Everest Base Camp

Fourteen pupils enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime experience when they climbed to the Everest Base Camp during the autumn half term.

The ascent, beginning in Lukla, took 10 days with stops in a number of beautiful mountainside villages. The group spent an acclimatisation day in Namche Bazaar, the prosperous Sherpa town, exploring the village and admiring the remarkable views of the Khumbu region on a high altitude walk, before continuing on upwards. They visited Thyangboche Monastery, a Sherpa museum and got involved in an initiative to carry a 1kg bag down off the mountain as part of a collaborative effort to reduce the waste in the Sagarmatha Park. Their highest tea house visit, Gorak Shep, was a staggering 5,184m high!

They reached the Base Camp on the afternoon of the ninth day, with fantastic close up views of the Khumbu Icefall. The next day they woke at 4am to begin their final steep climb to Kala Pattar at 5,545m for an astonishing view of Everest at sunrise.

The descent took a further four days, with everyone enjoying the rapid increase in oxygen. The group were rewarded with a relaxing weekend in Kathmandu, exploring the local area and getting a feel for Nepalese life, and were thrilled by a phenomenal white water raft ride down the Trishuli River. 

Everyone returned in high spirits from an unforgettable trip!