MY ALTITUDE SICKNESS EXPERIENCE on the Everest Base Camp Trek

Everest Base Camp is incredibly high, so expect to feel the effects of altitude sickness. I want to share my altitude sickness experience with you from my trek from Lukla to Everest Base Camp so you know what to expect.
BTW, I MADE THIS INCREDIBLE BIT OF GEAR
Check it out! thrunotes.co.uk
Kit list as of June 2020:
Backpacks
Atom+: bit.ly/31oHlFF
ULA Circuit: bit.ly/37XbigX
SHELTERS
Stratospire 2: bit.ly/317A9gS
Zpacks Solplex: bit.ly/2CtyJmr
SLEEP SYSTEMS
Katabatic Sawatch: bit.ly/3fWSxNM
Katabatic Palisade: bit.ly/3ewt5OL
Neoair Xlite: bit.ly/2YrKSB4
FOOTWEAR
Altra Lone Peak 4.0: bit.ly/2B5fHm8
Gaiters - Altra gaiters: bit.ly/37ViBFY
CLOTHING
Waterproof shells
Rohan Helix: bit.ly/37ZKbSo
OR Helium 2: bit.ly/3fVmzBq
Frogg Toggs: bit.ly/2Nqlrth
Insulated jackets
Patagonia Micropuff Hoodie: bit.ly/2YwQZ7f
Trespass Rustler: bit.ly/3i0HODx
Base layers
Ice Breaker base layer: bit.ly/3eGSdlG
Shirts
Rohan Expedition: bit.ly/388teWl
Shorts
Patagonia Striders: bit.ly/2Npw2EX
Hats
REI desert cap: bit.ly/3hWUKdJ
Berghaus beanie: bit.ly/31dGvvi
Sunglasses
Sungods: bit.ly/2zZ0wKG
Gloves
Salomon gloves: bit.ly/2ByVMMf
Ski gloves: bit.ly/383TCQX
Socks
Injinjis: bit.ly/3dwpmPG
Darn Toughs: bit.ly/3hX28G2
Sealskinz: bit.ly/3hXAnNG
NB Flat Knit: bit.ly/31e0Dx1
Mosquito net
Smidge: bit.ly/2B8d9DH
Buff
Camino Buff: bit.ly/31awGho
FILM AND SOUND
Phone
iPhone 11 Pro Max: bit.ly/2NosT83
Drones
DJI Mavic Air 2: bit.ly/31oIn4v
DJI Mavic Air 1: bit.ly/2VbNn8E
Cameras
Canon M50: bit.ly/3eyCPrQ
Sony RX100V: bit.ly/2NqQOUy
Mics
Röde Micro: bit.ly/2Npt1nX
Tripods
Gorilla Pod 1K: bit.ly/31c74Rf
Gorilla Pod 500: bit.ly/3ewApts
Manfrotto Action: bit.ly/2Ys689O
NAVIGATION
GPS units
Garmin InReach Mini: bit.ly/384Keg4
Garmin GPS Map 66i: bit.ly/3dxY4bI
Compass
Silva Field: bit.ly/31aS3iD
WATER TREATMENT
Filter
Sawyer Squeeze: bit.ly/2YwRJt3
Purifying drops
Aquamira drops: bit.ly/3euuQM9
Water storage
Cnoc Vecto 2L: bit.ly/31e1AFB
ELECTRONICS
Power banks
20,000mah: bit.ly/2NnBQyA
13,000mah: bit.ly/3hZhvOg
GPS tracking watch
Garmin Forerunner 35: bit.ly/3drJUc9
Wall chargers
UK : bit.ly/2BxbgQW
US : bit.ly/3dpUIrb
Data
Apple SD reader: bit.ly/2VfnnsW
EQUIPMENT
Lights
NU25: bit.ly/2Z5S70p
H2R Nova: bit.ly/2BB5fCV
Tiki: bit.ly/3hXBKfi
Ice axe
Grivel Helix: bit.ly/2Z6e0Nm
Trekking poles
Alpine Carbon Cork: bit.ly/3hXWiUL
Traction
Microspikes: bit.ly/3fQC5hV
Stove
MSR Pocket Rocket 2: bit.ly/2Vfl4WL
Spoons and knives
TITO titanium spoon: bit.ly/3ey0oAT
Victorinox mini classic: bit.ly/2Yr7dP8
Poop trowel
Deuce of Spades trowel: bit.ly/3i7H3c6
Sit pad
Kumfie pad: bit.ly/3euvJnX
Tent stakes
Tarptent stakes: bit.ly/3hZik9O
MSR Mini Ground Hogs: bit.ly/3ew7VAe
OEX Y-shaped stakes: bit.ly/31bAnnd
Tent poles
Zpacks carbon fibre tent poles: bit.ly/3du14pM
Ground sheet
Polycryo ground sheet: bit.ly/37XLmBW
STORAGE
Pack liners and pods
Atom Packs DCF pack liner: bit.ly/2YrMPxo
Heacy-duty rubble sacks: bit.ly/31dqPba
Dry bags and stuff sacks
Sea to Summit 4L Nano: bit.ly/3hVi8Z3
OEX 2L dry bag: bit.ly/3dx6qjX
Katabatic Gear silynylon stuff sack: bit.ly/3expU9n
Pouches and wallets
Zpacks DCF Wallet: bit.ly/2VgbQcL
Zpacks DCF utility pouch: bit.ly/2CuHAEq
Food storage
Loksak OPSak: bit.ly/2Nq2VkD
Ziploc freezer bags: bit.ly/2Z8GOVz
MISC ITEMS
Bodyglide: bit.ly/2Nt5Wka
Carmex lip balm: bit.ly/31bqBRW
Lifesystems Nano first aid kit: bit.ly/37XVv1v
Croakies eyewear retainer: bit.ly/2B8fmit
Discover more on my website: www.thetrailhu...
Follow me on Instagram: / the_trailhunter
#everestbasecamptrek #trekkingtips #altitudesickness

