(A summary)
INDEX
The Adventure in Brief (Day by Day) The Educational/Leadership Experience Trek Support Environmental Protection Pre-Trip Briefings 
The Adventure in Brief (Day by Day)
(See ‘ITINERARY’ for more detail)
Day 01: Arrive in Kathmandu
Day 02: Kathmandu : Designed for learning and to enjoy the sights and smells of Asia.
Day 03: Kathmandu – Lukla – Phakding – Morning flight (40 min) to Lukla (2,800m/9,186ft) and trek down to Phakding (2,652m/8,700ft) 3-4 hours
Day 04: Phakding – Namche Bazaar: (3,440m/11,284ft) 5-6 hours
Day 05: Namche Bazaar: Acclimatization day.
Day 06: Namche Bazaar – Tengboche : (3,810m/12,500ft) 4–6 hours
Day 07: Tengboche to Dingboche : (4,360 m/14,300 ft): 5- 6 hours
Day 08: Dingboche – Duglha: Dugla (4,600 m/15,090 ft): 3-4 hours
Day 19: Duglha – Lobuche: (4940 m/16,207 ft) 2-4 hours
Day 10: Lobuche – Everest Base Camp – Gorak Shep: (5,160m/16,929ft) 7-8 hours
Day 11: Gorak Shep – Kala Pattar – Lobuche : ( 4,371 m/14,340 ft) 6-7 hours
Day 12: Lobuche – Syomare: (3810m – 12500 ft) 6–7 hours
Day 13: Symare – Phortse: (3810m – 12500 ft) 6–7 hours
Day 14: Phortse to Nanche Bazaar: 3–5 hours
Day 15: Namche Bazaar – Phakding – Lukla: 6-7 hours.
Day 16: Lukla – Kathmandu: Celebration Dinner and Debrief
Day 17: End of the Adventure
The Educational/Leadreship Experience
Pre-Trip (Cognitive Journey)
During the months leading up to (or straddling) your arrival in Kathmandu you will have attended twelve, 45 – 60m. leadership development webinars. Make sure you have pen and paper handy since these informative, fast paced calls have been rated as, “They alone are worth the cost of the entire trip.”
The Intrinsic Journey, September 24 to October 10, 2021 encompasses the Mt. Everest Base Camp trek and it’s immersion learning experiences. Each day you will be assigned a specific leadership developmental task and/or contemplation.
Beyond the mesmerizing experience of this awesome landscape and the trekking experiences, the trip will be enhanced by teachings and self-discoveries in leadership, communication, team, and personal awareness.
Trek Support
Our Executive Tour Guide and Trek Leader is Werner Berger (see ‘Trek Leader’ bio). The Nepalese Guides are English speaking, experienced, local, trekking and mountain people to guarantee a safe and an enjoyable trip…. “most of them actually grew up in these mountainous regions of Nepal. It’s home for them, it’s in their blood. They’re not ‘familiar’ with local communities; they are a part of them. They don’t ‘know’ local culture – they practice it. They truly love their home and relish getting the opportunity to show travelers why.”
Our porters form an intricate part of the trek and their carrying capacity allows you to enjoy the journey. You will be carrying a day-pack (8kg/18 lbs or less), and your porters will carry up to 15kgs/33 pounds of gear for you.
Environmental Protection
The Everest region is fragile and we will leave ‘zero impact’ on the natural environment, and on the traditional communities of the region. A list of do’s and don’ts will be strictly adhered to.
Pre Trip Briefing
Prior to the start of our trek, we will host a Pre-Trip Briefing in Kathmandu. We will discuss acclimatization, introduce your trek Leaders and give you an opportunity to ask questions and meet your fellow team members. We will also brief you on how to get the most out of the trip and how and when the educational experiences we offer will be facilitated.
The Trip/Trek
(in brief…see ITINERARY for a detail day by day description)
Day1: Arrive in Kathmandu (May 3, 2011)
Day 02: Kathmandu : Today is designed to enjoy the sights and smells of Asia.
Day 03: Kathmandu – Lukla – Phakding– Morning flight (40 min) to Lukla (2,800m/9,186ft) and trek down to Phakding (2,652m/8,700ft) 3-4 hours
Day 04: Phakding – Namche Bazaar: (3,440m/11,284ft) 5-6 hours
Day 05: Namche Bazaar: Acclimatization day.
Day 06: Namche Bazaar – Tengboche : (3,810m/12,500ft) 4–6 hours
Day 07: Tengboche to Dingboche : (4,360 m/14,300 ft): 5- 6 hours
Day 08: Dingboche – Duglha: Dugla (4,600 m/15,090 ft): 3-4 hours
Day 09: Duglha – Lobuche: (4940 m/16,207 ft) 2-4 hours
Day 10: Lobuche – Everest Base Camp – Gorak Shep: (5,160m/16,929ft) 7-8 hours
Day 11: Gorak Shep – Kala Pattar – Gorak Shep– Pheriche : ( 4,371 m/14,340 ft) 6-7 hours
Day 12: Pheriche – Phortse:(3810m – 12500 ft) 6–7 hours
Day 13: Phortse to Nanche Bazaar: 3–5 hours
Day 14: Namche Bazaar – Phakding – Lukla:6-7 hours.
