Everest Base Camp Trek is not just for young and adult people; it is also suitable for children. Isn’t it wonderful to take your kids closer to the beauty of the Everest mountains at a tender age? In fact, it is quite an exciting way to spend family holidays around Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world.
A family trek to Everest Base Camp or EBC is a great idea, as you will create a lifetime experience with your dear kids. The experience sure comes with double intensity, adding up the emotional bonding with your children and emotional moments of witnessing the snowy peaks in front of your eyes, both together. However, it does have potential hazards. Just because the EBC trek has certain risks doesn’t mean you have to let go of the wish to have the marvelous trekking experience with your kids at Everest Base Camp. We’re here to guide you to a kid-friendly Everest Base Camp. The question is: Are you ready?
What is a Kid-friendly Everest Base Camp Trek?
A kid-friendly Everest Base Camp Trek is a family-oriented trekking planned for people with children above 9 years old. It is a 12-13 day trek, where it will take 8 days to reach EBC, and 4 days to return to Lukla. In this trek, you climb the beautiful trails to Kala Patthar viewpoint at 5555m, and Everest Base Camp at 5364m. On the trekking journey, the sight of high mountains all around in the pristine surroundings: Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Pumori, Thamserku, Kangdeka, Tawache and Ama Dablam will bless you and your family members/kids as you walk through the beautiful trails of Everest region.
Perks of Taking Kids to Everest Base Camp
Following are the outstanding perks you, and especially your kids, get from the trip:
Natural exploration: Explore the majestic landscapes and diverse flora and fauna closely in nature. The valleys, mountains and glaciers are the brilliant resources for upgrading your kids’ understanding of natural science.
Physical Fitness: Like hiking, trekking helps in enhancing your physical fitness. But since this requires more effort and stamina, it promotes your physical fitness and well-being along with mental one.
Educational Trip: In school, they call it an extra-curricular activity for kids. Just as almost all treks, the trek to Everest Base Camp is a practical way to study geography, geology, ecosystem, meteorology, etc., all in natural glory.
A sense of achievement: When Mount Everest is the main attraction in the trek, why not call it an achievement to arrive at the Everest Base Camp, from where people prepare to ascend the highest peak? The trip teaches kids the importance of perseverance to reach a goal.
Cultural Study: Studying foreign cultures is a great way to enhance one’s understanding of the world in a broader sense. Connect with Sherpa people and live in their ethnic community to foster their perception of humanity.
Strengthening family bonds: Most importantly, this trek Everest Base Camp for children is a supreme opportunity for family members to unite and create stronger relationships. It all makes sense when you take the beautiful journey with your kids in the mountains. You may connect more deeply with them, thus strengthening the emotional bonds with them. All the teamwork spirit, mutual support, intimate conversation, etc. in the trek enhances the strength of your familial relationship.
Explore with taste buds: Eating new food with unusual taste surprises your taste buds, giving them a sense of adventure. In Everest Base Camp trek, your kids explore tasting food from another traditions and gain a better understanding of their culture.
Personal Growth: The Everest trek is a beautiful opportunity for children to promote their resilience, adaptation, and determination levels. The trekking is remarkable, unlike any other drills or games, for enhancing their mental and physical capacity and developing their personality.
Challenges and Precautions
The kid-friendly Everest trek might not be as exciting as it sounds at the moment, when you will meet with hardships and challenges along the way. It might not feel easy at times, and you might have to give support and encouragement continually to your kids. However, anyone will go spellbound upon watching the awesome scenery of mountains and natural beauty. Following are helpful measures to ensure a comfortable family trek to Everest Base Camp:
- Boost physical stamina and immunity before the trip through exercise and yoga
- Avoid giving unhealthy and junk food to the kids
- Take a first-aid box with all the required medicines.
- Keep yourselves hydrated at all times
- Give your kids enough time to acclimatize to prevent altitude sickness
- In case of anxiety, provide them support and encouragement
- Be patient with your kids. Walk with the kids and check on them frequently.
- Be flexible with the itinerary if needed
Be sure to take a personal guide and porter with you for support and guidance. Explore Namche Bazaar and shop for local goodies for your family and take family pictures with the glorious mountains to make the journey more memorable. When you will finally view the gorgeous Mount Everest, the feeling will be out of this world.
Accommodation for Families with Kids at Everest Base Camp
Families on the Everest Base Camp trek often worry about whether they might be able to find comfortable accommodation for their kids. After all, the kids are tender and more vulnerable to cold. You have two options for accommodation: one is luxury lodges, and another is tea houses.
The luxury lodges provide all the good facilities and friendly services, and the tea houses are good with basic facilities like beds with foam mattresses, bed covers, pillows, and blankets. Make sure to remain flexible in unusual circumstances because you might have to use common bathroom instead of the one attached to the room. It depends on where you decide to stay with your kids in the Everest region.
Before You go…
- Have the entire family a thorough medical checkup before the trek to Everest Base Camp
- Educate the children about the environment and cultural aspects beforehand so that they can enjoy the trip better.
- Make sure that your trekker child is at least 9 years old.
- Ensure appropriate and comfortable gear for your children. Talk with them to ensure the right fit.
- Choose a reliable trekking agency that specializes in family trek to EBC
- Choose an experienced and knowledgeable guide who can modify the itinerary to meet the children’s needs.
- Make sure to choose the best seasons: spring and autumn are the best for the safety of your family trek.
- Ask your children to be aware of your body sensations and ask them to express in case of any inconveniences.
- Get adequate insurance that covers helicopter evacuation up to the highest altitude and medical charges. You may not find sufficient health centers around the Everest trekking region.
Conclusion
Kids are our great responsibilities, and planning a trek to the mountains with them is a matter of heart. To share the adventurous trek to Everest Base Camp with children, you need to be a bit more careful and take necessary precautions for them. However, you can easily make it happen if you choose the right trekking agency with a reliable trekking guide, porters, etc.
