Everest region trekking is one of the most popular treks not only in Nepal but in the world. Many adventurers dream of going to the Everest region to get their dream of going to the highest altitude in the world. While trekking to the Khumbu region does not necessarily mean that you will be climbing Mount Everest, you will be enjoying a great deal of trekking around the lower regions of the location including the Everest base camp and Kala Patthar, which are two of the major hiking and viewpoints around Everest. However, even the most experienced hiker needs someone who has their back during a rather tough trekking journey.
Everest base camp trekking almost always mandates taking along a guide for trekkers to complete a trek while also making it through the most difficult trails. There are many benefits of hiring a local expert for your journey in the Everest region. In this article, we have made sure to cover everything you need to know in this regard. Make sure to read till the end to know more!
Should you hire a guide for Everest region trekking or not?
It can be very important for one to hire a guide for Everest region trekking. Everest region or the Khumbu region has always been one of the most rural and dangerous parts of Nepal. Therefore, the lack of good roads, improper trails, and confusing terrain make it all the more challenging for trekkers, even today, to complete the hike successfully. But with time, there has been a trend of hiring guides and not going on the trek without them due to the fear of losing against the trekker’s conditions in the mountainous location.
One of the main reasons to hire a guide is because they are almost always trained to roam around in the mountains while catering to the needs and questions of their clients, regardless of how tough the road gets. Likewise, it is not always possible for trekkers to make either a safe ascent or descent in any higher altitude location of the Everest region since the trails are nothing like your normal hiking trails. Everest base camp trekking or hiking around the region, in general, has been deemed one of the toughest trekking journeys one can take. Hence, a trekker can be safe and assured of not meeting any unforeseen events and accidents when he has a guide around.
The likelihood of getting lost in an unknown land is just as low when you are with someone familiar with it. Along with this, you will get good help in finding the best pathways, accommodation, permits, and transportation facilities with a guide.
Benefits of hiring a guide for Everest region trekking
The guides in Everest region treks are trained well. So, one should be worried less about what may be coming their way when they are on a trekking journey to the Everest region. There are many benefits that you’ll be getting during your Everest region trek if you hire a guide which as are follows:
High-altitude trekking will be made easier
Trekking to high-altitude locations may lead one to feel extremely suffocated. You can’t breathe properly when you have trekked for a while and the oxygen in the growing altitude is getting lesser and the air thicker. A beginner trekker or a trekker who has not been around the mountains for a while will especially face a lot of problems when they make high-altitude trekking. It is impossible for a person who is not quite aware of high-altitude trekking to stay prepared only with the help of guidelines he finds through secondary research sources. To lessen all these issues, you must hire a guide.
Knowledge of the local locations
Hiring a guide is necessary because you want to keep your journey as safe and convenient as possible. Sometimes, it can be impossible to complete a journey when you struggle with the trails. More often than not, some trekkers might even delay or completely cancel their trekking journey when they don’t have enough knowledge about the locations. A guide who treks around with the knowledge of a local Everest inhabitant, on the other hand, will spare you this issue.
Cultural insights
Guides who have been around for a while also know about the festivals that are celebrated in the Everest region. When you are exploring the mountainous region solo, you won’t be able to find as much, regardless of a deeper willingness for discovery and exploration. But, when a trekker takes a guide along with him on his trekking journey, he will be able to learn about every necessary aspect of the culture, ethnicity, different backgrounds, traditions, and religions, followed by the people around the location. This makes the trekking journey not only adventurous but also knowledgeable for the trekkers.
Mental and emotional motivation
It can get tough for a trekker to keep himself motivated when he does not have all the facilities needed to roam around on a trekking journey that is tough, confusing, as well as dangerous. Some may even lose their willpower during or in between the trekking journey. A reason why a trekking guide will help one overcome this issue is by keeping them motivated both mentally and emotionally. Guides are trained well to serve their clients with the most positive attitude, words, and the good old charismatic smile. Anyone who does not even have prior experience in mountaineering can benefit from positivity and motivation like this.
Accommodation
It can be extremely difficult for trekkers to find the right place to stay when they are in the Everest region trekking. Accommodation can be very hard to find, especially when you are trekking during a peak season. Trekking guides in Everest trekking journeys have a good relationship with the people who own teahouses and hotels. Additionally, upon providing them with your expectations for a suitable place to stay as per your budget and facilities sought, they can help you find just the right teahouse or hotel. , most of the costs of their service in these regards are also adjusted in the final price that you are to pay for them either directly to them or to the trekking agencies they work for.
Transportation
It is not easy to find the right transportation to travel around when you are in a rural region that is known for its lack of modern amenities. Henceforth, hiring a guide will make it easier for you to get guidance related to transportation facilities in the area. There is a wide range of transportation for you to choose from. Choosing the right transportation requires one to have a good knowledge of the commuting options. One needs to consider the best means with their budget and comfort in mind. Without good knowledge, a trekker might get himself into uncomfortable situations. Having a guide around will allow you to enjoy the lack of need to make the right decision by only yourself.
Terrain navigation
Trekking guides tend to help trekkers in navigating the right and best possible terrains. When they have this option, they will keep you from coming forth with any dangers or challenges on the way. Trekkers stay on the right path when they have someone trustworthy to help them around. Terrain navigation can be a big challenge for trekkers who are new to the Everest region. Since the trekking location is so complicated, there might also be a chance for the trekkers to make the wrong choice despite their former experience in the region. To avoid all these possibilities, trekkers can simply hire a guide for their journey for a simpler solution.
How do you choose the best trekking guide for the Everest region?
Trekking guides should be chosen very wisely. Not every other trekking guide that you meet would help you in ways that you would be seeking. A lot of unauthorized guides tend to make their own rules which in turn makes it tough for the trekkers to feel easy and comfortable during a trek that they have paid for. If you are paying for a service, you might as well choose the best choice out there.
You can keep yourself safe from fraudulence and unprofessionalism during the Everest region trek by doing research first. There are plenty of resources that will help you find the most preferable choices of guidance. Visiting trekking agencies by yourself can also help you a good deal. Trekking agencies very often make it easier for trekkers to land the most reliable trekking guides and maintain as much professionalism as they can while they’re at it. You can also get insights from the locals who are already living in the region about how reliable and trustworthy the guides are and who are the most suitable for a seamless trekking adventure.
There are just as many recommendations about the guides and websites dedicated to the trekking guides themselves on the internet. You can ask for a guide’s certification, license, as well as insurance coverage to know more about how reliable they are.
Conclusion
Trekkers going to the Everest region may mistake guides as unnecessary to their trek. But saving a little money instead of hiring a professional is always a worse idea than spending little while avoiding big risks shortly. Guides are not someone you would spend on but the ones you invest in.
