Two of the most common questions people ask before embarking on the Everest Base camp trek is “How hard is the trek, and how do I prepare?”
Many people picture the trek to Everest Base Camp as a marathon up the world’s tallest mountain. However, the trail itself is attainable for people of many ages and abilities. This is because the progress itself is slow, spread over several days and with a couple of days of rest built in. This is mainly in part due to the high elevation. Everest Base Camp trekking companies keep the pace slow and add in a couple of days for acclimatization to help stave off altitude sickness when possible.
There is no one-size-fits-all training plan for Everest Base Camp. This is because the training depends on your current physical and aerobic fitness. However, your goal through your training should be to be able to:
- Have the aerobic endurance to hike for 5-8 hours at a time and a reserved pace with minimal breaks
- Leg strength to ascend 300m (1000 feet) of elevation 2-3 days in a row
- Core and back strength to carry a 5-10kg daypack on a trail with significant elevation
Below, we list 9 tips for training for Everest Base Camp based on advice from our highly experienced guides and adventure experts.
1. Include Hiking in Your Training
The single best way to prepare for your Base Camp trek is to get out hiking. Find some local trails or hike through your town, just get out and walk. Get used to long walks, learn where your body struggles and how far you can push yourself. You’ll be amazed at how far you can go once you get used to pushing through the first wave of discomfort.
Start small, build your endurance and step up the difficulty over time. Get to where you can walk for 5 or 6 hours with minimal breaks. Once you’ve done a few all-day hikes you will have a good idea of how your body will react and how to manage the Base Camp trail.
2. Do Plenty of Cardio
Cardio workouts such as walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling help train your body to work hard with less oxygen. This will help you keep your breath and focus at higher-elevation and can help you enjoy the hike significantly more. Do a cardio endurance workout 2-3 times a week leading up to your trek and build up difficulty and duration over time. On the trek, you will be hiking 6-8 hours a day and gaining about 300m (1000 feet) of elevation on average each day. Doing cardio helps prepare your muscles, heart, lungs, and—possibly most importantly—your mental strength to be able to better handle the challenge.
3. Break in your Boots
There’s not much that can put a damper on a trip faster than blisters and chafing. One of the best things you can do to protect your feet is to be sure to break in your hiking shoes. Make sure there’s no pinching, rubbing, or uncomfortable pressure points. Wear the shoes around town and on several practice hikes. If they’re uncomfortable, return them and get new ones (and break those in before the hike). You’ll be logging a lot of miles on these shoes—make sure they’re comfortable!
4. Wear Your Daypack While Training
While 5kg (10-11lbs) may not seem like a lot, your pack usually starts to feel heavier as the trek wears on. Wearing your daypack while training can help make sure the daypack is comfortable while helping you get used to the weight while working out. On practice hikes, walks, or treadmill hill sessions, be sure to wear your daypack with added weight. You may even consider training with extra weight so by the time Everest Base Camp comes around the 5kg will feel like nothing. Training your body to carry the additional weight before Everest Base Camp will make the weight seem a lot easier when your time to trek comes.
5. Start Training Early
Starting training early and going slow and steady is one of the best ways to train for Everest Base Camp while preventing injury. Listen to your body and add time, difficulty, and duration slowly. This helps you build up your endurance to handle long days on the trail for multiple days in a row.
6. Add In Strength Training
While hiking is ultimately the best way to prepare for the Everest Base Camp trek, some added strength training especially in your legs, back, shoulders, and core can help you feel you prepare to carry a heavy pack on the trail. Lunges, squats, planks, side leg raises, hip raises, and wall sits are all good bodyweight exercises for adding strength training to your Everest Base Camp training plan without exercise equipment.
7. Watch Your Nutrition
As you increase your training for Everest Base Camp, it’s usually wise to step up your nutrition as well. Your body will naturally begin to crave more calories. Eating a combination of lean proteins, healthy fats, and vegetables can help you recover and stay healthy in preparation for your trek. 
8. Stretch
Get in the habit of stretching for at least 10-15 minutes after every workout. Learn where your body gets tight and which stretches work best with your body’s muscle soreness. Not only can this help boost recovery and help prevent injury, but it is also good practice for when you’re hiking the Everest Base Camp trail. During your trek, you’ll want to be in the habit of stretching at the end of your long day of trekking to help loosen your muscles so they can heal comfortably while you sleep. It can also be a good idea to do a brisk warm-up and some warm-up stretches before you start the trek each morning.
9. Taper Off Before Your Trek
You don’t want to push yourself hard right before your trek. If you’ve started early, let your body rest up for a few days or a week before you get to Nepal. Stay active, keep stretching, but don’t train too hard. You want to arrive fresh and ready to hit the trail.
How can we help?
Do you have any questions about training for Everest Base Camp or would you like to learn more about picking the best Everest Base Camp trek for you? Reach out! Our adventure specialists are happy to help.
A version of this post was originally published on October 8, 2018 and was updated February 4, 2020.
