Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Lakes 14th Oct 2011

Have you gone before such a trip? Good luck

Hi there, yep signed up to do Base Camp on the 14th solo trip. trying to get fit and figure out what to take!

Hope the training's going well?? I know what you mean about what to take, I'm not sure about the size of day sack, the information pack says a 25/30 litre pack but that you need to be prepared for 4 seasons in a day so does that mean you need to carry your down jacket and water proofs in your pack all day – difficult to know what to prepare for?

Hi guys. I did this trip in April. You really do not need much during the day in your pack. Make sure you have waterproofs with you in the day and a waterproof cover for your day sack. We got some really heavy rain and massive hailstones going up the Namche hill. The only day i had my down jacket during the day was setting off early up Kala Patar. Do not leave anything that is fragile in your main bag as the porters compress th bags within an inch of their life and things will get broken. If you have anymore questions then just ask. :)
You will have an amazing time!

Hiya, thanks for the information. Looking at the trip information the daily temperatures dont appear to differ that much in April and October so should be able to travel light as you suggest. I've seen the way bags are transported on other trips so I know exactly what you mean!
In the teahouses is there any chance of plugging in an adaptor to charge lithium batteries or am I being too fanciful and should just take back up batteries as I planned??

Thats great news, I was a little worried about the camera batteries, I dont wont to go all that way and not take hundreds and hundreds of photos!
Shame, just spent hundreds on a jacket that I probably wont need by the sounds of it!. I like the shop assistants advice I understand the sentiment - do you think a 25/30 ltr day sack will suffice then for carrying kit?
Did you take any Nepalese’s Rupee’s or rely on the teahouses taking Stirling?
Thanks for the info again it’s a great help.

Don't worry,its surprising how much is sold along the trail and just how much your fellow trekkers will have with them to help you out if you get stuck. We all helped each other out with things like strepsils,disposible cameras, chargers etc... We even met the adventure c group that had just finished the trek at the hotel in Kathmandu and they gave us a massive pile of water purification tabs, diamox, compeed etc...

I took sterling to Kathmandu and along with everybody else went on the guides advice on how much to change into rupee's in kathmandu ready for the trek and it worked out fine. Try to get as many small nepalese notes as you can. When your whole group are settling their teahouse bills in the morning and all paying with big notes change can be a problem sometimes.
I would say you will be good with that size of bag for the day. Thats all most of us had with us. Keep it light you don't need to be lugging extra dead weight up the hills.

When you get back to Kathmandu i reccomend the Raddison hotel for the Buffet!!
Im doing Kilimanjaro next year. Can't wait!!

Yeah I'm sure everyone will muck in once were there.
I had tried getting rupees here for that very reason but it’s a restricted currency so will have to change it with everyone else in Kathmandu.

What route are you taking up Kili, I did the Machame route in 2005 it was fantastic. You go through such varying landscapes, dense lush forest to a lunar like landscape, got some great photo’s!
By the way, there’s nothing en-route to buy anything at al!!

Im doing Machame as well. Sounds like its going to be brilliant!!

Thanks for letting me know lol!! That will save me a bit of money. I remember on the inca trail in Peru there were locals that would rock up to the campsites and set up a little table selling gatorade and water. I think a bottle of champagne would have been cheaper! but it was surprising how many people bought stuff.

By the way did you get your Tanzanian visa here or at the airport on arrival when you did KIli ?

I hope you stay in the same lodges we did before we headed off - It was a gated complex with armed security (which gives you an idea of normal Tanzanian life surrounding you!) but the lodges were great, they were on stilts and you had a lovely view across the valley.

I got my visa here, I couldn’t leave something like that till I arrived - I got my Nepalese visa about 6 weeks ago! You can probably guess by my questions about packing I like to be prepared!! :)