. To end the Slideshow click on “Show Picture List”.***