[@discoscience]

Awesome video man. I did EBC back in 2014 and you are so right about the frozen toes. I thought I was going to lose them on Kala Patthar. I had numbness in my big toes for almost 2 months after returning home! I took diamox from day one and didn't suffer much altitude sickness until Lobuche. It gets very hard to sleep beyond 15000 ft and I definitely suffered loss of appetite, nausea, dry heaving. Luckily no Khumbu cough. I basically couldn't stomach food once at Gorak Shep and hiked all the way to base camp on 3 mouthfuls of white rice. Still a wonderful experience and totally worth all the trouble!

[@tacticalaltarboy5875]

this has started to become a dream for me ever since i watched Everest a few weeks ago no joke iv started buying all hiking gear to do some long trail walking get my endurance up then i want to start winter camping and ice climbing in scotland and just get use to being out there and in a couple years do the trek to Everest base camp and then i want to summit Mont blanc or the matterhorn

[@DailyDoseofSpace.]

Same here. I'm from Sydney in Australia and I regularly want to go on treks and hikes in the blue mountains then eventually hike up the snowy mountains and Mount Kosciuszko and gain experience then I want to climb a few mountains in New Zealand, then I want to climb in the Himalayas and also Mount Kilimanjaro

[@Trekkeurbreton]

Okay this is how i managed my Altitude sickness which started at the elevetaion of 4,000 meters. From Lukla, half a Diamox every evening to prevent altitude sickness. and if one's start to be sick, a entire pill of Diamox in the morning and another one in the evening. but also drink 3 or 4 liters of water per day, no alcohol, eat properly, good sleep and you should be fine. headache is a deshydratation sign. But anyway, refer to your doctor as everyone is different !

[@baron6271]

Hydrating is so KEY. But if you do bring diamox, start to use it at the beginning of the trek and NOT prior to the onset of the AMS symptoms.

[@trytheoutdoors]

Thank you. I did Everest Base Camp 10 years ago as a staff rep for a charity which had organised the trek as a fundraiser. About 7 days in ( I forget where we were) a member if the group came down very badly with altitude sickness and had to be helicoptered off. I faced a terrible decision: should I return to Kathmandu with him? He would have been alone there and there was no saying how long it would take him to recover. Or should I carry on ( I wanted to reach base camp as much as everyone else)? What helped my decision was that I was also feeling quite unwell. I had eaten alot of oily veg and rice the night before and in the morning felt terrible. My theory is that my body had not digested all this heavy food - due to the high altitude slowing down my body's metabolism - and when I woke up I just felt like vomiting the whole lot. This state helped me to decide to accompany the chap back because: a) it was the right thing to do as a member of staff ( there was another staff member who could carry on with the group) and b) I didn't want to come down with AS myself later ( indeed, was I already suffering it???) and risk being the second of the group being helicoptered off later. As it turned out, both of us dramatically recovered within minutes of reaching Kathmandu so my state was definitely linked to the altitude. And so we kept ourselves company in Kathmandu as tourists for a few days as we awaited the group's return. Lesson learnt? I wonder if I had eaten less at night would I have been ok in the morning? Perhaps eating a light dinner to avoid having a belly full of undigested food would have been better? And - instead - should I just have gone for a bigger breakfast giving me more chance of digesting it through the day's exertions? Had I been feeling well, would I still have accompanied him down? Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I wasn't to know he would dramatically recover so I still feel it was right to accompany him. Having a very dicky tummy made the decision easier. What I don't know is whether my dicky tumny was in fact just AS or just a poor eating choice. I hope one day I can return and settle the score. Thank you for all your hard work on the channel.

