Lessons I Learned From My Hike to Mount Everest Base Camp

In his latest video dispatch, Ben Ayers offers advice on where to stay, what to eat, and how to manage the extreme altitude along the popular trek

Published June 30, 2025 02:35PM

The trek to Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal has become a popular adventure for hikers, and every hear tens of thousands of tourists complete the journey.

But what should hikers know about the journey? Should you hire a guiding company, or hike by yourself? What’s the food like? And how hard is the altitude on your body?

This past April, Outside’s Everest columnist Ben Ayers did the 11-day hike from the town of Lukla in the Himalayan foothills to Mount Everest, and documented his journey via a series of travelogue journals, feature stories, and videos. In his latest Dispatches from Everest video, Ayers offers crucial advice for trekkers who dream of one day completing the journey.

Everest Everest Base Camp everest2025 Mount Everest

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