China Guide
Tibet
Everest Base Camp
Address: 8km due south of Rongbuk Monastery
Everest Base Camp (5150m) is 8km due south of Rongbuk Monastery. The road is driveable, but it's mostly flat, and the walk alongside the river through the boulder-strewn landscape past a small monastery on the cliff is glorious. Base camp is often a bit of a surprise, especially during the climbing seasons (March– May, Sept & Oct), when you'll find a colourful and untidy tent city festooned with Calor gas bottles and satellite dishes. It's possible to camp near the monastery, where there's also a guesthouse offering dorm accommodation (under ¥50). Grubby quilts are provided, but you'll be more comfortable with your own sleeping bag. Each room has a stove and pot to boil water (you collect it from up the valley) and the monks will provide fuel (although if you can manage to buy some in the villages on the way, this would be insurance against a shortage – a night here without heat would be grim). There's a small monastery shop selling mostly leftovers from mountaineering expeditions – take your own food. Don't be surprised if you suffer with the altitude here. However well you were acclimatized in Lhasa, base camp is around 1500m higher, so be sensible and don't contemplate a trip here soon after arrival up on the Tibetan plateau.