[@Viiviiey]

This was very helpful to get a feel for what I'm getting myself into in about 5 weeks time. Super excited for the EBC trek. Thank you for sharing your experience :)

[@thetrailhunter4469]

Ahh thank you so much and I’m glad you found it useful. I wish you all the best for your trek. Any questions, do give me a shout. 👍

[@travelscoutsunplugged]

Great video! I go to Nepal each year, but just launched my channel and this is the first year I will be documenting everything. I have published my first few Everest videos on the channel but "hope" to upload 40-50 more Everest "how to" videos in the next year. LOVE what you have done here! Great job! I have watched your ENTIRE playlist!

[@thetrailhunter4469]

Ahh thanks so much! Glad you’re enjoying the videos. I’ll be sure to check yours out too. Amazing part of the world. 👍

[@travelscoutsunplugged]

@@thetrailhunter4469 Indeed! I love Nepal! Thanks! Enjoy your adventures!

[@spektrumB]

I'm going to do this trek next year March. Watch all your videos, and find the information very useful. Like many people, I've never hike to this very high altitude. The highest I've been is 4655m. I was perfectly fine without using Diamox at all. However, going 5500m+ is a different story. I probably will use Diamox just to be on the safe side.

[@thetrailhunter4469]

spektrumB ahh fantastic you’re going to love it. And thank you for your kind words! I’m glad you’re enjoying the videos. Ahh yes, it is totally different. I personally was a bit foolish not taking one before Kala Patthar, I just like to see what I can do without the help, but yeah felt totally fine apart from there! Best of luck to you, if you have any more questions, fire then my way. Russ

[@spektrumB]

@@thetrailhunter4469 One at a time. But I do plan to do the Annapurna circuit and maybe Manaslu after EBC trek. I'm sure I'm gonna love it. Keep making great videos. Great video work and editing. Your channel quickly becomes one of my favorites.

[@thetrailhunter4469]

Seriously thank you so much for your amazing comments. So glad you’re enjoying watching. Been working for a client the last few days so will try upload later in the week. Plenty of videos shot that need editing so stay tuned and of course HAPPY HIKING!

[@michellawarren1715]

Austra, Salisberg: winter & high ground. At minus -15°c I felt my feet were like blocks of ice....feeling over tired.

[@yamidgaray9074]

The last two days before reaching basecamp were hard to fall asleep. Best feeling getting there and knowing you made it. I went down to lukla in two days. Namche is my favorite. Irish bar haha

[@thetrailhunter4469]

yamid garay yeah really difficult to sleep in Gorakshep. Weird how the body reacts to altitude. In sleep we have periods of hardly breathing at all and then heavily gasping! Haha I sadly didn’t go to the Irish Bar I was on Antibiotics for a rash.

[@sabitamaharjan5319]

Hi there Thank you so much for posting this video. This is so lively and heart touching. Stay safe and come to Nepal soon for another circuit ❤️🇳🇵

[@thetrailhunter4469]

Aww thank you so much. Yeah was an amazing trip for sure.

[@yodelboy8168]

Love the channel bro, Have you thought about hiking Kilimanjaro, Shorter trek than Everest BCT, But looks absolutely amazing

[@lukewilkinson1059]

great video! im heading to ebc in a few weeks i am wondering if i need to pre book the tea houses as there is a lot of controversy about this online... thanks.

[@briannaturton9924]

good vid bro, thanks for the advice ur a champ :)

[@nikolalutov8898]

Hey, mate! Really enjoying your videos! Your channel is definitely amongst my favourites and I really think you will rapidly grow it in the near future. I quick question from a fellow mild asthmatic - do you find the ventolin inhaler I saw you usually carry helps you when you seem to get unnaturally winded sometimes or you strictly keep it for more serious occassions. Also, concerning the headaches, try to get your hands on some Saridon - the absolute magic of a pill! Mad props to you, my man! Looking forward to your new treks.