Day 15: Lukla – Kathmandu:Celebration Dinner
Day 17: Departure from Nepal(unless you have decided to extend your stay)
Trip Cost Includes
§All domestic (Nepal) flights, airport transfer and hotel
§Sightseeing in Kathmandu
§All permits and paper work
§All accommodation and meals during the trip (Kathmandu and on the trail)
§Costs for trek leaders, Sherpas, assistant trek leaders and porters
§Special welcome and farewell dinner in Kathmandu
§For added safety supplemental oxygen and a Portable Altitude Chamber (PAC)
§All government and local taxes
§DVD – Werner Berger: A USANA Success Story
Trip Cost Does Not Include
§Nepalese visa fees
§Airfare to and from Kathmandu plus Baggage charges (when booking your return flights leave a few days cushion at the end of the trek to allow for bad weather)
§Meals in Kathmandu before the welcome (May 3) and after the farewell dinner (May 18)
§Personal expenses (phone calls, laundry, bar bills, showers on the trail or extra porters)
§Tips for guides and porters
§Trip Cancellation, travel and air rescue insurance
§Alcohol and sodas and bottled water
The Educational Experience
Pre-Trip
During the months leading up to your arrival in Kathmandu you will have been invited to attend two, one-hour leadership development conference calls or webinars. Make sure you have pen and paper handy since these informative, fast paced calls have been rated as, “They alone are worth the cost of the entire trip.”
In Nepal
Beyond the mesmerising experience of this awesome landscape and the trekking experiences, the trip will be enhanced by teachings and self-discoveries in leadership, communication, team, and personal awareness.
You will be asked to contemplate: Who are you really? What drives you? Where does your unique contribution and power lie? What makes you judge people and what barriers do you erect that thwart your best attempts at creating a connection.
You will also be encouraged to learn about the simple life of the Sherpa people, how they deal with the seductive infiltration of Western Culture, how they maintain their equanimity, their friendly and appealing spirit and their joy in life. You will be asking yourself, “How can anyone have so little and yet, have so much and be so happy?”
Trek Support
Our Executive Tour Guide and Trek Leader is Werner Berger (see page 9 for Werner’s bio). The Nepalese Guides will be English speaking, experienced, local, trekking and mountain people to guarantee a safe and an enjoyable trip…. “most of them actually grew up in these mountainous regions of Nepal. It’s home for them, it’s in their blood. They’re not ‘familiar’ with local communities; they are a part of them. They don’t ‘know’ local culture – they practice it. They truly love their home and relish getting the opportunity to show travelers why.”
Our porters form an intricate part of the trek and their carrying capacity allows you to enjoy the journey. You will be carrying a day-pack, and your porters will carry up to 15kgs/33 pounds of gear for you.
Environmental Protection
The Everest region is fragile and we will leave ‘zero impact’ on the natural environment, and on the traditional communities of the region. A list of do’s and don’ts will be strictly adhered to.
Pre Trip Briefing
Prior to the start of our trek, we will host a Pre-Trip Briefing in Kathmandu. We will discuss acclimatization, introduce your trek Leaders and give you an opportunity to ask questions and meet your fellow team members. We will also brief you on how to get the most out of the trip and how and when the educational experiences we offer will be facilitated.
Meals during the Trek
All Meals will be provided starting with the Special Reception dinner on May 3rd and including all meals during the entire trek.
They will consist of various cuisines including and not limited to Nepali, Sherpa, Tibetan, and Indian (occasionally, Continental, and Italian).
On the trail, breakfast and dinner will be ordered from the menus provided by the teahouse/lodge in which we are staying.
Lunch will be served on the way to our destinations. A celebratory and farewell dinner in Kathmandu will mark the end of the trip.
Accommodations
On the trek, we will be staying in the local, “best available” lodges and all accommodations are included in your fee. Accommodations are based on two-person occupancy. On request, and where available, single occupancy may be arranged for an additional fee of $350 US.
On the trail to Mt. Everest Base Camp, most lodges have between 5 and 6 rooms described as “Superior.” To be fair, and without exception, these rooms will be assigned to those individuals who apply and register earliest.
In Kathmandu: The cost of the trip includes three (3) nights accommodation, two (2) before the start of the trek and one (1) night at the end of the trek in the Shankar Hotel, also known as the Maharaja’s Palace.
Trekking Groups
The size of the group will determine the number of trekking groups we will create. Each group will have one Nepalese leader, at least one assistant leader, and one Sherpa porter who will be shared between two trekkers.
_________________
Acclimatization
The trek has been planned to minimize the risk of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). The higher the altitude, the less oxygen there is in the air. At the Everest Base Camp (5357m/17575ft) there is 50% less oxygen than at sea level. To deal with this deficiency, the body needs time to adapt, hence the moderate pace. In 2007 when I climbed Mt. Everest, initially it took us 10 days to get to base camp. On our rejuvenation trip, we dropped back down to the 12,000 feet level and thereafter covered the same distance in 2 days. The chemistry in our bodies had changed and this allowed for the significantly faster ascent. If you have any known heart, lung or blood disorders you must consult your doctor before traveling. Our itinerary has been designed to prevent AMS, and it is important for you to know that altitude-effects vary from person to person.
A Typical Day In The Khumbu (Everest Region)
Early to bed, early to rise, trek like heck and energize. Yes and no. After a wake-up call, we will have breakfast, then trek for about 3 hours (with a few rest breaks) before breaking for lunch, in some pleasant spot. Another 2-4 hours will usually bring us to the location where we will enjoy a light snack and refreshments, followed by a hot dinner and an overnight stay. The evenings are relaxed and passed in conversation, reading, card games, team bonding, story telling and/or singing, and for some, journaling. On occasion, this is also a time to reflect on the experiences of the day, learn and come together with the magic of just being where you are.
A well deserved nights sleep is followed by another magical day in the Solo-Khumbu.
Temperatures
In Nepal the temperatures vary dramatically, depending on where you are. Kathmandu is likely to range between 75o and 55o F (at night), the lower trail 70o and 40o and the upper trail 55o (which still feels very warm, when the sun is out and we are hiking) down to slightly below 30o at night.
When we are in the mountains, it is possible to get a snow shower at any time during the year…even though it is unlikely in May.
Leadership & Mt. Everest Base Camp Trek '21 