About the Everest Region
This is the home of the Sherpas, settlers from Tibet over the last 900 years. Their language is related to Tibetan; their faith in Tantric or Tibetan Buddhism is the same.
The Sherpas call this area the Khumbu, and their name for Mount Everest is Chomolungma, which means Goddess Mother. Long before the British survey of the mountains, the Sherpas know that Chomolungma was the highest. When westerners camt to attempt the climb, the natural guides and porters to hire were the locals. Careless usage turned Sherpa, an ethnic group, into sherpa, a mountain guide or porter.
While it is possible to walk into the Everest region from a roadhead six days southwest, most Everest treks start in Lukla, a 35 minute flight from Kathmandu. Because of Lukla's altitude of 9000 feet / 2800 meters, the ascent from there is carefully paced for several days, with both short days and acclimatization days. Motivated walkers can come down from Base Camp or another high destination as fast as they like! The annual Everest Marathon, for example, runs from Everest Base Camp to Namche Bazaar. Winning times are typically 3:40 to 4:00, depending on weather.
Trekkers can go to:
