After the vibrancy of Kathmandu and the excitement of the flight to Lukla, it’s nice to finally be on trek to Mt. Everest Base Camp. And, especially since you’ve just flown to 9,383 feet elevation — and that is quite a flight! — it’s nice to be (briefly) headed downhill!

Indeed, Day 1 of the Everest Base Camp trek is probably the easiest. After a flat stroll down the main street of Lukla, you pass through a tourism police checkpoint (your guides will handle this for you) and start downhill through a forest. The trail is wide and essentially paved with hand stones, and there will be a lot of traffic going both ways, both human and beast. The people are a fun mix of fresh, clean trekkers going up and tired, dirty hikers doing down.

As for the animals, at these lower elevations, you see more donkeys than yaks carrying loads up for trekking groups or Mt. Everest expeditions. Those going down tend to have no loads. Trains going either way can have as many as 20 animals, all driven by one person at the back, yelling and shouting to keep them all moving. Other Nepalis, and sometimes even trekkers, get in on the yelling act as well.

Just remember: Yield to the animals, and do so on the uphill side of the trail; stay away from the drop-off side. Likewise, if you see animals approaching the far end of a bridge, stand back and let them all cross.

Meanwhile, a couple of hours out from Lukla, you arrive at the Dudh Khosi, or Milk River, named for its chalky color that comes from all the glaciers up above. You will follow this river the rest of the day, passing through scenic villages filled with tea houses, shops, trekkers and pack animals. This section is what they call “Nepali flat,” meaning there are lots of little ups and downs but nothing major.

Depending on when your flight came in, you might wind up having lunch in one of these villages, or you might make it all the way to your final destination, which for most people is the village of Phakding (8,660’). Not far beyond here, the trail starts up towards Namche, but that climb is for the next day.

Read on for a description of Day 2 on the Mt. Everest Base Camp trek, the climb to Namche Bazar.

Trek the Himalayas

with Embark Exploration Company!