(Mani-Stone carved with prayers)
The Khumbu region also has Sagarmatha National Park; and while trekking to Everest Base Camp, you would have to hike through the park and get to Namche Bazaar. Adventures in Namche include exploring the village of Namche. It is also called the “Gateway to Everest”, and is a wonderful settlement which provides the first glimpses of Mount Everest and its surrounding peaks. The Sagarmatha National Park is a natural World Heritage Site which has a wide variety of unique flora and fauna preserved within its perimeters. The foliages at the park include mostly alpine vegetations of pine, junipers and cedar trees, along with the national flower of Nepal, rhododendrons. In fact, while trekking to the Everest Base Camp, the trekking trail is adorned with rhododendron flowers blossoming in the colors of red, white and pink. Trekking to the base camp, you will most likely excurse the upper catchment areas of the Khumbu region like the Dudh Koshi River, the Bhote Koshi River Basin and the Gokyo Lakes. Other surrounding peaks of the region include Mount Lhotse, Mount Cho Oyu, Mount Thamserku, Mount Nuptse, Mount Ama Dablam and Mount Pumori among many others. Trekking through the forests of the region to the Everest base camp, you will encounter various avifaunas that inhabit the acreage. The forest provides habitat to at least one hundred and eighteen species of birds, including Himalayan Monal, Blood pheasants, red-billed and yellow-billed choughs. Not only that, the Sagarmatha National Park allows you to trudge through the habitat of rare animals like Musk-Deer, Snow Leopards, Himalayan Black Bears and Red Pandas. Himalayan Thars, Langur Monkeys, Martens and Himalayan Wolves are also found in the park.
(Pine woods along the Everest Base Camp Trail)
Trekking to Everest Base Camp also has the revelation of visiting the Tengboche Monastery along the trail. It lies in the Tengboche Village in Khumjung. It is a famous Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Sherpa people and is also a hub for trekkers in the Everest region. The Tengboche monastery is one of the largest Gompas in the Khumbu region of Nepal. The monastery provides amazing panoramic views of the mountains like Tawache and Everest, and the monastery itself is ornately decorated with precious and religious paintings and murals and is intricately carved. The monastery attracts many trekkers who are on their way to Everest Base Camp. While trekking, you will also come across a village called Dingboche. It is also called “The Summer Valley”. Excursing from Tengboche, you would come across this little Sherpa settlement that lies in the Chhukung Valley. The Imja River flows directly east of the village. One of the characters of Dingboche is the kilometers of stone walls, built using stones of different sizes that cover the entire valley of Imja. The stones are removed in order to plow the soil and end up being piled one over the other creating the kilometers of wall. It is named the “Summer Valley” because it receives more sun than the village of Pheriche, and is less affected by the icy winds that descend through the valleys of Khumbu.
(The Dudh-Koshi River)
From Nagerjun, which is a settlement lying just above Dingboche set on the edge of a hill in the Chhukung Valley, you would be presented with Himalayan vistas of Mount Lobuche east and Lobuche west, Toboche Peak; and sometimes, when the weather allows, you can even see the magnificent sight of Mount Makalu as well from here. Mount Makalu is the fifth tallest peak in the world. Trekking to the Everest Base Camp, you would eventually be going to Lobuche as well, and there, you can experience the cyan of the Khumbu Glacier moraine. The Khumbu Glacier is located in the ridge between Mount Everest and Lhotse-Nuptse. With an elevation of four thousand nine hundred meters, it is the world’s highest glacier, and is also one of the largest glaciers of Nepal. The Khumbu Glacier is followed for the final part of the trail to Everest Base Camp. The glacier has a large icefall, The Khumbu Icefall, at its west end. Reaching the Everest Base Camp presents one with the sublime atmosphere of the mountains. The area is enveloped with snow and is extremely tranquil and beautiful. You would be having the adventure of a lifetime trekking to the Everest Base Camp. Encountering wonderful natural surroundings adorned with emerald foliages, serpentine rivers and rare animals, trekking in the Khumbu region presents you an excellent opportunity to observe and take part in the unique and diverse culture of the people, experience their traditions and customs and visit many religious sites and temples. Trekking to the Everest Base Camp also gives you the opportunity to view some of the most ravishing sights of the mountains, along with dainty picturesque villages and settlements. The trekking journey incorporates all of the aspects of the Everest region to give you an amazing adventure!