[@thetrailhunter4469]

Hi Nikola. Sorry for the late reply. Thanks so much for the warm words and glad you’re enjoying the videos. I very rarely use the inhaler. I generally only get asthmatic with my hay fever in the summer but of course carry it just in case. It never gets seriously bad. Thanks again. Any more Qs, let me know. 👍

[@nikolalutov8898]

@@thetrailhunter4469 No worries, mate! I feel you on the hay fever, spring pollens and freshly cut grass are my bane! I also very rarely get bad enough to use it, only when some sort of allergy really kicks in, but generally not more than a few times a year. Regardless, I am never leaving that inhaler behind, haha! All the best!

[@eduardocortes-dv4lo]

Sound likes its much better to take half diamox in the morning And half in the night starting in lukla . ( then you avoid the headaches )

[@999mrkhaled]

Thanks a lot for this video I never trek in my live but I’m planning to the Everest base camp in a year time I’m not even fit

[@thetrailhunter4469]

Ahh haha well a year from now who knows how you’ll feel. And to be honest, I saw people of all shapes, sizes and ages hiking up to Base Camp and hey, they even made it further than me! You can do it, you’ll love it and don’t be afraid to push yourself, you never know you may even surprise yourself, but also know your limit and never put yourself or others at risk. Enjoy every moment and by doing so you’ll learn about what you can achieve in the process. Thanks for watching, means a lot. Russ

[@mingology7767]

Very good information! I wonder will breathing pure oxygen help?

[@stigofthedump1074]

Hi Russ , your vlogs on EBC trek are by far the most informative and watchable on You Tube . Ive twice tried to email magic expeditions in Kathmandu about trekking EBC in December but as yet I’ve had no reply . 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@chuckhines459]

I had altitude sickness when they drove us up to a glacier at 16,000ft. In Peru I was so sick I didn't want to see another mountain in my life. Lol

[@thetrailhunter4469]

Oh man that sounds crazy. Yeah I literally thought I was going to pass out and puke everywhere. But learned so much in the process of what’s possible and what’s not. Thanks for sharing.

[@antoniabaker7770]

I'm in Australia so no chance to acclimate for altitude. Found this really interesting.

[@heidistiene2605]

Really interesting journaling of your experience - thanks for sharing. Out of curiosity: do you think your lack of appetite was a symptom of altitude adjustment or just made the other symptoms worse?

[@thetrailhunter4469]

Thank you very much, I’m glad you enjoyed the videos. It’s really hard to put a pin on a cause of the loss of appetite. I was eating well the entire way except for at Gorak Shep and Panboche. I reckon if I ate more and had more rest I would’ve been fine at Kalapatthar. The body really does react oddly to altitude. Thanks for watching. Any more questions, let me know.

[@baron6271]

Loss of appetite is definitely a slight symptom of AMS. You must hydrate and force yourself to eat or you will definitely be caught in a vicious cycle.

[@kumararkan2740]

wow touch to mount Evert by your hand so grate job love from Nepal bro

[@GODISMYSTERIOUS]

You should have taken two tablets each day two days before you started the trek, then continued everyday throughout the trek till you finished the trek and returned to Lukla.

[@georginathomas86]

Thanks for this! My 12 year old son and I are heading to Base Camp at the end of October and the stuff I've read about Altitude Sickness has worried me silly! I've already decided to give us both Diamox and Ibuprofen before, during and after the trek. I know we need to walk extremely slow and drink at least 3 litres of water also. Any other tips?

[@thetrailhunter4469]

Hi Georgina. Thanks for watching and I’m glad my videos have helped. I have an entire playlist for EBC with 22 videos including tips and advice about all sorts. >> bit.ly/2Z7BpRm Also I was a guest on a podcast where I speak all about my EBC experience here: www.thepursuitzone.com/tpz174/ If you still have more questions, let me know and I’ll be delighted to help. 👍 good luck with your trip! It truly is magic.

[@GODISMYSTERIOUS]

You should have taken Diamox before setting out to Kala Patthar.

[@joaoleiteneto668]

Hi buddy. just to reinforce my understanding about altitude sickness. Is it suggested take the zolamide one night before or at the day of the hiking? Thank you so much.

[@alanrobinson2229]

What time of year did you go? What insurance did you have? I heard promethazine is good for altitude sickness. Want to do solo trek in October.

[@thetrailhunter4469]

I used World Nomads with hiking up to 6,000 meters included. Nice one.

[@chrisscomics9448]

Think about the people walking over that limit at aroundt 6.000 to 7.000 meter and from 8.000 meter up to Everest summit

[@thetrailhunter4469]

Yeah mental. Real badass.

[@परदेशीपथ]

Could you tell me what is the best medicine for altitude sickness? Diamox ?

[@thetrailhunter4469]

Yes of course. Apparently they rebranded Diamox because people were misusing the drug. It’s now called Zolamide. I had these checked by various guides and hikers and they said they were the real deal. More detail in my Base Camp kit list video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3nOYoGQqNyWarM hope that helps!

[@chuckhines459]

They also sell oxygen in a can. That would be a good idea.

[@baron6271]

If taking diamox, start to use at the very start of the trek. Do not wait until the onset of AMS symptoms. Consult with your doctor first since Diamox is a sulfa drug and some people can be allergic to diamox. But also hydrate hydrate hydrate.

[@antoniabaker7770]

I've always wanted to do Everest. Did you feel when you got to Base camp like you could just keep going?

[@toeriest]

Would you advise on more insulated shoes even though they would be heavier? And what kind of gloves were you wearing?

[@thetrailhunter4469]

For higher elevations I just wore a thicker, clean and dry pair of socks. Most of the trek is in warmer temperatures so I saved the weight and saved myself from blisters. The only time I was too cold was the Kalapatthar Sunrise trek and my feet were very numb so whish I had an even thicker pair of socks or some kind of heat pack to put in my shoes. I used a thin pair of wind gloves then a thicker pair of cheap gloves on top. Hope that helps! 👍

[@toeriest]

@@thetrailhunter4469 currently in Kathmandu, will start EBC and hopefully do Lobuche East as well. Depending how Altitude will affect me. I saw some good reviews about the La Sportiva trango Tower gtx. Should be a great all rounder, not too heavy but still warm enough for colder Moments. So hopefully they will fit well:). For Lobuche East I'll probably rent double layer boots in Lobuche. But first try to get there :)

[@hanlens_on_hiatus]

Why were you anti taking diamox, sounds like you were struggling at times?

[@thetrailhunter4469]

craig hanlen Good question, Craig and thanks for watching. I wouldn’t say I’m “anti” taking Diamox. I mostly wanted to see what my body could do without it for as long as possible. Yes, haha it was a struggle, wish I took it the night before Kala Patthar and had a good night’s sleep.

[@hanlens_on_hiatus]

Great videos by the way really informative, i've watched most of the ebc ones.

[@thetrailhunter4469]

craig hanlen thanks very much! I’m glad you’re enjoying them. If you have any more questions don’t hesitate to ask. I’m actually in the midst of editing a Q&A session which’ll be published this evening so stay tuned for that.

[@TheCricketer15]

Question, can I get Diamox in Kathmandu ? Or do I need to get before I leave for Kathmandu if it’s a prescripted drug?

[@thetrailhunter4469]

You can get diamox over the counter at most pharmacies in Kathmandu. 👍 thanks for watching.

[@TheCricketer15]

The Trail Hunter also, are drones permitted anywhere during the trek? Between lukla and base camp etc.

[@JohnWilliamDomingo]

What time of the year did you do this trek? Thank you!

[@thetrailhunter4469]

Hi John! I went in October/November. Weather was fantastic on trail. Had one snow day on descent but it was very cold after Dingboche. 👍

[@DanMeyer86]

How was the way back? That’s what I want to know.

[@thetrailhunter4469]

Piece of cake. Took 9 days to get up, just 2 and a half to get down. As soon as I got down to lower elevation, my body appreciates the oxygen haha.

[@thetrailhunter4469]

Appreciated*

[@DanMeyer86]

The Trail Hunter thanks for the quick response! Wish you would have taken some more videos of that.

[@DanMeyer86]

The Trail Hunter love the videos btw and I am sorry about your loss ;)

[@thetrailhunter4469]

Thanks, yeah I decided to put the camera away and just take it all in on the way down. 👍

[@colettefleming4542]

My mum did the Trek

[@chuckhines459]

You also need to drink lots of water.

[@obbzerver]

*"..Listen to your body.."* If you were listening to your body you wouldn't be there. It's always a constant gamble that you're not going to push your body past a point it can't withstand and come back from. Bottom line - you can die climbing mountains.